Boris Johnson news – live: PM rambles about Anthony Gormley to school children, after contradicting own government in false Brexit claims to supporters
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Boris Johnson has insisted Northern Ireland businesses can put customs forms “in the bin” as he doubled down on his claims there would be no checks on goods coming into Great Britain under his Brexit deal.
He faced questions on the campaign trail after footage emerged of the prime minister contradicting his own cabinet ministers by saying there would be no checks at the border.
The Tory leader inspired bemusement as he told party members that he had secured a “great” Brexit deal for Northern Ireland – by retaining access to the single market and freedom of movement.
Elsewhere, Mr Johnson told a group of school children the sculptor Sir Antony Gormley was “an interesting chap” but his work had been too expensive to commission for the 2012 Olympics.
It comes as veteran Labour candidate Dame Margaret Hodge declined to say whether she would prefer Jeremy Corbyn or Mr Johnson as PM, while Nicola Sturgeon claimed a hung parliament would give the SNP the “power” to demand an independence referendum in 2020 and try to stop Brexit.
Labour candidate apologises for ‘offensive’ language
The Labour candidate for West Derby Ian Byrne has apologised for “inappropriate and offensive” comments he made on social media after they came to light.
According to LBC, Byrne referred to Conservative Esther McVey as a “b*****” and also made unflattering remarks about Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone and Prince William.
Byrne said in a statement: “I am deeply sorry for the inappropriate and offensive language from the shop floor that I used several years ago on social media and would not use today.
“I’m a very different person now and I’m grateful that the labour and trade union movement has enabled me and so many other working class people to represent and fight for our communities.”
PM claims to have given up drinking ‘until we get Brexit done’
Boris Johnson has claimed he has given up drinking until after Brexit is sorted.
The prime minister, who was photographed sipping whisky during a distillery visit in Scotland only yesterday, made the remark while chatting with nurses at the King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
He asked them to tell him more about Ashfield, noting: “Someone said there’s a lot of first-time mums who are smoking or something like that. Is that right?”
The PM was told a lot of people smoke in Ashfield before he switched his attention to vaping, saying: “I’m not certain about it. It might just encourage them to get into nicotine.”
He then asked "what about alcohol?" before adding: “I’ve had to give it up until we get Brexit done.”
Johnson did not clarify whether he meant the first phase of Brexit by the end of January 2020 or the end of the transition period in December next year.
Boris Johnson visits King's Mill Hospital (AP)
Lib Dems condemn Johnson for ‘contradicting’ his own government
The Liberal Democrats have now criticised Boris Johnson over his speech in Northern Ireland.
Johnson appeared to contradict evidence given by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay by telling supporters that goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain would not face checks as a result of his Brexit agreement.
Barclay had told MPs that “minimal targeted interventions” would be required on some goods.
Tom Brake, the Lib Dems’ Brexit spokesman, tweeted: “Are you planning on contradicting every government document on Brexit, or just the more problematic pieces?”
Brake also 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.”
Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer earlier claimed the prime minister “either doesn’t understand the deal he has negotiated or he isn’t telling the truth. Probably both”.
Boris Johnson insists ‘no checks’ in NI-GB customs territory
The prime minister has been asked about those off-the-cuff comments he made about his Brexit deal in Northern Ireland last night.
Boris Johnson told broadcasters this morning that checks required for tariff purposes under his Brexit deal will be on goods which “might be coming via Northern Ireland from GB into Ireland”.
He also said: “Northern Ireland and the rest of GB are part of the UK customs territory and there can be no checks between goods operating in one customs territory.
“We’re the UK. We will not be instituting such checks.”
Asked if Northern Ireland would get a better deal than the rest of the UK as it would have single market access and keep free movement, the PM replied: “I’m not going to hide it from you that Northern Ireland has a good deal but so does the whole of the UK.
“And the crucial thing we had to square away was the idea that there could be no checks at the border between Northern Ireland and the south.”
Asked if there were different customs arrangements for Northern Ireland into Great Britain and he was saying he would not enforce that, the PM said: “That’s right. We’re one UK territory.”
