evidence: Unionists, meanwhile, have become much more conscious of the potential consequences of Brexit for Northern Ireland’s relationship with Great Britain – particularly as the backstop now appears to be an inescapable feature of the withdrawal equation. Even if the backstop results in limited regulatory divergence between the two sides of the Irish Sea, some see it as a looming threat to Northern Ireland’s constitutional position: [...] Firstly, there is growing support for the UK remaining in the EU. Excluding ‘don’t know’ responses, a cross-sectional survey we conducted in early 2018 found 69% would now support Remain. A majority of Protestants (56%) would still vote Leave, but this margin has narrowed from the 60-40% split in 2016. All available polling data confirms this trend: at least 60% of voters in Northern Ireland consistently say they would choose to stay in the EU.