No one will go hungry in no-deal Brexit – Leo
IRELAND will not face food shortages should the UK crash out of the EU without a Brexit deal, the Taoiseach reassured the public yesterday.
His comments came after a bitter row erupted after Britain’s former international aid secretary Priti Patel was accused of suggesting that the UK should threaten to cut off its food exports to Ireland in order to win a better Brexit deal from the EU.
Legal advice to the British cabinet – published in the London Times – has suggested that a nodeal Brexit would adversely affect the Irish economy more than the UK’s, due to our open economy and greater reliance on British imports than their reliance on ours.
The advice added that trade in perishable goods, such as food supplies, would be particularly affected.
Responding to the advice, Ms Patel, a staunchly pro-Brexit MP, told the Times: ‘This paper appears to show the government were well aware Ireland will face significant issues in a no-deal scenario. Why hasn’t this point been pressed home during the negotiations? There is still time to go back to Brussels and get a better deal.’
A series of politicians and journalists yesterday interpreted Ms Patel’s comments as suggesting that she wanted Theresa May’s government to threaten to cut off Ireland’s food supplies from the UK in order to get a better Brexit deal from the EU.
However, Ms Patel tweeted yesterday that her comments had been misinterpreted.
‘It is clear my comments on ‘No Deal’ have been taken out of context by some. We should go back to Brussels & get a better deal. There is still time. Let’s take back control of borders, laws & money,’ she wrote.
Asked about the report yester- day, the Taoiseach accepted that there would be import disruption for Ireland if Britain crashed out of the EU, but said he didn’t believe there would be food shortages.
‘Obviously in the circumstances of there being a no-deal, hard Brexit, we would have our supply chains disrupted. But as you know, we produce a lot of our own food here domestically in Ireland and, of course, we have imports as well from France or continental Europe,’ he said.
‘We are making preparations at ports and airports in particular for that no-deal scenario.
‘There might be certain products that you won’t be able to get, but certainly nobody is going to go hungry,’ Mr Varadkar said.
Speaking at Dublin Castle before Ms Patel had clarified her remarks, EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said her remarks showed how ‘out of touch’ she was.
He said it is the UK that is heavily dependant on food imports, as it needs to buy in 60% of its food, with 43% of this coming from the Republic of Ireland.
‘If she wants to advocate a policy that brings about starvation of the British people this is a good way of going about it,’ he said.
Responding to Ms Patel’s comments before she clarified them, Fine Gael Brexit spokesman Senator Neale Richmond said: ‘Using terms like leverage on food supplies is a new low, but ultimately a ridiculous suggestion based out of desperate ignorance.’
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she found any suggestions whatsoever of cutting off food to Ireland to be extremely unfortunate.
‘I think that statement was, for obvious historical reasons, very distasteful and insensitive and gauche,’ she said. ‘It speaks to a reckless and juvenile mentality.’
She said Ireland was not about to be bullied and threatened by this MP or any other, and she hoped she would reflect on her comments and withdraw them.
‘I think they make her look silly and intemperate,’ she added. Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland leader Michelle O’Neill reacted: ‘Of course she should withdraw her ridiculous comments, but they are pretty typical of the attitude of extreme Brexiteers towards the Irish people.
She said: ‘The language of Priti Patel is disgraceful. Given our history, it is even more disgraceful. We are not going to stand idly by and allowed Priti Patel and the Brexiteers to treat Ireland in such a disgraceful manner. We stand up for Irish people and we are not about to tolerate that sort of language.’
The papers suggested there would be a 7% drop in GDP for Ireland, compared to 5% for Britain, because this country has a more open economy.
‘Threat to cut off food supplies’ ‘Leverage on food is a new low’