Emergency plans to stave off ‘no-deal’ food shortage
EMERGENCY plans are being put together with the aim of ensuring that core council services like school meals and meals on wheels are not interrupted in the case of a “no deal” Brexit.
First Minister Mark Drakeford met council leaders yesterday to discuss how that might be achieved.
But two of the most prominent leaders said continuing uncertainty made it difficult to predict how events would unfold.
All levels of government are anxious to reassure the public that food and fuel supplies will be uninter- rupted, even if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Cllr Andrew Morgan, the Labour leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, the second biggest local authority in Wales after Cardiff council, said after yesterday’s meeting: “The most important message is that people should not engage in the panic buying of food and fuel. The concern is that scare stories could trigger panic buying.
“We discussed panic buying as actually a bigger risk than problems with supplies. That said, we are checking all food supply chains so places like schools, hospitals and meals on wheels aren’t disrupted.”
Cllr Morgan said his authority had 500 vehicles that obviously needed a reliable supply of fuel to function.
“It’s been explained that in situations where there is a fuel shortage, there is a hierarchy of access to the fuel that is available. Local authorities are lower down the scale of priorities than the army, for example.
“The meeting was reassuring, but
obviously there’s a need to have greater clarity on Brexit. It’s a worrying time and we need to know what’s going to happen as soon as possible.”
Cllr Debbie Wilcox, who leads both Newport council and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), said: “I’m really heartened that we are working together with the Welsh Government much more closely than we have certainly during my period as leader of the WLGA.
“We’re absolutely on the same page. We can share expertise, we can share resources and we can work together to ensure that we minimise the risks.
“I want to reassure everyone that every aspect of local government will be working with the Welsh Government, with third sector colleagues and other colleagues in private life – the NHS, the police forces – to make sure that we minimise the disruption to the public. It’s a Welsh dimension that comes out of this, so that Wales is working together to minimise whatever falls out from a no-deal scenario.”
Nevertheless, Cllr Wilcox wanted to emphasise the unusual nature of the challenge. She said: “It’s just unprecedented – it’s certainly nothing I’ve experienced in my lifetime, the changes to the public dimension in the way things are going to be, the lateness in arriving at decisions.
“The political stuff will play out, but today has been about putting the public first.
“We’re the worker bees in local government – we are there at the front line. So we can help the Welsh Government and make sure of that local effectiveness which will be needed.”
Mr Drakeford said; “Leaving the EU without a deal would be catastrophic and must be avoided. It could cause significant disruption and damage to our economy, jobs, trade and public services.
“Every sector would be affected in some way and while it is not possible to completely mitigate the effects, we must prepare and work to achieve the least damaging form of Brexit possible.
“All public sectors in Wales should now be well involved in contingency planning for a no-deal scenario.
“Today’s meeting has been another opportunity to discuss the potential impacts of a no-deal Brexit and discuss how we can reduce the impact this scenario will have on local services.”
The First Minister added: “It is extremely frustrating that we have been brought to this position by a UK Government that has continued to put the interests of its party ahead of the country it is supposed to serve.
“There is still time to turn this around – our White Paper, Securing Wales’ Future, provides an approach that would protect jobs and services. We continue to urge the UK Government to work with us to secure a deal which provides the best possible outcome for the whole of the UK.”
The Welsh Government’s White Paper, issued jointly with Plaid Cymru two years ago this month, argued that by restricting freedom of movement to EU citizens who had job offers, the UK would stay within the rules that would enable it to retain “full and unfettered access” to the single market – a status regarded by many as essential for the future prosperity of Wales.
When it was put to Cllr Wilcox that there would be a limit to what local authorities could do if there were problems getting food through if there were hold-ups at ports, for example, she said: “The Welsh Government would be working closely with the UK Government in that context – that’s a different sphere of government, and there are conversa- tions that I wouldn’t be party to.
“But I’ve every confidence that our new First Minister and the Brexit team here led by Jeremy Miles are completely up to date and on the front foot. Obviously we can only work in the context of the UK Government.”
Asked whether she had confidence in the UK Government to be able to run things logistically, Cllr Wilcox said: “I am not a member of the Tory party. I am a member of the Labour Party. Therefore I am diametrically opposed to Tory party policy for 99.9% of the time – let’s make it a full 100%.
“Clearly I have personal concerns. On this occasion I’d love to be proved wrong.”
One of her areas of concern is the possibility that trading standards officers in Newport will have to be redeployed to the city’s port to inspect goods – a situation, she said, which would make it more difficult for the council to do its core job of protecting food and other standards.
“It’s a really important part of what we do, and that is going to be minimised because they’re going to have to be at the port checking the stuff coming in.”
Outlining her worst fears about Brexit, Cllr Wilcox said: “I just think that the disruption to public life, to civic society is going to be much longer-term than we would anticipate.
“I don’t think anyone had the concept of what this means. I respect the hard core of Brexiteers that remain in the country. I utterly respect people with opposite views to mine. But collectively I feel the ground has shifted tremendously since the summer of 2016 and as the facts have spilt out about this matter.
“I am a strong supporter of the People’s Vote. I’m a strong supporter of putting the question back to the country, because this isn’t what people voted for in any shape or form.”
Cllr Wilcox said that Newport had 5,000 EU nationals living in it, one of whom is her partner: “She’s lived here 57 years. She’s Italian, and now she’s got to pay £65 in what is really her own country.” [The £65 fee for EU nationals to register their right to remain in the UK].
“She’s Welsh. Why didn’t she become a British citizen?
“Well she’s a European citizen, and her passport is identical to mine except it says Repubblica Italiana on the front.
“I think we’re doing a huge disservice to say to EU nationals: ‘you’re no longer welcome here, unless you pay £65. Some of those 5,000 citizens may have a problem with applying for ‘settled status’. I just think the whole concept and the whole language around that is appalling.”
Local Government Minister Julie James, the AM for Swansea West, said: “We are fortunate to have experience of working closely across the public sector in Wales and I am confident this will puts us in a strong position to deal with the challenges ahead. Now, more than ever, we need to work together for the good of our citizens to ensure we are as well prepared as possible ahead of EU exit on March 29.”
‘I just think that the disruption to public life, to civic society is going to be much longer-term than we would anticipate CLLR DEBBIE WILCOX