Brexit Protocol has opened NI up to banned animal feed

The ban, introduced during the BSE crisis, has – according to the EU – caused their farmers to be undercut by lower standards elsewhere. So now they will allow cheap pig protein to be fed to chickens.

The UK government has banned this practice and will not be repealing it.

However, once again Northern Ireland will be forced,because of the Protocol keeping us under EU rules, to allow this horrible practice to be re introduced.

Those members of political parties in Northern Ireland who call for more rigorous implementation of the Protocol should realise their mistake. This will be the first of dozens more examples of Northern Ireland diverging from UK standards, as we are obliged to operate under any new EU regulations thus separating us from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Tinkering with trade rules is not the answer to the Protocol – it must go completely, and soon.

Baroness Hoey of Lylehill and Rathlin

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