A border poll is a non-starter in the present context of an Irish Sea border

The Irish Sea border debacle has pushed any prospect of a border poll off the horizon.

The protocol has destabilised Northern Ireland and undermined the Belfast Agreement (Martin Howe QC- 2018! Vernon Bogdanor Prof of Gov tKCL) putting the Alliance Party in a quandary, having to choose between the integrity of Belfast Agreement or falling into line with the EU and Dublin.

The failure of the DUP to identified the dangers ahead has helped to mobilise the unionist grassroots, as evidenced by the widespread hostility to the protocol by a resentful Orange Order membership.

The protocol discriminates against the whole Northern Ireland population who no longer enjoy equality of citizenship with the rest of the United Kingdom.

The EU and Dublin have demonstrated a total lack of generosity towards their neighbours on the island, such an attitude will weigh heavily with the disaffected unionist population in the event of any misconceived border poll — in reality a border poll is a non-starter in the present context.

Dr Clifford Smyth, Belfast BT6

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