Boris Johnson’s reason why Northern Ireland has a ‘great deal’ sounds like an advert for Remain

Boris Johnson has been caught on camera saying Northern Ireland has a “great deal” because it will keep access to the single market and free movement after Brexit.

The prime minister was filmed talking up his Brexit deal to Conservative members when he made the claim – ignoring the fact that the rest of the UK will lose those benefits of EU membership under his plan.

You can watch the video of his comments below:

He said:

Northern Ireland has got a great deal. You keep free movement.

You keep access to the single market but you also have, as it says in the deal, unfettered access to GB.

Johnson’s rambling argument raised an obvious question – if he believes single market access and freedom of movement is so good, why does he want the UK to leave the EU?

More importantly, Johnson doesn’t seem to understand key parts of his own deal.

The prime minister repeated his dubious claim that there would be no checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Johnson claimed:

There will not be checks, I speak as the prime minister of the UK and a passionate unionist, there will not be checks on goods going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, because we are the government of the UK and we will not institute, implement or enact such checks.

However, those remarks directly contradict his Northern Ireland secretary and Brexit secretary, who both admitted businesses in Northern Ireland would be forced to go through some checks when sending goods across the Irish Sea.

Some people have suggested the clip shows Johnson doesn’t know what he’s talking about…

And although at least one person at the event was satisfied with the answer, it doesn’t look like the campaign group Manufacturing NI was entirely convinced.

Maybe the prime minister should talk to his cabinet before he makes anymore promises about his deal.

More: Tory minister Matt Hancock confronted over Boris Johnson’s U-turn on Northern Ireland stance