THE SECRETARY of state has been compared to the emperor with no clothers after claiming Covid rather than Brexit was impacting on trade between Britain and the north.
Brandon Lewis yesterday said shortages on supermarket shelves since the beginning of the year were down to the delayed impact of trade being temporarily halted between Britain and continental Europe before Christmas amid concerns over the new coronavirus variant.
The secretary of state has repeatedly insisted that the protocol, which sees the north continuing to abide by many EU single market and customs rules, has not created economic barriers on goods coming across the Irish Sea.
Mr Lewis claimed stores in Britain were experiencing similar shortages.
Asked about empty supermarket shelves in some of the north's supermarkets, the secretary of state told Radio 4's Today programme: "That's actually something we've seen across other parts of the UK as well, nothing to do with leaving the EU, nothing to do with the Northern Irish protocol, but actually to do with some of the challenges we saw with Covid at the Port of Dover just before Christmas and the impact that had on supply lines coming through.
"I have to say supermarket supply lines at the moment are in good fettle."
But retail representatives were sceptical of the Tory minister's reasoning.
Glyn Roberts of Retail NI, which represents smaller, locally-owned supermarkets, said the end of the Brexit transition period had forced a "difficult adjustment" for shop owners and suppliers.
"The big takeaway for the secretary of state and the UK government is making sure that Great Britain suppliers who supply into Northern Ireland do make sure that they comply with the paperwork and make sure they are aware that how they trade with Northern Ireland has changed," he said.
"There was certainly a knock-on effect - the reality is that this new regime we have in relation to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland certainly has been a very difficult adjustment."
Mr Roberts said traders have faced a "challenging" period but were adapting to extra red tape created by the protocol.
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots, who earlier this week warned that the protocol could cause jelly and gravy shortages, said Mr Lewis was "clearly going about like the emperor with no clothes"
"However, it is not a small boy who is pointing it out, but the entire crowd," Mr Poots told the assembly.
"He really needs to reflect on that. It is not a good policy to go about saying something that is blatantly not the case.
SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole conceded Covid had played a significant role in supply chain disruption but said: "It is gaslighting for the secretary of state to tell people it has nothing to do with Brexit.
“People here are not stupid and Brandon Lewis should stop insulting our intelligence."
