UK leader May in Northern Ireland to allay Brexit concerns

Following a meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Downing Street, Theresa May repeated her commitment not to return to hard borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Reality Check: Will there be a referendum on a united Ireland? May met Northern Ireland’s leaders in Belfast Monday in a bid to allay Northern Irish concerns about Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. Mrs May is thought to be reassuring Northern Ireland first minister that there will be no return to border checks for people entering the United Kingdom from the Republic.

They warned if the UK Government failed to adopt a comprehensive process complying with constitutional requirements they would seek a judicial review and referral of questions surrounding European Union law to the Court of Justice of the EU.

Monday, though, May, who strongly advocated staying in the European Union, sounded like she was less concerned about that prospect.

Meanwhile, in Scotland on Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said another independence referendum was “one of those options Scotland must have the right to consider”, just two years after the country voted 55% to 45% to stay in the UK.

May spoke of keeping the open borders, insisting that “nobody wants to return to the borders of the past” and that the two countries should also collaborate to strengthen their exterior frontiers.

Northern Ireland was riven by three decades of sectarian violence up until the 1990s over whether it should remain part of Britain or join with the Republic to the south. “We will engage with all of Northern Ireland’s political parties as we prepare for that negotiation”.

Ireland and Scotland voted to remain in the European Union – as did the majority of voters in Northern Ireland (56 percent), but that nation is bound by the British government’s decision on the matter.

During her visit to Northern Ireland May will face calls from senior politicians, including a former minister of Sinn Fein and leaders of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), to ensure the peace process is protected in the event of Brexit.

Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms May said: “I am delighted to be visiting Northern Ireland”.

Mr Brokenshire added that there were “treaties and various other mechanisms” in place that underscored the “different arrangement” between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland compared with that between the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU.

“We have difficulties but I expect us to retain the Common Travel Area”. However, this will be her first journey to Belfast as prime minister since she took over from David Cameron 12 days ago.

He said: “I am totally against any borders of any description whether it be for trade or free movement of people”. The outlook for the United Kingdom is uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability.