Thread by @pmdfoster

NEW: 🚨🇪🇺🇬🇧🚛🚚🍤🐟🚢🇬🇧🇪🇺🚨 Building of Brexit border posts faces delays via...industry calling for delay to July 1 U.K. #brexit border roll out - my latest via ⁦@FinancialTimes⁩ on.ft.com/3c7bUow

@FinancialTimes This goes back to last year, when UK gov got £430m of bids for new Border Control Posts and only funded £194m worth - and those bids that won took a 33pc 'haircut'. Result, everyone unhappy - those that got nothing, and those that won, got not enough /2

ft.com/content/2a6662…

@FinancialTimes The result is that ports looking to build BCPs to accommodate new border coming in from July 1 say they haven't got enough money. They want either delays to border on July 1, or flexible implementation. /3

@FinancialTimes So as @timgmorris of @UKMajorPorts group tells me: “We need urgent action from the government to show flexibility either on the July 1 deadline or what is required on that date....or accept potentially serious implications for traffic flows this summer." /4

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts As @richard_bpa of @britishports says “There is now a real danger that customs infrastructure won’t be ready by July in some ports and we’re urging ministers to take a pragmatic approach to ensure that goods can continue moving at those locations,” /5

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts @richard_bpa @britishports Among the leading ports facing shortfalls is Portsmouth, a local council-owned facility that requested £32m in funds but received £17.1m to cover essential schemes it has estimated will cost £22.3m — leaving a £5.2m shortfall. /6

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts @richard_bpa @britishports The port has had to rule out building a £7m BCP for live animals (UK sends about 30,000 animals a year, lots of them breeding stock to EU - and about same come the other way)...but is also short for its main BCP /7

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts @richard_bpa @britishports The port is Portsmouth City council owned, and today the Cabinet was sent a report detailing the issues by the directors/8

democracy.portsmouth.gov.uk/documents/g462…

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts @richard_bpa @britishports Port Director @mikesellersPIP says they are "far from having the funds to meet even the most basic requirements.”

And the report gov handling - @cabinetofficeuk and @DefraGovUK - has been "inadequate, inequitable and ponderous". /9

@FinancialTimes @timgmorris @UKMajorPorts @richard_bpa @britishports @mikesellersPIP @cabinetofficeuk @DefraGovUK The government says they are making "significant preparations" to be ready for the border in July and "full border checks will be introduced from July 2021" based on Port Infrastructure Award grants.

Will they stick to that,? On past form, if chaos looms, I bet not. ENDS