You would think anyone about to make decisions affecting the future of entire nations would take the time to do the required reading. But in the case of former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, this appears not to be the case.
The MP for Esher and Walton admitted that he has not read the Good Friday Agreement all the way through while giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Although one of the biggest challenges to Brexit is what to do about the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the former Brexit secretary justified the fact he hadn’t read the 35-page document by comparing it to a novel.
Asked by the chair Lady Sylvia Hermon if he had read the text in its entirety, Raab said:
Um, I haven’t sat down and started at the beginning and gone through it.
But of course at various points of the negotiations when issues have been raised, it has been an important opportunity to delve into the different aspects very carefully.
He added:
It’s not like a novel, you sit down and say ‘do you know what, over the holidays, this is a cracking read'.
The Good Friday Agreement, also know as The Belfast Agreement, helped to bring an end to The Troubles in Ireland after it was signed almost 20 years ago on 10 April 1998.
The international treaty established a cross-community consensus for peace and the future direction of the region after 30 years of brutal conflict between republicans and unionists.
And now the agreement plays a crucial role in shaping the terms of the Northern Ireland backstop arrangement as part of Theresa May's Brexit deal.
People on Twitter weren't exactly impressed to learn that Raab hadn't actually bothered to read the Good Friday Agreement all the way through as Brexit secretary.
“May I ask you. Have you read the Good Friday Agreement?” To which Dominic Raab replied: “Well, I haven’t said down… https://t.co/bHzBFRpwdk— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@Dr. Jennifer Cassidy) 1548930249
The worst thing about this is not even that Dominic Raab hasn't bothered to read the whole 35 page Good Friday Agre… https://t.co/MP9jGFbPs5— David Lammy (@David Lammy) 1548972104
In his own words, Dominic Raab says he has not read the Good Friday Agreement. Inspires confidence, that #Brexit… https://t.co/8HwITwUV85— Mark Hennessy (@Mark Hennessy) 1548924462
The UKIP MEP Gerard Batten said on Wednesday that only 100 lorries and vans cross the Irish border every day. The a… https://t.co/tRM3o7Za2E— Samuel West 💙 (@Samuel West 💙) 1549004332
Dominic Raab, whose is as lazy as he is inept ladies and gentlemen. https://t.co/j7oaZWTqgV— Sheriff Lonestar (@Sheriff Lonestar) 1549005213
Oxford University professor Dr Jennifer Cassidy even pointed out that she expects her students to read far more to prepare for a tutorial.
I expect my students to read close to 500 pages a week. In order to construct a 2,500 word essay for our weekly tut… https://t.co/nHMoKhUbPy— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@Dr. Jennifer Cassidy) 1548966150
Always reassuring to know that government ministers have done less work than the average university student.
More: Brexiteer Tory MP Dominic Raab quizzed on live TV over ‘unicorn’ ideas on Irish backstop
More: 7 quotes from Dominic Raab about Brexit
