Andrew McQuillan

Northern Ireland has been the biggest loser from Brexit

Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 7:55 PM

Text size
- Small
- Medium
- Large
Line Spacing
- Compact
- Normal
- Spacious
Comments
Share
Share

Andrew McQuillan

Northern Ireland has been the biggest loser from Brexit
- Linkedin
- Messenger
- Email

In the decade since the vote to leave the European Union, arguably no issue has consumed more energy, column inches, political capital and careers than how to solve the problem of Northern Ireland.

It was on that narrow, jagged border between North and South that the substantive skirmishes took place between the UK and EU on what their future relationship would look like. While Michel Barnier and Lord Frost arguing the toss over the finer points of agri-food regulation may lack the luster of the Battle of the Boyne or the romantic connotations of 1916, it was no less significant a moment in Northern Ireland’s history.

While unionism has been a loser of Brexit, the seeds of that defeat were not sown in Belfast but in Whitehall, particularly in the Northern Ireland Office, Foreign Office and of course, Downing Street

The unequivocal losers in this affair have been those who value Northern Ireland’s status and position in the UK. This decade has seen disaster stacked upon disaster. Unionism now plays second fiddle to nationalism at Stormont and, courtesy of the Windsor Framework, a sea border segregates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK economy.

It is very easy to blame the DUP for this. As Brexit supporters, they had their brief moment in the sun in Westminster with their confidence and supply agreement with the Conservatives following the 2017 general election. But this amounted to nothing as Theresa May and her successors traded away Northern Ireland’s equality of citizenship within the United Kingdom.

While unionism has been a loser of Brexit, the seeds of that defeat were not sown in Belfast but in Whitehall, particularly in the Northern Ireland Office, Foreign Office and of course, Downing Street.

The 2024 Windsor Framework should be viewed as the endpoint of a longer process of capitulation by the British state. The starting gun was fired in 1985 when Margaret Thatcher gave the Irish Republic a “consultative role” in the affairs of Northern Ireland through the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Most popular

Gavin Mortimer

Why is the New York Times celebrating the slave-trading Vikings?

Gavin Mortimer

France’s ideological war on air conditioning

Blake Neff

The coming storm against MAGA

However, the Brexit period took this to new heights. The total acceptance of the Irish nationalist narrative that there needed to be “no hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic by British civil servants and politicians should be viewed as moment of profound shame in the history of British statecraft.

The Irish government, especially when it was led by the hysterical Leo Varadkar, invoked the threat of a return to the “dark days of the past” if even a camera was installed along the border. Both the rest of the EU and the UK fell for this and accepted that framing of events. From that moment on, the outcome of the negotiations was pre-determined.

The Starmer government has pursued closer alignment with the EU on certain issues, giving rise to hope in certain quarters of unionism that over time the more pernicious elements of the sea border will fade away. It would be a mistake though to suggest that this comes from some latent unionist zeal within government. They still will not call out the bad faith in Dublin and Brussels which led us here.

Keir Starmer’s likely replacement by Andy Burnham is unlikely to result in any volte face either. Burnham is never shy to invoke his Scouse Irish Catholic roots. It was notable that his victory in Makerfield was enthusiastically cheered by the former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood; it was widely reported last year that Eastwood was in a relationship with Louise Haigh, one of Burnham’s key allies.

It is the assumed wisdom that Brexit has made Northern Ireland’s exit from the UK a formality. Irish nationalists have spent the past decade talking – largely amongst themselves – about the need for a conversation on this. Blueprints and white papers appear almost weekly from the cottage industry which has sprung up to will a “New Ireland” into existence.

The polling landscape remains by and large unhelpful to their cause, with most showing that the pro-UK side still has the edge. Indeed, the Institute of Irish Studies at Liverpool University’s most recent study, published earlier this month, found that support in Northern Ireland for a united Ireland has fallen to a ten-year low. Some 61 percent of respondents would vote to remain in the UK.

A decade on from the vote to leave the EU, Northern Ireland exists in a state of suspended constitutional animation. Effectively abandoned by its nominal government in London and still unattainable for those in Dublin who desire it, local politicians continue to act out the parts assigned to them almost at birth. Brexit may have changed many things in this part of the UK, but fundamentally, everything remains intractably the same.

Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

Get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

US News
- Metro
- Long Island
- Politics
World News
Page Six
Sports
- NFL
- MLB
- Olympics
- NBA
- NHL
- College Football
- College Basketball
- WNBA
Post Sports+
Sports Betting
Business
Opinion
Entertainment
- TV
- Movies
- Music
- Celebrities
- Awards
- Theater
Shopping
Lifestyle
- Weird But True
- Sex & Relationships
- Viral Trends
- Human Interest
- Parenting
- Fashion & Beauty
- Food & Drink
- Travel
Health
- Wellness
- Fitness
- Health Care
- Medicine
- Men’s Health
- Women’s Health
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
Real Estate
Alexa
Media
Tech
Science
- Space
- Environment
- Wildlife
- Archaeology
Astrology
Video
Photos
Pod Force One
NY POSTcast
- Today’s Paper
- Covers
- Columnists
- Horoscopes
- Crosswords & Games
- Sports Odds
- Podcasts
- Careers
- Email Newsletters
- Official Store
- Home Delivery
- Tips

Email New York Post

Switch between CA and NY editions here.

