Failure to activate Stormont brake a grave mistake, DUP leader Robinson says
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The Government has made a “grave mistake” in refusing to activate the Stormont brake over updated EU laws on labelling of chemical products, Gavin Robinson has said. The DUP leader said the amended regulations, which will apply in Northern Ireland, would result in increased costs for manufacturers in the region and new barriers to trade.
But Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said it was now time for politicians in the region to “make things work” in relation to post-Brexit trading issues. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn announced on Monday that the brake, an element of the Windsor Framework, would not be pulled over the amended EU rules.
Unionist parties at Stormont had backed a DUP motion in December, requesting the Government activate the brake, which could have seen it preventing the amended law from applying in Northern Ireland. But Mr Benn concluded the tests for utilising it had not been met.
Mr Robinson said: “The Government’s decision not to activate the Stormont brake on this important issue is wrong. “The Secretary of State’s decision to ignore publicly presented evidence from industry representatives about the updated EU law on chemical labelling is a grave mistake that will exacerbate trade friction between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“Trade flows in chemicals between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are worth in the region of £1 billion annually. “Industry experts have warned that the harmful consequences of this regulation will be increased costs for manufacturers and new barriers to trade within the United Kingdom.
