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Johnson's ‘sham’ proposals could result in two borders in Ireland, warns Corbyn

BORIS JOHNSON’S “sham” plan for an Irish backstop alternative could result in two borders in Ireland and may threaten the integrity of the Good Friday Agreement, Jeremy Corbyn said in the Commons today.

The Prime Minister insisted that under his new plan all customs checks for goods to be traded between the republic and the north of Ireland would be made “electronically.”

He said: “Or, in the small number of cases where physical checks would be necessary, at traders’ premises or other points in the supply chain.”

Labour leader Mr Corbyn urged him to clarify that there would be no physical border checks, and warned him that the proposals as they stand could result in two borders.

He said that Mr Johnson’s “alternative arrangements” are worse than what was previously suggested by former PM Theresa May.

“The truth is that after three years this government still have not found an answer to solving the issue of the Irish border and the Good Friday agreement,” Corbyn said.

“Where once they were committed to having no border in Ireland, they now propose two borders in Ireland.”

In response, Johnson said: “Under no circumstances would the UK institute physical infrastructure at or near the border.”

Mr Corbyn also said that the PM’s plans were “unworkable” while citing the concerns of business leaders in the north of Ireland.

And he slammed the plan for having no provisions for a customs union when that was “ demanded by every business and industry body in the UK, and every trade union.

“They want to ditch EU standards on workers’ rights, environmental regulations and consumer standards, and engage in a race to the bottom,” he said.

Mr Johnson’s proposals have also been rejected by the Irish government. 

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: “If that is the final proposal, there will be no deal.”

Downing Street rowed back on previous statements that the proposals for the Irish border were final by saying that they were the “basis for discussion.”

Corbyn also accused Johnson of “shifting the blame for his failure to deliver” onto the EU by suggesting proposals that they would not agree to.

Senior EU officials were critical of Mr Johnson’s plans. European Parliament Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said that agreeing to the proposals would be “nearly impossible.”

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