Ministers are being warned that gaps in their Brexit preparations risk causing severe disruptions to the supply lines at the UK’s borders when the transition period ends in less than four months time. Eight organisations, including the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Logistics UK, say the supply chain will be seriously impacted if concerns such as a lack of funds to train customs officials aren’t addressed before December 31. Rod McKenzie, the Policy Director at RHA, told BBC News about the significant gaps that are threatening the UK’s post-EU stability.
He said: “We are heading for a shambles.
“It is a real case of the Government sleepwalking to a disaster with the border preparations that we have, whether it’s a deal or no deal at the end of December.
“The reason is that there’s an awful lot of different and apparently contradictory IT systems.
“We’re not clear whether they work because they’re new and untested, and we’re not clear whether they talk to each other.”
READ MORE: Abbott slams ‘delusional’ Brexiteer claim UK can tackle crisis out EU
Mr McKenzie continued: “So what that really means in real terms is that the supply chains on which we all depend to get the things we need could be disrupted.
“There is a lack of Government focus and action of this.
“We are calling on the Government to act now before it’s too late.”
Haulage bosses are calling for an “urgent” meeting with Cabinet ministers and have written to Michael Gove.
The Government said it had plans to ensure the country is ready for the changes.
“They’re not clear what they have to do so there’s a lack of clarity.
“The dangers are enormous in terms of our trade.
“When we’re trying to emerge from the crisis of COVID, if we then plunge straight into a Brexit-related crisis, that will be a really difficult moment.”
Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Shapps however dismissed the concerns, saying: “You will have noticed that through these last, very difficult six months where supply chains have been under record, enormous pressure, not once have we ended up running out of medicines.
“And though there was a run on toilet rolls and pasta and the like, there were never actually shortages.
“We’ve kept the supply chains going and I’m absolutely confident we’ll keep doing that in the future going forward.”
