Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has said if he lived in Northern Ireland he would be "hard put" not to consider Irish re-unification after the Republic voted to liberalise abortion laws.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has said if he lived in Northern Ireland he would be "hard put" not to consider Irish re-unification.

Lord Ashdown was writing on Twitter after the landslide Yes vote in the Republic's referendum on liberalising abortion laws. 

He wrote: "A wonderful beauty is being born (sorry Yeats). Ireland is becoming an advanced modern EU state. The effect in NI should not be underestimated. My Grandfather signed the Ulster declaration. But if the UK Brexits & I lived in NI, I would be hard put not to consider re-unification."

Stephen was joined by commentators Allison Morris and Alex Kane.