Professor John Doyle:

Maybe I will add to what Professor McGuinness said. I agree with him. The one thing we know for certain from our own experience of referendums is that the day a referendum is called the capacity to do research on a neutral basis ends because everybody is in campaigning mode. That is the mentality. We know that from Brexit. If the analysis is not done long before a border poll is called, it will never happen during the referendum.

In terms of the potential to improve things either before or regardless of a border poll, Professor McGuinness and Dr. Bergin identified key things that in theory could happen without any constitutional change.

The UK Government has relatively low taxes on high earners and on wealth. By international standards, it is more akin to the United States than western Europe. Northern Ireland is not unique in that respect. Wales has very similar economic issues. Sunderland and the north-east of England have very similar issues. It is a question for us of what is the prospect for any government in Westminster over the next while taking a radically different view on what money is available for regional development. One would have to be a little pessimistic.

On educational skills, so obviously that is the 11-plus. The Executive could, in theory, end the 11-plus. Attempts were made in the past but it became very party political. In a power-sharing Executive it is a very hard decision to make. The academic evidence is almost consensual and I know from previous discussions with Professor John FitzGerald, he is equally strong on this issue.