25/07/2016

PM Meets With Foster And McGuinness During Visit to NI

Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May has met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister during her visit to Northern Ireland.

Mrs May said her meeting with Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness was in relation to the impact of the Brexit vote.

She said:"If you look ahead, what is going to happen when the UK leaves the European Union is that of course Northern Ireland will have a border with the Republic of Ireland, which will remain a member of the European Union.

"But we've had a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland many years before either country was a member of the European Union.

"Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past. What we do want to do is to find a way through this that is going to work and deliver a practical solution for everybody - as part of the work that we are doing to ensure that we make a success of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union - and that we come out of this with a deal which is in the best interests of the whole of the United Kingdom."

Mr McGuinness said: "I made it clear to the British Prime Minister that the democratically expressed wishes of the people of the North who see their future in Europe and voted to remain in Europe should be respected.

"The Tories have no mandate here in the North and I made it clear to Theresa May that I will continue to advocate for the majority of people in the North who voted to remain in the EU.

"There is no good news whatsoever about Brexit. Billions of pounds would be lost to the people of the North as a result of Brexit and I raised that directly with the British Prime Minister.

"I also raised the issue of a border and made it clear that we are totally opposed to any border of any description whether it is for trade or the free movement of people.

"There are special circumstances in the North and the British Prime Minister has a responsibility to recognise that and respect the democratic wishes of the people."

(CD/LM)


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