Martin McGuinness insists a vote on Irish reunification should be held if Britain votes to leave the European Union.

A referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU will be held on June 23rd.

The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister believes a ‘Brexit’ would be against the wishes of Irish people living in Northern Ireland, The Guardian reports

“Ireland’s place, north and south, is in Europe and leading change in Europe," McGuinness said.

“If Britain votes to leave the European Union then that could have huge implications for the entire island of Ireland and, given all the predictions, would run counter to the democratic wishes of the Irish people.

“If there is a vote in Britain to leave the EU, there is a democratic imperative to provide Irish citizens with the right to vote in a border poll to end partition and retain a role in the EU.”

Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP are all campaigning to stay in the EU and McGuinness said that if the Britain votes to leave the EU then Sinn Féin would press for Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers to call a border poll.

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, Ms Villiers has the power to call a poll on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK or unite with the Republic of Ireland.

“I have proposed to Theresa Villiers [the Northern Ireland secretary] that, given the enormous significance of these issues, the British government now give a firm commitment to an immediate border poll in the event Britain votes to leave the European Union,” continued McGuinness.