PM urged to write food standards pledge into law
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster express concern that such a situation could cause a border down the Irish Sea.
As part of the Withdrawal Agreement, Mr Johnson agreed that the six counties would continue to follow single market rules to avoid border checks along the border with Ireland.
It means, if Britain has rules that differ from Brussels post-2021, then cargo travelling into Northern Ireland from Great Britain could face inspections.
In comments made to Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, DUP leader Ms Foster said it was “difficult to see” how checks could be avoided since ministers intended to “diverge away from single market regulations, whilst Northern Ireland remains within the single market”.
Mr Raab – looking to allay
Northern Ireland customs fears – said EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was “wrong” to threaten checks, arguing it was “directly in conflict” the withdrawal terms.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar had his own message for Mr Johnson’s administration, calling on Britain to dial down the “rhetoric” and avoid putting down “rigid red lines” early on in the talks, which are due to start in March.
“As is always the case when it comes to negotiations, setting out so boldly such firm red lines actually makes coming to an agreement more difficult because the other party you are negotiating with doesn’t feel they got a fair deal unless those red lines get turned pink or bent in some way,” he told the BBC.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, in an interview with the BBC, called for an agreed
“baseline of protection” on environmental, employment and consumer rights between the EU and UK.
In his speech setting out his post-Brexit vision on Monday, the PM is expected to rule out watering down any such rights in upcoming trade deals, while also confirming the NHS will not be on the table during any negotiations.
Mr Raab confirmed he will start a tour of Asia and Australia next week, a trip encompassing Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, as he looks to lay the ground for global trade deals, which will be conducted simultaneously to the battering with the EU.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that a trade deal is earmarked to be agreed with Japan by Christmas, followed by more agreements with Australia and New Zealand in mid-2021.
THE Prime Minister has been urged to put his money where his mouth is and write his pledges on upholding food hygiene standards and environmental protections into law.
Boris Johnson, in a speech today setting out his post-Brexit vision, is preparing to rule out relaxing rules on food hygiene and environmental standards when he sits down to broker trade deals with the European Union, the United States and others in the coming months.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned during the election that Mr Johnson could lower food standards to US levels in a bid to agree terms with President Donald Trump – a move that could allow rat hairs in paprika, maggots in orange juice and rodent droppings in ginger, according to the opposition party.
In a bid to ensure the PM sticks to his trade talk promises, Labour is calling on the Government to enshrine the commitments on food hygiene and environmental protections into the Agriculture Bill before trade talks start in March.
Shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard said Mr Johnson’s pledges “aren’t worth anything” until they are written into what will be the first substantial piece of post-Brexit legislation debated by MPs.
The Bill, which will have its second reading today, sets out the UK’s approach to farming now it has left the EU, with ministers looking to replace Brussels’ Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that has applied in Britain since 1973.
Mr Pollard said, without the legal assurances, chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef could be just a sample of the food products that will become available on UK supermarket shelves once the transition period is over in 2021.
The Labour agriculture spokesman said allowing such imports would not only lower standards but also undercut British farmers and producers.
The Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP said: “We won’t accept chlorinated chicken in our supermarkets or Boris Johnson selling out our animal welfare, food and environmental protections in a bid for a trade deal with Donald Trump.”