Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle has dismissed a radio presenter's question about the Government's EU trade plans, telling him to "get a life" during an interview about Labour's proposed food trade deal.
The exchange came after the publication of EU rules that would affect UK manufacturers, including a ban on labelling plant-based products with "meaty" names. This could impact potato crisps currently labelled "smoky bacon" if they do not contain any actual bacon.
EU Rules and the Bendy Bananas Controversy
The row echoes a long history of EU regulations that have sparked debate in the UK. In 1994, the EU Commission approved Commission Regulation (EC) No 2257/94, which set out "quality standards for bananas". The regulation stated that bananas sold in the EU must be free from damage, such as bruises, and must be "free from malformation or abnormal curvature of the fingers".
This became known as the "bendy bananas rule," which does not ban bendy bananas outright but prohibits those that bend too much. Critics of the EU have long cited this rule as an example of Brussels overreach, while EU supporters have claimed it was made up by "europhobes".
Minister's Response to Times Radio Question
Asked by Times Radio presenter Stig Abell about the policy, Dame Angela said: "Oh Stig, I mean really. We've had EU straight bananas, and now we're talking about banning smoky bacon crisps. I think you should get a life."
She then spoke about the benefits to the UK economy of a better trade deal with the EU. The minister's comments come as Labour pushes forward with plans that would require UK manufacturers to obey EU rules, including those introduced after Brexit.
The article, written by Whitehall Editor Jonathan Walker, suggests that pro-EU supporters in the UK have historically struggled when their vision of the European Union clashes with what the author describes as the "painful reality" of Brussels bureaucracy.
