Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, responding to the publication of the legal draft of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, said:

“The EU-UK Government war of words needs to end.

“There can be absolutely no deviation from the solemn commitments made to Northern Ireland at the end of the first phase of Brexit negotiations. That means no hard border or any agreement that would undermine the Good Friday Agreement.

“Theresa May’s failure to offer any viable solution to the border in Northern Ireland has come back to haunt her.

“And yet, 20 months since the referendum the Government has yet to set out how it can achieve this without the UK remaining in a customs union with the EU. Jeremy Corbyn was clear at the start of the week that Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland.”