Uncertainties posed by a possible hard Bexit and the upcoming general election are hardening positions in Stormont, making a new power-sharing agreement between Nationalists and Loyalists in the Northern Ireland Assembly increasingly intractable

Over the Past 150 years or so, it was frequently said that as soon as Britain found an answer to the Irish question, the Irish changed the question. But, as the United Kingdom braces for an unscheduled general election on 8 June, it can fairly be said that it is the British who have now changed the Irish question.

For Brexit, emphatically driven by a cadre of long-standing Eurosceptic English Conservative MPs, is challenging the very survival of the UK, with Scotland engaged in an unprecedented constitutional confrontation with the London Government, and Dublin perturbed about the implications for Northern Ireland.

Although Northern Ireland voted to remain in the European Union by a majority of 56 to 44 per cent, the Democratic Unionist and Ulster Unionist parties have closed ranks in favour of Brexit, partly to demonstrate their allegiance to the British state, but also because they hope the present free-flow Irish border, the only land frontier between Britain and the rest of Europe, will be hardened, reinforcing, as they see it, the continued partition of Ireland.

The tidal flow is running against them. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has said that there can be no discussions about a trade deal with the UK until there has been progress in protecting the Northern Ireland peace process. To the alarm of Unionists, the formal EU position is very clear: in view of the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, flexible and imaginative solutions will be required, including the aim of avoiding a hard border.