Ex-Northern Ireland Secretary claims EU tried to ‘block kosher products’

Brandon Lewis has accused the European Union of “trying to block the Jewish community of Northern Ireland from getting access to kosher products”  after being asked to defend allegations made by Liz Truss about the “woke” civil service.

In an interview on Kay Burley’s Sky News show, the former Northern Ireland Secretary was asked about the Tory leadership contender’s comments about alleged antisemitism in the civil service.

Interviewer Niall Paterson pressed Lewis about claims of “widespread” antisemitism in the civil service, asking;”Where is it?”

Lewis said :”Liz outlined that she came against challenges in the Foreign Office about having to deal with some of these issues. She broke through that.”

He then added that within his own role he said:”Where I saw anything against the Jewish community it was coming from the EU who were trying to block the Jewish community of Northern Ireland from getting access to kosher products. That’s what dealing with the Northern Ireland protocol was all about.”

Paterson pressed Lewis saying “plenty” of politicians and “every” civil servant he had spoken to had disputed Truss’s claims of antisemitism.

Lewis said:”I don’t think that’s  the point she was making at all.  The Liz Truss I’ve worked with, whether it’s on Northern Ireland issues or defending and protecting the Jewish community has been absolutely at the forefront of what is right.”

The QC Simon Myerson was among those to immediately criticise Lewis over his remarks.

He tweeted that Lewis was ” not telling the truth.”

Myerson added:”There has been no such difficulty. My community is not his political football. We are not there to be used so he can get his preferred candidate elected.”

The Lib Dem Baroness Sarah Ludford also criticised the remarks saying Lews “cannot substantiate Liz Truss charge of antisemitism so falls back on ever Brexiter’s reflex – falsely accuse the EU.”