What is in Jeremy Corbyn’s leaked Northern Ireland document?
Labour leader claims Treasury slideshow proves border between NI and rest of UK
Jeremy Corbyn has produced a leaked government document that he claims proves Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal will create a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
The Labour leader said that the document, marked “official, sensitive”, provided the “cold hard evidence” that Johnson had been “misleading” people about his Brexit deal, says the Belfast Telegraph.
“We have now caught Johnson red-handed misrepresenting his own Brexit deal,” Corbyn told a press conference. “This is cold hard evidence that categorically shows the impact a damaging Brexit deal would have on large parts of our country.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What’s in the document?
According to Corbyn, page five of the document says: “There will be customs declarations and security checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.”
“It is there in black and white. It says there will be customs declarations, absolutely clearly, for trade going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain,” Metro reports.
The 15-page Treasury slideshow, titled Northern Ireland Protocol: Unfettered Access to the UK Internal Market, also claims that the vast majority of business in Northern Ireland will struggle to meet the costs associated with the deal.
The document says that high street prices in Northern Ireland will likely go up, hitting businesses’ profits and potentially leading to the loss of jobs in key employment sectors, including retail.
Corbyn said the document gave a “damning picture” of what Northern Ireland could expect if Johnson’s Brexit deal went ahead.
The slideshow is marked “official, sensitive”. “Official” is the lowest security classification a document can be given, and is routinely put on documents produced by the public sector. “Sensitive” is not a classification, but a handling instruction to the reader of the document to treat it with care.
What has the reaction been?
Corbyn said the document “drives a coach and horses through the Prime Minister’s claim that there will be, in his words, no border in the Irish Sea… it’s simply not true.”
Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly said Corbyn is once again “brandishing leaked documents that don’t back up his wild conspiracy theories”, says The Sun.
“This is just another desperate attempt to distract from his refusal to take a position on the biggest issue of the day,” he added.
Cleverly did not deny the validity of the document or its contents.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - May 18, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - a rocky road, innovative legislation, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 arguably hilarious cartoons about the 2024 presidential debate
Cartoons Artists take on the candidates' age gap, sleepyheads, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: a solid summer blockbuster
The Week Recommends The big-money movie might be 'a bit silly' but the effects are excellent
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak's asylum spat with Ireland explained
In Depth Irish government plans to override court ruling that the UK is unsafe for asylum seekers
By The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why is Ireland one of the most pro-Palestinian countries?
Today's Big Question The country has shown some of the highest support for Palestinians among white-majority nations
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Stormont power-sharing in sight: 'good news' for Northern Ireland?
Talking Point Unionists vote to end two-year boycott after agreeing legislative package to address post-Brexit trading arrangements
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published