Brexit: Northern Ireland 'annexed' by Protocol claims Habib

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In his latest opinion piece, Ben Habib, has claimed that very little attention has been paid to the “serious” problems in Northern Ireland which “need to be solved”. Mr Habib blamed Westminster for the “institutionalised neglect over the past few decades “ from both Labour and Conservative governments. He wrote: “How do you know Northern Ireland has been neglected? Easy. Look up the time it takes to travel between just about any town in the province to Belfast by public transport.

“The results will shock you. It is quicker to get from Belfast to London than it is to Londonderry.

“The 70-mile trip across the province takes a whopping two hours and twenty minutes.”

Mr Johnson has now been tipped by Mr Habib to issue a plan that would set up a huge win for the UK economy.

Mr Habib wrote: “With the debilitating effects of the Protocol playing out, it is doubly important govt stops seeing Northern Ireland as an economically troublesome burden and starts laying plans to make it a tiger economy.”

The former member of the Brexit party said that there are a few things Mr Johnson can do in order to make that happen.

Mr Habib said: “First and foremost, Boris Johnson needs to make sure taxes on businesses are cut.

“The chancellor is wrong to increase corporation tax. Doing so will hit Northern Ireland particularly hard and is economically illiterate.”

He continued: “Finally, invest in Belfast. Make it a first class, interconnected, fun city in which to live and work.

“For Northern Ireland to succeed, Belfast must do so.”

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8:30am update: Won’t back Brexit Britain! Labour shamed for clinging onto EU and shunning UK’s potential

Trade minister Greg Hands last night tore into Labour for clinging to Brussels instead of embracing the benefits of Brexit.

The party refuses to “believe in Britain’s potential” to strike out as an independent trading nation and is shunning the new opportunities voting to leave has opened up around the world.

Mr Hands spoke out after Emily Thornberry questioned whether it makes “any sense” to put “all this energy” into securing international deals.

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