Brexit fears for business are now proven – Yorkshire Post Letters

THE North East England Chamber of Commerce has written an open letter to Boris Johnson about Brexit “concerns” and demanded “urgent action”.

What Chamber chief executive James Ramsbotham is telling the Prime Minister is probably as relevant to Yorkshire as the North East– given the importance of EU exports to both areas.

At 57 per cent and 56 per cent respectively, the Yorkshire and North East regions have the highest proportion of overseas sales destined for the EU according to a recent Make UK/BDO LLP study.

The “wide range and complex” issues faced by firms in the North East will no doubt be familiar to their Yorkshire counterparts. These include additional costs, customs confusion, export health certificates, new rules of origin and the resulting fall in European sales. Covid-19 has just compounded these Brexit effects.

“Businesses have felt unsupported through this period of hardship by their Government and, in many cases, feel that Government is unwilling to even acknowledge that this hardship exists,” says Mr Ramsbotham.

Sound familiar, Yorkshire?

Mr Ramsbotham wants the Government to recognise the problems it has created, help with staff retraining and better communicate the changes.

It should take account of the negative consequences of divergence from the EU and seek deals that will benefit key industries in the regions.

Measures to deal with a shortage of lorry drivers – blamed by many on Brexit – have so far been inadequate.

Will Boris Johnson listen to Mr Ramsbotham? Doubtful, given his Government’s disregard for industry’s concerns in Yorkshire and elsewhere both before and after Brexit. In which case, the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats ought to listen.

From: Gordon Lawrence, Sheffield.

PETER Packham’s letter (The Yorkshire Post, July 30) suggests that the EU is an institution that is a model of morality and fair play exercised in all its conventions and procedures.

When differences arise, such as the constant bickering with the UK over Brexit, it’s invariably Britain that’s at fault according to Peter Packham.

I think it’s clear to any impartial observer that the EU is desperate to minimise the collateral damage that could prejudice its survival: no other country must be allowed to emulate Britain’s exit.

Mr Packham concludes his letter, with a sting in its tail, by accusing Leavers of a long-lasting campaign of dishonest propaganda and ingenuous practices.

He fails to see that the very sizable anti-Brexit machine was just as culpable.

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