Nigel Farage: ‘If Ireland Wants To Be An Independent State It Can’t Stay Part of the EU’

Speaking to Breitbart News, Nigel Farage discussed why Ireland should leave the European Union.

Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage spoke at a conference in Ireland this weekend titled ‘Irexit: Freedom to Prosper’, where he discussed the reasons that Ireland should vote to leave the EU just as the British did in 2016.

Farage appeared alongside other notable speakers such as Irish journalist John Waters, Professor Anthony Coughlan, Dr. Karen Devine, Cormac Lucey, and Councillor James Charity. The event was run by the EFDD Group (Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy) and moderated by the group’s communications director Hermann Kelly.

Speaking to Breitbart News, Nigel Farage outlined his reasoning for why Ireland should leave the European Union saying, “You can’t measure the word freedom, you can’t measure the word independence, you cant measure the word democracy, but there is an extreme irony of centuries of struggle against the British to get rid of them and now suddenly they’re being run by Brussels!”

He continued, “So, if Ireland genuinely wants to be an independent state then it can’t stay part of the European Union. I think on an economic level the Euro is no advantage to Ireland at all. Y’know, so much of their overseas trade is denominated in Sterling and Dollars anyway; in terms of fisheries it’s been a catastrophe for this country, this is worth billions and billions every year by taking back their own fish stocks, and I just think that in so many ways, the United Kingdom, that relationship is the one that really matters to Ireland, to Irish people, to Irish jobs — and not Europe.”

Farage then discussed the level of support for Ireland leaving the EU within the country, saying, “Well, first things first, we’re facing Brexit, now if there is not a sense of a trade deal between the UK and the EU it’s Irish farmers and people like that who could get kicked really badly, but short term what I want to say to you is–  and I’m going to keep saying it again and again and again — whatever happens with Britain and the EU, an exception must be made for Ireland, we must continue to have a non-tariff trade with Ireland and any sensible human being would support that for reasons of political sensitivity as much as anything else.”

He discussed the need for a new political party to begin the debate about the EU in Ireland, saying, “Going on from there, look, this is in its infancy. Twice this country has voted against European treaties. The current opinion polls in this country show a general level of contentment with Europe, why?

“Because they’re not having the debate, there is nobody there putting the other side of the argument, but when Irish people are asked if Brexit seemed to be a success would it be time for Irexit, something over 40 percent say yes. So this is not a non-issue, it’s just not one that’s being put to the fore and my belief is that a political movement, provided it’s not extreme, provided it’s got some sensible — and some of the people here today are incredibly grown-up — sensible people, then I think it can get momentum.”

Farage also discussed the future of the European Union, saying, “I just don’t see how It can survive. It just doesn’t work at any level and, increasingly, the publics of individual countries within Europe are saying ‘I don’t want this’.

“So it needs to have at least a reformation. I think people want to have a European cooperative project but not one based in Brussels where it’s currently run; I don’t see it surviving as it currently is.”

When asked what he thought would be the consequences of the UK government failing to follow through with Brexit, Farage said, “If we were not to leave the treaty then I think you would see anger in UK politics the likes of which we’ve never seen before.

“Quite how it would manifest itself I don’t know; I think it would probably realign British politics. I think the Tory party would split over that, I genuinely do. But I hope that doesn’t happen.”