The 'gifts' of Brexit

The predictable gifts of ‘Little England’s’ Brexit keep on giving

:: Fishermen unable to sell their produce to their biggest market, Brits told to develop foreign eating habits to help out.

:: Produce, flowers and fruit, rotting in the fields because foreign pickers are not welcome. Wages too low and work too hard for locals.

:: Healthcare workers from other countries made to feel unwelcome, going elsewhere. This required forethought if properly trained locals were to be available to take their places.

:: Northern Ireland cut off by trade barriers causing food shortages, and worse, violent reactions to the problems. They clearly didn’t teach Geography at Eton.

:: Scotland gearing up for independence: When they voted to stay in the UK they were promised continuing EU membership. A fact conveniently ignored by Westminster government.

:: In the news today, a Cambridge graduate, refugee from Somalia via the Netherlands, who has been in the UK since she was 10 years old. Now 27 and in established employment refused settled status.

:: Bureaucratic problems for British living in EU countries, many of whom were unable to vote in the 2016 referendum. 

:: Extensive customs payments required to prove status of items supposedly covered by the hastily cobbled together ‘free trade’ deal.

:: Delays in movement of perishable goods due to aforesaid customs checks. Result; increased costs and environmental damage due to wastage.

:: Restrictions on all types of professionals from working in the EU, their qualifications no longer recognised there.

:: Students no longer able to expand their experiences with reciprocal placements in the EU.

:: Financial institutions, that put London at the centre of the world, moving to European cities.

This is just scratching the surface of the individual challenges being faced. Things like disruption to travel are masked by Covid19 restrictions, so not fully revealed yet. 

Yes, we have had a successful vaccination programme compared to most other countries, but this is because it is run by our NHS, not our government, and would not have been any different had Brexit not happened. 

In fact, we probably would have been able to have a beneficial effect on the roll-out for others, who have found it more challenging. 

Sadly, when Covid restrictions recede the NHS will be losing many valued staff who have not been able to, or don’t want to bother with ‘settled’ status, in what will become a rather isolated small player on a big stage.

We were manipulated into this position, by the already rich and powerful, so that they could ‘take back control’ for themselves. 

I hope that those who were lured into the trap will see that it was an illusion, with nothing tangible to offer them. However, it is a long road back, not helped by our political system which makes effective opposition a massive challenge. 

Carolyn Phillippo

Stratton

 

Contempt shown towards our MP

To appreciate just how impotent Members of Parliament are, one has only to consider the contempt shown towards cabinet minister Robert Buckland over the (Shipping container in Park South, SA, April 9).

That a senior member of the Government is unable to speak with a 'decision maker' at the Planning Inspectorate demonstrates the problem with bureaucracy in our country. 

Des Morgan

Caraway Drive

Swindon