PM: Brexit Will Not Undermine Peace Process

Brexit will not undermine the peace process, the Prime Minister has said, as she insisted the UK would continue to have the "closest possible relationship" with Ireland.

Following a meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Downing Street, Theresa May repeated her commitment not to return to hard borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

And she pledged to work to preserve the common travel area after Brexit.

It comes the day after Mrs May visited Northern Ireland for the first time since she became PM and insisted there would be no return to the "borders of the past".

:: Brexit Does Not Mean Old Ireland Borders, Says May

Speaking alongside Mr Kenny, she said: "I recognise that one of the biggest concerns for people is the common travel area.

"As I said yesterday, we benefited from a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years before either country was a member of the EU.

"There is a strong will on both sides to preserve it and so we must now focus on securing a deal that is in the interests of both of us.

"Alongside this, we should continue our efforts to strengthen the external borders of the common travel area; for example, through a common approach to the use of passenger data."

The open borders agreement, set up in the 1920s, has been strengthened by both Britain and Ireland's European membership.

Turning to the peace process, Mrs May said: "It is in all our interests to work together to safeguard our national security and the outcome of the referendum will not undermine it.

"We are both fully committed to working together in support of the Northern Ireland Executive to build a better, stronger, safer future for the people of Northern Ireland."

Last week Mrs May visited Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to discuss the impact of Brexit.

She has insisted she will involve both Stormont and Holyrood in the negotiations around the exit of the UK from the European Union to "make a success of Brexit".

The majority of voters in Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to retain membership of the EU.