THE Prime Minister has marked the fifth anniversary of the Brexit vote, as sceptics have warned the damage of the vote has only just begun.

In a statement Boris Johnsons, who was the frontman of the Vote Leave movement, said the UK's exit from the European Union will "spur jobs and renewal" across the country.

However, Brexit-sceptic Lord Heseltine has warned the outlook following Brexit is "ominous", with peace in Northern Ireland at risk and the fishing industry feeling "betrayed".

Mr Johnson said: “This Government got Brexit done and we’ve already reclaimed our money, laws, borders and waters.

“Now as we recover from this pandemic, we will seize the true potential of our regained sovereignty to unite and level up our whole United Kingdom.

“With control over our regulations and subsidies, and with freeports driving new investment, we will spur innovation, jobs and renewal across every part of our country.

“The decision to leave the EU may now be part of our history, but our clear mission is to utilise the freedoms it brings to shape a better future for our people.”

However, Lord Heseltine, who supported remaining in the EU, took a less optimistic view.

He said: “Five years on, Brexit is far from ‘done’. It has only just begun and the forecast is ominous,” he said.

“Storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, chief among them the threat to the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

“The fishing industry has now voiced its betrayal and the Australian trade deal will slowly erode the competitiveness of British farmers over the next 15 years.

“Meanwhile, the financial services industry quietly moves its activities to Europe in order to escape the continuing Brexit uncertainty.”

For Labour, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Louise Haigh said Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal was responsible for the current unrest in Northern Ireland.

“There is a direct line from the Prime Minister’s dishonesty over the deal he negotiated, to the instability we see in Northern Ireland today,” she said.

“The Prime Minister pledged never to put barriers down the Irish Sea and then a few months later did exactly that – this dishonesty is still having real consequences."

Leave won the EU referendum 52-48 in 2016 in a shock result, and in March 2017 then-PM Theresa May triggered Article 50 and the process to leave the EU and 18 months later a deal was reached with EU, but May's deal was rejected by MPs in a vote.

Article 50 had to be extended and May say her deal rejected three times before she resigned and was replaced by Boris Johnson.

Johnson then unlawfully prorogued Parliament and his attempts to whizz his new deal through Parliament were rejected by MPs, before calling a snap election and storming to a huge victory on his 'Get Brexit Done' mantra, buoyed by the unpopularity of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his party's second referendum stance.

His deal was then passed and the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020. Negotiations on trade continued throughout 2020 before the UK officially left at the end of last year.

There are still major issues, including the plethora of paperwork around exports which have damaged many industries including the fishing industries, and Northern Ireland also remains a huge issue.