Theresa May's Brexit strategy is raising the prospect of a united Ireland, John Bruton warned (Image: REUTERS/GETTY IMAGES)
John Bruton, who served as Ireland’s prime minister from 1994 to 1997, said Mrs May’s strategy raises the chances of a no-deal Brexit and a subsequent independence vote which could break up the United Kingdom. He said Tory MPs who oppose Mrs May’s deal on the grounds it could lead to the breakup of the United Kingdom are actually making the prospect of a united Ireland more likely. And the DUP’s decision to “back Brexit at all costs” has only served to “play into the hands of Sinn Fein” and increase the chances of a border poll, he warned.
Mrs May... is leading these two islands into constitutional and emotional territory that has not been mapped
John Bruton
Citing a recent poll which surveyed voters in Northern Ireland, Mr Bruton said a majority would support a united Ireland if the Government in Westminster fails to secure a Brexit deal.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: “Mrs May, by prioritising Conservative Party unity over a cross-party approach, is leading these two islands into constitutional and emotional territory that has not been mapped, and that is highly dangerous.”
The UK is scheduled to leave the EU at 11pm GMT on March 29, with or without a deal.
A no-deal Brexit would mean a need for customs checks on goods entering Ireland, an EU member, from Northern Ireland, which will no longer be in the bloc.
Brexit and the Irish border issue has divided Northern Ireland (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
Dublin has insisted it has no intention of ‘hardening’ the border by installing
