Labour scrap key part of Safeguarding the Union deal - DUP peer says it highlights 'more broken promises'
The Labour government has scrapped a key piece of the Safeguarding the Union deal between the Tories and the DUP, which saw the restoration of Stormont earlier this year.
DUP peer Lord Dodds said it is evidence of more broken promises – and the government has shown “no sign of willingness even to mitigate the Irish Sea Border. This will reduce choice for Northern Ireland consumers”.
Promised legislation requiring food producers in Great Britain to put ‘Not for EU’ labelling on their products was an attempt by the last government to prevent any disincentive for companies selling to Northern Ireland.
Business figures are concerned that some products will now disappear from supermarket shelves.
Senior DUP figures say the commitment was a key selling point from the party’s leadership when it was trying to convince its executive to accept the deal and end the boycott of the institutions at Stormont.
Now, the government says it will bring forward legislation which will allow for “targeted” use of labelling, “if there is evidence of need”.
A DUP spokesperson said the government needs to “provide clarity on its pause” of the labelling scheme – and on how it will ensure suppliers do not withdraw from the NI market.
The Ulster Unionist Party’s Steve Aiken said “we have no idea of the impact” of the change on the “supply and availability of our own nations goods in our own country”.
The Safeguarding the Union deal promised “legislation to confirm Windsor Framework labelling requirements will apply across the United Kingdom, in line with our longstanding commitments to remove any disincentive for suppliers, manufacturers or retailers to place goods on the market in Northern Ireland. This will provide a critical, legally binding UK-wide solution”.
The legislation never appeared – and now the government says it will not proceed with making the labelling mandatory. It comes after concerns were raised by business in Great Britain over the costs of introducing the scheme.
The Food and Drink Federation had put the cost to the industry of implementing the requirements at up to £250m a year, and said that it would increase the price of products for consumers.
The labelling scheme was an attempt to protect the EU single market and stop UK goods entering it from Northern Ireland, as there are no border checks on the island of Ireland.
Reacting to the news, a DUP spokesperson said: “The Government needs to provide clarity on its pause of “not for EU” labelling at UK wide level and how it will ensure suppliers do not withdraw from the NI market.
“Whilst retailer assurances are always welcome the proof will be on what happens and whether suppliers continue to supply the NI part of the UK market.
“The publication of wider Government guidance for authorities on complying with Section 46 of the Internal Market Act 2020 is welcomed.
“However these issues are a symptom of the wider problem. Whilst progress has been made, we will continue to fight to fully restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, including removing the application of EU law in our country and the internal Irish Sea Border it creates.
“We will continue to argue the case for the full primacy of the United Kingdom internal market and we will continue to reject the undermining of its integrity”.
UUP finance spokesperson Steve Aiken said: “we have no idea of the impact of the change of labelling ‘Not for EU’ on the supply and availability of our own nations goods in our own country.
“Somehow the current government approach of publishing statutory guidance to stop over zealous implementation of WF seems to be in direct contradiction of the Secretary of State’s statements to EU about implementing Windsor Framework in ‘good faith’.
“In light of the city deals debacle you can understand the scepticism being shown to this announcement. The business community and Northern Ireland consumers will also be expecting that the implications of this decision will scrutinised by the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee - though they will be sadly let down if that committees SF and Alliance members continue to be ‘incurious’ in what it does.
“The ‘EU good, UK bad’ mantra of those members helps no one. NI deserves better from HM Government, the EU and from their own assembly”.