'Friction with EU is price for being sovereign state' says Brexiteer minister
Dame Andrea Leadsom, a Government minister and prominent Leave supporter, has said that the friction in trade with the European Union is the "price" the UK is paying to be a "sovereign state again" after Brexit.
She stated that businesses would need to "adapt" to new post-Brexit checks on food, drink and some agricultural imports, including fresh flowers. The introduction of these long-delayed rules are part of the UK Government's series of checks this year.
Concerns have been raised about the potential disruption to supply chains and "serious biosecurity risks" to the UK due to the new border regime. Dame Andrea, a former business secretary, insisted that traders knew Brexit would mean leaving the European single market and "additional checks at the border".
Speaking on Sky News on the fourth anniversary of the UK withdrawing from the EU, she suggested that those struggling with importing goods, like flowers from the Netherlands, should consider buying from UK growers instead. The minister clarified her statement about businesses adjusting to increased red tape saying: "I'm not saying that at all."
She added: "Leaving the single market was always going to have implications... I'm just saying that businesses need to adapt to meet the changing environment."
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In an interview with Times Radio, Dame Andrea added: "There is a huge new opportunity for the UK at the same time as continuing to trade, albeit with some friction (with the EU), which is the price you pay for leaving the single market and for being a sovereign state again. For me as a Brexiteer, I am still absolutely convinced that this is the right thing to do."
Former prime minister, Boris Johnson, applauded the opportunities Brexit has given to the UK; "Four years on from Brexit we celebrate the restoration of this country's democratic power to make its own laws and rules," he said in a tweet.
He praised the UK's "Brexit freedoms" which enabled it to sign its own trade deals, better animal welfare standards and provide more flexibility for cutting-edge industries. However, he issued a warning to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over reports of a potential deal with Northern Ireland aligning with EU goods rules - a move allegedly targeted at appeasing the unionists.
Upon commenting about Theresa May's Brexit plan, Boris Johnson declared: "We must at all costs avoid a return to anything remotely like the disastrous 'Chequers' formula whereby artificial concerns about the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland are used to keep the whole of the UK in alignment with EU rules."
As new border checks were introduced under his leadership, Home Secretary James Cleverly reassured the public during a visit to Paris. He affirmed there will be "no interruption" to food supplies due to such changes. Cleverly said: "We're going to make sure that these sensible, responsible checks are done in a way that makes no interruption to the supply of food to the shelves, so people don't need to worry about that."
Even though goods from Britain have faced similar controls since exiting the EU in early 2021, the UK has consistently postponed checks in the reverse direction. This means health checks on food products arriving at Dover will now take place 22 miles inland at a facility in Sevington, Kent, as part of a new post-Brexit system known as the Border Target Operating Model.
However, MPs from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, along with the Dover Port Authority, have voiced worries about this plan and potential funding cuts. A Government spokesperson stated: "We have strict border controls in place to protect food and animal health safety and these, along with our high biosecurity standards, remain unchanged."
The spokesman added: "Following careful consideration of the options for border control posts in Kent, we announced our intention to consolidate physical controls at the inland border facility at Sevington. We are confident that Sevington will have the necessary measures in place to appropriately mitigate biosecurity risks that relate to this facility being located away from the point of entry." they continued.
In the coming months, rules are set to be updated further. By April 30, medium-risk animal products from the EU will undergo documentary, identity and physical checks. From October 31, safety and security declarations for EU imports will become mandatory, along with a more streamlined dataset for imports.
Labour has said it would reconsider the trading relationship with Brussels if businesses struggle with the new checks, should they win the expected general election this year. Tulip Siddiq, a shadow Treasury minister, told Sky News: "If there are things that aren't working, then of course we need to review it and look at it.
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"We would look at where businesses are struggling, where the economy is struggling, and go and see if we can get a better deal for our country," she added. "That is what anyone who is in charge should be doing. They (voters) may have voted to leave the European Union, but they didn't vote to get a bad deal."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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