100 days until Brexit yet uncertainty remains of impact on Kent
Published: 00:01, 19 December 2018
There are just 100 days until the UK leaves the European Union but uncertainty remains over how Kent could be affected if Britain leaves with no deal.
The government itself remains uncertain about the impact of crashing out under a no-deal Brexit scenario on March 29 next year.
It has been revealed its contingency plans will involve placing 3,500 troops on standby to deal with any emergency triggered by Brexit.
In other key developments:
- The government is to double the money available to departments planning for a worst case Brexit to £2bn
- Kent County Council has warned that household rubbish could go uncollected, schools could be shut and funerals may not take place should Operation Brock be implemented
- Longer customs checks could lead to “Armageddon” at the Port of Dover according to one company that clears HGVs to travel in non-EU states
- Disruption to Kent’s road network could become routine with up to 10,000 lorries needing to be parked up
- Hauliers have been warned that there will not be enough permits available to allow companies to continue to operate in the EU without checks
- Meanwhile, MPs have warned that the government's fixation on Brexit is affecting the domestic policy agenda.
Six chairmen of all-party select committees have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister raising exactly this issue.
The letter points out that long-drawn-out arguments over Brexit are having a “serious detrimental effect” on wider domestic policy.
The MPs include the Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins in his capacity as the chairman of the all-party select committee on culture, sport and the media.
They said: “Rather than continuing to drag out the Brexit process for months more, we must bring it to a close if we are to prevent serious damage to our country.”
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Paul Francis