Exclusive: Bertie Ahern - I’ll return to politics if there’s a vote for Ireland to leave EU

FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will get back into politics to campaign for a Remain if a campaign for Ireland to leave the EU starts to gain momentum.

Mr Ahern said he is “sad and disappointed” by “a victory for Nigel Farage”.

On a special edition of Independent.ie’s ‘Floating Voter’ podcast, the ex-Fianna Fáil leader said Britain and Ireland face major challenges on the back of the Brexit result.

In conversation with INM’s Kevin Doyle, Dearbhail McDonald, Brendan Keenan and economist Susan Hayes Culleton, Mr Ahern also revealed:

* He does not believe there should be a vote for a united Ireland

* Scotland will get a second independence referendum by May

* And Tony Blair had promised a Brexit referendum but never intended to hold one

Mr Ahern said he does not believe that there is the political will for a similar referendum in Ireland, but added:  “Certainly if that happens I’ll come back into politics and start canvassing against it.”

He was heavily critical of UKIP leader Nigel Farage and former Mayor of London Boris Johnson whom he accused of not understanding the consequences of the Leave campaign.

“Farage and Johnson and others believe they’ll just go over to Brussels and get a deal that takes out everything they don’t like about Britain and keep everything they like.”

But he added that there won’t be “a happy every after”.

I wish them well because that’s not going to happen”.

Mr Ahern describe British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s contribution in recent weeks as an “energetic non-campaign”.

On the idea that Northern Irish votes should now be offered a referendum on leaving the UK and joining the Republic, Mr Ahern said the time was not right.

“I’m probably more than anybody else the one that has held it back this long. You’ll see a big push for it now.

“ You’re not going to see it happen this year but there’ll be a big push for it. I would rather it not, but sometime it’s going to happen. The reason I didn’t want it is that the result is obvious,” he said.

Mr Ahern also expressed concern that some dissidents were doing “the biggest canvass” for a Brexit.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s First Secretary Theresa Villiers has ruled out the possibility of a referendum on a united Ireland.

Responding to calls for a boarder poll on the back of the Brexit results, Ms Villiers said the only that would happen is if she formed the view that a majority wanted to leave the UK.

“Every poll and piece of research has shown again and again the majority of people in Northern Ireland support the Good Friday Agreement, the institutions it established and hence Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom,” she said.

Ms Villiers also hit back at calls for a second referendum on Scottish independence.

“I don’t believe the United Kingdom is going to break up. They voted to stay within the United Kingdom.

“The question of Scottish separation is settled,” she said.