A Tory MP has sparked amusement after going on a trip to assess post-Brexit lorry congestion, but ending up stepping in a human poo on a lay-by.
Huw Merriman, who is the chairman for the Select Committee on Transport, went on a “fact-finding mission to assess the lack of parking provision for lorries in Kent,” according to Kent Online.
But when the minibus with MPs pulled into a lay-by and Merriman stepped off the vehicle, he discovered he was standing on something softer than concrete.
According to the local publication, this told the Conservative everything he needed to know about the lack of parking and facilities for lorries and their drivers.
As if his experience wasn’t unsettling enough, Merriman faced some merciless comments about the event.
Writer James Felton joked: “2016: Brexit will improve your lives.
“2022: Someone did a poo in a lay-by and I trod in the poo”.
And comedian Sooz Kempner added: “Look, I really liked the idea of £350m extra for the NHS but I have to say, I do also enjoy MPs treading in human shit like something that political cartoonist from The Day Today would turn down as ‘too on the nose’.”
It comes as new Brexit regulations came in this month, causing queues which could be seen from space.
But the Port of Dover argued last week that huge lorry queues on the roads around Dover shouldn’t be blamed on Brexit – despite suggestions the traffic was so bad that it could be seen from space.
Drivers expressed fury at the delays, describing the situation as “absolute carnage” and blaming a cocktail of delays to Brexit checks and cumbersome Covid paperwork.
Port chiefs have urged the UK government to hold talks with the EU about easing further checks set to come in later this year, amid fears they could have a “disastrous” impact on trade.
One haulier told The Independent that he had been stuck in queues up to nine miles long since full customs controls came into force at the beginning of January. “It’s entirely Brexit – you can’t blame it on anything else but Brexit,” said the driver.
Highways England admitted that high volumes of traffic had led to queues last week, but some drivers were baffled as to why the week was so bad considering that Brexit checks have been in place for more than a year – and that, according to reports, January is a quieter month for trade.
Satellite images taken earlier this month show enormous tailbacks of lorries lining roads around the port.
The images were heavile discussed as new customs controls were introduced on goods imported into the UK at the start of January.
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