Emma Little-Pengelly criticizes Hilary Benn’s decision while noting government action to address concerns over EU rules affecting Northern Ireland
Belfast: Emma Little-Pengelly is not happy with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. She thinks he was wrong to turn down a request to use the Stormont Brake. This brake is meant to help stop new EU rules on chemical packaging and labeling from affecting Northern Ireland.
She mentioned that this decision has made the government rethink its stance. Little-Pengelly believes action is now being taken to prevent any differences in regulations between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Earlier this week, Benn said the legal requirements to trigger the brake weren’t met. He pointed out that Northern Ireland already has different rules for chemical labeling compared to the rest of the UK.
Little-Pengelly emphasized that all unionists in the Assembly supported the brake request. She feels strongly that Benn’s rejection was a mistake and that the brake is essential to avoid regulatory differences.
She also noted that the chemical trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is significant, worth over a billion pounds a year. So, this isn’t just a minor issue.
Little-Pengelly welcomed the government’s change of heart, saying it was only possible because of the Stormont Brake. She plans to keep a close watch on how the government handles these issues moving forward.
The Windsor Framework requires checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which was designed to avoid a hard border with Ireland after Brexit.
The Stormont Brake allows a group of MLAs to refer proposed EU law changes to the UK Government, which can then assess and potentially veto them for Northern Ireland.
The DUP and other unionists pushed for this oversight mechanism back in December, hoping to protect Northern Ireland’s interests.
