Latest news with #DUP
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Supply risk identified for some UK animal medicines shipped to North
Vets, farmers and pet owners in Northern Ireland will continue to have post- Brexit access to animal medicines from the UK in the 'vast majority of cases', the UK government has said. However, it warned of a 'risk of disruption' remaining for a small number of critical products. The comments were contained in a policy paper on Britain's approach to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland, published by Northern Secretary, Hilary Benn, on Thursday. From January 1st, 2026, veterinary medicines from Britain distributed in Northern Ireland must comply with EU rules agreed between London and Brussels as part of the Windsor Framework . READ MORE Concerns had been raised by vets and politicians that up to half the veterinary medicines used in Northern Ireland could become unavailable because firms in Britain would choose to stop supplying them rather than carry out the additional retesting and relabelling required to sell them in the North after the cut-off date. [ DUP leader: Windsor deal is an opaque mess Opens in new window ] The paper said London's current expectation was that there would be 'very limited disruption, with fewer than 20 products due to face discontinuation that we consider are likely to result in significant adverse impacts if not addressed.' It announced two schemes which it said would provide additional resilience and 'plug any emerging critical gaps' by allowing vets to continue to access medicines from Britain. The UK government said these were within the scope of the Windsor Framework so did not require negotiation with, or approval from, the EU. It is understood the bloc is aware of, and comfortable with, the move. From January 1st, the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme will 'permit the use of suitable alternative products from outside Northern Ireland' by professionals without any additional red tape 'if the situation of animal or public health so requires'. A separate Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme will allow vets use specific individual medicines not authorised or available in Northern Ireland when needed, again without any additional administrative burden or certification. The UK government also said any veterinary medicines already on the market in Northern Ireland can remain so until their expiry date, even if it is after the cut-off from January 1st. The move was strongly criticised by some unionist parties. DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the 'stark reality' was that the UK government had 'chosen to prioritise placating the EU' over protecting the interests of animals, vets, farmers and the wider agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. Instead of resolving the problem, she said, London had 'simply issued another paper and acquiesced to EU law that does not deal substantively with the concerns raised by the industry and does not enjoy cross-community consent'. Traditional Unionist Voice leader, Jim Allister, said that 'instead of standing up for Northern Ireland, the [UK] government has largely rolled over, devoting its energy to encouraging reorientation of our supplies so that they come from the EU, not GB.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Windsor deal an opaque mess, says Democratic Unionist Party leader
The rules governing the operation of the Windsor Framework are 'ineffective, opaque and overly bureaucratic' and give Northern Ireland's politicians little opportunity to influence decisions, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson has said. Speaking to the House of Lords Northern Ireland scrutiny committee in Westminster, the DUP leader was scathing of the agreement reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom in February 2023. It amended the previously agreed Northern Ireland Protocol and governs post-Brexit trading rules, though unionists complain bitterly that many British companies will no longer sell products to Northern Ireland customers because of the extra rules. Speaking of an announcement expected on Thursday about the availability of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland, Mr Robinson said the current strategy being followed by the British government made little sense. READ MORE British prime minister Keir Starmer has already made clear he will keep rules governing food and animal security in line with European Union rules, which should mean no extra curbs on the drugs available to Northern farmers. 