Government’s failure to prepare Holyhead for Brexit is utterly staggering says Lib Dem Peer Peer’s question reveals shocking admission from government

Three weeks before the end of the transition period the UK Government has admitted that they will now engage with Stena and the Border Force to “explore whether there is any capacity for the port to accommodate [the necessary] checks” needed on traffic coming from the Republic of Ireland.

No suitable site for checks has been found and in just three weeks’ time checks will need to be carried out on traffic coming from the Republic of Ireland as a result of the decision to leave the EU and Single Market.

This means that it has now been confirmed that from January 1^st Lorries arriving from Dublin into Holyhead will need to travel to Warrington to have their cargo checked and for drivers to complete the necessary paperwork. This means that lorries destined for Wales will need to travel 80 miles in the wrong direction before turning back to deliver their goods increasing costs and carbon emissions, damaging our environment.

Speaking following his parliamentary question Lib Dem Lord Roger Roberts said:

“It is absolutely staggering that the government with just three weeks to go has only now agreed to work with ferry operators and the port to see if checks can be undertaken.

“There have been three Prime Ministers since the EU Referendum and here we are with three weeks to go and the government sheepishly announce on a Friday afternoon that they have yet to engage with ferry operators or the border agency to ensure all checks are carried out in Holyhead.

“Not only is the plan to send lorries from Holyhead to Warrington to be checked ridiculous, it will clog the already congested A55, cause significant environmental damage and lessen the quality of perishable goods.

“The government needs to admit that they’ve messed up here. Everything they do is actively pursuing a course that is utterly at odds with the wellbeing of the nation.”