A NEW poll has found that a plurality of people in Northern Ireland expect a united Ireland in the next two decades.
The results from The Annual Life and Times Survey found that out of the 1405 people surveyed, 45% of people think that Northern Ireland will no longer be part of the UK in 20 years’ time, compared with 38% of those who think the UK will stay together.
The joint research by Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University was released early due to President Biden’s keynote speech at the Ulster campus on Wednesday.
The shift in public opinion has been attributed to the effects of Brexit – with Northern Ireland still being subject to EU rules for goods despite the UK leaving the European Union, which has angered unionists. This agreement protects cross-border trade with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member.
The study found that 63% of people think Brexit has made unification more likely in any time frame – an increase of five percentage points from two years ago.
Left-wing Republican party Sinn Fein is the largest party in Northern Ireland and made history during the 2020 Irish general election – receiving the most first-preference votes in a landmark moment.
Those in support of a united Ireland argue that this shows the Republic and Northern Ireland growing closer politically.
Like Scotland, Northern Ireland voted to stay in the European Union and was dragged out against its will.
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