What Brexit chaos? Just three lorries turned away at border
ONLY three lorries were turned away at the Kent border on New Year’s Day, making a mockery of dire predictions of chaos at the ports.
Ministers were given the figure at a Cobra meeting chaired by Cabinet Minister Michael Gove on Friday evening.
The three trucks arrived at Dover without the correct paperwork to leave for Europe, but the problem was ‘quickly resolved’. All three were fined.
Last night, a Government source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘People thought there would be disruption, but that has not come to pass. It is good that things are flowing smoothly.’
The briefing is understood to have been delivered by Emma Churchill, director-general of the Border Delivery Group.
‘The report was very good,’ added the source. ‘You probably find three lorries get turned away every day. There is nothing new about that at all.’ Hauliers require new paperwork as part of Britain’s revised trading relationship with the EU. Before the end of the transition period, the Government said that those without the correct documents would be stopped, prompting the Road Haulage Association to warn of ‘teething problems’.
The source said those present at the Cobra briefing had greeted the news with a sense of ‘relief’ but that some disruption at the border is still expected tomorrow when business returns more fully after the festive break. Many hauliers and businesses rearranged their plans to avoid the first days of January, so comparatively few consignments of goods arrived over the weekend.
Britain struck the deal with Brussels on Christmas Eve. Last Wednesday, Parliament overwhelmingly backed it, with MPs voting by 521 to 73 after five hours of debate.
Boris Johnson vowed to ‘keep Brexit done’ – a reference to fears Labour might try to ‘rewrite’ the deal if the party gets into office.
Last week, it emerged that Britain has already agreed trade deals with 62 countries worth about £885billion – with more to follow.
One Minister said: ‘Now it’s all about trade deals – knocking them out left, right and centre.’