Brexit: Entirety of UK will have 'not for EU' printed on goods as James Cleverly insists 'Northern Ireland is as much part of UK as north Essex'

Foreign minister James Cleverly told peers that it was “logical that something we ask Northern Ireland to do, we should ask the UK to do” as a whole.

He stressed to peers that “the starting point in all our thinking and actions is that Northern Ireland is an absolutely intrinsic part of the United Kingdom”, adding: “I absolutely mean it – Northern Ireland is as much part of the UK as north Essex where my constituency is situated.”

As such, he is “very comfortable” having a UK-wide labelling regime.

Mr Cleverly made the remarks at a session of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub-Committee in the House of Lords earlier today.

The roll-out of this new labelling is set to begin this autumn, though details about the size and prominence of the wording have yet to be given to retailers.

The issue emerged after former SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie (now a Labour peer) quizzed Mr Cleverly about a planned October 1 start date for “new 'not for EU' labelling requirements”.

Mr Cleverly replied that he had “listened extrensively to retailers”, and that the best way forward was to make the new labels a requirement for the whole UK, not just for goods in Northern Ireland.

‘I absolutely mean it – Northern Ireland is as much part of the UK as north Essex where my constituency is situated’

"The centre of gravity of the voices we had was UK-wide labelling was the preferred option,” he said.

"There are some advanges and disadvantages to UK-wide labelling.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to labrelling only in NI.”

When it comes to the govermnet’s own view, “part of it is practical, and part of it is philosophical,” he said.

"The practical point is that retailers were saying they'd prefer a UK-wide regime.

"Philosophically, I keep saying NI is part of the UK, so therefore it seems to me logical that something we ask NI to do we should ask the UK to do.

"So I'm very comfortable with having a UK-wide regime. The details of that will in due course, or shortly...”

Ms Ritchie asked: “What do you mean by 'in due course'?”

Mr Cleverly replied: “Whilst autumn of this year is that start point, it will be phased, and phased through the next couple of years through to 2025.

"We have been talking about this for quite some time including in the command paper in 2021, so this shouldn't really be a surprise with the retail sector…

"I'm sure there'll be technical details about size and priminence and that sort of stuff.

"I'll get details about those details to the [retailers] in writing.

"I'm not a retailer. I don't want to implty simplicity where there might be complexity.”

However, he reiterated that the matter had been “discussed extensively” with the retail sector.

It is not totally clear which goods this will apply to, but Mr Cleverly said food retailers had been especially “animated” about the challenges this would pose.

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