Brexit – Martin McGuinness to meet European Parliament leaders in Brussels

MARTIN McGUINNESS MLA, the Sinn Féin deputy leader of the North’s Executive government, is travelling to the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday with Martina Anderson MEP to meet EU leaders on the impact of Brexit on Ireland.

The Sinn Féin figures will press the need for the “Remain” vote of the majority of the people of the North to be respected.

Among those he will be meeting are:-

• Guy Verhofstadt, head of the European Parliament's negotiating team;
• Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan;
• Danuta Hubner, head of the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee.

The senior Sinn Féin figure will also meet the leaders of the main political groupings in the Parliament and other senior MEPs.

Martin McGuinness will hold talks with other Irish MEPs and the Irish Ambassador to Belgium “to impress on them on the responsibility of the Irish Government to represent the best interests of Irish citizens living in the North”.

He said:

“It is important we continue to build international support to ensure the Remain vote of the majority of the people of the North of Ireland is respected.”

● John O’Dowd, Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile and Mickey Brady MP with campaigners at one of Saturday’s six protests by Border Communities Against Brexit

◼︎ IT’S CLEAR that leaving the EU would devastate Border communities, Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd has said.

Speaking after the weekend’s successful protests by the grassroots campaign ‘Border Communities Against Brexit’ at six locations, he said:

“The latest report from the Centre for Cross-Border Studies has highlighted the devastating consequence being dragged out of the EU would have on Border areas.

“Each day, thousands of people cross the Border to work, study, shop and go about their daily lives.

“Increasingly racist policies by British Tories hell-bent on Brexit and borders would have a negative impact on every aspect of life in Border areas.

“The British and Irish governments must recognise, respect and give effect to the democratic views of the majority of people in the North who voted to remain in the EU.”