Sir, – My small business employs nine staff who can see how wonderful an oven ready Brexit deal this truly is.
Before Brexit when sending goods to the EU it took less than a minute to copy and paste a customer’s address, phone number and email into our shipper software.
Now it takes 12 mins as we have to supply EORI numbers, commodity codes, the product number, the brand, the colour, a description, the individual weight and cost.
If we are sending two parcels to the same customer this now takes 24 mins as you have to do all of the above for each parcel.
I send approx 20 to 30 parcels to the EU daily.
Customers at the other end will now have to pay VAT and a Customs Import Tax.
This makes us less competitive and we have seen a drop in EU sales already.
Why order from the UK when you can get the same product for less locally without any paperwork.
We have worked out four staff will have to go.
I can see many businesses new and old heading for Northern Ireland.
Rod Selbie.
Silver Birch Drive,
Dundee.
Race to the bottom on food standards
Sir, – The UK Government over the last week has rushed through actions they would like to take that have worrying implications.
First they have allowed the use of neonicotinoids to be used in insecticides.
It is known to kill honey bees; a major pollinator of crops on our farms and in our gardens.
Secondly they are starting consultation on the genetic modification of crops.
Both of these practices are banned in Europe because they were deemed to be unsafe.
Now that we are “free” from the EU regulations the government has shown the direction of travel it wishes to take.
We should be very concerned about a race to the bottom in terms of food standards, animal welfare and our health.
The dismantling of EU standards are in order for the government to strike trade deals with countries, for instance the USA, that have lower food standards than those of the EU, those we now seem to be abandoning.
Chlorinated chicken anyone?
Brian Batson.
Lour Road, Forfar.
Covid cash is not for NHS staff bonuses
Sir, – Reading that the NHS bonus is coming from the Westminster Covid grants, shows what kind of dirty politics is being played by the first minister and the SNP.
These grants are for people that need support due to the fact they have lost their job and for businesses going down the drain due to the multiple lockdowns.
These grants should not be used for “grand gestures”, and trying to win votes, much as all frontline workers deserve a bonus.
On top of this, the FM politicises that no income tax should be paid from this bonus, where she very well knows that this ends up in the Scottish Governemental coffers, and not in Westminster.
These actions show the real face of the SNP and the first finister.
Mrs Maaike Cook.
Cash Feus,
Strathmiglo.
Put a ring of steel round the over-70s
Sir,- Did the Chief Medical Officer of England let slip an important Covid virus detail last week when he suggested that when all the over 80s and healthcare staff are vaccinated hospital admissions from the virus will drop by 88%.
They know which category of patients are overwhelming the NHS hospitals.
So why have the politicians not targeted putting a ring of steel around the over-70s until they are vaccinated rather than the blanket lockdown that does not seem to be stopping the rise in new infections?
Eric Gibbons.
Coldingham Place,
Dunfermline.
Is an untruth the same as a lie?
Sir, – Former first minister Alex Salmond says that Nicola Sturgeon gave untrue accounts to the Scottish Parliament.
Is that the same as lying?
Ronald James MBE.
Kirriemuir, Angus.
