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20th Feb 2019

Brexiteer Kate Hoey is “absolutely confident” that Ireland will leave the EU after the UK does

Paul Moore

Kate Hoey

“The Irish Republic is quite likely to have a similar situation which we have.”

During a recent talk with her fellow MPs Scott Mann and Bernard Jenkin, Brexiteer Kate Hoey expressed her belief that Ireland will leave the EU in the future.

During the discussion shared by the Bruges Group, which says it “spearheads the intellectual battle against the notion of ever–closer Union in Europe”, Hoey also expressed her belief that the Irexit movement in Ireland is growing.

At the time of its launch, the founder of the Irexit party, Hermann Kelly, said in an interview with The Express: “The Irexit Freedom party stands for taking back control of Irish affairs. Like Brexit, we want to take back control of our money, our laws and our borders. The EU has become a colonial master which doesn’t stand up for our national interests. These people aren’t our friends.”

JOE attended the launch of the party, where a source confirmed that “over 400” people were in attendance.

The full account can be read here.

At the recent discussion, Hoey said: “In the Republic of Ireland now, there’s a growing Irexit group that’s actually gaining a lot of support. Remember, they did vote against Lisbon (Treaty) and yes, of course, they had another referendum – which is what the EU likes.

“I’m absolutely confident – and I get shouted down by some people in Ireland for saying this – but long term, when we get out of the EU,  the Irish Republic is quite likely to have this similar situation which we have.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Hoey has said something provocative and volatile regarding Anglo-Irish relations in the Brexit environment.

In February, she described the Good Friday Agreement as “unsustainable,” a remark that Simon Coveney condemned as “not only irresponsible but reckless”.

During a speech at a Leave Means Leave rally, meanwhile, she also said: “As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland and is very proud to be pro-Union, I feel very strongly about this. We didn’t spend 30 years in Northern Ireland stopping IRA terrorists killing soldiers, police, and civilians, in order to get a United Ireland to allow a few jumped-up EU bureaucrats and a complicit prime minister to try and do the same thing by the back door.”

A recent study showed that 85% of the Irish public support the EU.

Late last year, Hoey weighed in on the backstop issue and stated that “if a backstop is such a good idea to sort the border issue why do we not go for a backstop around the entire British Isles the Irish Republic can be part of it too”.

The MP for the constituency of Vauxhall has also stated her belief that Ireland will have to pay for the border.

You can listen to Hoey’s latest remarks below.

Clip via Bruges Group

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Topics:

Brexit,News