Lambs to the (Brexit) slaughter

This week, Private Eye have revealed that in the event of no deal Brexit, some 9,000,000 lamb carcasses will have to be disposed of, as the EU would have to levy a tariff of £2,800 a tonne, instantly making UK lambso expensive to EU consumers to make its market disappear.

That many farmers voted for Leave is not lost on me.

But then, Johnson saying the UK is prepared for no deal is clearly laughable.

Preparations on the scale of the foot and mouth epidemic a decade and a half ago, and this is just lamb. But of course lamb is an annual product, so, as said two years ago, each autumn lamb farmers have to decide whether to allow sheep to become pregnant or not, depending on whether they think there is a viable market for lamb. Or not.

Last night in another debate on TV, bit Johnson and Hunt said they would not accept a time limited backstop, or an exit mechanism, they wanted it scrapped. Meaning that the EU will not accept this, so a dash for no deal looks more likely.

Unless they are just saying whatever they think it takes to become PM, then change course once PM, or carry on regardless and despite knowing the damage it would cause the UK.

Over the past week the pound has dived in value, and is now the worst performing major currency over the past 24 hours, week, three months and year. Oh yes, those sunlit uplands. And with this, energy becomes more expensive, as does all imported goods.