The deficit in Britain: the Brits are stocking up before Brexit

the British are afraid of the shortage of commodities and not very necessary – the shelves will be lost, everything from bottled water, pasta, rice, dried fruits, grains, tea, flour, toilet paper and wine to washing powder and baby diapers.

This is not a complete list of what is stored or suggest to stock up on the participants in various Internet forums in case of hard Brexit. Growing and growing with each successive deposition of the release date of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

supply Disruptions and temporary shortages of products it will, experts say, because the British are more its food imported from abroad, particularly from other EU countries.

"Almost 40% of the products that feed on the British have to import, says Chris Elliott, the founder of the Institute for global food security at Queen's University Belfast. For comparison, two decades ago the share of imports in the diet of Britons did not exceed 25%. About one third of all food consumed in the UK are imported from EU countries".

That is the British increasingly dependent on others to feed themselves, noted expert on food safety.

Intolerance of uncertainty

it's been three and a half years after the fateful for Britain a referendum on leaving the EU - and the who's "membership and now there is": and society in General and political class in particular covered by a syndrome that can be defined as fatigue Brexit.

Its symptoms? Or uncontrolled irritation, or blurred eyes languishing depressed indifference. The uncertainty is tiring, draining the psyche, annoying and contributes to the spread of aggression, psychologists say.

And business leaders, in addition, that depend on supplies from Europe indicate economic means uncertainty, which leads tangible losses from unsigned contracts and unconcluded agreements.

by far the most serious count of the losses of the British economy as a result of rupture of many decades of EU membership, which the government has made an authoritative Institute of fiscal studies showed that at any variant of Brexit - or by contract, soft, or without an agreement, hard UK after 15 years will be poorer than if it remained part of the European Union.

the Long goodbye

Split British society as a whole seeks certainty: even opponents of Brexit say they would prefer to leave this process behind us and forgotten as a nightmare, on the three and a half years of confusion, confrontation, crowd under different flags and tumultuous passions.

They say, based on the numbers of economists, why leave the EU if the country was better, and British membership is more profitable? But the so-called pexider on this object that is ready to go to economic deprivation - just as quickly as possible to throw off the fetters of political dependence on bureaucrats in Brussels. They say, poor, but free.

But here there is complete uncertainty as a way out of the EU, and actually that, will it take place before 31 January 2020. Failure to provide pexit is the basis for the second time of the referendum, General elections and attempts to restart the Parliament.

(part of the Pro-European parties - the Welsh plaid Cymru, liberal Democrats and greens - have formed the Alliance in the elections for the EU. That is, will be to nominate and support on districts of a single Pro-European candidate)

a False start number ...

in the meantime, an election campaign in the minds of ordinary British people is an internal struggle of a different kind: what to stock up on in case of food shortages - apocalyptic scenario of empty shelves that scare consumers interested in panic buying organizations and seekers of business ideas or fish in "troubled waters" political uncertainty and mass confusion.

Even when approaching the first deadline possible hard Brexit - 31 March 2019 was created in a Facebook group, mainly of those who voted against leaving the EU, which amounted to a list of products that you need to stock up for the inevitable supply disruptions. The name of the group - 48% are Preppers. That's the number of participants in the referendum of June 23, 2016 voted to remain part of the EU.

went to the Essentials and those products which can long be stored. Fresh produce will rise, experts say, but a salad or a fish not to prepare in advance.

A recent survey commissioned by the Association of wholesale trade showed that every fifth Briton spent an average of 380 pounds (about $ 500) to buy food for stock. In General, such purchases cumulatively estimated at 4 billion pounds (more than $ 5.1 billion), recently wrote to the Guardian newspaper, edition of which tended against broksita.

the Word "B"

after Analyzing the lists of products that often appear in Brexit forum posts, Mumsnet, the researchers found 700 items, of which the following are popular:

    • pasta
      • toilet paper
        • figure
          • pasteurized milkthe
            • canned tomatoes
              • beans
                • canned Fish (tuna)
                  • flour
                    • tea
                      • coffee
                        • medicine
                          • yeast
                            • cereals
                              • bottled water
                                • wine


                                of Course, this is in addition to the other things moms need such as their favorite kids baby food or diapers.

                                A savvy businessman from the city of Leeds James Blake saw in panic countrymen a good business idea. He began selling so-called Brexit Box - sets required for 30 days, which includes meals in the form of disposable portions, a filter for drinking water and fire.

                                Breaksit box creatively reinvents the idea of the baby box, but with the important difference that if the set for the baby will definitely come in handy all the freshly baked parents, brekbit-box plays a role as a sedative for those prone to panic.

                                Government speakers at all levels assure that any supply disruptions in the case of rigid Brexit will be short-lived and intangible, but these are the same officials who have repeatedly assured that by 31 October in the UK out of the EU - whatever you say!

                                Therefore grown wise experience, the British are coming in the second General election to bring brickset (or cancel!) and at least some of them holding food for a rainy day, or a day of freedom from the dictates of the EU, depending on the camp to which they belong.

                                Because of pexit you're for or against, and a family to feed everyone.

                                Irena Taranyuk

                                BBC News Ukraine, London