Britain's politicians united in shock and outrage last night, suspending the Brexit referendum campaign, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox after she was shot and stabbed in her West Yorkshire constituency.
Both sides in the campaign suspended activities shortly after the attack by a lone gunman outside the MP’s weekly advice clinic.
The Taoiseach, who was visiting Liverpool and Manchester to campaign for Britain to remain in the EU, condemned the attack as “an appalling crime on a public representative going about her duty, a mother of two children”.
He said he would make no further comment on the referendum during his engagements and declined to discuss Brexit during a meeting with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce in Manchester.
Voting takes place next Thursday in the referendum to decide whether the United Kingdom stays in the EU. Campaigners on the Leave side claim recent opinion polls suggest the momentum is with them in the run-up to the poll.
Financial caution
The closeness of the contest is beginning to be reflected in financial markets. In Dublin, there was some selling pressure on Irish government bonds yesterday as investors positioned themselves for a possible Leave vote.
Ten-year interest rates on Irish bonds, seen as the key benchmark, rose to over 0.9 per cent in late trading, from 0.83 the previous evening and 0.7 per cent at the end of last week.
While the interest rates remain low, market analysts said the move was significant and further selling could emerge in the run-up to the vote.
Ireland’s exposure to the UK market and the risks to economic growth here appear to have caused nervousness among investors as speculation grows about the possibility of Britain leaving the EU.
‘Fundamentally wrong’
British prime minister David Cameron has said Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster is “fundamentally wrong” in saying the UK could negotiate better trade deals if it decides to leave the EU.
Rejecting charges that he has tried to frighten voters before next Thursday's referendum, he told Fermanagh newspaper The Impartial Reporter: "I don't think giving people the facts can be described as scaremongering."
Last week, Ms Foster said the UK “can stand on our own feet” suggesting that it could have “free trade agreements with a lot of other countries” if it left the EU.
Speaking before Ms Cox’s murder, the Taoiseach urged Irish people living in Britain to vote Remain next week in order to protect 200,000 jobs in Ireland which depend on exports to Britain.
Travel confusion
Speaking at St Michael’s Irish Centre in Liverpool Mr Kenny said a vote to leave the EU would also put the Common Travel Area at risk.
“The Common Travel Area worked very well for Ireland and for Britain when we were both outside the European Union and it worked very well for Ireland and for Britain when we were both inside the European Union.
“But if one is out and one is in, that’s a different situation. You can’t have 50,000 French people coming into Ireland and then suddenly deciding they want to go to Northern Ireland or to Britain just like that,” he said.
