Post Brexit food

That's great to hear Maggiemaybe. I occasionally use our Sainsbury's for emergency buys but our Morrisons is a much bigger store and has meat/fish/deli counters.

Thank you.

Agree with you, Grandad. Before WW2, the UK imported 70% of its food. It wasn't until after WW2 that British farmers started using more efficient methods. Even then, they couldn't compete with American producers on price.

There's a scarcity of farmland in the UK and we can't grow many crops efficiently without huge polytunnels and electricity for light and heat. We actually make more profit from the land we have for building for other industries and the associated necessary housing. It really doesn't make sense for the UK to aim to be self-sufficient.

We actually exchanged some of our fishing quotas for a lot of money from the EU. Money that was spent on other things, NHS, schools, and suchlike.

We would only be able to fish in our own territorial waters, ie up to 12 miles out. And there's not much fish left there.

JonesKpj000 Wed 07-Aug-19 19:16:37 I so agree

I have now reached the point of thinking "Why do I bother?"

I have read yet another remainer putting down a leaver's viewpoint / opinion and quite rudely. No respect.

My opinion but I consider myself an intelligent person and after getting an Hons Degree in my 30's I went on to use this in my chosen career. To give myself a social status: I'm from a working class background and my friends and relatives would now consider me middle class because of the level I achieved in work. In my work and outside it, I prided myself and still do, on listening to others far more than I talk to them. My work revolved around respect. That's how I have achieved so much. Through respect for others.

I made an informed decision about which way to vote. I do not regret it and would vote the same now. Nothing here or elsewhere has made me want to change my vote. I have close friends and family. One friend and my daughter have shown me respect and I them. We voted differently. We discussed the vote before taking it but not after. I found it difficult to make the choice as I do not have much faith in the government and knew leaving would be difficult.

Although there is impoliteness from both sides, some comments on this thread and others about Brexit show no respect. Some try to answer a question or leave an opinion just to get a harsh retort. That is putting it politely. Some Remainers certainly shine at this and far far more than Leavers do. Please note, I say some.

No-one here knows everything there is to know surrounding Brexit (before and currently). We are all bound to write something that may be questioned. I go onto these forums to learn as well has to have fun (Big fan of limericks).

I shall continue to read comments. I expect I will continue read those containing snide replies.

There's a sketch from years ago. John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. WELL - I look up to those who show respect. I look down on you who throw back insulting and snide comments.

Stick with Gransnet forums JonesKpj000. There are some great ones / fun ones / supportive ones.

No time now to proof read my message but I expect and acknowledge there may be typos.

You're right, Gonegirl.

In the government's own risk assessment, they foresee trouble between fishermen.

With all due respect, WOODMOUSE, my perception is different from yours. I'm sure you'll want to respect my opinion, as I do yours.

PS. I should have explained that I meant the degree of rudeness from "leavers" and "remainers".

We are safer with pessimists like Whitewavemark than with superannuated Pollyannas.

"I made an informed decision about which way to vote." Thu 08-Aug-19 12:55:03

So when you made your decision WOODMOUSE49, informed by previous education and your background, did you really think BBC 4 Today programme would be quietly introducing the concept of food rationing as if it were the most normal thing for us to do in 2019? All as a result of your decision? I have to admit I don't remember anyone actually mentioning it.

If taking people's current lives away from them makes them very cross, then, as we were so often told after the referendum, "suck it up".

You and your fellow leave voters believe in the "will of the people" you just don't like hearing it when it isn't your "will". You may need to consider just how important the frozen in ice "will" is. To me, the "will of the people" is neither immutable, singular or sovereign so we are allowed to choose to fight on against the tyranny of the majority, which is exactly what I intend to do.

? alexa I will take that as a compliment.

A letter in the Telegraph today (I have redacted the name of the sender):

SIR – I am a veteran of the food industry. Talks of food shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit are utter nonsense. It will not happen.
W* B*
Chairman, Burgess Farms / Produce World Group
Peterborough

Well, that's someone else's opinion to add to the pot. It's not exactly a reasoned statement, is it? Perhaps "veteran" is the keyword.

Interesting that one Urmstongran but I am not at all sure I can take quotes "redacted" by you after, you tell us, it has been printed for all to see in the Torygraph, at all seriously.

There will be some food shortages. Perhaps some empty shelves. But it will not be a catastrophe for the slightly better off of us. Food will be more expensive though, and so, as ever, it will be already deprived members of society who will suffer.

Should never have happened. The most ridiculous situation to have landed ourselves in.