'We know what the direction of travel will be, even if we do not like it,' said Mr Robinson, yet London's actions will ensure that some drugs will not be sold in Northern Ireland for a year, or more, even though they meet all safety standards. Telling peers that he does not 'have a lot of faith' in the Windsor deal, Mr Robinson said it frustrates 'the ability for ordinary, routine and at times complex and serious engagement to either satisfy, resolve or ameliorate' some of its harmful effects. It could not ever be effective until the imposition of European Union rules 'without the consent of any elected unionist in Northern Ireland, without the consent of party colleagues in Westminster' was resolved, he went on. The House of Lords committee, chaired by the cross-bench peer Lord Carlile, has been holding a series of hearings to investigate in detail the operation of the framework agreement. Meanwhile, an independent report on the operation of the Windsor deal from the former Labour Northern Ireland Secretary of State Paul Murphy, which was started following a Stormont Assembly vote in January, is set to finish shortly, the meeting heard. Lord Murphy has been tasked with examining the effect it has had on social, economic and political life in Northern Ireland, and on the United Kingdom's internal market, and to make recommendations. While paying a personal tribute to the former Labour secretary of state, the DUP leader, however, questioned his independence, saying he is required to advance only ideas that have cross-community backing in Stormont. However, the SDLP's Stormont leader of the Opposition, Matt O'Toole, questioned the value of some of the measures that were taken to coax the DUP back into Stormont government last year. One of them, the East-West Council, designed to improve connections between different parts of the UK, could not be put at the same rank as the institutions created under the Belfast Agreement, he said.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Emma Little-Pengelly: Man jailed for threatening posts to DUP politicians
A Belfast man who sent threatening online messages to Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and smashed the windows of a party colleague's office has been Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) was so scared after the posts on Twitter, now X, that she considered moving from her Thomas Curragh, 34, from Whincroft Road, was given a 31-month sentence, half to be spent in custody and half on had previously pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal damage and one of threatening communications. 'Death threat' Belfast Crown Court heard that Curragh posted a series of tweets about Emma Little-Pengelly on 8 July also posted a video which appeared to be pointing in the direction of Little-Pengelly's this video Curragh can be heard saying Little-Pengelly had a "death threat on her head from members of her own party and the people who she goes shopping to are telling me where she lives".In another video, Curragh said: "It's a real shame I can't upload where I am... but I hope you're alive by the time I get uploading Emma.''Little-Pengelly was made aware of the posts and recognised the defendant from his profile photograph. She recalled meeting him in a local shop when he had sworn at court heard that on 13 July, Curragh was interviewed by police. He admitted causing the criminal damage on 12 July and posting online about Little-Pengelly but denied further charges of criminal damage in December 2023, involving DUP assembly member Joanne Bunting. Jolene Bunting's office attacked On 8 December, Bunting left her constituency office on the Knock Road in following day she received a text message from her landlord informing her that the premises had been windows in the office had been posted a series of messages on his Twitter feed in the early hours of 9 December, in which indicated he caused the posted one message 15 minutes before he targeted the premises saying: "Ready to be a target DUP" alongside a GIF showing two men, one of whom was masked. About 10 minutes after the incident, Curran posted another tweet which said "Always mark for payback DUP".Later that day, Curragh tweeted a narrated video depicting a window breaking with the comment "Hi DUP remember me" and an explosion became aware of a second attack on her office on 12 July viewed CCTV which showed a male smashing windows both at her office and at an office next was stopped by police at Roddens Park in possession of a two-foot long silver breaker was non-cooperative, police had to use force to control him inside the police vehicle and he told officers he had found the bar. 'I hated my own house' Both Bunting and Little-Pengelly provided written victim impact described the "upset, hurt and fear'' she had felt following the attacks on her constituency said her staff "remained in fear of violence''.Little-Pengelly said the incident "affected me deeply, made me feel uncomfortable and I hated my own house''.The deputy first minister said that initially she "felt apprehensive and felt alone without my husband there". 'Entirely irrational thinking' Following his guilty pleas, Curragh spoke to a probation officer and said that after he got out of prison he planned to leave Northern Ireland as it was "so bloody divided''.The probation officer noted Curragh presented as paranoid, claiming telephone calls in the prison were recorded. Defence counsel Richard McConkey KC said Curragh needed a mental health assessment but the defendant had rejected McConkey added that Curragh had some "difficulties in his personal life in the previous nine years culminating in his offending behaviour''.Judge Gordon Kerr KC said: "It is more and more common these days for public figures, including politicians, to be abused online."And that abuse, as proved in this case, went well beyond any accepted level of criticism."This is a young man who during the course of a number of interviews giving explanations for the behaviour displayed entirely irrational thinking."Curragh also received a seven-year restraining order on Curragh and was warned not to have contact with his victims.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Windsor Framework structures ineffective and overly bureaucratic
