Minister brushes off Brexit checks as ‘price you pay for being sovereign state again’ | EUROtoday

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Health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom has dismissed the considerations of UK small enterprise homeowners relating to elevated prices and checks on the UK/EU border because the “price you pay” for Brexit.

Speaking on the morning media spherical, Ms Leadsom defended the pricey model new system for bodily checks on the border, telling Sky News that “businesses are used to the costs of doing business”, and that they could think about “changing their trading arrangemnets with the EU” to deliver down prices.

Ms Leadsom mentioned: “Leaving the single market was always going to have implications.

“I’ve had many constituency cases over the years of people who have changed their trading arrangements with the European Union as a result of different frictions, whether it’s postal cost changing, whether it’s border control”.

When requested if she was suggesting that companies cease shopping for from Europe, the previous enterprise secretary mentioned: “No, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that businesses need to adapt to meet the changing environment. There are huge opportunities from the rest of the world.”

She added: “Obviously, what some businesses will do is continue to trade with the EU and absorb those costs, and others will choose to find access from elsewhere. But I think the key point is the UK has big opportunities from leaving the EU.”

Her feedback come simply sooner or later after enterprise chiefs warned Rishi Sunak that the brand new checks may considerably cut back the shelf lifetime of recent meals imported to the UK from the EU and will see some suppliers withdraw their enterprise altogether.

The Leave-supporting minister additionally instructed Times Radio that it was lengthy recognized that such a problem would happen on account of Brexit preparations:

“It was very clear in the Brexit discussions a long time ago now, today is the fourth anniversary of leaving the EU, it was very clear that we would be leaving the single market.

“What that does mean is that there is some friction in trade. However, we also have huge trading arrangements with other countries around the world. I think (there are) 70 free trade deals that we have signed up to including being the first European signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership from where, potentially, up to half the world’s growth is going to come in the next few decades.”

She added: “So there is a huge new opportunity for the UK at the same time as continuing to trade, albeit with some friction, which is the price you pay for leaving the single market and for being a sovereign state again.

“For me as a Brexiteer, I am still absolutely convinced that this is the right thing to do.”