Boris Johnson – Boris Johnson insists Irish Sea border commerce is ‘going so smoothly’ – as MPs are advised hauliers are shedding £100,000 per week

As additional proof emerged of how the border is resulting in a rising variety of GB firms not supplying Northern Eire in any respect, the Prime Minister was requested concerning the difficulty at Prime Minister’s Questions.

© Prime minister Boris Johnson celebrates his Brexit take care of the EU on December 24, 2020

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna put it to Mr Johnson that he needs to be straight with the folks of Northern Eire and settle for {that a} border does exist within the Irish Sea.

In a curt response, Mr Johnson stated that there’s now a rise in items flowing between Larne and Cairnryan “because it’s going so smoothly” – avoiding completely the center of the issue, which is items flowing in the other way.

Earlier, NI Secretary of State Brandon Lewis had adopted an analogous argument, saying that “goods continue to flow effectively, and in normal volumes, between Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.

Nevertheless, North Antrim MP Ian Paisley put it to Mr Lewis on the Northern Eire Affairs Committee that the primary 20 days of January had been “an unmitigated disaster for Northern Ireland”.

He stated that “haulage companies are haemorrhaging £100,000 a week” and he was conscious of 1 haulier which has simply laid off 10 folks.

At the moment the BBC revealed that one of many UK’s largest well being meals companies stated that transport natural merchandise from GB to the island of Eire is now a “virtually impossible at scale”.

Customs declarations which companies had been advised would take 30 seconds are taking 12 hours, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State stated.

Louise Haigh stated that staffing numbers had been inadequate, with lorries returning empty to NI from GB and suppliers opting out of companies to Northern Eire.

She stated: “It is incumbent on all of us in the UK and indeed in the EU to minimise that.”

Shadow Cupboard Workplace Minister Rachel Reeves yesterday hosted a gathering with hauliers on issues with the Irish Sea commerce border.

She stated the difficulty sending items from GB to Northern Eire offered a “stark” image.

The Labour MP added: “These are British businesses, British citizens being caught up in this psycho-drama.”

Haulier Chris Slowey stated: “We’re paying for this and we didn’t vote for Brexit.

“We’d like our prospects to grasp that Northern Eire remains to be open for enterprise.”

READ MORE:

Sam McBride: Per week into the Irish Sea border, it’s already clear that Northern Eire can be profoundly reshaped by Brexit

System for getting provides to Northern Eire may be 5 days from collapse resulting from Irish Sea border, hauliers warn Michael Gove

M&S briefly withdraws tons of of things from sale in Northern Eire resulting from Irish Sea border crimson tape

Prime customs knowledgeable admits: New Irish Sea border is ‘cumbersome’ and massively advanced – even for me, with 40 years expertise

Irish Sea border which Secretary of State Brandon Lewis claims doesn’t exist empties cabinets and ends enterprise in Northern Eire

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