YP Letters: Brexit must not be a smugglers' charter

A SMUGGLERS’ charter is how I would describe B Gorton’s idea (The Yorkshire Post, October 27) of creating a European Export/Import Organisation.

If, after Brexit, the UK trades willy-nilly with the rest of the world and imports undesirable goods such as endangered animals and animal parts, chlorinated chicken, GM foods, sub-standard medicines, toxic toys etc, it would be bad enough for us, but the unscrupulous could then use our position as a back door into the EU – a smugglers’ charter.

Bill Carmichael: Our Brexit backstop should be leave Irish border as it is and let smugglers do their worst

And who does B Gorton expect to pay for this new body? There exists already a tried and tested, efficient arrangement known as the Single Market. The new body would be the Brexiteers’ baby and they should be made to pay for it, accepting also that the only new jobs created would be for bureaucrats.

The EU is a community which upholds high standards in goods, services, consumer protection and workers’ rights. The wealthy Brexiteer leaders aim to reduce regulation in the UK so that we will become a cheap-labour, off-shore tax haven, profiting only the rich.

For most of us, a far better idea is to stop Brexit!

From: Tim Bradshaw, Slaithwaite.

KEN Cooke (The Yorkshire Post, October 27) seems perturbed that the EU will with hold medicines after Brexit, but then contradicts himself by indicating we export more than we import.

Who is bluffing who? The EU will be also aware of the imbalance and must be concerned as much as we could be about the future.

Eventually a mutual agreement will be concluded, but as a major investor into the EU pot, our requirements should be non-negotiable and accepted by the minority EU investors.

Attack may be the wrong word, but defend is retreat.

By the way, what are the largest suppliers of the European car industry to the UK thinking? Worried perhaps, or do they have a cunning plan?

From: Coun Tony Galbraith (Con), Elloughton, Brough.

TWO indisputable facts of our membership of the EU are that we pay a huge net annual subscription of almost £10bn, and we make an annual balance of trade loss as a member of the Single Market and Customs Union approaching £100bn.

What then is so marvellous about the status quo? I hope no one mentions frictionless and barrier-free trade. It amounts to a frictionless transfer of jobs and prosperity from the UK to the EU.