Sincere question, how are things with regards to Brexit now ?

[steve2470]

I used to have a friend in the UK (via the internet), but she consistently downplayed the effects and just said it was harder, temporarily, to get supplies. My guess is, while I knew her, that she became a Tory pro-Brexit person.

How are things ? Worse than expected, worse yet to come, or about the same as expected ? Thank you in advance, and I hope things get better (including maybe repealing Brexit in the future ? )

Steve

[Celerity]

1. Post-Brexit Guide: Five years since UK vote, where are we now - and how did we get here?

This is a revised version of an article originally published in the run-up to the UK's departure from the EU. It is still regularly updated as events unfold.

https://www.euronews.com/2021/06/23/brexit-draft-deal-first-of-many-hurdles-to-a-smooth-exit



snip

[steve2470]

2. thanks ! nt

[Celerity]

3. yw!

[T_i_B]

4. Worse than I expected

And I campaigned for "Stronger In" back in 2016!

It's had a very negative impact on my work with the massive increase in red tape.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. It's been likened to a slow puncture - gradually getting worse

but many haven't noticed, or are determined not to. Covid has had many economic effects, of course, and Brexiteers can use it as an excuse.

I follow this blog, by an academic, that does a good weekly job of analysing the Brexit news: https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/

We also know that the Road Haulage Association estimates that the UK is in need of up to 100,000 HGV drivers, which is one of the key causes of the supply difficulties. This in turn is part of a wider shortage of labour in all parts of the economy, from farming through to retail and hospitality, as well as in social care and many other sectors. Overall, it doesn’t seem hyperbolic to say that there is now a supply crisis which is likely to worsen, and if that were to lead to widespread panic buying that could lead to a political crisis.
...
As regards the HGV driver shortage specifically, the government response is instructive. Back in June ministers dismissed industry concerns as “crying wolf”, implying it was all more Project Fear. Now that the realities are undeniable and facing calls to grant temporary work visas for EU drivers, a spokesperson said:

“The British people repeatedly voted to end free movement and take back control of our immigration system and employers should invest in our domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad.”

So the government itself is explicitly tying driver, and hence in part supply, shortages to the delivery of Brexit: it is, so to speak, ‘the will of the people’. Yet it is an odd statement. For one thing, there has never been a vote on the issue of free movement, per se. Moreover, the government are not being asked to re-instate freedom of movement but, precisely, to exert control over the immigration system. Control does not necessarily mean restriction.

https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2021/08/post-brexit-britain-cant-be-realistic.html

[T_i_B]

6. With regard to HGV drivers

The issues behind this have been known for a while. HGV driving is an ageing profession, lots of drivers nearing retirement with very few young people training to drive HGV''s. This has been the case for a few years now, and use of immigrant labour has been the obvious short term solution to a long term problem.

Leaving the EU has removed that solution. And the government has given this problem no consideration whatsoever, so an opportunity to do something positive to sort this problem is being squandered.

Other than rejoining the EU, the government really needs to reclassify HGV as skilled labour (which it most definitely is, even if it's not appreciated as such by most) and offer free HGV driver training. At present it's expensive to train as a HGV driver, and there are better paid jobs with more sociable hours out there where you don't have to pay so much to train for.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Not great

Because we have both Brexit *and* Covid restrictions, not to mention a very incompetent goverment, it's hard to say what is the biggest cause in any individual situation, But certainly we are suffering from shortages;delivery delays; huge lorry queues; etc. Even worse than I expected, and I said from the beginning that we had become the first country to impose economic sanctions on itself.