A Comber-based vegetable producer has been given the go ahead to supply M&S stores across Ireland amid ongoing stock logistic issues between Britain and Ireland, caused by Brexit.

Mash Direct will supply eight of its products to the retailer, according to reports in the Belfast Telegraph, including its signature mash potato and potato cakes in its own brand sleeves and packaging.

Last month M&S was forced to temporarily drop hundreds of products from its stores in the Republic after the company saw competitors’ lorries barred from travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Priti Patel continues to face backlash for comments she made about Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests on Friday.

The home secretary branded BLM demonstrations “dreadful” and said she was opposed to taking the knee as an anti-racism protest. She also said the movement was “not the right way at all” to fight systemic racism.

Ms Patel made the remarks in an interview with radio station LBC:

In response, lawyer and women’s rights activist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu has argued cabinet minister Ms Patel “is unfit to hold a position of power”.

In a powerful article for The Independent, Ms Mos-Shogbamimu said: “It is an abrogation of duty for a sitting home secretary to describe the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests as ‘dreadful’ and to denigrate the symbolism of ‘taking the knee’.”

She added: “Patel either has an unexplained indifference to what Black Lives Matter and ‘taking the knee’ symbolises or is intentionally discrediting the movement. Either way, the impact of her words and actions are the same.”

Read the full piece here:

A organisation in East Belfast for former loyalist paramilitaries has announced its support for a plan to “free” Northern Ireland from the protocol, which was announced by the ruling DUP last week.

Reach UK said it “endorses the five-point plan from [Arlene Foster], and call on all to engage with it as a first step to resolving the divisive Irish Sea border and Northern Ireland protocol”.

The plan includes the boycott by the DUP of all cross-border activity related to the protocol and the opposition of all protocol-related measures in NI’s Assembly.

According to reports in the Irish Times, this newly announced support is backed by loyalist paramilitary groups the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando, and by loyalist community groups.

An online petition by the DUP, which called for article 16 to be triggered in order to secure “unfettered” trade between Britain and NI, previously reached the required 100,000 signatures within 24 hours. The party was informed on Friday that it would be debated in Westminster later this month.

But a joint statement released by the EU and UK following talks on Thursday night suggested neither side was prepared to abandon the protocol. Michael Gove and EU vice president Maros Sefcovic told reporters their “full commitment” to the backstop remained with the pair agreeing to find “workable solutions on the ground”.

A Scottish minister has called for additional support for its whisky industry from the UK government in the face of exporting setbacks, caused by Brexit.

Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing told rural affairs minister George Eustice the issue must be resolved as a “matter of urgency” in an open letter.

“It’s been a particularly difficult year for Scotland’s food and drink sector. A once booming whisky industry has seen overseas exports drop by 23 per cent in the last year alone,” the message said.

“The whisky industry was already reeling from the triple threat of US import tariffs, the coronavirus pandemic slowing global demand, and a complicated alcohol duty system before Brexit compounded matters.

“Like many food and drink businesses, the sector is struggling with complicated bureaucracy post-Brexit and it is vital that such issues are resolved as soon as possible.”

A UK government spokeswoman said on the issue: “Scotch whisky is world-renowned, and we are working closely with the industry to help them take advantage of new export markets.

“The UK government promotes the Scotch whisky through the Food is Great campaign.

“Last year, we announced £1m dedicated to showcasing Scottish food and drink exports around the world. We are confident the sector is well-positioned to benefit from the expansive trade deals that we are now striking.”

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of everything Brexit-related.