EU rules halt UK Parliament selling gifts like prints of Sir Winston Churchill to Northern Ireland
Dozens of items sold online by the Houses of Parliament cannot be sent to Northern Ireland due to EU rules imposed under the Irish Sea border arrangements – serving as a “powerful and distressing metaphor” for the undermining of the UK, Jim Allister has said.
Memorabilia such as Big Ben keyrings, prints of Sir Winston Churchill or expensive cut crystal House of Commons wine glasses cannot be sent to the province, as parliamentary authorities have decided it is not economically viable to comply with the rules.
The TUV leader says the situation is “not just a humiliation for Northern Ireland but the whole United Kingdom” – saying no other nation would tolerate such a scenario.
Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland’s goods trade is largely governed by Brussels – and is effectively treated as EU territory. That means rules about what can enter are determined by the EU, not the UK.
One of these rules is the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) which came into effect in December 2024. The rules are to ensure “unsafe” products don’t enter the EU’s single market.
For products regulated by the GPSR to be sold on the Northern Ireland market, they must have a Responsible Economic Operator (REO) established in NI or the EU to ensure compliance tasks are fulfilled and to inform relevant authorities of any product safety incidents.
The News Letter has reported in the past that even digital downloads have been caught up in the wide-ranging regulations – and many small businesses have stopped selling to Northern Ireland because of the added burdens and complexities.
Mr Allister told the News Letter: “In a speech I gave to Parliament last week I highlighted a recent government policy paper which states: ‘The right to participate in our democracy is a defining aspect of our national identity’.
“In this equal access to Parliament for all UK citizens is vital, both in terms of the right to stand for election to make the laws to which we are subject or to elect a fellow citizen to do so on our behalf.
“And yet the people of Northern Ireland have had this right taken from us not just in relation to 300 laws but 300 areas of law. In this context the fact that the House of Commons shop, which services the democratically elected chamber of our national Parliament, is now refusing to post a whole series of its products to Northern Ireland serves as a powerful and distressing metaphor of the attempt of the pro-EU establishment to undermine the UK, disinheriting those living in this part of the country of significant aspects of our democracy and thus our national identity.
“It is, however, rather more than a metaphor because the reason why the House of Common shop is acting in this way, is because they have been required to do so by the EU General Product Safety Regulation, one of the many pieces of legislation imposed by the EU on Northern Ireland without our having any say.
“The truth, however, is that this is not just a humiliation for Northern Ireland but the whole UK. Imagine how the people of France would react if a foreign Parliament said that while the shop at the French National Assembly could continue to post its goods to its citizens in other parts of France, it would henceforth be prohibited from doing so to those living in Normandy?
“And how would the people of the United States react if a foreign Parliament ruled that while it was content that the Congressional shop should continue post its goods to all US citizens, it would henceforth be banned from doing so to US citizens living in Vermont.
“No self-respecting country could tolerate this imposition and neither can we. It’s time for the whole country to wake-up”.
The UK Parliament says that due to its relatively small retail operation and limited export function, establishing and maintaining a Responsible Economic Operator arrangement would not currently be proportionate or represent value for money for the House.
Officials say they are continuing to explore options and review whether there are practical and cost-effective ways to make more products available to customers in Northern Ireland in future – but in the meantime, the Parliament Shop continues to comply with all relevant product safety legislation.