Monday, December 07, 2020
Minister admits that no deal Brexit will hit price of food in shops
<Boris Johnon's cabinet may becoming more and more comfortable with the no deal scenario that is looming over us as talks with the Eu falter but not all Ministers are delusional about the consequences of such an outcome.
As the Times reports, one cabinet minister admitted yesterday that a no deal will see food prices rise, with beef and pork hit the hardest:
George Eustice, the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, insisted the increases would be “modest” but conceded that travel to EU nations would become more complicated and Britons with less than six months’ passport validity faced being denied entry.
He acknowledged that free healthcare could not be guaranteed for UK visitors to EU countries next month without a trade deal and that drivers would have to show proof of insurance.
The paper adds that a government contingency document produced in September warns that medicine supplies could drop to between 60 and 80 per cent of normal for three months after a no deal Brexit.
The document, leaked to ITV News, is entitled “reasonable worst case scenario planning assumptions to support civil contingencies planning for the end of the transition period”. A government source said that the document still informed contingency planning. Other warnings include on public disorder and local fuel disruption:
Mr Eustice also conceded that it “won’t be as easy” to take pets to EU countries. Instead, he said he expected that owners would have to get a certificate from a vet confirming that their pets’ rabies vaccinations were up to date before travelling.
However, he indicated that UK owners should avoid more onerous restrictions, which would have meant obtaining a blood sample and sending it to an EU-approved laboratory at least three months in advance.
The government had applied for the UK to be in part one of the EU pet travel scheme, which would have meant little change to the current arrangements. Mr Eustice said it was more likely to be in part two. “We’re likely to be listed in the EU’s annex two, the sort of second category, which means whereas in the past you might have had a pet passport, in future you’d need a certificate from the vet instead of the passport,” he said. “It won’t be as easy as having the passport because you’d need to go to the vet prior to leaving rather than have the passport that shows your rabies vaccines are up to date.”
Under the part two rules, owners have to visit an official vet no more than ten days before travelling to get an animal health certificate confirming their pet has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.
Blanche Shackleton, of Guide Dogs, said the charity was “extremely disappointed” and that travel to Europe would become “far more disruptive and difficult” for people with sight loss.
“Guide dog owners could face restrictions on their travel to Europe, including only being able to leave and re-enter the UK through a limited number of routes, and having to navigate a complex certification process for their dog every time they travel,” she said. “As well as travel to Europe, we urgently need clear information on whether there will be changes to the process of travel to Northern Ireland from other parts of the United Kingdom.”
So much for all those promises made during and after the 2016 referendum.
