An eel exporter says he would have never voted for Brexit if he had known it would cause him to lose his livelihood.
Speaking on Sky News, Peter Wood – an eel exporter from Gloucester – said “be careful what you wish for”, revealing that a raft of red tape had driven buyers to producers in EU countries.
“We all produce the documentation but unfortunately our customers have also got a raft of documentation to produce to allow the import to go ahead.
“So why buy from the UK? Might as well buy from another producer in France who can deliver to the door no documentation, no problems.”
Asked how he feels about his vote now, he added: “I think be careful what you wish for – I thought we were going to get a global market, this is going to be a new opportunity.
“It hasn’t turned out like that. I’d never have voted for Brexit if I knew we were going to lose our jobs.”
The clip has gone viral on social media, with many – including actor Hugh Grant – highlighting Peter’s predicament as “tragic” and “enraging”. Watch it here.
Related: Johnson’s Brexit deal sends FTSE 100 soaring to nine-month high
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