Sir, – David Phinnemore and Katy Hayward write that the Irish Sea border is not something that anyone in Northern Ireland voted for in the 2016 referendum or in any vote since ("Northern Ireland's voice on protocol must be heard", Opinion & Analysis, September 6th).
Of course that is the case. But it is a minor subset of a greater truth.
The majority in Northern Ireland who voted Remain knew exactly what they were voting for because they were supporting the continuation of a long-lived political, economic and personal reality. The minority in Northern Ireland and the majority in the United Kingdom who voted Leave did so with their eyes wide shut and had to content themselves with fatuous slogans. Even after the event, the best Theresa May could do to throw some light on what her countrymen had done was to cling desperately to the line that “Brexit means Brexit”.
It can fairly be said that nobody voted for the consequences of Brexit which are now seen daily – and not just in Northern Ireland – for the excellent reason that no one saw fit to enlighten the electorate as to what a vote for Leave would actually mean. – Yours, etc,
PAT O’BRIEN,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6 .