Travel chaos is ‘the new normal’ after Brexit, British tourists are warned
Long summer queues at the border risk becoming the “new normal” after Brexit, holidaymakers have been warned, as a fierce diplomatic row erupted with France over the lengthy tailbacks affecting Dover.
Both Tory leadership candidates rushed to blame a shortage of French border staff for delays that saw some travellers waiting for hours. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak said the French “need to stop blaming Brexit and start getting the staff required to match demand”. Foreign secretary Liz Truss said she was in touch with her French counterparts, blaming a “lack of resources at the border”.
However, diplomats, French officials and border staff warned that the delays were a result of post-Brexit border arrangements struggling to cope in their first major test since Britain left the EU. It comes after holidaymakers faced extensive queues for a second day at Dover on Saturday, while there was also congestion on several major motorways as families across the country set out on their summer holidays.
New rules require all passports to be checked – a pressure that a series of experts regarded as the biggest factor that could not easily be fixed. Clément Beaune, the French transport minister, said yesterday that he was cooperating with transport secretary Grant Shapps to ease the issues, but added: “France is not responsible for Brexit.”
It follows frustration among Port of Dover executives that the government turned down a £33m bid to help upgrade the port to cope with the additional pressures of Brexit. Instead, it was given just £33,000 in December 2020, equivalent to 0.1% of the initial request. The port warned at the time that the “clock is ticking”. Roger Gough, leader of Kent county council, said: “We are still on a bit of a
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