Boris Johnson promised he would never agree to a Brexit deal like this under any circumstances

The deal is hugely controversial as it will lead to new customs checks on the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
The prime minister had committed to opposing any new border checks on the Irish Sea.
He said that "no British Conservative prime minister" could ever support a deal which included them.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Boris Johnson will on Saturday urge members of the UK Parliament to back his new Brexit deal with the EU.

Under the deal, the UK will cut all existing customs and trade ties with the European Union, with the exception of Northern Ireland which will retain some trading arrangements in order to avoid a hard border with Ireland.

However, this decision means that there will need to be new customs and regulatory checks on the Irish Sea, effectively creating a new border between the two parts of the United Kingdom.

Read more: What is in Boris Johnson's new Brexit deal with the EU and what does it all mean?

This is hugely controversial, not least because Johnson has previously ruled out ever allowing such a division to happen.

In November 2018 he told the DUP conference that "no British Conservative government could or should sign up" to such regulatory checks and customs controls on the Irish Sea, adding that to do so would risk "damaging the fabric of the Union."

He repeated this commitment in July 2019, during his campaign to become Conservative party leader and prime minister.

Johnson told a meeting of Northern Irish Conservatives that "under no circumstances, whatever happens, will I allow the EU or anyone else to create any kind of division down the Irish Sea."

Johnson's U-turn on this pledge has lost him the support of the DUP who are now committed to opposing the deal when it comes to a vote on Saturday.

Read more: Boris Johnson's own official government figures shows his Brexit deal will make British people much poorer

NOW WATCH: 9 times Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Trump, Republicans, and Democrats on Twitter

Boris Johnson promised he would never agree to a Brexit deal like this under any circumstances

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!