06 December 2019

The Guardian: Leaked Brexit paper negates PM's Northern Ireland claims – Corbyn

Labour has accused Boris Johnson of misrepresenting the impact of his Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, as Jeremy Corbyn revealed a leaked Treasury document that suggested prices will rise and businesses will struggle to bear the costs of border checks.

The Labour leader said the document revealed the “cold, hard facts” about the impact of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.

The document, entitled Northern Ireland Protocol: Unfettered Access to the UK Internal Market, warns that “the withdrawal agreement has the potential to separate Northern Ireland in practice from whole swathes of the UK’s internal market”.

Corbyn said: “This drives a coach and horses through Boris Johnson’s claim that there will be no border in the Irish Sea.”

The document suggests that for trade going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, the government cannot rule out several different checks, including on regulations and animal health.

“At minimum, exit summary declarations will be required when goods are exported from Northern Ireland to Great Britain in order to meet EU obligations,” it says.

And for trade going the other way – from Great Britain to Northern Ireland – there could potentially be tariffs, the document suggests. [...]

Full article on The Guardian

Related article on POLITICO: Northern Irish leader says Boris Johnson broke his word on Brexit

Related article on The Guardian: Brexit deal includes two-way customs checks, insists Ireland

© The Guardian