Divided Britain goes to the polls: Can we avoid a Hobson’s choice?

The United Kingdom goes to the polls on Thursday and the result will have a profound bearing on how that entity will, or can, remain united. The result will also have a profound bearing on this island, and on our relationships with our nearest neighbour, our continental neighbours, and our American cousins. It may have a profound impact on relationships across this island, relationships that had, by concentrating on the future rather than the past, been far better than at any moment in modern history. It will exacerbate the polarisation that has reduced Britain to a house divided. How long it will take to transcend that polarisation, may, when the dust settles, be the most pressing question.

The result will also have a profound bearing on our economy, especially the export-dependent agriculture and food sectors. It, in time, may force a review of the well-established tax regimes that are so attractive to foreign investors considering projects in this Republic. It is no exaggeration to suggest that this election is the most important British election for Ireland in a century. Yet we have no influence over the outcome. We are result-takers rather than influencers.