Former Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has said unionists must
prepare for the possibility of a united Ireland.
His comments are seen as the first by a major unionist figure. Robinson had hinted at acceptance before but has now gone further.
He was speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, County Donegal.
Read More: Leading unionist says a united Ireland must be planned for in the future
“I don’t expect my own house to burn down but I still insure it because it could happen,” he said.
He said he would accept a united Ireland if that is how the people voted in a referendum, a distinct possibility in the future as demographics change dramatically.
Peter Robinson. Credit: YouTube/The Firemen
“As soon as that decision is taken every democrat will have to accept that decision,” he said in response to a question from the audience.
He said planning for such an outcome should begin, unlike the British decision to leave the EU.which has proven a complicated mess.
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“I don’t believe Northern Ireland will want to leave the United Kingdom, but if it does happen we would be in a terrible fix because we would be in the same situation as leaving the EU where nothing was negotiated or decided about what was going to happen after.”
Robinson stated he thought the unionism would accept the results of a border poll on unification but would want some “protections” if it were to happen.
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