‘No deal’ would be ‘disastrous’ after pandemic, county’s MPs warned
A leading business adviser to West Sussex farmers and growers is calling on the county’s MPs to prevent ‘no deal’ with the EU in the wake of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
John Hall, a consultant to West Sussex Growers, who chairs the South East’s Farming and Rural Issues lobby group, made the plea after the government ruled out any extension to negotiations beyond the transition period at the end of the year. “The knock-on effect on businesses if we add ‘no deal’ to the current problems caused by Covid-19 could be disastrous,” he warned.
“Hold-ups at ports mean big delays both ways.
“That limits shelf-life with fresh, perishable produce going in and out of mainland Europe. You add serious problems every time vehicles stop, particularly around supply time and quality.” He forecasts further problems if there are obstacles to employing crucial overseas workers amid similar fears for other sectors like health and social care, with medics and care staff from EU countries making a vital contribution during the pandemic.
The warning from the Felpham-based businessman, a former president and chair of the West Sussex Growers
Association, echoes concerns voiced by Chichester MP Gillian Keegan.
She warned a year ago about quitting the EU without a deal and trading on World Trade Organisation terms, which she said ‘would create unnecessary risk for thousands of businesses and millions of people’.
A similar warning has been made by the National Farmers Union.
President Minette Batters said: “We all stand to lose if our relationship reverts to trading on hugely unsatisfactory WTO terms, with barriers erected across borders. It is crucially important we get this right for farmers, and for the public who want to buy safe, traceable and affordable food.”
The gloomy forecast has led John Hall, also a leading member of the Country Land and Business Owners Association, to appeal to MPs to protect the county’s large agri-sector. West Sussex growers of soft fruit, berries, salad and vegetable crops — including the biggest producer of sweetcorn in the country — employ more than 10,000 people and add £1 billion a year to the economy.