Member

Imagine you are running a corner shop in Northern Ireland. You invest in all the things that you need to deal with this Bill. Your staff are expected to police a rolling age threshold, distinguishing between a 27 and a 28 year-old. Illicit products undercut you at a fraction of the price. Customers can cross the border to buy what is restricted on one side but not the other. Then, after you have spent the time and money adapting, the legal and political uncertainty returns and the law could even be reversed, because the courts will be involved. I have to say to anyone who knows about Northern Ireland that lawfare is absolutely rife there. This is not a theoretical concern; it is happening now. It affects every person throughout Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, not just businesses.