Food shortages will be commonplace

DEAR Editor, Shops are currently running out of vegetables like lettuce because of cold weather in Spain.

This highlights the way Britain depends on imported food, especially from the EU, which provides 30 per cent of our foodstuffs, creating another reason why Brexit is a policy that must be rejected.

The decision of Theresa May that Britain must leave both the EU and looser EEA if Brexit goes ahead means that Britain’s food links with Europe will be completely broken. Of course the Europeans will need to trade with Britain, but the costs go up, and the risks of food shortages will grow.

At the moment, any lorry can travel from the toe of Italy to Aberdeen without any delays. This will not happen if Brexit takes place.

Each lorry will have to have papers checked on entry – and the same will take place with exports to Europe. For food which goes off very quickly, delays are not sensible.

There can also be no doubt that the lines of lorries waiting in laybys on the roads to the ports which happen during strikes will become permanent.

The Prime Minister hopes that negotiations will lead to the ‘frictionless’ trade with Europe continuing. However, if she does not get a trade deal and her bill is rejected in two years’ time then Britain joins the 160 other countries outside the EU. The Europeans cannot give Britain a special deal without annoying all the other countries.

More worryingly, she has decided to take Britain out of the European Economic Area, which was not part of the referendum proposal. The case for a second referendum is already strong, but if Britain does leave Europe completely then we must expect the current food shortages and higher prices to be permanent. Be careful what you wish for.

Trevor Fisher, Stafford