N.Ireland unionists oppose key part of Brexit trade deal
A poster protesting against the Northern Ireland protocol is displayed on February 27, 2023 in Larne, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Northern Ireland's largest pro-UK party said Monday they oppose a crucial part of a new post-Brexit trade pact for the British province agreed by London and the European Union.
A vote in Britain's parliament on parts of the pact - which would give Northern Irish lawmakers an effective veto over new EU rules being imposed on the UK province - is due to take place on Wednesday.
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed progress on the issue but said "the imposition of EU law" on Northern Ireland had not been resolved.
The mechanism - referred to as the "Stormont brake" - was a key element in a landmark compromise announced by London and Brussels last month, following months of negotiations.
Wrangling over post-Brexit trade soured relations between London and Brussels and unsettled Northern Ireland, nearly 25 years on from a peace deal that ended three decades of armed conflict.
It had been hoped the new agreement, dubbed the Windsor Framework, would be accepted by all sides and help lead to the restoration of power-sharing in the province.
The DUP collapsed the devolved government last year over its opposition to the post-Brexit arrangements, which it claimed put Northern Ireland's place in the wider UK at risk.
However, Donaldson said DUP lawmakers and officials had "unanimously agreed... that our members of parliament would vote against the draft statutory instrument on Wednesday".
The brake would allow Northern Ireland's devolved assembly to potentially block the application of new EU laws if a group of lawmakers in Northern Ireland's devolved assembly formally petition over an objection.
It was designed to address concerns voiced by unionists, and Donaldson's party in particular, over what they had referred to as a "democratic deficit" in existing trade rules.
Under the "Northern Ireland Protocol" sealed in 2020, the province is subject to some EU rules that do not apply elsewhere in the UK.
That protocol was aimed at avoiding the creation of a hard land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which remains an EU member.
But it has angered pro-UK unionists who argue it keeps Northern Ireland under EU rules despite the UK having left, and makes a united Ireland more likely.
The DUP's apparent opposition to the new proposals raises the prospect that the Stormont assembly will not be sitting during events in April to mark the 25th anniversary of 1998 peace accords, when US President Joe Biden is set to attend.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman told reporters the vote will still proceed on Wednesday and he was "confident" it would be passed.
"We continue to believe this is the best deal for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland," he said.
The spokesman denied DUP claims about the "Stormont Brake", saying the EU has "no role" in deciding if it is used or not.
"The treaty is clear that's for the people of the UK alone," he added.
Local shops will face significant new pressures as a result of today’s Budget, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has warned.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget's impact will be felt unevenly across the UK’s 50,000 convenience stores, with some measures such as business rate relief and the increased employment allowance mitigating costs for smaller independent stores, while providing no help for chains and larger independent businesses.
The key measures for local shops announced by the Chancellor, and the costs for local shops associated with them, are:
National Living Wage to increase to £12.21 per hour
National Minimum Wage (18-20 rate) to increase to £10 per hour
Cost to the convenience sector next year: £7.739bn (increase of £513m)
Employers’ National Insurance Contributions to rise to 15 per cent
Threshold for Employers’ National Insurance contributions to fall to £5,000 per year
Employment Allowance to rise to £10,500 a year
Cost to the convenience sector next year: £397m (increase of £85m)
Retail and hospitality rate relief reduced from 75 per cent to 40 per cent
Small business multiplier frozen for 2025/26
Cost to the convenience sector: £267m (increase of £68m)
Total cost of main announcements (year-on-year difference): £666m
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The cold hard facts are that the measures announced in the past 24 hours have added two-thirds of a billion pounds to the direct cost base of the UK’s local shops. At a time when trade is tough and operating costs are stubbornly high, this will be challenging for our members to absorb and there will be some casualties on high streets and in villages and estates across the country.
“Not all shops will be impacted the same. The smallest retailers, with low NICs bills and lower rateable values for their shops, will benefit from the welcome increase in the employment allowance and the retention of 40% of the retail, hospitality and leisure business rates relief. Retailers with a larger store, a number of sites or those operating a chain will receive limited benefit from these mitigations, and this will impact their ability to invest and to continue to offer services in the communities they serve.
The following additional measures were announced by the Chancellor in the Budget speech today:
Flat rate levy on vaping liquids from October 2026 of £2.20 per 10ml
Fuel duty frozen and the 5p cut extended for another year
A new commitment to tackling shop theft and funding directed to tackling organised gangs
Lowman continued: “The Chancellor’s commitment to tackling shop theft will be warmly welcomed by our members, but they are interested only in action and in crime against their stores and their colleagues being tackled effectively. We stand ready to help implement a new, and better-funded strategy to stop shop theft, abuse and violence against our members.”
Convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) today (30) has warned the Chancellor about the negative effects of the new National Living Wage (NLW) increase, a day after the Chancellor announced a pay rise for over 3 million workers next year, with NLW rates rising by 6.7 perc cent.
From April 2025, the NLW will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 while 18-20 National Minimum Wage will rise by £1.40 per hour to £10 - the largest increase on record, marking the first step towards a single adult rate.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said, “Our members are grappling with how to afford this inflation-busting increase in wage costs. The market remains tough, with many retailers reporting flat or declining sales while expenses like banking charges, credit card processing fees and energy bills are eating away at their profitability.
"More than ever, we need help from the Chancellor in the Budget. Without sustained and enhanced help on business rates, a reduction in National Insurance Contributions, and effective incentives to drive investment, our sector faces a challenging future. For some communities, this could mean the viability of their local shop is put at risk.”
Evidence provided to the Low Pay Commission by ACS earlier this year already found that to handle the increases in national wage increases, 53 per cent of retailers have reduced the amount they invest in their business, 53 per cent have been forced to increase their prices in store, and 47 per cent have had to take lower profits.
Baroness Philippa Stroud, Chair of the Low Pay Commission (LPC), stated that data already shows signs of employers finding it harder to adapt to minimum wage increases.
SPAR North of England retailer Dara Singh Randhawa’s family store has been awarded £100,000 of free stock after hitting all his targets since moving to the symbol.
Dara and his family, who have their SPAR store in Patrington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, joined SPAR through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd in August 2023 having taken the decision to maximise the store’s potential.
It is a decision they have not looked back on, with sales increasing by up to 25% and margins also showing significant uplift in the last 12 months.
Key to the store’s improved performance is the complete overhaul of products available in-store, particularly the fresh food range, to better support people who live in Patrington and the surrounding area.
A new store layout and refrigeration, better Food To Go and meal deal options, a coffee machine, and a Calippo slush machine were also installed during a major refurbishment prior to launch.
Dara said: “Our move to SPAR has been excellent. We have seen fantastic sales uplift and the support from the team at James Hall & Co. Ltd has been brilliant. The £100,000 of free stock is the cherry on the cake.
“We have been very impressed with the Price Locked promotions, in particular. These give customers confidence to do bigger shops with us as they see value on our shelves and the products at the same prices for longer.
“At times over the summer when tourists and visitors to the area add trade, we have seen sales £6,000 a week higher than our average. This is against a backdrop of the popular caravan park in the village being closed almost all year.
“We are really pleased with the position we are in, and we will be looking to achieve more in 2025.”
Peter Dodding, Sales Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd and Chairman of the SPAR Northern Guild, said: “Congratulations to Dara and the Randhawa family on hitting their targets and earning £100,000 of free stock.
“We recognise switching brand is a big decision for a retailer which is why this isn’t a gimmick, and we offer this to all retailers who join the SPAR family with James Hall & Co. Ltd.
“As well as our £100,000 incentive, we also offer retailers the chance to achieve up to an additional £5,000 of free stock if they successfully refer a friend.
“These opportunities provide additional motivation to retailers alongside the comprehensive benefits that joining the SPAR brand brings with it.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
The government has on Wednesday announced its acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations on the rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW).
The rates which will apply from 1 April 2025 are as follows:
NMW Rate
Increase (£)
Percentage increase
National Living Wage (21 and over)
£12.21
£0.77
6.7
18-20 Year Old Rate
£10.00
£1.40
16.3
16-17 Year Old Rate
£7.55
£1.15
18.0
Apprentice Rate
£7.55
£1.15
18.0
Accommodation Offset
£10.66
£0.67
6.7
The recommended NLW rate is expected to equal two-thirds of median earnings and to have the highest real value in the history of the UK’s minimum wage. The increase in the 18-20 Year Old Rate narrows the gap between that and the NLW, in anticipation of the adult rate being extended to 18 year olds in future years.
“The government have been clear about their ambitions for the National Minimum Wage and its importance in supporting workers’ living standards. At the same time, employers have had to deal with the adult rate rising over 20 per cent in two years, and the challenges that has created alongside other pressures to their cost base,” Baroness Philippa Stroud, chair of the LPC, said.
“It is our job to balance these considerations, ensuring the NLW provides a fair wage for the lowest-paid workers while taking account of economic factors. These rates secure a real-terms pay increase for the lowest-paid workers. Young workers will see substantial increases in their pay floor, making up some of the ground lost against the adult rate over time.”
Stroud admitted that the data show some signs of employers finding it harder to adapt to minimum wage increases.
