Council ‘working to prevent’ Brexit food and drugs shortage

The leader of Cornwall Council has urged people not to panic over Brexit, and said he was confident Cornwall will not see food or medicine shortages.

Cllr Adam Paynter spoke about the practical considerations of leaving the EU ahead of his meeting with chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier next month.

Cllr Paynter said the council has been identifying possible risks which might occur as a result of Brexit and making sure it minimises them.

He said: “Brexit is a big risk for us, but what we have done is look at what is the quantity of that risk and how can we protect ourselves against it.

“There are things like the exchange rate and inflation and what the impact of that will be on what we do and the services we provide.

“We have had to look at the stores of insulin and other medicines on March 31 and what we would do if that dries up. We have looked at what happens if the ports and borders are stopped and nothing comes in, if fuel stops coming in and supermarkets don’t have anything on their shelves.

“We have been looking at all these issues and have been working with central government to ensure that they do not happen.

“We will know more over the coming weeks but deal or no deal has implications for the risks we have identified.

“People would be concerned if there is no fuel in the filling stations and food in the supermarkets – we can’t go more than two weeks without food. That would be a disaster. I don’t think that will happen but we need to work towards ensuring that wouldn’t happen.”

Cllr Paynter said he had received emails from members of the public raising concerns about medicine and food supplies post-Brexit and had been replying and saying the council was doing all it could to prevent such scenarios.

He said: “I am not trying to scaremonger, I am trying to be realistic.

“I have thought about this but I am certainly not panicking.

“We need to think about the possible scenarios and make sure the council is not exposing itself to excess risk.”

The Liberal Democrat councillor compared Brexit with the so-called millennium bug, saying that it is hoped that there would be no major change seen after March 29.

He said: “There won’t be a seismic change when everyone wakes up the next morning.

“I would urge people not to panic on that day.”

‘I am not trying to scaremonger, I am trying to be realistic’

Cllr Adam Paynter