In two of Northern Ireland’s port towns, the starkly different economic impacts of the 10 years since Brexit come to life.
In Larne, garden centre owner John Shannon points to a £387 “export charge” he must now pay just to bring in roses from Great Britain (GB).
In Warrenpoint, food manufacturer Brian Reid sees a different reality.
“Off the back of the Brexit vote, we picked up a lot of customers who wanted to source on the island of Ireland,” he said.
In the 10 years since the referendum result was confirmed that saw the UK leave the EU, Northern Ireland’s economy has outperformed the UK average on some key measures.
Northern Ireland has a Brexit deal which means it has a closer economic relationship with the European Union (EU) than other parts of the UK.
It is tempting to conclude the better performance is all due to that special deal.
The reality is more complicated than that.
Part of the story is Northern Ireland undergoing a delayed recovery having suffered a deeper and longer recession following the 2008 financial crisis and property crash.
On a wider note, Brexit set the tone of politics in Northern Ireland for years, leading to the suspension of devolution between 2022 and 2024. Its impacts remain divisive and contested.
