Ulster Assembly tells Brown to ‘rein in’ Mandelson

THE Northern Ireland Assembly has written to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, asking him to “rein in” Peter Mandelson’s world trade negotiating tactics.

Addressing the Oireacthas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Dublin, Michelle Gildernew, MLA, MP, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said: “In terms of the World Trade Organisation, we have written to Mr Gordon Brown and Mr Hilary Benn on the issue. We now have asked the First Minister and Deputy First Minister also to write to Mr Brown about the negotiations. I envisage major implications for farming, not just in Ireland but across Europe. We have asked Mr Brown to rein in Mr Peter Mandelson and to try to control him to some extent, given that he is a British European Commissioner. He will do severe damage otherwise.”

“We disagree with the British Government on much of what is contained in the WTO talks,” she said “The fact that the whole island is speaking with one voice on the WTO is very important and is sending a very strong message to the British Government.”