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Matt Cooper: Costs of reunification must be central to debate on future of the North

Predictions about a 25% hike in taxes to pay for it a year have quickly been poo-pooed by those who are striving for an end to partition

The two academics put the cost of the UK treasury’s contribution to the running of Northern Ireland at £10.5 billion annually. Picture: Getty

Any vote in the Republic on a referendum about a united Ireland is likely to be motivated more by the heart than the head.

Which is why it may be that an emotional electorate south of the border would overwhelmingly take the opportunity to remove the partition that was forced upon us more than a century ago.

Remember though that any referendum debate in the media – assuming that the rules are not changed in ...