Labour MP David Lammy has likened Brexit to declaring war on ourselves after it was revealed plans are been drawn up to charter ships to bring in emergency food and medicines in the event of a “no-deal”.
The Department of Transport has put in place contingency plans to own or lease roll-on roll-off lorry ferries to make sure vital supplies of goods, food and medicines continue to reach these shores if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Politicians from across the board expressed their disbelief as they heard a possible French decision to reintroduce customs checks could reduce freight coming into the UK via Dover and the Channel Tunnel by around 85 per cent.
The UK would be forced in those circumstances to ship vital imports to ports such as the Port of London, Tilbury and Liverpool in a scheme that has been given the code word GOOL, or Government Owned or Operated Logistics.
Three options are being examined under the plan that include buying ships, leasing them or converting military vessels.
One member of the cabinet said “It’s the kind of stuff governments do in a time of war. It is as serious as that”. With Labour’s Lammy comparing it to declaring war on ourselves.
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