Brexit: an Irish voice for Remain

When I left the island of Ireland in 1982 it was an island of large unemployment and post-hunger-strike political strife.

I lived in Amsterdam and Rotterdam for many years, so I have very much a European perspective of living abroad, of finding work abroad but never of really leaving home.

It was the year of the great storm – 1987 – when I moved to the UK, and I always felt that with the troubles between the two islands at the time there was an uncomfortable feeling of being Irish living in Britain.

Over the next 25 years I watched that develop from uncomfortably getting to know each other to becoming friendly, then moving on to be good friends, and then becoming great friends.

Europe has played a very large part in that. I watched a much closer Europe develop and a much closer Britain and Ireland within Europe.

I am personally very happy to see that closer integration, because I was only brought up with strife and troubles. As a 52-year-old I have deep memories of those times, and any thought of going back to them fills me with horror.

In London the economic effects of a possible Brexit are already being seen.

The corporate sector in Britain is a hugely important part of restaurant hospitality and hotels in the West End of London. You could just not afford to stay there if you took any large reduction in corporate hospitality.

The City of London, the financial centre, subsidises eating out, and if you have any major slowdown in the City, prices will go up massively. If there is any slowdown in that sector – from banking to aircraft leasing, you name it – you would not stay in the West End. It would not be worth your while.

I have 150 employees in the UK and 20 full time in Ireland, with another 40 part time. Will there be job losses if there is Brexit? I am not a doomsayer.

I would like to take the negativity out of the campaign, because, one way or another, life goes on. However, I would hate to see a change in the status quo, because things are good.

Over the past few months I have had deep discussions with my customers, even the exitors. I argue with reason and lots of passion, trying to put a different perspective on the conversation.

Does it work? None of them would take my money when it comes to a bet.

When England talks about leaving Europe and being better alone, the people that are talking about it are the likes of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson. Would you share a pint in the pub with these people?

I like to see nationalism of all sorts tapered to a much more useful street than just ignorance. It is nice to cheer our country teams to success; it is nice to see the hurling teams; it is nice to see the football teams. It does not give us any right to feel superior to anyone else.

The exit side are not the people to reason with regarding anything. I am so glad they are not holding power, because they bring out the worst in English and British society, a kind of rubber-stamping bulldog nationalism.

I have a 26-year-old and a 21-year-old, and I told them they are going to that polling station on referendum day. It is not just encouraging them for no reason: you have to let everyone know this is a once-in-a-lifetime scenario.

In conversation with Shane Hickey

Richard Corrigan is chef-patron of Corrigan’s Mayfair, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, near Piccadilly Circus, and Bentley’s Sea Grill, at Harrods in London