Boris Johnson described rules for the Isle of Man kipper sellers are “pointless” and are imposed by “Brussels bureaucrats” and are set in the UK and are not part of the EU legislation, a spokeswoman for the EU said.
In the final hustings Johnson said to deride the EU’s “pointless, expensive, environmentally damaging health and safety” over the use of a kipper and a plastic ice pillow.
Hysterically he told the audience holding up a kipper in his hand ‘I want you to consider this kipper.”
Johnson rambled on, “This kipper, which has been presented to me just now by the editor of a national newspaper, who received it from a kipper smoker in the Isle of Man, who is utterly furious, because after decades of sending kippers like this through the post he has had his costs massively increased by Brussels bureaucrats, who have insisted that each kipper must be accompanied by this – a plastic ice pillow.
“Pointless, pointless, expensive, environmentally damaging health and safety, ladies and gentlemen.”
However, the European health and food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis tweeted, “Boris, the Isle of Man is not bound to the #EU ‘pointless and damaging’ *red tape* in #foodsafety that we are proud of because it protects consumers.
“You omitted to say that the Isle of Man is not in the EU. This packaging – #uk competence. Yet another smoke. #fakenews.”
Neil Robson, managing director of the fourth generation family business L Robson & Sons situated in Craster said he had never heard of any changes to the rules.
He told the PA, “To be honest I’ve never heard of using ice pillows.
“We use a coolant when it’s warm – it’s a paper product that we soak in water and freeze because we’re trying to do away with plastic – but not in the middle of winter. It’s good practice.”
Leave a Comment