Not for the EU

As if it wasn't bad enough that we have sabotaged our own economic future by leaving the single market, we are now going to be reminded of this disastrous decision every time we go to the supermarket.

The Mirror reports that as part of the deal to get the DUP back into a power=sharing government, ll meat and dairy products sold anywhere in the UK will now be labelled “Not for EU”

They say that ministers have announced plans to minimise checks on goods crossing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as part of a package of measures to allow power-sharing to resume. MPs will vote on new legislation on Thursday and the Stormont Assembly could sit again as soon as Saturday:

As part of the agreement, all meat and dairy products will have to have “Not for EU” labels regardless of whether they are sold in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales. The UK Government last year agreed arrangements with Brussels that mean those moving between Great Britain and Ireland would have to have the labels in a bid to stop them crossing into Ireland, which has different food regulations as it is part of the EU.

But the DUP had raised concerns that some meat and dairy producers might just stop selling their products to Northern Ireland to avoid the extra red tape. To allay those fears, the labelling requirements will be extended to the whole of the UK. Some supermarkets had already started using the labels on meats sold in England, Wales and Scotland.

The UK Government has pledged that it will hold some Cabinet meetings in Northern Ireland in a symbolic gesture to demonstrate its importance, with the first taking place later this year. Civil servants and ministers will get training on the Good Friday Agreement and how to talk about it following concerns that some have appeared ignorant about it in recent years.

Ministers will also publish a series of documents over the next two years highlighting the benefits of Northern Ireland being part of the UK on themes including education, health and defence. It will form part of a campaign aimed at persuading “the majority of people in Northern Ireland that its future is brightest as part of the United Kingdom”.

So, effectively, Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK, while also enjoying the benefits of being able to access the single market. If it's good enough for them, then why not for the rest of us?