Support for a united Ireland is surging – and for the first time, it’s backed by moderates

The argument is no longer tied to the Troubles, and an accompanying anti-English sentiment, but to economic reality.

Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (R) makes a statement next to Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney (L) at the Government Buildings in Dublin on November 14, 2018 following the announcement on the draft Brexit deal from London. - British Prime Minister Theresa May won the support of her cabinet on Wednesday for a draft divorce deal with the European Union that has put both Brexit and her leadership at stake. (Photo by Paul FAITH / AFP) (Photo credit should read PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images)

In March this year at a St Patrick’s Day parade, Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin in the Republic of Ireland, marched behind a banner that read “England get out of Ireland”. The stunt garnered widespread criticism. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s deputy, Simon Coveney, didn’t mince his words when he called it “offensive, divisive and an embarrassment”.

This incident was symptomatic of a party that has misread the room. Growing support for a united Ireland is clear: in late May, a poll conducted by RTÉ found that two-thirds of voters in the Republic supported a united Ireland, a marked contrast to a similar poll in 2015 that put the figure at just over one third.