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Fishing businesses, language schools and even zoo breeding programmes are paying the price of Brexit, MPs have warned during a debate on whether Britain should seek to rejoin the European Union.
Three Devon MPs highlighted the effects they said leaving the EU had brought to their constituencies, with concerns ranging from exporters struggling with paperwork to difficulties moving animals between zoos.
South Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden backed the possibility of returning as a full EU member, while Exeter Labour MP Steve Race and Newton Abbot Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley raised specific local problems.
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The debate followed a petition calling for the UK to apply to rejoin the EU, which attracted 111,687 signatures.
Ms Voaden thanked the 319 South Devon residents who signed it, saying they had put the constituency among the ten with the most signatures.
“It is time that we all recognise that Brexit has catastrophically failed to deliver what was promised,” she said.
She argued that additional costs and bureaucracy had placed particular pressure on the area’s fishing and farming industries.
“What Brexiteers did not explain was the cost to businesses trading with Europe, the mountain of additional paperwork and the crippling red tape that has pushed South Devon’s fishers, shellfish exporters and farmers to the brink.”
However, Ms Voaden said she did not blame those who voted to leave.
“Let me be clear: I will never blame anyone for voting leave. I understand why they did,” she said.
“They were promised higher living standards, control over our borders and freedom from laws imposed by Brussels. But those promises were misleading.”
The former member of the European Parliament also argued that Britain had helped shape EU legislation, rather than simply having rules imposed on it.
She called for a growth and security partnership covering shared challenges including immigration, defence and climate change.
“It is time to move beyond the politics of grievance and focus on the art of the possible,” she said.
“For me, that means the possibility of rejoining the EU as a full and active member.”
Mr Race told the debate that Exeter businesses and English language schools had suffered.
“In my Exeter constituency, we were heavily reliant on exports to the EU. Many businesses have simply stopped exporting or shut up shop completely,” he said.
“English language schools have also really struggled. We were a centre for English language schools, which bring children and young people from across Europe to Exeter to learn the English language. That is drying up quite significantly.”
He also raised concerns about the UK’s withdrawal from the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, saying air ambulances faced challenges and delays in their missions.
“This issue is not just economic; it is social and affects the way our society is organised,” he said, asking whether some problems could be addressed at the forthcoming UK-EU summit.
Mr Wrigley highlighted a different concern after visiting Shaldon zoo in his constituency.
“We have heard about the impact on small businesses and, indeed, on bands, but there is a side impact on zoos,” he said.
“The loss of the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement means that we cannot move breeding animals from zoo to zoo, so we are losing species because of Brexit as well.”
Responding for the Government, Mark Ferguson said ministers wanted a stronger relationship with the EU and would set out options for the long-term relationship around the summit on November 20.
He said a planned food and agriculture agreement would make trade cheaper and easier, while a proposed youth experience scheme would create opportunities to travel, work and study abroad.
Conservative spokesman Mike Wood opposed the petition, arguing that rejoining would involve a lengthy accession process and that Britain should use its independence to reduce bureaucracy and expand trade.
The debate ended with MPs agreeing that they had considered the petition.
It did not approve an application to rejoin the EU.
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