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They continue to urge us to move forward and accept that Brexit is complete. However, the truth is that Brexit hasn’t finished with us. It’s not just a singular event; it’s an ongoing degenerative disease, and we’re about to experience the next phase. On October 31st, after multiple delays, the UK will finally implement checks on imported fresh and chilled foods. The EU has already established its checks, which come with extensive paperwork and significant expenses. This has had a drastic impact on fruit exports from the UK to the EU, reducing their value from £248.5m in 2021 to £113.8m by 2023, a decrease of over 50%.
Now, the situation will be reversed. EU meat producers who wish to export to the UK will need to hire veterinarians to certify their goods, which can cost up to €700 per certification. Every sector will need to employ agents for data entry compliance, adding an additional cost of around €200. They will also need to familiarize themselves with the required paperwork. Furthermore, starting in January, there will be a border inspection charge of up to £43 for each shipment, regardless of whether it undergoes physical inspection or not. Faced with all these challenges, numerous small-scale producers from across Europe, who have been instrumental in providing this country with a diverse range of high-quality products, may simply decide it’s not worth the trouble and seek other markets. Consequently, the quality of our lives will be diminished.
One might dismissively wonder why it matters if we have limited access to artisan sheep’s milk cheeses or lovingly crafted charcuterie. An ironic tweet from Nick Timothy, a political strategist who left Downing Street due to his mishandling of Theresa May’s 2017 election campaign, sarcastically suggested that younger voters may not realize that Britain didn’t have food before 1973. However, Timothy misses the point. EU membership significantly improved the quality of our diet and, consequently, our lives. It provided unrestricted access to a vast market, including the products that epitomize the esteemed Mediterranean diet. We ate better. Therefore, any policy that leads to a decline in our eating habits and opportunities, compared to what we once had, is undeniably detrimental.
Of course, there are more pressing issues at present. We’re facing a cost of living crisis that has been exacerbated by Brexit. The economy is stagnant due to Brexit. Shockingly high numbers of people rely on food banks. Our physical well-being suffers because we lack the necessary funds to invest in the NHS, partially due to Brexit. However, we are capable of holding multiple thoughts simultaneously. We should view all of these problems as interconnected; as symptoms of a disease gradually eroding our country, one vital system at a time.
Moreover, this issue extends beyond the niche deli segment of the food market. The Fresh Produce Consortium recently cautioned that the new border regulations will introduce delays and add millions in costs at a time when food inflation is already acute. The British Retail Consortium, representing supermarkets, shares this concern, stating that “new checks will further burden retailers with additional costs in an already high-cost environment.” And for what? The Brexit deal could have included an agreement to recognize each other’s food standards, a core principle of the EU project. However, the UK prioritized the freedom to pursue trade deals with third countries, potentially allowing products with lower standards than those permitted by the EU. Consequently, we now have these disastrous checks in place. Yes, Brexit is finished. Yes, it has happened. But no, I refuse to move on. It’s an absolute mess.
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