Dissident republicans welcome Brexit and oppose Sinn Féin border call

The 1916 Societies, who have been demanding an “All-Ireland Referendum on Irish Unity,” rejected Sinn Féin’s call for a border poll in the wake of last Thursday’s result.

In a statement the network declared: “We note immediate moves – already rejected by Britain – on the part of the leadership of ‘New Sinn Féin’ towards a so-called ‘border poll’. Such a poll is in reality a device to withhold the national rights of the Irish people and to deny Irish sovereignty.

“Sinn Féin know only too well that an Independent Republic can never be achieved through such a poll, that even were it to be held and won it sets in train ‘Good Friday Mk.II’ and not the Irish Republic.

“Furthermore, attempts to equate and link a border poll to the notion of a national referendum are currently underfoot. Despite repeated requests of Sinn Féin to detail what they propose by a ‘Referendum on Irish Unity’, which they again made mention of today, they have offered nothing to the people of Ireland in response.

“We submit that they seek to muddy the demand for an All-Ireland Referendum and deliberately sow confusion at this critical time – all to avoid it being exposed that the British Triple Lock they agreed to be bound by represents a permanent barrier to Irish national sovereignty”.

Meanwhile, Republican Sinn Féin President Des Dalton also welcomed Brexit and said he hoped it would precipitate another Scottish independence poll.

“The result of the British Referendum on membership of the EU is to be welcomed on two levels. Firstly, it strikes a blow against the modern imperialism of the undemocratic EU superstate and will encourage further resistance across Europe. Secondly, it exposes the old imperialism and lack of democracy that lies at the heart of the so-called ‘United Kingdom’.

“It will hopefully unleash forces that will hasten it’s (sic) end. We would view the likelihood of a new referendum on Scottish Independence as a progressive step.

“Unfortunately the British right were allowed to frame the argument about the British State’s membership of the EU. This does not in any way negate the progressive arguments which have been advance by those on the left including Sinn Féin since the formation of the then EEC in the 1950s. These are based on the fundamentally undemocratic nature of the EU project since birth politically as well as economically,” said Mr Dalton.

The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) also welcomed the move.

“A UK exit from the EU suits the long-term Left Republican agenda, a UK exit creates momentum for the national sovereignty and self-determination debate. It allows progressive Irish, Scottish and Welsh political forces to continue to effectively campaign for independence.

“To call for a break from the UK for the same reasons as we are calling for a break from the EU. The concept of any break from the EU suits the calls from our Basque, Catalan, Corsican and dozens of other European separatist movements,” the IRSP stated.