Nicola Sturgeon: ‘Our NHS is not for sale’
The SNP has announced a bill to protect the NHS from trade deals with foreign nations.
At the party’s election campaign launch in Edinburgh today, leader Nicola Sturgeon said the bill will be introduced at Westminster in the next parliament and will feature in the SNP manifesto.
The NHS Protection Bill, according to the party, will ensure the health service is not used as a “bargaining chip” in trade deals.
Sturgeon claims that despite health policy being devolved to the Scottish parliament, the UK Government could still “sell off" the NHS in trade negotiations.
Opposition parties have expressed concern about the possibility of the NHS being opened up to US healthcare companies in a trade deal, after US Donald Trump said “everything was on the table” during a joint press conference with then-PM Theresa May.
Sturgeon said: “The NHS in Scotland run in Scotland, for Scotland and under the SNP it will always be in public hands. Our NHS is not for sale at any price.”
Nicola Sturgeon at SNP campaign launch
Labour candidate drops out over alleged antisemitic remark
Our political editor has more on Labour’s Clacton candidate standing down after his “Shylock” remarks.
Gideon Bull has insisted he was not referring directly to a Jewish councillor Zena Brabazon when he referred to the Shakespeare character – and is also claiming he “did not know Shylock was Jewish … this was a genuine accident.”
Sturgeon want ‘progressive alliance’ to keep Tories out
Nicola Sturgeon has said that the Conservative Party has “ridden roughshod” over the Scottish parliament, and claimed: “Scotland’s vote to remain in the EU has been ignored.”
She claimed said that a vote for the SNP is a vote to put Scotland’s future “firmly in Scotland’s hands.”
“Westminster’s priorities can be summed up in just three words - Brexit, Brexit, Brexit,” said Sturgeon.
“A vote for the SNP in contrast is a vote to escape Brexit. A vote for the SNP is a vote to take Scotlands future out of the hands of Boris Johnson and a broken Westminster system. A vote for the SNP is a vote to put Scotland's future firmly in Scotland’s hands.”
She vowed: “If there is a hung Parliament after this election... SNP MPs would seek to form a progressive alliance to lock the Tories out of government.”
She also claimed that a SNP wins in Scotland, it would be a clear mandate for another independence referendum, says Sturgeon.
“There can be no Westminster veto over Scotland's right to choose,” she said.
Nicola Sturgeon at launch in Edinburgh (PA)
Paid maternity leave to be increased to 12 months under Labour plans
New mothers would be entitled to a full year of paid maternity leave and companies would have to offer flexible working by default under new plans announced by Labour.
Dawn Butler, the shadow women and equalities secretary, is in Stevenage speaking with business people about the reforms this lunchtime.
More details here from our correspondent Benjamin Kentish.
Are politicians finding it too easy to say ‘sorry’?
We’ve had a daily slew of apologies from both experienced politicians and candidates so far during the election campaign.
Sam Hancock says genuine contrition is fine – but if an apology just provides cover for the next transgression, it just lets repeat offenders off the hook.
PM tells school children Anthony Gormley ‘an interesting chap’
Boris Johnson has been talking to school pupils about the sculptor Sir Antony Gormley – complaining that he was too expensive to commission for the 2012 Olympics.
The PM was given a tour of a school and tried to make a clay figure inspired by Sir Antony Gormley, the artist whose works include the Angel of the North.
Speaking at the George Spencer Academy, near Nottingham, Johnson remarked he had “gunk” on him before declaring the task would be “a piece of cake”.
But seconds later he paused before joking “it’s all going horribly wrong” as he had not followed the guide and noted he was creating a figure similar to “Terminator”.
He also told pupils: “He’s an interesting chap Antony Gormley – all his sculptures are modelled on himself and then he persuades people to pay colossal sums for his own image around the world. It’s amazing success he’s had.
“We had a plan in the Olympic Games in 2012 to make a huge human being like this with steps sort of all the way up so you could walk up him.
“Gormley was going to do it but it was going to cost a huge amount.”
Boris Johnson visits George Spencer Academy (AFP)
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