THE Brexit deal on Northern Ireland “doesn’t cut the mustard” as the European Court of Justice will still have the final say in disputes, Nigel Farage claimed tonight.
He told GB News viewers: “It couldn’t be clearer, despite being asked a very specific question about the role of the European Court of Justice and the fact that in this Windsor framework document, the Government very boldly says the sovereign power to veto new EU rules will be with us, Ursula von der Leyen makes it perfectly clear that the European Court of Justice will be the final arbiter, the EU court will have the final say, and for me, that’s why this so-called deal doesn’t cut the mustard.
“We await the legal texts which will come out over the course of the next few days. Interestingly, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party will vote for it. I don’t think as I predicted last week, we’ll see any cabinet resignations.
“Oh yes, they’ll be some of the ERG will kick up a fuss when they realise what they’ve been told by the Prime Minister isn’t the truth, although it’s not him we should blame, it’s Theresa May and Ollie Robbins, now Lord Robbins, of course for his wonderful skills at negotiating.
“Barnier, Verhofstadt and the others deliberately used Northern Ireland to trap the British negotiators.
“They did it brilliantly and we’re living with the consequences.”
He said: “He tells us that the border in the Irish Sea has now gone, there’ll be a green lane for goods that move back and forth between the mainland and Northern Ireland, we did concede there still would be checks on up to 5% of those goods.
“But that I guess, in a way is progress from a situation that was truly, truly awful.
“Also, the European Union will allow us to set our own rates of excise duty and VAT, but of course, they can concede that happily knowing that this is a government that doesn’t cut taxes. It’s one that puts them up.
“And they’re expecting Labour, of course, to be in office in 18 months time, but the absolute nub of disagreement on whether it passes the fit and proper test is around the issue of sovereignty.”
He added: “Clearly, if a court in Strasburg of the European Union’s own court in Strasburg still has the final say, then Northern Ireland simply hasn’t got Brexit in any recognisable way.”
