"There will be NO renegotiation!" says Juncker for EU. Let us get out NOW!

By the way the Common Transit Convention will not in any way solve the Irish border issue.

Petra some people think that EU controls the skies???

I am not a haulage or customs expert Grandad.

Why is the Stobart group pouring £ millions into upgrading the runway at Southend airport?
Because the planes are not going to stop flying

Grannygravy, the Common Transit Convention signed only yesterday covers cross-border checks when the Vehicle is already travelling in the European Union from Britain. It will mean that drivers will not have to show documents at each border that they cross, but those documents will be required when they arrive at their "final destination."

In terms of the European Union that will be at the port of entry or exit where those documents will have to be shown and checked for trade tariffs to be applied as Britain will be a third party nation after the 29th of March.

At least, that is how I read the agreement in the little time since it's been published, and I cannot see how else it could be done.

Evidence to that can be witnessed In that the British Government have given a statement of "The UK Government HOPES it will make border clearances easier at key ports and airports, such as Dover and Holyhead.

Many I feel will think that hoping is not enough based on all the failed predictions on Brexit this shambles of a government has made.

How do you see tariffs being assessed if not on port inspection GrannyGravy

MaizieD as I am not in government I have no idea.

Surely there is nothing wrong with planning for all eventualities.

This Government is doomed if it does and doomed if it doesn’t.

Bossyrossy
So you think we have are going to have to choose between the two, hilarious ?

Trading with the world instead of Europe is going to increase air miles and add to the problems of controlling the climate.

If there isn't going to be a problem*GG13*, why are the govt. stockpiling?

Common Transit Convention between UK and EU which has been agreed means that there should not be any hold up in lorries leaving / arriving in UK from EU countries Grandad.

I assumed that as you are heavily involved in the haulage industry you would have known this.

My heritage is Celtic and Jewish. I don't care, I am not interested and never have been.

I describe myself as European and I am neither lying nor virtue signaling.

I don't think it's down to anybody else to tell me who i am.

lemongrove, in regard to stockpiling and your enthusiasm for it, could you suggest how we are to cope with the situation in chilled and fresh foods.

The warehouse on Severnside is only to hold stock in tinned and dry foods. In that, obviously chilled and fresh foods cannot be stockpiled in that way. So, I would imagine that every supermarket chain in the country are open to suggestions on that problem.

Can I recommend Sam Willis's excellent series 'Invaders' which is on BBC4 catchup. In which he points out that, throughout the centuries our nation has been created by people from all over Europe moving here. A lot of food for thought in the three programmes.

The remaining member states MaizieD? Oh you mean the ones that we will spend billions on when we bail out their failing economies if we stay in the EU? Greece, Spain, Italy? Oh yes, THOSE remaining member states, sure, the ones that are practically bankrupt and won't have to pay back their debts. Yes, of course we want to stay tied to them, why wouldn't we? Jeez, the sooner we leave the better.

How about a happy medium where imagination is concerned?!

Buffy made a very valid point.Nobody defines themselves as ‘European’ ( if they do then they’re fibbing.)
First and foremost is the country you were born in, grew up in and lived in.I am English first, British second.
What do you feel oldbatty ( Scots, NI Welsh) if not English?
I find your attitude curious.

It's better than not having any at all, lemon

What a vivid imagination you have MaizieD

For God's sake what does it matter , what your research revealed about how people feel Buffybee?

I have never felt English. I have absolutely no interest in nationalism at all. I would be perfectly at home in any European country but I may have left it too late to master a language.

Not everybody is a Brexiteer or a Remainer. Many people were and are confused and dejected by the situation and the shower of self serving fools who are supposed to represent us.

I think they're all looking forward to it, crystal.

It was Project Fear when it was mentioned a few months ago but it's now fine with plucky Theresa at the helm. It will take them back to the 40s when we were brave little Britain standing alone against the enemy. It sounded like such fun when their parents told them about it that they've had a horrible time over the past 40+ years being cocooned in the wealth we've gained from being part of the largest trading bloc in the world. And it gives them a chance to have a pop at the old enemy again, Germany. Because, of course, the EU = Germany (and perhaps France, another old enemy). Forget about the remaining member states...

Food shortages, travel restrictions, medicine shortages, troops on the street to keep order.. Bring It On...

I agree GG13 contingency plans have to be put in place.
Large companies should start stockpiling items, it makes total sense.
Armageddon scenarios are just silly, ( nightmare, war like etc) it’s just common sense for businesses to start planning ahead.
If Parliament accepted May’s deal there would be no need for this at all.You have the Labour MP’s mainly to blame as they will accept no deal at all that May could have come up with, whilst having no plans themselves for a better deal.

GrannyGravy13, the warehouse being prepared on Severnside is not involved with government preparations in any way. The site is to be operated by a global distribution company that carries out the road transport operations of a large supermarket chain that has its main south-west distribution centre in Avonmouth.

The Avonmouth Distribution Centre runs on a Just in time (JIT) schedules for goods into the centre and out to its retail stores and therefore holds no more than a few days stock on almost all lines carried

The plan is for the Severnside warehouse to begin ramping up stock intake in the second week of January which will act as a backup to the main distribution centre should there be problems through the ports at the end of March or panic buying set in prior to that.

The Severside site was previously a wine warehouse, so it is certainly not ideal for the purpose it is to be used for now, and a tremendous amount of work is required to get it ready to receive anything by the seventh of January.

It's Certainly giving us a lot of problems in setting up the safety regime for the site, and when and where all the staff are to come from and be trained up, the Lord above only knows. However, I would imagine that all the major supermarket chains are setting up the above type backup warehouses throughout the country. I would also imagine that "Joe Blogs the consumer" will be picking up the bill for all this however Brexit turns out

That stated, our Members of parliament who have brought all this on the country today have today gone off on an extended Christmas holiday which I find totally disgusting

Well it’s self inflicted and avoidable that’s the point.

If this government sits around doing nothing, you complain that nothing is being done.

They are now putting in numerous contingency plans, the armed services maybe being deployed is just one of many.

According to one of our "male posters" there is a warehouse being prepared in Severnside to stockpile tinned goods?

Its almost like a planning a war, only we are waging war and doing damage to ourselves. What a nightmare.