Lewis’ TV remarks spark debate...on social media
AN appearance by the Secretary of State on a Northern Ireland-themed edition of the BBC’S Question Time has stirred debate.
Brandon Lewis, speaking on the show, stressed the benefits he believes the region will get from the Brexit deal.
He was among the panel, which also included the First and Deputy First Minister, Labour shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh and politics professor Anand Menon.
Coronavirus and Brexit — and the food shortages here — dominated Thursday night’s episode. The first question was whether shortages were “teething problems” or deeper issues of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Northern Ireland is continuing to follow some of the EU’S rules to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Mr Lewis has denied there is an issue relating to Brexit and said the problems with getting food to Northern Ireland from GB was due to coronavirus and a lag in issues of freight crossing the border in the south of England when France shut its border to the UK after a mutant strain of the virus was detected.
Mr Lewis said moving goods from GB to NI was tariff-free but there would need to be checks on items such as foodstuffs. He said the protocol offered Northern Ireland — as part of the UK — “a unique competitive advantage” not seen around the world.
Mr Lewis said “Northern Ireland has the ability to trade in, and as part of, the UK as well as through the single market with the EU”.
He denied the protocol pushed Northern Ireland more towards Dublin and the EU than London, saying there remained “unfettered access between NI and the UK”. Mr Lewis added: “That gives
NI a competitive opportunity and a huge opportunity — once we come out of Covid.”
His remarks triggered plenty of debate on social media.
BBC broadcaster Andrea Catherwood, who is from Northern Ireland, said: “Without any apparent irony a Government minister spells out the competitive advantage of being in the EU single market. You couldn’t make it up,” she tweeted.
Some vented frustration that the show was screened here 40 minutes later than other regions. This was to avoid clashing with local current affairs programme The View.