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Suella Braverman, you’ve been schooled. The Home Secretary hardly covered herself in glory on Sunday, after she claimed that Brexit ‘is not at fault’ for the abject travel chaos witnessed at the Port of Dover this weekend.
Delays of up to 12 hours have been reported by some travellers, who have been brought to an unceremonious halt near the EU border. An increase in traffic compared to this point last year and adverse weather conditions have been cited as troublesome factors.
However, senior port authorities and independent travel experts are all placing the blame squarely on Brexit. Simon Calder, one of the industry’s leading voices on the matter, has unequivocally stated that Britain’s departure from the EU has resulted in more stringent passport checks.
It means that coach loads of holidaymakers are having to undergo more strenuous scrutiny, as they attempt to reach the European mainland. This is the first year since Brexit’s official ratification – and the onset of COVID-19 – that travel numbers have returned to normal.
Clearly these new rules and regulations, inflicted upon the UK, BY the UK, are the main cause of this misery. And yet, Suella Braverman continues to reject the consensus. Speaking on Sunday, the controversial politician put up a rather feeble case for the defence:
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that this is an adverse impact of Brexit. I think we’ve had many years out of the European Union, on the whole we’ve had good operations at the border. But yes, when there are times of acute pressure, I urge everyone to be a bit patient.” | Suella Braverman
Not only was Braverman’s statement incredibly condescending – but it is pretty much the exact opposition of what Dover Port CEO Doug Bannister has told the media. Indeed, the man with the most intimate knowledge of the situation pulled no punches in his assessment.
Take note, Suella…
“The difference of being in a post-Brexit environment means every passport must be checked before an individual can cross the border between here and France. It does make processing more challenging, and we are busier this year than we were in 2022.” | Doug Bannister
