How Brexit is harming Yorkshire’s economy – Yorkshire Post Letters

ONE item that appears to have got lost in the Brexit news lately is a report by West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

This is a pity, because it will make deservedly uncomfortable reading for any dishonest politicians thinking there are still people out there who can be fooled into believing Brexit consequences are just “teething problems”.

The report’s findings include:

More than half of our region’s manufacturers are reporting difficulties exporting and importing (53 per cent in both cases).

More than half (again, 53 per cent) say transport costs are a problem, with almost as many (51 per cent) pointing to customs duties or levies as an issue, and 47 per experiencing border disruption.

One in four see problems exporting to Northern Ireland.

If Labour and other opposition parties are ready to take up the responsibility of clearing up 
the Tories’ mess, then a good place to start would be an undertaking to negotiate the kind of EU Single Market 
access Boris Johnson promised Leave voters in the referendum campaign – but failed to 
deliver.

Members of groups 
such as Leeds for Europe 
and our national body, the European Movement UK, 
would welcome such a commitment. As would representatives of Yorkshire industry, I imagine.

From: Gordon Lawrence, Sheffield.

ONE has to admire Peter Packham (The Yorkshire Post, October 30) in fine-tooth combing some quotes in the vast verbiage – spoken and written – surrounding the 1975 EEC referendum.

For his benefit, there were no positive attempts on the part of the Europhile leaders at informing us that eventual unification was an indisputable objective. Metaphorically, it became a cobra lurking in the grass.

Ninety per cent of the argument resolved around the economics: the price of food had already risen, for example, because of EEC tariffs on hitherto cheaper Commonwealth imports.

I was persuaded, like the majority, by the overwhelming weight of establishment opinion, that in the long run the economics would be more favourable at the expense of a minimal loss of economic sovereignty. The political sovereignty was cleverly neglected.

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