Northern Ireland’s unionist strongholds against hard border

Loyalists from Bangor and Lisburn enjoy being able to travel to the Republic with ease

 Members of the Royal Black Preceptory in the sea side town of Bangor in Co Down: the North Down constituency voted by 52-48 per cent in favour of staying in the European Union. Photograph: Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

Members of the Royal Black Preceptory in the sea side town of Bangor in Co Down: the North Down constituency voted by 52-48 per cent in favour of staying in the European Union. Photograph: Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

When Britain voted for Brexit, a strange thing happened in North Down. This is a unionist-dominated area of Northern Ireland, with many of its people among the most affluent in the region whose founding political principle is their British identity.

Yet as the results came in it was clear the North Down constituency had other affinities: European. The area voted by 52-48 per cent in favour of staying in the European Union. Overall, Northern Ireland voted 56-44 to stay in the EU.

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