Dear John,

Last-ditch crunch talks have ended without breakthrough.

It is unlikely negotiations will continue past Sunday. There is a “strong possibility of a no deal”, according to Downing Street.

The EU has begun preparations for a no deal end to the transition period.

Tesco has warned of food price hikes of up to 5%. But Dominic Raab has said he’s “not concerned”. Despite the major supermarket saying otherwise, Raab claims tariffs won’t mean price hikes.

But the combined impact of red-tape at the border and tariffs of up to 60% on basic food items under the UK Global Tariff regime will mean considerable price increases.

As our Affordable Food Deal report warned, with data from major UK importers, tariff duties will be passed onto the consumer. The on-the-shelf price of foodstuffs will increase in price – by some cases up to a third.

That’s why we have been campaigning since June for an Affordable Food Deal, which keeps food accessible and affordable. Send a message to your MP. Remind them deal or no deal has real consequences for families in their constituency.

There is no capacity in the UK to produce food like pasta. We must import it from Europe, and it will be subject to import taxes without a comprehensive deal. 

Even without tariffs, queues at the border mean spoilage of fresh produce, which means higher costs and lower quality.

Recent research by the Social Market Foundation has shown food poverty is much more common in the UK than some might think.

Nearly a quarter of parents had to rely on a limited range of low-cost items to put food on the table. That’s why even small price increases on staple items could mean people going hungry.

The same research found nearly a fifth of children were regularly not eating enough.

These are disgraceful statistics for a wealthy nation. To exacerbate the situation by slapping tariffs on basic necessities is even more shameful.

Boris Johnson must take action and secure a deal. Any increase in food price will impact those already struggling to make ends meet. Send your message now.

At this point, whether there is a deal or not comes down to political will. If anything should push him to reach a deal, it’s making sure food is accessible and affordable.

It’s not people like Boris Johnson who will be impacted by these price hikes. It’s ordinary families and the most vulnerable people in our society.

Best wishes,

Naomi Smith, 
CEO, Best for Britain