Scottish smoked salmon producer hits out at Brexit after 'barrage of useless information'

An Aberdeenshire company that exports salmon has drafted a letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Alok Sharma, claiming that the government has given a ‘barrage of useless information’ in the run up to Brexit.

John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd drafted a letter to Mr Sharma which said: “The recent months ave been the hardest since we first opened our doors.

"Not because of the inevitable bureaucracy associated with Brexit, which, I might add, we expected and accepted, but because we have had to endure the government issuing a barrage of useless information, none of which has added any clarity or value to businesses such as ours."

Lorries arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent one week on from the introduction of post-Brexit regulations. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 8, 2021. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit : Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

This letter is in response to correspondence received by the company from the UK Government entitled ‘Are you ready for the new rules for business within the EU’?

John Ross Jr Ltd goes on to explain that their company has been “commended by a number of businesses within our sector for being ahead of the curve" adding: “yet, being ahead of the curve is of no benefit if the Government continually changes the shape of its arc, misinforming business

such as ours along the way.

"As I write, perishable goods that were dispatched from our facility five days ago, headed for France following a process that your department advised, have still not crossed the border.

"This usually takes only 24 hours because they are consolidated with the produce of other companies, which have not been able to follow the correct procedures due to a knowledge gap directly attributable to your department.”

Brexit came into effect on January 1 after the Prime Minister announced a deal with the EU had been reached on Christmas Eve.

John Ross Jr concluded the letter stating that the issues affecting companies that this one need to be addressed immediately.

"You may be celebrating the fact that a ‘deal’ has been done, but the futile nature of the paperwork and the extensive barriers that have been created merely take us back in time, devastating UK businesses along the way.”

UK Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove warned there was likely to be "significant disruption" at borders over coming weeks.

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