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Sadly this is not correct. Said supermarkets and other major players, as well as UK government officials, were aware that EU checks on food would be required once they saw the text of the Northern Ireland protocol. This is down to that 'oven ready deal' https://twitter.com/DUPleader/status/1326171154818674689
If you leave a single market, as Great Britain will be doing, then goods entering that market, which will include Northern Ireland, are subject to checks. Checks can be facilitated but not eliminated. This again has been known for some time. https://twitter.com/DUPleader/status/1326171157280788480
What is needed more than anything else to facilitate trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a UK-EU trade deal. But the Northern Ireland protocol will still hold, and there will still be checks on goods both ways, whatever the UK government says otherwise.
The DUP rightly pointed out back in October last year the threat from the Northern Ireland protocol to trade within the UK. Unfortunately this was ignored by the government. Blaming the EU a year later really is pretty desperate. Best try getting the UK government to a new deal.
Useful reminder of discussions about EU regulations applying to food in Northern Ireland nearly two years ago. https://twitter.com/DPhinnemore/status/1326192783372275717
Incidentally disagree with this interpretation of the Commission response to the letter from the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy. By Commission standards it is pretty positive. Important we calibrate expectations correctly. https://twitter.com/RaoulRuparel/status/1326145328916000768
An important point about Northern Ireland food, which I feel deserves some factual background. 9 months ago approx I spoke with retailers who raised the issue of costs of supplying from GB. I know they said the same to the UK government. https://twitter.com/RaoulRuparel/status/1326216954605133825
The question has to be asked as to why the UK government appears to have made no effort to resolve the question of GB-Northern Ireland food supplies in 9 months. Such as offering to pay for the required checks. Ignorance or politics? I suspect the latter.
The EU is inflexible with third countries. Fact. The Northern Ireland protocol allows some scope, but it is not the EU's fault the UK government has refused to accept the consequences of what was signed.
It is understandable the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy ask for flexibility in food coming from GB. And that the EU cite the legal framework. But let us be clear that this is primarily about the UK government playing political games with Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland business community have been placed in an impossible position, and I have total sympathy for them. It is time the UK government accepted realities, and then, and only then, can we reasonably pressure the EU to show flexibility.
