Queues in Kent - Natalie Elphicke

Chestnut

MaizieD I'm old enough to remember when we were in the EU and there wasn't any paperwork involved. Lorries just went through to the ferries with no checks (apart from passport & booking, I assume). Perhaps someone needs to explain to Ms Elphicke why the paperwork has suddenly materialised.
Probably the same reason that everything involves huge amounts of red tape now. there seems to be a general trend towards making life compilated with as many rules and regulation as possible, naturally this involves many more forms. For everything.

You don't honestly believe that nonsense about 'a general trend towards making life complicated' do you Chestnut? If you do, are you related to Ms Elphicke and Ms Dorries?

The paperwork and massive delays are a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. Now that we are no longer a member our goods cannot be exported to the EU without having these checks made. It happens to all 'third party' countries and Leave voters were constantly told that it would happen. But they preferred not to listen, or didn't care that it would make lorry drivers' lives more difficult and adversely affect the process of exporting to/importing from EU member states.

My surname is Elphicke

It makes life difficult for lots of people living in Kent too

kittylester

Well, the op confused me too, for what it's worth!!

And, can we drop the Brexit posts. It's over.

No we can't.

Brexit won't go away just because the ill effects of it are becoming more obvious and embarrassing to its supporters.

It is by no means over and will continue to be talked about.

LovelyCuppa

My surname is Elphicke

Wow! I read there were only 4,000 (without the e). Can it be a Christian name too, I wonder?

LovelyCuppa

My surname is Elphicke

So’s mine

JaneJudge

It makes life difficult for lots of people living in Kent too

Kent voted for Brexit.

It's tough luck on people who live there who didn't vote for it, but, you know, they'll have to suck it up like the rest of us who didn't.

I had assumed it was a reference to Charlie Elphicke, former husband and incumbent of the post she now fills.

What about the lack of ferries?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/60111856

Hetty58

Kali2, there are worldwide problems with manufacture, supplies and distribution - due to the worldwide pandemic - e.g. shortage of staff and containers in China (with lockdowns).

This serious, yet temporary situation far outweighs any hiccups caused by red tape and/or Brexit. (Of course, some people on here have permanent bees in their bonnets - about Brexit being the root of all evil!)

You really think we were born yesterday, don't you?

Long delays at Dover have nothing at all to do with the distribution problems caused by the pandemic. That is causing shortages of goods, not 15 mile queues at Dover.

The queues are solely the result of Brexit. Before 1st Jan 2022, no checks, no queues. 1st January, checks are implemented, massive queues. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are further checks to be implemented later this year.

Johnson at least can organise a p*ss up! (and what an unfortunate name!)

I might be stating the obvious but could it be anything to do with the word Johnson is slang for??!

I know we’ve moved on but I hadn’t got past the argument!

Hetty58

What about the lack of ferries?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/60111856

Nope, that one was exploded weeks ago.

It is absolutely normal for ferries to be taken off routes for maintenance at this time of year when business is quiet. It's never affected the lorry traffic which, obviously, the ferry companies plan for.

Try another one...

Funnily enough, I’m going to Dover this morning. Queues are nothing new, we’ve had them for years. Nothing to do with Brexit!

I live in Kent, what was the garden of England is now concreted over with acres of lorry parks and miles of traffic jams.
Getting anywhere can be a nightmare. The vote to leave was 6 years ago so plenty of time to prepare for life post brexit, which by the way was not in my name, but no, and now we in this tiny corner have no Choice but to deal with it.

We know the grass verges are being used as toilets as there is a chronic lack of facilities for drivers. A local tory MP trod in a pile of excrement when he was visiting, no doubt that will be blamed on EU. Plus huge swathes of the area have ben concreted over for lorry parks, there’s a Brexit bonus for the people of Kent. J Rees Mogg probably sees this as an opportunity for portaloo manufacturers.

These current queues, the concreting of areas most definitely to do with Brexit and getting clearances at the ports, plus no sign of it improving anytime soon.

To support what has been said: UK chose to leave EU and so became a 3rd party country in trade terms. This was always going to create delays! The UK had plenty of time to get ready but they didn’t. From Jan 2022 new controls came into force and now the UK entry system has 4 computer systems that have to be complied with for truckers to move across the border. Importers are talking about new UK HMRC requirements coming into force with no notice - causing delays and potential fines for traders. It is a mess and going to get worse as further regulations are introduced in line with the Brexit deal. In September airport style biometric checks will require each driver to get out of their trucks - another delay. Oh, did I mention that due to Covid, there have been very few tourists going through Dover yet? Easter looks like the first real test. So we can’t stop talking about Brexit because this is what was voted for!

MaizieD, you have no idea, do you? There's a massive surge in demand - nothing to do with Brexit - due to the pandemic!

I have no idea about Kent, but in the other side of the country we have container ships bobbing about for days because they can't get into port due to a surge in demand for docking and unloading.

(and the usual seasonal spike in the third week of January):

www.export.org.uk/news/593323/Seasonal-spike-in-freight-traffic-to-blame-for-lorry-queues-in-Kent-last-week-says-Port-of-Dover.htm

Hetty58 strange these nine mile queues never happened when we were in the EU! Never had lorry parks then. Read what the lorry drivers are saying. The wonderful Natalie wants the PM to 'get rid of the red tape' required by the deal HE negotiated!

Hetty58

MaizieD, you have no idea, do you? There's a massive surge in demand - nothing to do with Brexit - due to the pandemic!

Dover isn't a container port where the delays are caused by the disruption to container traffic caused by the pandemic. . Its a RORO port.

This is the normal ferry traffic being delayed by checks which had to be introduced because of Brexit. As was foretold

MayBeMaw

Tenuous.
Not sure that’s what OP is getting at.

Yes, good eye Josiann. I have never ever come across the name- and it was an afterthought, totally separate from the topic of the thread- and probably should have refrained. I am totally amazed that 2 GN members have that surname, and will aoplogise unreservedly for any inadvertent offense caused.

I am sorry Kitty if discussions of Brexit and consequences annoy you- but you must know, that Brexit is not done. Not at all- it is being re-negotiated as we speak. And what is happening in Kent is 100% due to Brexit, and not to any unfair treatment by the EU.

Raab admitted more than 1 year ago, that the geography of Kent and Dover if proving to cause even more problems than expected.

What will Brexiters, and Kent dweller, think, if the Churchill bunker and the White Cliffs of Dover have to be bulldosed to make space for checks. I shudder to think.

Off for a good days skiing- so will not be replying to posts. Thanks.

MaizieD

Marsha

I agree it is unimportant and we wouldn't want to go down the ScoobyDo route arguing over a triviality!

But now the thread is going to be all about whether the OP should have made any reference to the name, rather than possible answers to the question. The OP does seem to have got an unnecessary roasting?

Well observed, Marsha.

It is deliberate.

It is deliberate.

Deliberate?
Mocking someone's name is a distraction to the main point of the OP and it is unkind and unpleasant.

As it's not the first time (it was an offensive remark about the name Truss last week and Priti not long ago) would it be a good idea if we could discuss the important issues without such unpleasant side swipes about names? It's unnecessary and puerile.