The structures of the Windsor Framework are 'ineffective, opaque and overly bureaucratic', DUP leader Gavin Robinson has told peers. Mr Robinson said that the post-Brexit trading deal could never be effective until fundamental issues around lack of consent from unionists are addressed. The SDLP's Stormont leader Matthew O'Toole said while he supported the framework, he believed there needed to be improvements in how Northern Ireland voices were heard within its structures. The House of Lords Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee has been holding evidence sessions examining the operation of the framework. The Windsor Framework was agreed between the UK and the EU in 2023, amending the Northern Ireland Protocol. It governs post-Brexit trading arrangements in the region. The DUP later reached the Safeguarding the Union deal with the previous UK government to further reduce some checks and paperwork on goods moving from the rest of the UK into Northern Ireland, leading to the restoration of the powersharing Executive at Stormont last year. However, many unionists remain opposed to the framework, stating it creates a new regulatory border within the United Kingdom and because Northern Ireland continues to follow some EU laws relating to goods. During his appearance before the committee, Mr Robinson was asked to assess the extent to which voices in Northern Ireland could be heard through the structures of the framework. He said: 'I don't have a lot of faith in the current structures. 'When you consider the ability for politicians, parliamentarians, stakeholders, businesses, to engage with them. 'The structures around the Windsor Framework, though they may have evolved, are ineffective, opaque and overly bureaucratic. 'They frustrate the ability for ordinary, routine and at times complex and serious engagement to either satisfy, resolve or ameliorate some of the harmful impositions that Northern Ireland finds itself in under these arrangements.' The DUP leader added: 'I believe it cannot ever be effective until the fundamentals are resolved around the imposition that Northern Ireland was placed in without the consent of any elected unionist in Northern Ireland, without the consent of party colleagues in Westminster.' In December, MLAs at Stormont voted to continue with the current arrangements for at least another four years in a democratic consent motion, which was part of the arrangements agreed between the UK and the EU. However, unlike other votes at Stormont, there was no requirement for cross-community support for the motion. Mr Robinson told peers: 'Though we have gone through a cycle of a parliamentary vote in Assembly terms in December of 2024, an inversion of cross-community protections. 'A false choice, do you wish this imposition to continue for a period of eight years or four years with a potential review. 'I don't believe they have been effective at all and if the Government were serious about increasing the opportunity to have voices heard and engage fundamentally in the propositions that are causing material impact, both constitutionally and practically in Northern Ireland, then they wouldn't only find an effective mechanism for that engagement but they would look at the fundamentals.' He added: 'We have at the heart of this an agreement between the UK and the EU where they decide what is going to happen to Northern Ireland without any recourse to the citizenry of Northern Ireland or the elected representatives. 'Then you have the attempt or the added aspects of inclusion and participation but without any substantial or meaningful outworkings of that participation or inclusion.' Mr O'Toole told the committee that Brexit had led to 'real political division and controversy in Northern Ireland'. He added: 'I do think there can be a degree of, if not consensus, then some degree of agreement that we can improve the mechanisms by which stakeholders in Northern Ireland, be they politicians, business groups, trade unions, other parts of civic society, can have their voice heard in relation to the provisions of the protocol/Windsor Framework. 'I think they improved somewhat after the Windsor Framework was agreed in spring 2023, but I don't think they are there yet. 'Northern Ireland is in the position of being subject to a cohort of EU law, obviously I strongly support that as a necessity, but I probably do agree that our voice could be better heard in terms of making those laws or at least understanding how they are going to apply in Northern Ireland.' Mr O'Toole added: 'The summary answer is not quite where it should be, and I say that as someone who supports the provisions of the Windsor Framework and the protocol.'
