James O'Brien brands Boris Johnson 'a bare faced liar' after NI protocol remarks

22 February 2023, 14:08 | Updated: 22 February 2023, 14:17

By Heather Nicholls

James O'Brien says this is "the most compelling evidence" that Boris Johnson is a "bare-faced liar".

His comments follow issues surrounding the Northern Ireland (NI) Protocol, which was introduced after the UK left the EU. The NI Protocol was part of the Brexit deal negotiated by former-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019.

James O'Brien said: "He lies about anything, he jeopardises the actual peace process in order to massage his own ego or secure some form of short-term political gratification.

"This is not an opinion, this is counting and it is catastrophic," he insisted.

"If you think that rationing in supermarkets is a problem you ain't seen nothing yet if the peace process in Northern Ireland is in any way derailed," he added.

Continuing, he said: "And he lied, he lied about what would happen which has led him to this position this week and this is incredible. This is incredible... he is now attacking or threatening Rishi Sunak's willingness to abide by the treaty that Boris Johnson signed."

"I don't have the words for this, I didn't have them yesterday and I don't have them today. It's almost beyond articulation how utterly bent this situation is now.

"Boris Johnson, surrounded by the usual brain-dead ERG headbangers and DUP tub thumpers, Boris Johnson is threatening Rishi Sunak because Rishi Sunak is minded to abide by the terms of the treaty that Boris Johnson signed."

James said that "Boris Johnson signed the treaty, did a lap of honour, bloviated endlessly about getting Brexit done and then introduced a bill that was literally designed to undo it".

"He introduced a bill that was literally designed to allow an autonomous, unilateral abandonment of the terms of an international treaty that he had signed.

"That's not unprecedented, it happens. It doesn't usually happen ten minutes after you've signed the treaty and before the ink is even dry."

James continued: "This attack now, these manoeuvres, being undertaken by Boris Johnson is being undertaken because Rishi Sunak wants to abide by the terms of the treaty that Boris Johnson signed, while Boris Johnson wants a British Prime Minister to have the right to set fire to it."