Thread by @Joe_Mayes

Interesting Brexit narrative now coming from government about potential chaos when transition period ends.

Warning that disruptions will be due to `failure of EU to plan' 1/

Quote from DEFRA secretary George Eustice: ``We can do all the work in the world to make sure our borders are ready ... But if when they arrive at the other side it's all a bit slipshod and disorganised and there's therefore chaos because of failure of the EU to plan...' 2/

``That's something that's beyond our control. That would be our biggest concern''

So the gov setting its stall out early -- any Brexit problems at the border will be blamed on the EU 3/

For its part, the EU says it's ready to handle new customs checks at ports etc.

If anything, the bigger concern seems to be lack of U.K. readiness - drivers turning up at EU border with incorrect paperwork, gov is building lorry parks as protection 4/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

And anyone who's played our Brexit game will know about the new red tape that's coming for firms, and how the plan is for *UK officials* to be diverting trucks to lorry parks 5/ bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-…

So the blame game is starting early - expect more of this...
And with 100 days to go until it all becomes a reality, a quick-fire reminder of what needs sorting on the UK side 6/

Customs agents 🚨 The UK needs 50,000 to handle post-Brexit paperwork, and currently has about half that, per @LogisticsUKNews 7/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Key IT system #1 - Smart Freight 🚨 This is what drivers will use to get a permit to enter Kent, showing they have correct Brexit paperwork. If they don't, £300 fine. System will still be in testing mode in January 8/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Key IT system #2 - GVMS 🚨 This will police goods crossing from GB to Northern Ireland from Jan 1. Without approval from GVMS, a truck can't cross from GB to NI. System still in development, untested 9/

Wooden pallets 🚨 The U.K. has a shortage of EU-compliant wooden pallets, and DEFRA is racing to plug the gap 10/

A free-trade agreement 🚨 Of course, we're still waiting for a UK-EU FTA which would avoid tariffs on trade. Clock is ticking. If no agreement, lots of extra pain would be in store for manufacturing, food, pharmaceuticals etc 11/

Rules of origin 🚨 Even if there's an FTA, firms don't know if their products will qualify for tariff-free trade. The famous rules of origin issue 12/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Business readiness 🚨 Firms have been hammered by Covid, and Brexit has slipped down the list of priorities. They're also doing far less stockpiling, due to lack of cash flow and believing it'll all be delayed again 13/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Vets 🚨 There is a shortage of vets to handle post-Brexit health checks on animal products moving in to the EU. Again, gov racing to fill the gap 14/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

A financial services agreement 🚨 U.K. is still waiting and hoping for an equivalence deal with the EU on finance. But some are already triggering plans assuming Britain doesn't get one in time 15/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

A data adequacy agreement 🚨 This is huge for services business with UK-EU data flows. Still waiting for a deal 16/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Food flows into Northern Ireland 🚨 supermarkets face extra paperwork on GB-NI movements of food that would render business models unviable (export health certificates a big culprit). Gov urgently trying to find a solution 17/ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

And of course there's plenty more - have to solve the Internal Market ruckus over Northern Ireland, agree permits for hauliers entering the EU, set up trader support for GB-NI goods movements... 18/

So the Brexit in-trays of the Cabinet Office, DfT, HMRC, DEFRA and Treasury are bulging, combined with the extra pressure of the likely second Covid wave.

It's going to be an extraordinary 100 days of politics up to Jan 1... ends/