CityAM describes itself as the online presence of City A.M., London's first free daily business newspaper. It is also aggressively pro Brexit. In March 2017 it carried an opinion piece (HERE) that claimed Brexit would "force" Ireland to reconsider its EU membership. This was exactly one week before Theresa May triggered Article 50 when it was thought, "The pressure for Ireland to reconsider its future in the European Union is about to become irresistible".
A year later and the truth is almost exactly the reverse. Far from Britain dragging Ireland OUT of the EU, it looks like Ireland will keep Britain IN the EU - or at least in the single market and the customs union.
The article claimed, "A large majority of its goods are transported through British ports on the west coast, then across Britain’s motorway network before leaving British ports on the south and east coasts for EU destinations. With the UK electing to be outside the Single Market and Customs Union, there could suddenly be a huge administrative and financial obstacle to getting these goods to market without obvious alternatives that would be quicker and cheaper".
A year later, Ireland has started what is being called a "Brexit busting" ferry service, the world's largest roll-on, roll-off ship, to ply between Ireland and the continent by-passing the UK (HERE). At 8000 lane-metres it will hold 600 trucks delivering goods directly to continental ports without the need for paperwork or delays in the UK after Brexit.
The article also went on to claim, "Unfortunately for Ireland’s political establishment, the attraction of the EU is not as cut and dried as they would wish. Irish trade figures make for sobering reading once the locus of the UK is changed to it being outside the EU Single Market and Customs Union.
Actually, the attraction of the EU is perhaps as "cut and dried" as they could possibly wish for. A recent poll for RTE, the Irish broadcaster puts support for EU membership at an all-time high of 88% (HERE). As far as I can see, not a single prediction in the article is likely to happen, but the writer is not alone since I am still waiting for any of the false claims made by leave campaigners to come true.
As project fear is slowly revealed as project reality, and as all the predictions of the Brexiteers prove to be just smoke and mirrors, opinion will turn against Brexit. It may be slower that we would wish but Brexit will certainly be the costliest mistake ever made by any county voluntarily. Be in no doubt that it will one day be reversed.
