A ‘hard Brexit’ would put food supplies in the UK at risk, British supermarket bosses and farmers claim, emphasising that migrant workers and tariff-free access to the Single Market are vital for the grocery industry as 75 percent of exports go to the EU.
The group, which collectively represents businesses with a turnover of £92 billion and employs over 925,000 people in the UK, addressed its concerns in a letter to The Times. A total of four farmers’ unions and 71 businesses signed it.
“The sector needs access to EU and non-EU seasonal and permanent labour, alongside assurances that EU workers already working permanently in the UK are allowed to remain,” the letter added. “This access to labour is essential as it underpins the UK food chain’s timely delivery of high-quality, affordable food to consumers.”
