Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said the protocol is protecting the north from the food supply crisis being witnessed in Britain.

The East Derry MLA said:

“It is unfortunate to see empty supermarket shelves and a widespread supply chain crisis in Britain, as Brexit pressures take hold.

“This is an inevitable outworking of cutting yourself off from your nearest trading bloc and labour market. 

“Companies such as Wetherspoons, Nandos, and McDonalds have all had to cut products or even temporarily close their branches in Britain, while their branches in the north have remained open and fully stocked.

“Such disruption has been minimised in the north because of our retained seamless access to EU goods and supply lines under the protocol.

“Growing north-south and EU trade means we are linking in with more reliable and stable supply lines, and this work needs to be built upon by the Economy Minister.”