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Windsor Framework structures ineffective and overly bureaucratic
Mr Robinson said that the post-Brexit trading deal could never be effective until fundamental issues around lack of consent from unionists are addressed. The SDLP's Stormont leader Matthew O'Toole said while he supported the framework, he believed there needed to be improvements in how Northern Ireland voices were heard within its structures. The House of Lords Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee has been holding evidence sessions examining the operation of the framework. The Windsor Framework was agreed between the UK and the EU in 2023, amending the Northern Ireland Protocol. It governs post-Brexit trading arrangements in the region. The DUP later reached the Safeguarding the Union deal with the previous UK government to further reduce some checks and paperwork on goods moving from the rest of the UK into Northern Ireland, leading to the restoration of the powersharing Executive at Stormont last year. However, many unionists remain opposed to the framework, stating it creates a new regulatory border within the United Kingdom and because Northern Ireland continues to follow some EU laws relating to goods. During his appearance before the committee, Mr Robinson was asked to assess the extent to which voices in Northern Ireland could be heard through the structures of the framework. He said: 'I don't have a lot of faith in the current structures. 'When you consider the ability for politicians, parliamentarians, stakeholders, businesses, to engage with them. 'The structures around the Windsor Framework, though they may have evolved, are ineffective, opaque and overly bureaucratic. The UK and EU agreed the Windsor Framework in 2023 (PA) 'They frustrate the ability for ordinary, routine and at times complex and serious engagement to either satisfy, resolve or ameliorate some of the harmful impositions that Northern Ireland finds itself in under these arrangements.' The DUP leader added: 'I believe it cannot ever be effective until the fundamentals are resolved around the imposition that Northern Ireland was placed in without the consent of any elected unionist in Northern Ireland, without the consent of party colleagues in Westminster.' In December, MLAs at Stormont voted to continue with the current arrangements for at least another four years in a democratic consent motion, which was part of the arrangements agreed between the UK and the EU. However, unlike other votes at Stormont, there was no requirement for cross-community support for the motion. Mr Robinson told peers: 'Though we have gone through a cycle of a parliamentary vote in Assembly terms in December of 2024, an inversion of cross-community protections. 'A false choice, do you wish this imposition to continue for a period of eight years or four years with a potential review. 'I don't believe they have been effective at all and if the Government were serious about increasing the opportunity to have voices heard and engage fundamentally in the propositions that are causing material impact, both constitutionally and practically in Northern Ireland, then they wouldn't only find an effective mechanism for that engagement but they would look at the fundamentals.' He added: 'We have at the heart of this an agreement between the UK and the EU where they decide what is going to happen to Northern Ireland without any recourse to the citizenry of Northern Ireland or the elected representatives. 'Then you have the attempt or the added aspects of inclusion and participation but without any substantial or meaningful outworkings of that participation or inclusion.' Stormont opposition leader Matthew O'Toole of the SDLP said Brexit had caused political division in Northern Ireland (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr O'Toole told the committee that Brexit had led to 'real political division and controversy in Northern Ireland'. He added: 'I do think there can be a degree of, if not consensus, then some degree of agreement that we can improve the mechanisms by which stakeholders in Northern Ireland, be they politicians, business groups, trade unions, other parts of civic society, can have their voice heard in relation to the provisions of the protocol/Windsor Framework. 'I think they improved somewhat after the Windsor Framework was agreed in spring 2023, but I don't think they are there yet. 'Northern Ireland is in the position of being subject to a cohort of EU law, obviously I strongly support that as a necessity, but I probably do agree that our voice could be better heard in terms of making those laws or at least understanding how they are going to apply in Northern Ireland.' Mr O'Toole added: 'The summary answer is not quite where it should be, and I say that as someone who supports the provisions of the Windsor Framework and the protocol.'
