Support grows for united Ireland post-Brexit

A new poll suggests that voters in Northern Ireland will back a united Ireland after Brexit and unearthed widespread dissatisfaction at the handling of the process by the Democratic Unionist Party.

The online poll from campaign group Our Future Our Choice Northern Ireland (OFOCNI) showed 52% of its 1,199 respondents would vote for a united Ireland after Brexit, while just 39% said they would vote to remain in the UK.

The poll, which also suggested that if Brexit did not go ahead most voters would prefer to remain in the UK, said that in the case of a hard border 56% would vote for a united Ireland while 40% would opt to remain in the UK.

More than two thirds (68%) of respondents felt that the DUP was representing the people of Northern Ireland “very badly”, rising to 79% of under 24-year olds.

OFOCNI spokesperson Doire Finn said: "Arlene Foster and the DUP's stance on Brexit has advanced the nationalist cause further than 40 years of IRA violence ever managed. But her supporters have a chance to defend unionism by calling for the DUP leadership to support a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal."

The vote’s organisers called on Sinn Fein to back a motion in favour of a peoples vote at Belfast City council tonight, which is likely to fail without their support.

Alliance councillor Kate Nicholl, who put forward the motion, said on Twitter: "we're on a cliff's edge and people deserve their say on what happens next."