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Charles McQuillan/PA Wire
UK News

Border free Ireland essential, says Evangelical Alliance

It's as Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to find a "practical solution" to managing the Irish border following Brexit.

She has been in Belfast to meet the region's political leaders at Stormont Castle.

Mrs May said she recognised the particular circumstance presented by Northern Ireland's land border with the Republic of Ireland - an EU member state.

"Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past," she said.

PA Wire

The issue of the border has been concerning for many, Director of the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland, Peter Lynas, told Premier's News Hour.

He said: "There has been a lot of concern about this border, we have moved along way as a society here, there are great relationships between north and south.

"I think everybody is agreed we don't want to see borders come back.

"We see ourselves in an all-Ireland way and many of our church organisations have an all-Ireland perspective.

"That existed before we went into the EU and people are saying we just need to go back to how we did that in the old days."

In Belfast the Prime Minister heard contrasting views on the way forward post-referendum from Brexit-backing First Minister Arlene Foster and Remain-supporting Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as they discussed the fall-out in a region where the majority (56%) voted for the UK to stay in the EU.

Democratic Unionist Mrs Foster said she welcomed Mrs May's pledge to fully consult with the Stormont Executive on the negotiations with the EU, but Sinn Fein's Mr McGuinness said he told her Brexit brought "no good news whatsoever" and the outcome of the vote in Northern Ireland had to be respected.

Campaigning for a Remain vote on a visit to Northern Ireland before June's historic vote, Mrs May said it would be inconceivable, in the event of a decision to Leave, that there would not be changes to the current arrangements that allow free movement of goods, trade and services across the border.

Peter Lynas speaking to Premier's Aaron James:

 
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