BORIS JOHNSON has admitted to three major flaws in his Brexit deal with the European Union, and conceded it was a huge mistake to enable Brussels to determine the future trading status of Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson made the admissions whilst being grilled by the Commons Liaison Committee, outlining several difficulties faced by people in Northern Ireland since is Brexit deal came into force. He told MPs: “You’ve got a very difficult situation in which vital drugs have not been able to be moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. 30 drugs including cancer drugs. I think about 200 companies have stopped shipping stuff. There have been impediments to the movement of guide dogs, of parcels, of potted plants, of tractor parts.
“And I think I’m right in saying that Asda doesn’t actually have Asda shops in the Republic of Ireland, yet as the goods that are coming into Northern Ireland have all to be checked.”
Mr Johnson described Jewish people leaving the region because they were struggling to source kosher food as an “exodus” – a word that comes from the second book of the Old Testament and Torah where Israelites escaped from centuries of slavery in Egypt.
He said: “Only yesterday there were very serious representations from the Jewish community in Northern Ireland who pointed out that because of the problem with the food sector it was becoming difficult for them to have timely access or any access to kosher food.
“And they’re talking about an exodus from Northern Ireland by the Jewish community.
“Now clearly we’d do everything we can to avoid that, and to sort it out, but it’s going to take our friends in the Joint Committee to make some movement.”
Mr Johnson launched a furious attack against the EU by claiming Brussels is implementing the Protocol n a “grossly disproportionate and unnecessary” manner.
The Prime Minister added the UK had agreed to checks on goods moving from Great Britain out of “neighbourliness” in an effort to ensure there was no return of a hard border with the Republic.
But in a major admission, he said: “We also agreed unfortunately that the EU could have a say in how this was done.
“I think what we all need to do is work rapidly on some solutions, fix this thing fast.
“I think it will take some effort but we really can’t exclude any actions that the UK Government may need to take to protect what it says in the Protocol.”
Source: Express.co.uk
