Remainer hopes rise as Johnson seems doomed

The media has its cocks in a hoop over the internal collapse of confidence in Johnson, of course, and we might expect to see Remainerish themes re-emerging in any leadership contest. One such might be a vintage kite in the ever-ready Graudian:

UK food exports to EU fell 19% in 15 months after Brexit, show figures

The £2.4bn fall driven by decline in exports of perishable goods due to red tape and costs

The fall was driven by a decline in exports of perishable goods, from British strawberries to cheese.

My God -- we export British strawberries? No wonder there are shortages in Islington when Winbledon is on [see blogs passim]!

The value of food exports to the EU dropped by £2.4bn in the first 15 months after Brexit, according to analysis of HMRC data...Data tracking exports since 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition year ended, show UK food exports dropped by 19% to £10.4bn in the 15 months to 31 March 2022..This was down from £12.8bn in the previous 15 months, according to the review of the detailed commodity data by Hazlewoods chartered accountancy firm.

I am sure everyone now knows that those 19 months were also months of other serious interruptions to trade, but maybe some people are still likely to  fall for it. However, even el GHraubn comes clean as early as the second para:

However, overall exports, which were hit by the double whammy of Brexit red tape as well as decreased demand in hospitality due to the pandemic in 2021, recovered in the first three months of this year, the figures show....

There might be bad news for Remainers too: 

HMRC official commentary on the first three months of data indicates that exporters are adapting their operations to the new barriers.

And

In the first three months of 2022, exports to the Republic of Ireland jumped by 67% while exports to France rose by 28.5% and the Netherlands 40%....The increase in export to the Netherlands and Ireland could be linked to the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine, with a 50% month-on-month jump in March in exports of mineral fuels to those countries... up £548m (to more than double the value) and £435m (to more than three times the value) respectively.”