SINN FEIN demanded a referendum on Irish reunification yesterday in the wake of Thursday’s Leave victory in the EU vote.

The republicans seized on the 56 per cent support for the Remain campaign in Northern Ireland — against the tide of the UK-wide 52 per cent Leave victory — to demand their own plebiscite on ending the island’s division.

Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness issued the call, echoed by Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson.

“English votes have overturned the democratic will of the north,” she claimed.

“This referendum had nothing to do with the best interests of our people, our island or our economy. This was all about a narrow-minded Tory Party and their internal ruptures.”

But Democratic Unionist First Minister Arlene Foster rejected Sinn Fein’s “periodical” demand, calling it “opportunist” and saying the constitutional test for a vote “has not been satisfied.”

Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) general secretary Eugene McCartan also cast doubt on the chances of a border poll any time soon.

“Irish unity will be brought about by the Irish people and the forces of monopoly capitalism will only support it if it is in their interests,” he said.

Mr McCartan congratulated the British working class, “who have felt greatly let down and betrayed for many decades,” on their positive Leave vote, adding that the CPI would call for Ireland’s own EU membership referendum.

He said the referendum outcome provided “an opportunity for the people of Europe to find greater solidarity and co-operation in the struggle against European monopoly capitalism.”