Post-Brexit Red Tape Delays Goods and Increases Costs
- M&S Food boss criticizes slow trade with Ireland post-Brexit
- 200 documents required for a single lorry
- Latin name of chicken in sandwiches mentioned
- £1m annual cost due to bureaucracy and food waste
- Calls for UK government Veterinary deal with EU
Mark & Spencer (M&S) Food managing director Alex Freudmann has criticized the slow movement of goods across the Irish Sea, five years after Brexit. He revealed that shipments to Ireland are now delayed by Brexit-related red tape, with a single lorry requiring over 200 documents, including obscure details such as the Latin name of a chicken used in a sandwich. M&S operates 39 stores and employs over 4,000 staff across Ireland and Northern Ireland but faces major disruption, with certain products like sausages and specific sandwiches no longer permitted to travel from the UK. Freudmann also criticized the requirement for thousands of Export Health Certificates signed by vets, which cost the business around £1m annually and contribute to food waste and product shortages. He urged the UK government to agree a Veterinary deal with the EU to cut bureaucracy and cost hampering trade, stating that current rules are not designed for modern supermarkets shipping thousands of individual products daily across the Irish Sea. M&S stands ready to support the government in negotiations.
Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the challenges faced by M&S Food managing director Alex Freudmann due to Brexit-related red tape and highlights specific issues such as the number of documents required for cross-border deliveries. It also includes his call for a government-led Veterinary agreement with the EU to reduce bureaucracy in the Irish food supply chain. However, it does not include any irrelevant or misleading information, sensationalism, redundancy, opinion masquerading as fact, invalid arguments, logical errors, inconsistencies, or fallacies.
Noise Level: 4
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about the challenges faced by M&S Food due to Brexit-related red tape and highlights the need for a government-led Veterinary agreement with the EU to reduce bureaucracy in the Irish food supply chain. It also includes a call to action from Alex Freudmann, which adds value to the discussion. However, it briefly mentions cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op, and Harrods without providing much context or evidence, making it slightly irrelevant to the main topic.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Yes
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the financial impact of Brexit on M&S Food’s operations and the additional costs incurred due to red tape and bureaucracy, which affects their supply chain and business operations. It also mentions the disruption caused by Brexit-related requirements such as Export Health Certificates, leading to food waste and product shortages. This impacts financial markets as it highlights the challenges faced by companies after Brexit and the potential need for a government-led Veterinary agreement with the EU.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text and it does not meet the criteria of an extreme event happening in the last 48 hours.
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