Food and drink leaders have urged new prime minister Boris Johnson to abandon his threat of a no-deal Brexit, or leave the industry facing “mortal damage”.
Johnson was announced as the new Tory leader yesterday (23 July), with a margin of 92,153 votes to 46,656 over his rival Jeremy Hunt. In his first speech, Johnson repeated his determination for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October.
The PM immediately faced calls to tackle threats facing the food industry at home and abroad.
“The UK’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, is central to our critical national infrastructure,” said FDF chief executive Ian Wright.
“The industry employs more than 450,000 people across the nation. UK food and drink is globally renowned for its quality, provenance and taste.
“The industry’s recently published ‘Plan for Success’ demonstrates how we can make the UK’s £4bn food chain the most dynamic and competitive in the world. It shows how - working in partnership with government - we can boost exports, develop talent and encourage innovation.
“A no-deal Brexit would destroy that opportunity and much more. It will inflict serious and - in some cases mortal - damage on UK food and drink. Prices will rise, there will be significant shortages of some products, and disruption for shoppers and consumers will be far reaching.
“We urge the new prime minister and government to work with us to deliver a withdrawal agreement that guarantees the closest possible trade and regulatory relationship with our nearest neighbours so UK food and drink can flourish.”
Meanwhile Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, called on Johnson to finally tackle the broken business rates system.
“We congratulate Boris Johnson on becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of the United Kingdom. There are many pressing issues in retail and the wider economy, such as rising costs and weakening consumer demand, and we look forward to engaging with Mr Johnson and his team to promote constructive solutions to these issues.
“Retailers employ three million people across the UK, making the industry the UK’s largest private sector employer, and the burden of business rates and other public policy costs put these jobs and our high streets at risk. With retail conditions the toughest they have been for a decade, the new prime minister must act to support the successful reinvention of retail locations and local communities. We hope the new government will commit to a full review of the broken business rate system and to collaborate with the BRC on a strategy to bolster the retail industry during this time of rapid change.”
NFU president Minette Batters congratulated Johnson on his election but said ensuring an orderly departure, including free and frictionless trade with the EU, was now crucial
“Leaving the EU with a trade deal is vital to allow farm businesses and Britain’s food producers to have a viable and sustainable future ,” she said.
“Johnson has an opportunity to develop a new agricultural policy that works for Britain by creating a sustainable, vibrant and competitive future for our farming sector.
“We need to see policies that allow farm businesses to innovate, that help farmers rise to the challenge of tackling climate change, that enable farms access to the workers that pick, pack and grade our fruit, veg and flowers, and crucially an Agriculture Bill that is fit for purpose for the rising challenges of food production.
“I look forward to working with the incoming prime minister and his government to ensure we can achieve this and that British farming is recognised as strategically important for the nation.”
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