French need taste of their own medicine

On my recent visit to Tesco, I noticed that there was no shortage of foreign foodstuffs on sale, such as Irish beef and steaks; French,

Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Irish cheeses; Danish pork and bacon; French chocolate biscuits; salmon and smoked salmon from Norway; cucumbers and sprouts from Holland; and even green beans from Kenya. The list goes on and on.

All these food products are produced and grown in Britain, so why, oh why, are Tesco not supporting British farmers and growers? I can understand the importation of things like bananas and oranges, since we are not in a position for reasons of climate to have them “home-grown”.

In all fairness, most of these imported products were offered for sale at reasonable prices, so that is not my complaint. However, British foodstuffs are also available in France, but at a price! English Cheddar or Stilton at £18 a kilo (about £8 a kilo here), Marmite at three times the price as here, and even baked beans at over double the price here. Again, the list goes on and on.

It would appear that we are being far more cooperative with fresh food imports from the EU, but they are not reciprocating this more lenient, sensible approach. In fact, they seem hell bent on causing as much disruption as possible for British fresh foods and fish, just to spite the UK for having the audacity to leave their club.

Even Marks & Spencer is closing its stores in France as it can no longer safely import fresh foods due to over-zealous French customs officialdom. Perhaps it is time for the British public and its supermarkets to make a stand and support British farmers and growers.

There are also plenty of great alternatives to over-rated French wines. If the French farmers and vineyards see a sharp fall in their exports to the UK as a result, they will soon be demonstrating to Mr Macron’s government for common sense to prevail.

One bit of good news to brighten the horizon. French shipbuilding has just lost an order for building 12

diesel submarines in favour of Britain and the USA building nuclearpowered submarines more suitable for the purpose. Ironically the French foreign minister has called this change of heart “lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt over the deal”.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Still, as Sergeant Major ‘Shut Up’ in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum would say: “Oh dear, how sad, what a pity, never mind!”

Edward Kynaston by email