Gregory Campbell: The Irish Sea border on plants into NI from Great Britain is absurd
The challenges facing horticultural trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain remain a serious concern.
My DUP party colleagues and I continue to press for solutions that can assist businesses, suppliers, and consumers.
The barriers created by the Northern Ireland Protocol persist, causing disruption.
While some progress has been made, more urgent action is needed to prevent long-term damage to consumer choice and jobs.
The current system imposes unnecessary trade obstacles.
Delays, increased costs, and reduced product availability are harming local horticultural businesses and the wider public.
This is not just an inconvenience – it affects livelihoods, market access, and consumer choice.
Those operating garden centres, supplying nurseries, or ordering plants and seeds online face serious difficulties.
It is unacceptable that businesses in Northern Ireland cannot access the same goods as those in the rest of the United Kingdom.
While the creation of the Horticulture Working Group and the Northern Ireland Plant Health Label are welcome, they, in and of themselves are insufficient.
Rising costs will continue to damage trade unless comprehensive solutions are found.
Acknowledging the problem is not enough – the Labour government needs to act to remove these restrictions.
Evidence from the Horticultural Trade Association to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee was damning.
A ban remains on 30 native plants, and online sales to Northern Ireland from Great Britain are still prohibited.
It is absurd that I can visit a garden centre in Great Britain, buy seeds, return to Northern Ireland with them, yet be blocked from ordering the same seeds by post due to European Union Single Market concerns.
These restrictions stifle trade and drive-up costs.
This is not a unionist versus nationalist issue; it affects gardeners, businesses, and traders across the community.
The government needs to restore the UK internal market.
Northern Ireland must not be treated as an exception.
The establishment of Intertrade UK is a step forward, but this issue must be its top priority.
Northern Ireland should not be punished by red tape and regulatory divergence from the rest of the UK.
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government have to ensure Northern Ireland’s place in the UK is fully restored.
This includes removing the application of EU law and addressing the ongoing problems it creates.
The Windsor Framework did not resolve all challenges, and the DUP will continue to push for real, lasting changes.
We need a system that is practical, fair, and aligned with the needs of Northern Ireland’s businesses and consumers.
The horticulture trade is just one example of how the current arrangements are failing our country.
If this issue persists, it sets a dangerous precedent for other sectors and further weakens Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.
My colleagues and I will keep pushing for the removal of these barriers.
Government action is required and it needs to act now.
• Gregory Campbell is the Democratic Unionist Party MP for East Londonderry