Edition

Ticket Sales

Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

By Matt Levy Published June 29, 2026, 10:32 p.m. ET

Jannik Sinner (L) and Aryna Sabalenka are playing at Wimbledon in 2026. — Getty Images

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Add The California Post on Google New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

Tennis season is officially in full swing.

On Monday, June 29, Wimbledon got underway in dramatic fashion at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner of Italy barely took down No. 50 Miomir Kecmanović, defeating the Serb in five sets. Mid-match, the world No. 1 tripped, crumpled to the ground mid-rally and later saw his foot get bloodied.

Meanwhile, women’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had better luck against a Serbian underdog, besting Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3.

And that was just day one.

If you’d like to be at the world-famous grassy London courts, last-minute all-day passes are still available for all upcoming dates of the iconic tourney.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on passes was $2,115 including fees on SeatGeek (that’s for Thursday, July 9, by the way).

Other dates have passes starting anywhere from $2,729 to $13,985 including fees.

Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

In addition to Sinner and Sabalenka, notable players also set to take the grass by storm over the next two weeks include seven-time Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros victor Alexander Zverev, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, 2025 winner Iga Świątek and fan-favorite Coc Gauff.

Plus, Serena Williams will be on the grounds playing singles as well.

Fans that have never attended are in for a literal treat, too.

“Pimms and strawberries and cream are an integral part of the Wimbledon experience – 200,000 punnets of strawberries are served during the Championships,” On The Luce reports.

“There are lots of other eating options though, ranging from takeaway cafés to sit-down restaurants and Champagne bars.”

~~Want~~ Need to politely clap while watching the world’s most elite tennis players live?

We’ve got your back~~hand~~.

Our team has everything you need to know and more about attending Wimbledon 2026 live in England below.

How much are tickets for Wimbledon 2026?

A complete day-by-day breakdown of all the cheapest Wimbledon tickets can be found here:

Wimbledon dates	Ticket prices start at
Tuesday, June 30	$3,205 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 1	$3,378 (including fees)
Thursday, July 2	$2,729 (including fees)
Friday, July 3	$2,943 (including fees)
Saturday, July 4	$2,859 (including fees)
Sunday, July 5	$2,821 (including fees)
Monday, July 6	$2,997 (including fees)
Tuesday, July 7	$3,702 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 8	$3,996 (including fees)
Thursday, July 9	$2,115 (including fees)
Friday, July 10	$11,655 (including fees)
Saturday, July 11	$4,374 (including fees)
Sunday, July 12	$13,985 (including fees)

Where can I get U.S. Open tickets?

Fans hoping to attend Flushing’s annual blue court tourney can pick up tickets well over a month in advance.

If you’d like to catch beloved blue court battles live in Queens, some seats can be yours for as low as $54 including fees on SeatGeek.

Not too bad considering you won’t have to travel to England and will likely see many familiar faces that also competed at Wimbledon (plus, Roger Federer who is putting on a one-night doubles event with Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Andy Roddick on Aug. 24).

To find the match that makes the most sense for your schedule and wallet, you can find 2026 U.S. Open tickets here.

About Wimbledon 2026

One of this year’s biggest storylines at Wimbledon are all the players not taking part in the tournament.

Sadly, Carlos Alcaraz will be sitting due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open this spring. Biggies Marketa Vondrousova, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also withdrawn.

On a lighter note, as noted above, 44-year-old Serena Williams is competing in a singles match at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022. All eyes will be on her for her match with 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on June 30.

Players will also be getting paid more than ever before. Ahead of this year’s Wimbledon, a 20% prize pool increase was implemented. Other upgrades at the tourney include a video review system for controversial line calls and new-and-improved heat stress rules.

Wimbledon fashion 2026

Off the court, trendsetters will be serving looks in the stands.

Just a few of the biggest attention-grabbers this year thus far include Naomi Osaka’s kimono-inspired fit, Bad Bunny’s low-key look, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s simple yet elegant numbers, Isla Fisher’s flow-y dress and Sir David Beckham’s classy, single-breasted suit.

Huge artists on tour in 2026

Need a little bit of music in your life too?

Here are just five huge artists you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

• Harry Styles

• Daniel Caesar

• Olivia Rodrigo

• Ariana Grande

• Louis Tomlinson

Who else is on the road this year? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2026 to find out.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Filed under