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Barely a third of the public in Great Britain hope Northern Ireland would vote to remain in the UK, new research showed.<\/p>\nBarely a third of the public in Great Britain hope Northern Ireland would vote to remain in the UK, new research showed.<\/p>\n
A fifth said they would prefer if it left and joined the Republic of Ireland following any future referendum on removing the Irish border, pollsters revealed.<\/p>\n
One in three (34%) thought Brexit will make it more likely that Northern Ireland will join the Republic over the next decade.<\/p>\n
More of those who voted Remain in the referendum than of those who voted Leave think Brexit will make a united Ireland more likely.<\/p>\n
The research was published by market research organisation Ipsos MORI for King\u2019s College London.<\/p>\n
Roger Mortimore, professor of public opinion and political analysis at King\u2019s College London, said: \u201cWhen Scotland voted on whether to become independent in 2014, there was a clear majority among the public in the rest of the UK that hoped it would choose to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut many fewer Britons, it seems, would mind if Northern Ireland decided to leave the Union.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost have never been there, and most have no clear view on how it will be affected by Brexit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conservatives are most likely to hope that Northern Ireland would vote to stay in the UK: 49% of those who would currently vote Conservative say they would prefer Northern Ireland to vote to stay, compared to 34% of Labour supporters and 27% of Liberal Democrats.<\/p>\n
Those who voted for Britain to Remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum are more likely (23%) to want Northern Ireland to leave the Union and join the Republic than those who voted Leave (15%).<\/p>\n
Three in four adults who live in Great Britain have never visited Northern Ireland, and a further 17% have visited only once or twice. Just 3% have lived or worked there, and 5% have visited many times.<\/p>\n