Boris Johnson has been accused of “shortchanging Scotland” after he revealed his Brexit deal would see Northern Ireland “keep single market access and free movement”.
Opposition parties seized on the prime minister’s words yesterday, asking why Scotland and the rest of the UK could not also have this “great deal”.
Mr Johnson made the comments at a private meeting of Conservative activists in NI on Thursday night, a video of which subsequently appeared on social media.
In the video 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.”
Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrats’ Brexit spokesman, said: “The single market and freedom of movement are a great deal – even Boris Johnson recognises this.
“So why isn’t he keeping them for the whole of the UK as part of the many benefits of EU membership?
“It is clear that the best deal for the UK is the one we have now – in the EU.”
Mr Johnson, asked about the comments yesterday, said: “I’m not going to hide it from you that Northern Ireland has a good deal but so does the the whole of the UK.”
The SNP, who have consistently called for single market access and the continuation of freedom of movement, said the deal put Scotland at a competitive disadvantage.
The party’s Brexit spokesman Tommy Sheppard said: “Boris Johnson himself has now demonstrated Scotland is being singled out for a raw deal – as the only country in the UK to be taken out of the EU against our will and given no say over our future relationship with Europe.
“We support the Good Friday Agreement in its entirety and are not opposed to a special deal for Northern Ireland but Scotland must not be placed at a competitive disadvantage.”
Labour’s Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer added: “This is a prime minister who either doesn’t know the details of the deal he has negotiated or isn’t being straight about it.
“He is making it up as he goes along. This is no way to seek to run the country.”
