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Just spoke to @mrjamesob on @LBC about Brexit readiness and Gove& #39;s letter.
Asked a simple question: why aren& #39;t we ready for something that we knew was coming 4 years ago?
Let me briefly explain
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Asked a simple question: why aren& #39;t we ready for something that we knew was coming 4 years ago?
Let me briefly explain
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In 2016, the day after the referendum, we knew we& #39;re getting a new border.
We didn& #39;t know what that border is going to look like - what kind of relationship the UK and EU will have. That was subject to negotiations (and still is). But we knew we& #39;re getting a border.
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We didn& #39;t know what that border is going to look like - what kind of relationship the UK and EU will have. That was subject to negotiations (and still is). But we knew we& #39;re getting a border.
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And with borders comes friction, additional paperwork and processes.
And that coupled with the volume of trade with the EU was always going to lead to a need for some sort of a traffic management system. Especialy in locations like Kent (volume+speed+lack of space)
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And that coupled with the volume of trade with the EU was always going to lead to a need for some sort of a traffic management system. Especialy in locations like Kent (volume+speed+lack of space)
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This was the one element that was not dependent on the outcome of negotiations.
This was the one element we could have prepared for.
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This was the one element we could have prepared for.
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For clarity, all of the "models" discussed over the last for years: the EEA, Switzerland, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia - literally all of them have a border with the EU.
A border that needs managing.
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A border that needs managing.
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This was really not sometihng we needed to wait with.
And now we& #39;re at a point where the biggest risk is the lack of sufficient guidance and information.
Most of it we& #39;re likely to get in Oct, but not all of it.
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And now we& #39;re at a point where the biggest risk is the lack of sufficient guidance and information.
Most of it we& #39;re likely to get in Oct, but not all of it.
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With the IT systems, authorisations etc we& #39;re likely to have everything we need by late Nov or early Dec which is really not giving ourselves much time.
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If we get through the first few weeks it will be because of a massive effort on the private sector& #39;s side - businesses, hauliers, logistics providers and ports.
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A situation, in my opinion, the private sector should not have been put in in the first place.
They should have had all the required info months ago. And shouldn& #39;t be asked to "sort themselves out"
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They should have had all the required info months ago. And shouldn& #39;t be asked to "sort themselves out"
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