The Brexit “divorce bill” negotiated by the PM is up to £5 billion higher than the UK government expected, according to “definitive” EU calculations.
It comes as a shocking video shows fresh vegetables discarded in the field because of Brexit and Covid staff shortages.
The European Union’s consolidated annual accounts puts the final figure owed by Britain at €47.5bn (£40.8bn) – significantly up on the UK’s own estimates during talks.
During negotiations the UK government had estimated the cost would be between £35 and £39 billion – as much as £5 billion lower than the more formal figure in the EU accounts.
The first tranche of the payments, totalling €6.8bn (£5.84bn), is due by the end of this year.
Vegetables
As if that wasn’t bad enough Richard Gaisford, Chief Correspondent, Good Morning Britain, tweeted this video and wrote: ‘Watch: Fresh vegetables discarded in the field because of Brexit and Covid staff shortages. This farm in Southern England forced to throw courgettes away this week because it couldn’t get enough staff to sort, pack & ship fresh produce to supermarkets. The storage shed was full.’
Watch: Fresh vegetables discarded in the field because of Brexit and Covid staff shortages. This farm in Southern England forced to throw courgettes away this week because it couldn’t get enough staff to sort, pack & ship fresh produce to supermarkets. The storage shed was full. pic.twitter.com/IG2scajPyC
— Richard Gaisford (@richardgaisford) July 8, 2021
He then followed up writing: “The farm says it does give excess produce to charity via FareShare, but needed to take immediate action because of the extreme pressure of current staff shortages. This at a time when actually getting fresh produce to supermarkets is a challenge, because of a lack of HGV drivers.”
The farm says it does give excess produce to charity via FareShare, but needed to take immediate action because of the extreme pressure of current staff shortages. This at a time when actually getting fresh produce to supermarkets is a challenge, because of a lack of HGV drivers
— Richard Gaisford (@richardgaisford) July 8, 2021
On the brink
Brexit has caused a “massive hole” in the numbers of people coming to the UK to pick fruit in the summer months putting growers “on the brink”, it is claimed.
Numbers of seasonal workers applying to work at one Kent-based company are down 90% in the last two years and there are fears for the future.
Stephen Taylor, managing director of Winterwood Farms Ltd, said the labour market has got “tighter and tighter” over the last couple of years.
He said the impact of Brexit on the flow of workers to UK farms is only getting worse.
A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the Government will “always back our farmers and growers” and ensure producers across the UK have the support and workforce that they need.
Related: UK is ‘on its own’ post-Brexit, former EU chief negotiator says