Government post-Brexit border planning ‘reckless’, say MPs
2 min read
The Government’s approach to border controls if Britain leaves the EU without a free trade deal is “borderline reckless”, according to MPs.
The Public Accounts Committee said ministers have failed to prepare for new controls under the assumption that the UK will strike a comprehensive free trade agreement and transition period by March 2019.
They added that much of the work done so far amounts to an “over-reliance on wishful thinking”.
"Government preparations for Brexit assume that leaving the EU will present no additional border risks from freight or passengers," Meg Hillier, the chair of the committee, said.
"It has acted - or rather, not acted - on this basis.
"This approach, in the context of what continues to be huge uncertainty about the UK's future relationship with the EU, might generously be described as cautious.
"But against the hard deadline of Brexit, it is borderline reckless - an over-reliance on wishful thinking that risks immediately exposing the UK to an array of damaging scenarios."
The report also hit out at generally “weak contingency planning” across departments – in particular the lack of a “viable fall back option” should HMRC’s new customs system not be ready in time.
"The volume of traffic at the border under current arrangements is substantial - in 2016, around 300 million people and 500 million tonnes of freight crossed it," Ms Hillier added.
"After Brexit, the number of decisions required about people or goods crossing could more than treble and more than quadruple respectively.
"These figures should concern all in government and in our view, its current approach is not fit for purpose."
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