A chara, – Further to Derek M Reid's heartfelt letter (August 10th), I would like to point out that the UK is not our biggest trading partner – it is dwarfed by the EU26 and the US. Both of these crucial trade relationships flow from our single market membership, meaning that an Irish EU exit would harm us far more than even a no-deal Brexit. Also, Mr Reid claims we have "handed economic sovereignty to Berlin." This too is simply untrue. Ireland is a fully sovereign nation, and we pool a portion of our autonomy with all of our EU partners because it is overwhelmingly in our national interest to do so.
Furthermore, in spite of Mr Reid’s objections, recent research from the University of Leicester has confirmed that a lower level of education was indeed the single biggest predictor of a vote for Leave.
Finally, following the UK out of the EU would not mean Ireland was standing up for itself. It would only confirm that we truly are ruled from Westminster. An exit would return us to our former position of impoverished irrelevance, weak and isolated in Britain’s long, cold shadow. Like Mr Reid, I have a “university-educated mind”, but I cannot understand why we should ever choose this foolish course. – Is mise,
RORY CROTTY,
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Douglas, Cork.