Spokesman indicates Boris Johnson has not read Brexit trade deal text
Boris Johnson with his Brexit deal - Credit: Number 10/Twitter
It’s the 1246-page document that changed the lives of millions at the stroke of 11pm on New Year’s Eve - but has Boris Johnson read it?
The prime minister’s spokesperson was earlier repeatedly unable to confirm whether Johnson had read every word of the treaty setting out the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU.
Instead, he used the phrasing: “The prime minister is fully aware of the deal that we agreed.”
The question follows fisheries minister Victoria Prentis’ indication that she had not read the treaty because she was busy “organising the local nativity trail.”
Johnson has since given Prentis his backing after calls from opposition MPs for her to resign.
Asked whether it was Johnson’s expectation that his cabinet ministers read the treaty, his spokesman said: “The prime minister and the cabinet and other ministerial colleagues are fully aware of the deal we agreed with the EU.”
You may also want to watch:
Similar questions were asked of the prime minister in 2019, after Johnson appeared not to understand the withdrawal agreement he had renegotiated with the EU. On that occasion, he claimed that his deal presented "no barriers of any kind" to trade crossing the Irish Sea - contradicting his own Brexit secretary.
Most Read
- 1 Leave EU website suspended after EU registry blocks move to Ireland
- 2 Comedian wins praise after shaming No 10 during Dancing on Ice appearance
- 3 Boris Johnson blames seafood companies for post-Brexit sales slump
- 4 Television drama to focus on Boris Johnson's first year in Downing Street
- 5 Progressive alliance could see Labour win 351 seats at next election, new analysis reveals
- 6 The Tory MPs who failed to vote against a Universal Credit cut
- 7 Michael Gove among 14 Tory MPs revealed to have joined banned Parler app
- 8 Priti Patel fails to appear in Commons to answer questions on missing police records
- 9 UK has highest Covid-19 death rate in world
- 10 Boris Johnson claims Labour supporters using Universal Credit vote to incite hatred
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.