Rochdale residents with a taste for black pudding were left fearing for the future as Bury announced plans to leave the Lancashire Economic Community.
The LEC, which allows for free trade between all major economic areas of Lancashire has existed for over 50 years. Under the LEC rules, supplies such as Holland’s Pies from Accrington, Bury Black Pudding, Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese, Eccles cakes and Oldham Tubular Bandages have been free from trade restrictions and tariffs.
However, the Mayor of Bury, Mohammed Ashrif, yesterday announced plans for Bury to leave the LEC.
“We can take the money we pay into the LEC and use it to fund the Castle Leisure Centre instead. We will make Bury great again,” he told a press conference.
“Currently Bury’s black pudding industry produces up to 14 black puddings per week, accounting for 80 per cent of total world demand. Local celebrities are backing the plan, including Zak out of Emmerdale, Fizz out of Corrie and Guy Garvey out of Elbow. Garvey implored the people of Bury to ‘throw their curtains wide.”
He added “One day like this a year will see me right.”
Arrangements for Burxit are likely to be complex, however, particularly as the issue of a hard border delineating the Bury economic area is vehemently opposed by the Ramsbottom Unionists who came out heavily against the plan.
Meanwhile, panic buying of black pudding has been reported from as far away as Bacup.
Local resident Eric Olthwaite commented “By ‘eck, tha can’t beat Bury black pudding. It’s t’blackest black pudding tha can get. Even t’white bits are black.”
