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Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Custard seized from shop's lorries in raids thanks to ‘bonkers EU red tape rules'
The European Commission pointed the finger of blame at the UK TAKEN INTO CUSTARDY Custard seized from shop's lorries in raids thanks to 'bonkers EU red tape rules' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SUPERMARKET lorries were raided and any custard on board seized because of bonkers EU red tape rules, an MP has revealed. Critics blasted the heavy-handed tactics - which they said left some shops in Northern Ireland suffering food shortages. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up DUP MP Sammy Wilson revealed that trade chiefs in Brussels ordered the shock raids earlier this month. He told a debate in Parliament: 'One of the big supermarkets had custard in its supply chain, and the EU bureaucrats decided that this custard must be hunted down. 'Lorries with mixed loads were stopped and searched. 'The offending custard was hunted down, discovered and exposed. 'That delayed the lorries, which did not reach the depot in time, so their goods could not be broken down and distributed to the various shops.' Lorries carrying food to supermarkets were delayed because of the raids - leading to a shortage in some shops, he said. The EU ordered the lorry raids after deciding at the last minute that they wanted all custard in NI to be labelled with stickers saying 'not for sale in the EU' to prevent it getting into the Republic of Ireland. The labels were not expected to be introduced until a later date. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Mr Wilson said the raids show just how barmy the post Brexit trade arrangements with the EU are. He fumed: 'It is ludicrous.' The European Commission pointed the finger of blame at the UK, saying: 'The authorities of the United Kingdom are responsible for implementing and applying the Windsor Framework provisions in Northern Ireland. I'm an M&S fanatic and the custard creams are 15 out of 10 and it's cheaper to shop there than Aldi "This includes the implementation of the agri-food arrangements.' A Government spokesman said: 'It is untrue to claim that EU officials conduct 'raids' in the UK. All checks in the UK are conducted by UK officials. 'There is no custard ban in Northern Ireland, as you can see from the custard on shelves across the country.'
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Custard seized from shop's lorries in raids thanks to ‘bonkers EU red tape rules'
SUPERMARKET lorries were raided and any custard on board seized because of bonkers EU red tape rules, an MP has revealed. Critics blasted the heavy-handed tactics - which they said left some shops in Northern Ireland suffering food shortages. DUP MP Sammy Wilson revealed that trade chiefs in Brussels ordered the shock raids earlier this month. He told a debate in Parliament: 'One of the big supermarkets had custard in its supply chain, and the EU bureaucrats decided that this custard must be hunted down. 'Lorries with mixed loads were stopped and searched. 'The offending custard was hunted down, discovered and exposed. 'That delayed the lorries, which did not reach the depot in time, so their goods could not be broken down and distributed to the various shops.' Lorries carrying food to supermarkets were delayed because of the raids - leading to a shortage in some shops, he said. The EU ordered the lorry raids after deciding at the last minute that they wanted all custard in NI to be labelled with stickers saying 'not for sale in the EU' to prevent it getting into the Republic of Ireland. The labels were not expected to be introduced until a later date. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Mr Wilson said the raids show just how barmy the post Brexit trade arrangements with the EU are. He fumed: 'It is ludicrous.' The European Commission pointed the finger of blame at the UK, saying: 'The authorities of the United Kingdom are responsible for implementing and applying the Windsor Framework provisions in Northern Ireland. I'm an M&S fanatic and the custard creams are 15 out of 10 and it's cheaper to shop there than Aldi "This includes the implementation of the agri-food arrangements.' A Government spokesman said: 'It is untrue to claim that EU officials conduct 'raids' in the UK. All checks in the UK are conducted by UK officials. 'There is no custard ban in Northern Ireland, as you can see from the custard on shelves across the country.' 1
Belfast Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
DUP's Sammy Wilson in ‘Nazi State' jibe at Republic over Israel sanctions plan
Sammy Wilson has questioned if Ireland is turning into a 'Nazi State' over its sanctions on Israeli goods.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncertain future for £200m port infrastructure after EU deal
Almost £200m worth of recently-built port infrastructure in Northern Ireland faces partial redundancy when this week's EU-UK deal is eventually implemented. Food products and plants being shipped from Great Britain currently have to pass through government-operated border control posts (BCPs) at Northern Ireland ports. That will no longer be necessary when an agrifood deal is implemented. In April, a government minister said new BCPs at Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint would be "operationally ready" by July. Baroness Hayman said the government had committed to "a maximum funding envelope of £192.3m" for the facilities, of which £71m had been spent by February this year. The BCPs are being paid for by the UK government but will be handed over to the Northern Ireland Executive when complete. After Brexit, Northern Ireland effectively stayed inside the EU's single market for goods while the rest of the UK left. The EU has strict rules on food, plants and animals entering its single market including the stipulation that they must pass through a BCP where they can be checked and paperwork inspected. Northern Ireland's ports already had limited BCPs for inspecting animals from Great Britain and food products from outside the EU. Under the terms of the UK's 2019 deal with the EU, the BCPs needed to be hugely expanded to deal with the volume of trade from Great Britain - for example the Larne BCP is being expanded to cover a 10-acre site. This was controversial among unionists as it was the most obvious physical manifestation of the "Irish Sea border" created by the 2019 deal. When the new deal is implemented, all of the UK will return to following EU agrifood rules. That means checks will no longer be required on Great British goods entering Northern Ireland, drastically reducing the volume of goods passing through BCPs. The facilities will not be entirely redundant as a small volume of non-EU goods being shipped directly to Northern Ireland will still require inspections and Larne will continue its pre-Brexit role in livestock inspections. On Tuesday, DUP MP Sammy Wilson asked the prime minister if construction could now stop at the Larne BCP, which is in his constituency. Sir Keir Starmer said: "I want to ensure that we have real improvement in the situation on the ground and do not go to unnecessary expense. "I genuinely believe that, for Northern Ireland, this was a big step in the right direction." The new deal also raises questions about the BCP at Holyhead in north Wales which is being built to inspect food products from the Republic of Ireland arriving into Great Britain. Regulatory inspections of EU food products arriving into Great Britain will also be scrapped when the deal is implemented. Last week the Welsh government said the majority of building work on the Holyhead site is '"now nearing completion" and is due to be finished by the end of the summer. The UK government is reportedly considering selling at least one of the BCP sites in Great Britain. It's understood Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is at an early stage of assessing the future of the Northern Ireland BCPs. UK-EU deal moves us on from Brexit rows, Starmer says Work begins on Irish Sea post-Brexit border post Work begins on harbour post required under Brexit The new UK-EU deal at a glance
