Northern Ireland

Orange Order's Mervyn Gibson fails to produce evidence of '27 per cent' cost increases from protocol

Orange Order grand secretary Mervyn Gibson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Orange Order grand secretary Mervyn Gibson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA Wire Orange Order grand secretary Mervyn Gibson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA Wire

SENIOR Orangeman Mervyn Gibson has failed to substantiate a claim that the Northern Ireland protocol has led to a marked increase in the cost of goods.

The Presbyterian minister and former RUC special branch officer, who last Friday night addressed an anti-protocol rally in east Belfast, yesterday claimed the price of goods from Britain had risen by 27 per cent due to the post-Brexit trade arrangements.

However, despite the Orange Order grand secretary giving assurances that he would provide evidence to support his claim, non was forthcoming yesterday.

It comes comes less than a week after the DUP's assertion that “20 per cent of all EU’s checks take place in the Irish Sea” was found to be unverifiable.

FactCheckNI concluded that the party's claim was not supported by evidence and that the actual figure may be closer to 3.5 per cent.

During a discussion on the protocol during Radio Ulster's Talkback yesterday, Rev Gibson said: "There's been studies done that show that as a direct result of the protocol has increased goods (sic) by 27 per cent coming from the mainland."

He said the checks introduced as part of the withdrawal agreement had "already affected people's pockets", according to "people and economists" he'd spoken to.

When challenged about the figure by fellow contributor Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen's University, he said he'd be happy to provide the research he had cited off air.

However, last night the QUB academic had heard nothing, while Mr Gibson did not respond to The Irish News.

Ms Hayward told The Irish News that "big picture evidence" on trade since January last year could not provide sufficient detail to "fully assess and quantify the impact of Brexit and the impact of the protocol, or to disaggregate the two".

Katy Hayward of Queen's University Belfast
Katy Hayward of Queen's University Belfast Katy Hayward of Queen's University Belfast

"What we do know is that different businesses are being affected differently according to the nature and size of the business, where they source products, where they fit in supply chains, where they sell goods, etc," she said.

"Recognising that the picture is a mixed one is the first step to being able to accurately identify where flexibility needs to be shown regarding the protocol."

Irish News columnist Tom Kelly, who was also a contributor to the afternoon show, said: "The dynamics of the protocol have the very real prospect of making Northern Ireland prosperous.

"Instead the Orange Order leadership would seem to prefer the option of impoverishing everyone for the sake of how more or less British they feel - even when that’s not at risk anywhere outside of their minds."