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Delays at Dover could cost freight companies half a billion pounds if Brexit fails, says Labour.

The party fears that scenario risks grinding the South East to a halt and harming British business.

Its warning comes as new analysis by Labour reveals that the number of lorries set to pass through the Port of Dover will increase by more than a third by 2022 to 3.6 million a year.

Daily traffic of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) through the Port is predicted to hit 9,856 that year.

This is the equivalent of a 104-mile queue of lorries, nearly the entire length of the M25.
Trucks travelling through Dover are currently processed in around two minutes.

However, lorries could face delays of 45 minutes at the border if the UK crashes out of the European Union without an agreement, the party fears.

These delays could cost freight companies alone nearly half a billion pound each year (£495m) by the end of the Parliament. However, the wider economic cost would likely be far higher.

Two leading members of the party, Keir Starmer and Andy McDonald, visited the Dover Eastern Docks area on Thursday. Jan 25

Ironically it happened on a day that lorries were queued up on the A20 going into the docks, and parked en masse inside, because of a blockade at Calais by French fisherman.

Mr Starmer, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, visited the Port of Dover last Thursday.

He said: “It’s essential that any post-Brexit deal with the European Union is good for the Port of Dover.

“That means an agreement which maintains frictionless trade and the swift transportation of goods between the UK and our European neighbours.

“However, Theresa May’s reckless red lines have hindered the negotiations at every twist-and-turn and increased the likelihood that no agreement will be reached.

“Labour has been clear that if in government we would seek to negotiate a final deal that retained the benefits of the single market and the customs union.

"Options for achieving this should not be swept off the table.”

Mr McDonald, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary who added: “If the Tories allow the Brexit talks to fail then the consequences for the Port of Dover would be absolutely devastating.

“A failed Tory Brexit would bring the south-east of England to a halt, with miles of gridlock causing daily disruption for businesses, commuters and holiday-makers.

“And yet ministers have provided no assurances that they understand the scale of the risk facing the Port or any workable solution for what happens after we have left the European Union.

“It’s time the Government rethought its reckless approach to the Brexit negotiations and started putting jobs and the economy first.”

But after their visit Dover MP Charlie Elphicke accused the party of undermining Brexit.

He said: “Yet again it’s all Project Fear from Labour.

“They don’t believe in Britain’s future and talk us down at every turn.

“Everyone knows Labour are doing all they can to undermine the Brexit process – so they can drag us back into the EU.

“People in Dover will not appreciate Sir Keir Starmer coming grandly down from London to patronise us.

"It’s clear he wants to keep uncontrolled EU immigration too - which everyone here wants to end.

“We’ve been setting out detailed plans to make Brexit work with a positive vision for the future of our nation. Labour have nothing positive to offer.

They are just doomsters who are hoping it all goes wrong.”

For the full story with lorry movement statistics see this Wednesday's Dover Mercury.