Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SAMMY: BUSINESS TO BLAME FOR THE BREXIT BLOCKAGES
DUP MP blasts groups over disruption
SAMMY Wilson has criticised local business groups over post-brexit trade disruption currently affecting Northern Ireland.
The staunch Brexiteer said “we told you so” as he blamed the problems on the NI Protocol within the UK-EU withdrawal agreement.
In an incendiary statement, he listed a series of business representative bodies he said are “now beginning to realise the folly of the strategy that has led us here”.
The DUP veteran also rounded on Stormont parties who were against Brexit for backing the specific arrangements for Northern Ireland, which came into effect this month. The Protocol sees the region operating different regulatory and customs arrangements to the rest of the UK in a bid to avoid a hard British land border.
Customs declarations and extra checks are now required on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland.
Mr Wilson said the Protocol was having a “devastating impact” including “empty supermarket shelves” and businesses unable to obtain supplies of products. The East Antrim MP claimed Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Fein
“campaigned for the Protocol and continue to defend it”.
Calling for it to “be scrapped”, Mr Wilson added: “Equally, those industry groups and spokespeople in Manufacturing NI, the NI Retail Consortium, Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, the IOD, the FSB and others, who pleaded for special arrangements to avoid disruption on their miniscule trade with the Republic, are now beginning to realise the folly of the strategy that led us here.”
Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said the DUP is wrong to blame the Protocol, adding Britain has had disruption. Meanwhile, supermarkets using more Ulster produce is one positive to emerge, Arlene Foster stated. The First Minister said yesterday: “I did notice Sainsbury’s had taken some Spar products into their shops in Northern Ireland. I don’t see that as a negative.”