Brexit trade dossier drives coach and horses through PM’s claims – Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn has revealed a confidential document he claims “drives a coach and horses” through Boris Johnson’s Brexit claims and further exposes the Prime Minister for “deliberately misleading” the public.

The Labour leader brandished the dossier marked “official – sensitive” at a press conference on Friday, saying it is “cold, hard evidence” from the Treasury that the PM’s Brexit deal would damage the nation.

He alleged the report proves there would be customs checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland after Brexit, something Mr Johnson has claimed would not happen.

Speaking at Unison’s London headquarters, Mr Corbyn said: “This is cold, hard evidence that categorically shows the impact a damaging Brexit deal would have on large parts of our country,”

The unveiling of the 15-page slideshow prepared by the Treasury and titled “NI Protocol: Unfettered Access To The UKIM” comes after Mr Corbyn shared a document earlier in the campaign that he claimed proved the Tories want to “sell off” the NHS in a trade deal with the US.

Mr Corbyn said the latest revelation shows Mr Johnson is “deliberately misleading the people” about his deal with Brussels.

“We have now caught Johnson red-handed misrepresenting his own Brexit deal,” he told reporters.

The document, Mr Corbyn added, “drives a coach and horses through the Prime Minister’s claim that there will be, in his words, no border in the Irish Sea”.

Mr Corbyn highlighted page five of the document, which lists customs and security checks on exports from Northern Ireland to Great Britain as “potential fetters” to trade.

Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn

For goods travelling in the other direction, the document says tariffs, customs declarations on imports, checks on safety, security and regulations are possible issues.

The PM suggested last month that his Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay was wrong to say goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK would face checks as a result of his Brexit deal.

Mr Barclay had told MPs “some information” and “minimal targeted interventions” would be required on goods travelling across the Irish Sea.

Mr Corbyn was joined on the stage by Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, who used the document to unpick “the untruth of Johnson”.

Sir Keir said: “The issue of whether there are going to be checks is absolutely blown out of the water by this document, as is the suggestion that it won’t be bad for business.”

Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer

Despite confirming he would vote Remain again in a repeat EU referendum promised by Labour, Sir Keir said the Brexit deal his party would pursue and include in that vote is the only way to leave the EU while preventing the NHS being on the table in US trade talks.

He said: “Once you’re in the territory of doing a trade deal with America, whether you like it or not the NHS is going to be on the table because the drug companies in America for years have argued that they want to break open and open up what they call the British health market.”

Labour’s manifesto for the December 12 General Election commits to brokering a “credible” new departure deal with Brussels and putting it to the public along with the option to Remain.

Mr Corbyn confirmed he would want voters aged 16 and up to be able to take part in that referendum, which would come within six months of a Labour victory.

He said: “It’s young people’s future that’s at stake here, let them take part in that discussion and in that debate. We will be doing that as a priority in a Labour government.”

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