(love from your "Head girl of food" xx)

So why would you believe the opinion of an 'expert' writing in The Telegraph Urmonstongran, but not believe the executives from Sainsburys and Tescos and from The Road Haulage Association who have warned of food shortages? Do you wonder, as I do, why the editor of The Daily Telegraph ( or Daily Borisgraph as I believe it is now known) chose that one letter and not the miriad others that were warning of food shortages? Hmm??

Sorry, GoneGirl - we all come over in that way at times.

It wasn't that difficult to find the name of the redacted person and to follow some of his arguments on Twitter. It would appear there is disagreement amongst farmers. Some of them stand to lose a lot of money from EU subsidies. Some of them are hoping for deregulation to make up their loss. Others are saying that deregulation will undermine the domestic market and lead to lower standards and bankruptcies. The person who wrote the letter to the Telegraph has a vested interest in denying that Brexit will cause problems.

I am aware about Morrisons. I gave the link because someone had questioned what newnanny had said about Morrisons selling 100% British meat, You're trying to wind us up, aren't you, newnanny?

I made that comment and I made it because, despite posters explaining over and over again that we cannot produce enough food to be self sufficient, other posters persist in telling us that if we buy British we'll be fine. Do they ever take in the information that is given in other people's posts?

We can't all buy British because there isn't (and never will be) enough 'British' to go round.

That is a fact and it is so exasperating when people ignore it.

As GGMk2 says: If taking people's current lives away from them makes them very cross, then, as we were so often told after the referendum, "suck it up".

Woodmouse, with all due respect us retainers have certainly taken some flack and name calling from you leavers in other posts, so please don't come that one with us.

Brexit is an emotive subject and people putting down those on the opposite side, so as to speak, are in my mind doing so because they are afraid. Afraid that they will be found to be wrong. I am a retainer and nothing will change my mind, I am not getting into any discussions with leavers on it. I will just sit here and watch it all blow up and then the leavers will blame it on everyone but themselves.

Forty percent of all fresh and chilled food we eat in Britain is produced within other European Union countries and transported into the United Kingdom on trucks via the channel ports or channel tunnel. The foregoing amounts to ten thousand trucks each day entering Britain with many running on just in time delivery schedules (JIT) as they work into and out of the large distribution centres operated by the supermarket companies and other large retailers.

The trucks that operate the services between those centres and the retail stores are in the main the very large multi-national distribution companies such as DHL, Bibby Distribution, Wincanton Distribution and Stobart. However, their vehicles are not the ones that carry out the cross channel operations, as those are the predominant operations of smaller hauliers and owner-drivers running on subcontract to either the retailers directly or the above large distribution companies.

The above large distribution companies are represented by the Freight Transport Association (FTA), while the smaller hauliers are represented by the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

The channel ports and tunnel have over the last twenty-five years built up their handling facilities so as to bring through those ten thousand trucks per day (with many being on JIT schedules) ensuring that no delays whatsoever are incurred by those vehicles. In that, the RHA, FTA, and all the Senior Supermarket managements have now continually stated that should a consistent delay of only twenty to thirty minutes impede those vehicles at the ports and channel tunnel then the queues of vehicles would steadily build-up, where thirty minutes would turn into two hours, two hours into one whole day and one day into three days and so it would go on.

The above is not "scaremongering talk", it is a scenario that has been carefully worked out based on the schedules those vehicles run on at present. That scenario also predicts a huge price rise in the cost of fresh, frozen and chilled food, a drop in the quality of that food, and shortages that would eventually lead to many products becoming unobtainable.

I have noticed that one forum member in this thread has stated that price increases would not affect those who have " somewhat better wealth." I have to say that if such attitudes are seen to prevail by those already "just about managing" then I would genuinely fear for the stability of this nation, as widespread disorder and violence could well erupt on our streets.

Did you see the interview with Liz Truss when she was asked how she was affected by austerity and she giggled like a 12 year old they are all making a fortune out of Brexit and are planning to make much more selling our best services and the NHS to Trump and co.

And yet, they are such good conmen, that quite a lot of ordinary folk, just about managing folk and even poor folk still support them. Such is the power of the right wing tabloids.

Well said Varian

Of course there will be a shortage of food on the shelves because those who can will panic-buy and that will make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You're not listening to Grandad, are you, Callistemon?

Forty percent of all fresh and chilled food we eat in Britain is produced within other European Union countries

That is not the sort of thing that you can panic buy and keep in storage.

And, before anyone suggests that we fly fresh food in from other countries, there is a big question mark over the effect that no deal would have on air travel and freight.

It won't be only that Callistemon. Think of all the fruit we expect eat even during the Winter months, and we leave on 31st October. Could there be a worse time of the year to leave on?