IT is difficult not to wonder, from time to time, if there might be a significant number of Brexiters out there who can see the pervasive effects of their folly but just cannot bring themselves to say they do.

What is clear is there is a large section of the Brexit support out there which becomes irked, to put it mildly, if anyone even dares mention the specifics of the damage they have done, or for that matter the overall scale of the problem.

In this context, there has been plenty for such Brexit supporters to become annoyed about as they continue to deny reality. Business organisations and industry bodies have, quite rightly, kept banging the drum about the myriad Brexit effects which have laid companies low. These effects are weighing heavily on the economy, and by extension living standards, and they will continue to do so.

Economic surveys continue to highlight the troubles triggered by Brexit, including skills and labour shortages, a major dampening impact on exports, supply-chain woes, and an exacerbation of the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

Nearly six years on from the lamentable Leave vote, the problems stemming from Brexit can, it seems, be seen just about everywhere.

As people start to go abroad again in greater numbers to short-haul destinations, travellers from the UK are already experiencing long passport queues at European airports arising from the Johnson administration’s Brexit. Some Brexiters, incredibly, blame those in charge of passport control in the countries to which they are travelling – claiming these people are being “awkward”. As with so much of what you hear from the Brexiters, it is beyond parody.

In the corporate world, Brexit is obviously, and entirely justifiably, flagged ubiquitously as presenting a major challenge as businesses attempt to recover from the grim economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic.

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It was notable that the new human resources director of Edinburgh-based Apex Hotels chose to flag the difficulties presented by Brexit as her appointment was announced by the family-owned business last week. Kerry Draper, who has held roles with Virgin, British Gas and Carlsberg, highlighted the continuing challenges arising from Brexit for staff recruitment and retention for the hospitality sector as she took up her role.

She said: “There’s no denying that the industry as a whole is still facing challenges in recruitment and retention as a result of Covid and Brexit, and one of my key focus areas will be to cement Apex’s position as an outstanding employer of choice within the hospitality industry.”

Ms Draper did acknowledge she is “fortunate to be able to build on a solid foundation”.

However, her highlighting of Brexit as a key issue for the company is just one of many examples of businesses of all sizes, across a raft of sectors, citing the UK’s departure from the European Union as a major challenge. The Brexiters might, if they cared to pay attention, notice the dearth of businesses citing positives from leaving the EU. This is not surprising, given there appear to be none.

Of course, hospitality is a sector that has been among those hit hardest by skills and labour shortages arising from Brexit.

Scottish hotelier Paddy Crerar declared in February that the UK had “been placed in an impossible situation by what seemed to be a xenophobic drive” to take the country out of the EU and “deny access to a much-needed labour force”.

The industry veteran, who founded and chairs Crerar Hotels, told The Herald: “I find myself more furious by the day on how predictably short-sighted it was for those who chose to ignore simple obvious facts and the inescapable consequences of the ‘get Brexit done’ decision to halt migration.

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“There never was a position, certainly in Scotland, where EU workers were taking jobs or undercutting the wages of the indigenous UK labour pool. The fact was, and remains, that we simply don’t have enough people in our country for the work that needs done without immigration. The UK Government stance on pushing encouragement for unemployed [people] to relocate ‘where the work is’ is child-like in its simplicity – seeking families and communities to abandon what little they may have in their home environment without any sort of provision to support them to do so is wasted words given only as sound bites.”

Apex Hotels, which is owned by the Springford family, this month unveiled pre-tax losses of £16.4m for the year to April 30, 2021, a period dominated by restrictions and closures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The business, which has 10 hotels and 920 staff, had made a profit of £7m in the prior 12 months.

Crerar Hotels’ turnover dropped to £5.49m in the year to March 27, 2021, from £15.5m in the prior financial year, and its pre-tax losses widened from £1.917m to £2.425m, after £2.595m of support through government grants and the UK taxpayer-backed coronavirus job retention scheme.

Both Apex and Crerar have taken major decisions as they endeavour to position themselves optimally as we emerge from the pandemic and international travel returns.

They require support, not challenges. And they certainly do not need obstacles created by the ideology of the Boris Johnson administration.

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Mr Crerar said: “Those standing with puffed chests about ‘getting Brexit done’ have yet to say or show how the UK might benefit. Their infuriating chants are classic ‘bruhaha’ distraction tactics to mask the obvious damage that has been caused and continues to be caused to business in the UK, particularly Scotland – and, more specifically, hospitality.”

The Johnson Cabinet members are in their positions because the peddling of Brexit ideology whipped up major support from Leave-minded voters and triggered a big Conservative majority at the December 2019 general election.

These senior Tory ministers continue to appear not to care a jot about the evidence that mounts by the day of the ill effects of their folly.

Some Leavers, as noted previously, meanwhile appear irked by anything that upsets their topsy-turvy view of the world.

However, you would think large numbers of Leavers should surely be wondering what they have done, as the benefits they were promised remain entirely elusive and the pervasive effects of the Brexit folly become plainer by the day.