Peace, the Troubles and Brexit; politics and consent

In this video you will hear views relating to Brexit from a nationalist perspective in terms of the impact of Brexit on the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, and how it threatens to undermine that Agreement, the wider Northern Ireland peace process, and the principle of consent (that the constitutional status of Northern Ireland would not change with the consent of the majority of people). A view is presented that there was a pragmatic vote by some unionists for remain because the inherent danger that the Brexit issue would be sectarianized in Northern Ireland and turned into an ‘orange versus green’ issue - have been realized. Other unionists in favour of Brexit see arguments against Brexit based on the concerns over a hard border in term of damaging peace as unfounded and simply a pretext and excuse to keep the UK in the EU.

The 4 contributors, in order of appearance, are the Brexit spokespeople from the four largest political parties in Northern Ireland: the SDLP, the UUP, Sinn Féin and the DUP respectively

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