“The cold stores didn’t have enough space to store our crops, so we had to throw away a week’s produce,” explains Ian Brown, vice chairman of East Scotland Growers (ESG). “And we didn’t have enough workers to harvest our vegetable crops, which means they’re going to waste.”
According to Brown, two essential aspects of production – first, getting food fresh off the ground, and then distributing it to supermarket shelves – are both being affected by labor shortages.
First, a lack of truck drivers, who move fresh items such as cauliflower to and out of freezing facilities, has meant that the ESG cooperative has to cut a week’s worth of production at an estimated cost of £1 million ($1.4 million) at one stage. Had to throw .
Second, Brown says, many seasonal workers, who used to come for a few months to harvest vegetables from countries like Romania and Bulgaria, are now in short supply.
“Some didn’t come because the Covid rules make it very difficult; some came, made a lot of money, and went home earlier than planned.” This means, says Brown, about 10-15% of his crop was wasted, costing him around £200,000 ($277,000).
The shortage of truck drivers is perhaps the most immediate issue.
According to a Logistics UK spokesperson, the current driver shortage is estimated to be between 90,000 and 120,000. While Brexit is not entirely to blame, the fact that the UK no longer has easy access to European drivers has caused a headache for the industry.
These people simply cannot be replaced by British workers. Besides the fact that qualifying as a driver can take up to nine months and cost up to £5,000 ($6,940), according to Logistics UK, Brits are unwilling to take on these jobs.
“We have an aging workforce in the UK and the working conditions image for Laurie [truck] Drivers – unsafe parking spaces or places to rest – have made it unattractive for a lot of young people,” a Logistics UK spokesperson told CNN Business.
These shortfalls should be a gift to Johnson’s political opponents, who may say that his claims of having an “oven ready” Brexit deal in 2019 – the promise he won a general election on – were false.
Critics say the government failed to adequately prepare for the inevitable consequences of Brexit and to downplay its initial impact.
UK GDP growth nearly stalled in July due to supply chain issues and labor shortages, according to the Office for National Statistics. The UK economy is 2.1% smaller than it was before the pandemic, and some economists think the gap will not widen until the second quarter of next year.
Sam Lowe, a Senior Research Fellow, said: “Throughout the Brexit process, the government found its efforts to prepare business and people for the inevitable turmoil undermined by the need to present Brexit positively to the UK and the economy. ” at the European Reform Center. “This led to confusing radio ads that didn’t even mention the word Brexit, delayed guidance, and last-minute changes of heart.”
Worse yet, Johnson’s government is now in the awkward position of refusing to implement a significant part of the deal, which was once seen as a huge success.
Under the protocol, goods could flow freely between Northern Ireland and the republic, avoiding the need for a hard border – a necessary measure to prevent the return of sectarian violence to the island. Britain agreed that it would in turn protect the EU’s single market by barring goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain.
Doing so would effectively create a maritime border between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain, which would be very uncomfortable for Johnson, who prefers to portray himself as a staunch defender of the Union. It would also be a curse for federalists in Belfast, who this week threatened to dismantle the region’s fragile power-sharing system over the issue.
The last thing Johnson, the man who led the Brexit campaign in 2016, wants to allow his opponents to claim that Brexit has not only cut Northern Ireland off from the rest of the UK, but will deliberately cut both finance and Put extra pressure on both. stability in the region.
This may explain why Brexit Minister David Frost said on Monday that the grace period allowing the flow of goods from Britain to Northern Ireland would be extended without a definite end point.
This, naturally, has allowed the EU, the longtime bogeyman of Brexiters, to take the moral high ground, reminding Britain that the Brexit deal that Johnson voluntarily signed is a legal treaty.
These issues, while important, are far from the only embarrassment post-Brexit that makes Johnson’s “oven ready” claims seem a bit silly.
Lawmakers in Johnson’s own party are getting calls from angry voters that they are unable to bring their goods to Europe because of Brexit.
All of these difficulties were predicted by many of Johnson’s critics, as industry bodies lobbied the government for alternative arrangements to reduce losses. Johnson has been repeatedly criticized by industry leaders and opponents for what he sees as a reckless lack of preparation for Brexit.
Despite this, the outcome of Brexit is not being used by Johnson’s political opponents, who are instead harassing him on domestic issues. but why?
“The problem with stories like this is that they happen incrementally,” says Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester.
“One of the really sad things about these stories is that for the public to really pay attention to them, something really dramatic has to happen. Unfortunately, it’s like a lorry driver crashing into a family car or sick children.” Malnutrition may be due to fall.”
Until that point, Johnson can largely blame the pandemic for these problems. Ford noted that this “quit” goes down well with his base of voters, many of whom are sick that Brexit was a disaster, and are often willing to believe other explanations.
But Brexit is really starting to bite. It was never going to happen that Britain would fall apart immediately. But gradually, many of the assurances and negotiations made in 2016 are breaking down over the years.
Perhaps one day Johnson will be politically expedient to initiate greater mitigation against the downsides of Brexit. Yet its timing is also problematic: You have to accept the need for damage control means the control suffers.
And, given that much of Johnson’s political legacy will be defined by leading the campaign to “liberate” Britain from Brussels, he will most likely treat Brexit not as a concept, but as its chosen implementation. For one can dodge criticism, the less his greatest achievement will be. A millstone is formed around his neck.
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