Nearly 56 percent of people in Northern Ireland voted in last June’s referendum for Britain to remain in the European Union. Economically, Northern Ireland, the poorest region in Britain, has become increasingly integrated with the Republic of Ireland. In the almost two decades since, Northern Ireland has quietly slipped from Britain’s national consciousness. Such an accommodation for Northern Ireland, however, would require Brussels’ imprimatur — something Ms. May seems unwilling to even ask for. The fracturing of British politics along national lines — the Conservatives hold just a single seat in Parliament from Scotland or Northern Ireland — only adds to the sense of a listing, disunited kingdom.

Source: New York Times February 28, 2017 09:39 UTC