Brexiteers have reasons to be cheerful about life outside EU

Any attempt by Brussels to get between Britain and Ireland’s interests will surely backfire

‘An historic mistake’: a float of British prime minister Theresa May at a recent parade in Düsseldorf, Germany Picture: Getty

Brexit is “a historic mistake” and the costs of the leaving the European Union will be “substantial” and “very unpalatable”, said former British prime minister John Major last week. “Come off it, sunshine!” was foreign secretary Boris Johnson’s reply.

“It’s most important, as we set out on this journey, to be positive about the outcome,” said Johnson. Britain had a “fantastic future” outside the EU, he argued, telling Major to stop “moaning and ...