“The tightening of the labour market since the pandemic has unwound, but the overall picture is similar to 2019. The economy is expected to grow over the next year, although productivity growth remains subdued,” she noted.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
Good work and fair wages are in the interest of British business as much as British workers. This government is changing people’s lives for the better because we know that investing in the workforce leads to better productivity, better resilience and ultimately a stronger economy primed for growth.
The recommended increase in the 16-17 Year Old Rate restores that rate to its original value relative to the adult minimum wage. In line with previous recommendations, the Apprentice Rate will remain equal to the 16-17 Year Old Rate.
Finnish plant-based company, Oddlygood, has acquired pioneering British plant-based company, Rude Health, for an undisclosed sum.
Oddlygood is a key player in the Nordic plant-based market, where in six years it’s grown to an anticipated turnover close to €50m this year and a widely stocked range of plant-based alternatives to milk, cheese, desserts, cooking products and yoghurts.
It launched its plant-based puddings into the UK market in 2023 and established itself in the competitive UK plant-based drinks category earlier on this year. Oddlygood’s mission is to raise the standard of plant-based food and drink. The UK is a key territory for the brand and its acquisition of Rude Health will further diversify the business beyond the Nordics and drive both UK and European growth.
Camilla and Nick Barnard co-founded Rude Health in 2005 at their kitchen table. Since then they’ve steadily grown the business and its offering, becoming a top five UK plant-based drinks brand alongside its range of cereals and snacks. The brand, which has always focused on quality ingredients and taste, is now widely available across major retailers and foodservice operators in over 40 countries and has a successful online presence. It has garnered a loyal customer base – even opening its own café in London which has been running since 2016. This year, the brand is on track to deliver £28m revenue – its biggest year to date. And recently, Rude Health has recertified as a BCorp with a score of 120.7, putting it in the top 3 food and drink brands in the UK.
Rude Health will continue to make the products everyone has come to know and enjoy. Oddlygood will establish a base for its UK and European operations and support the expansion plans. The move will see Oddlygood increase its market share of the competitive UK plant-based drinks category, worth £511m.
Niko Vuorenmaa, CEO of Oddlygood, added; ‘’Our ambition is to become one of the leading plant-based companies in the UK and Europe and this acquisition will help accelerate this, but key to its success is the strong alignment between Rude Health and Oddlygood.
Rude Health is one of the biggest success stories in British plant-based food. It’s nothing less than impressive the way the team has grown its product range alongside such a distinctive and well thought of brand to deliver commercial success.
Both Oddlygood and Rude Health have complementary portfolios, target audiences and capabilities which will enable us to grow the business. What we’ve achieved with Oddlygood in such little time is down to the expertise and passion of our team. We’ll focus the same attention and care to Rude Health and look forward to collaborating with their team.’’
Camilla Barnard, Co-Founder of Rude Health, says; ‘We created Rude Health at our kitchen table, to make healthy eating a celebration, not a sacrifice. From these basic beginnings mixing muesli we branched out into more cereals and then dairy alternative drinks. The Rude Health® brand has grown beyond anything I could imagine to become a household name. Now is the right time to find a partner who can help take it to the next stage of success and Oddlygood shares so many values and the ambition to make this possible.’’
Tim Smith, CEO, Rude Health, commented; ‘’Joining forces with Oddlygood opens up new opportunities for growth and innovation, and our shared missions around taste, quality and the crucial role of plant-based food and drink make this a natural fit. We’re looking forward to working together and leveraging our strengths and making the healthy choice a celebration (not a sacrifice) for our customers. It’s an exciting new chapter for the brand and the team.’’
The global plant-based dairy alternatives market is re-gathering pace and is expected to grow to $69 billion by 2030, making it a hot bed for new investment and innovation. This will be Oddlygood’s second acquisition, after acquiring Nordic plant-based brand, Planti, in 2023 to further drive growth and market-leading innovation.
The drive for high quality innovation in this sector is key to this acquisition. Oddlygood’s founding company, Valio, has over 100 years’ dairy expertise in addition to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. A key player in the international dairy products market, with a turnover of €2.3bn, it launched Oddlygood® in 2018 to apply its expertise to a new and relevant sector. It later established it as a spinoff in 2021 and it’s now growing globally at over 40% year-on-year. The brand’s commitment to innovation includes the production of its signature Barista Oat drinks, where it uses all of the oat flour, delivering great taste and quality whilst minimising oat waste.
Vuorenmaa added; ‘’The UK market is notoriously competitive with established leaders but we believe that bringing these brands and teams together will reinvigorate the market and re-engage both new and existing users of plant-based products. We have total confidence in the future of the UK and European markets and the quality of the brands and the products now in our portfolio.’’