I can’t see any evidence of Britannia roaring thanks to Brexit

I read with interest the letters from Suresh Chaun and Geoffrey Brooking (February 17). The former draws attention to the higher death rate in the UK due to the pandemic compared with Germany, while the latter emphasises the rapid rate at which the vaccine has been administered in the UK.

The NHS is certainly to be congratulated on the efficient way that the vaccination programme has progressed. This is in stark contrast to the failed test and trace system initiated by this Tory Government using companies that seem to have qualified only on the basis they were controlled by Tory supporters.

Geoffrey asserts that following Brexit “as a free nation we were able to get on with the job of protecting our people”. I have to point out that we were still subject to EU laws in 2020 and we could have ordered these vaccines if we had remained a member of the EU using the same Regulation (174 of the Human Medicines Regulations).

I am unable to identify any reasons to agree with Geoffrey that “Britannia has started to roar”.

Since 1st January, some 65 per cent of manufacturers report higher costs, and 54 per cent say they have greater difficulties exporting goods to the EU. Docks are scrambling to build new infrastructure to conduct goods inspections in July, when the new import processes are due to come into force.

This Tory Brexit, which unnecessarily chose to turn us into a third country with regard to the EU, has resulted in UK businesses finding that exports of shellfish, seed potatoes, ungraded eggs, processed animal protein (sausages) and chilled meats are heavily restricted or prohibited. This has resulted in the collapse of many businesses.

We now have a trade border between Britain and Northern Ireland, and much freight is bypassing the UK and going direct between Eire and the EU, reducing economic activity in Wales.

EU membership was extolled by the Tories as a virtue of remaining in the UK prior to the Scottish Independence Referendum. Scotland voted heavily to remain in the EU and now seems to have a majority favouring independence. Our Government opposes a further referendum, asserting that independence would be against the interest of the people of Scotland.

However, as this Tory Government gave the English the right to self harm in an EU referendum, I find it difficult to see how they can justify denying the people of Scotland the same opportunity to “take back control”.

The rest of the world does not see Britannia as roaring.

John Catt, A member of the Leicestershire European Movement - www.emleics.co.uk