Thread by @EmmaVardyTV

To investigate the contentious new Irish Sea Border, @DeeMcIlveen and I decided it was time to stop standing outside Belfast Port doing endless pieces to camera and actually do the journey ourselves. Here’s what we found. THREAD (no5 is quite funny) 🚛

3 months in, GB firms still aren’t fully up to speed with the new processes to send goods to Northern Ireland.

If it’s not done right, goods end up sitting on a warehouse floor like this, unable to be loaded. At @fortec_uk they’re still helping companies figure it out 🚛 /1

The extra time, legwork and costs involved at every stage of the process is quite striking. For a lorry going from GB to NI, depending what’s on board, hauliers reckon it’s now:

💷 Extra £50 - £350 per pallet for the new admin

⏰ Added four hours turnaround time per lorry. /2

The overnight crossing from Liverpool to Belfast is rather impressive on the brand spanking new @StenaLineUKIE ferry.

Here’s driver Graham from @allenlogistics and @deemcilveen enjoying the view of Liverpool as we sail away... /3 🚛 🚢

Once in Belfast, going through the new border control posts was a several stage process ➡️ Our lorry had some products on board like pet food, which required extra checks. At the first border post we were directed to a second location for physical inspections ➡️ /4

At the second border stop the shed the lorry was supposed to go into for checks didn’t fit! Here’s it nearly getting wedged in. Driver Graham was then sent to a third location. New border posts are due to be built, but work’s on hold amid DUP opposition. 🚛 📐 /5

There’s still some anxiety among border officials who told us there remain heightened concerns about safety, following recent threats to staff.

The anger towards the border is clear to see - Loyalist opposition is spelt out on lampposts all around the ports /6

Overall it was evident throughout our journey that lots of people involved are trying hard to make the Irish Sea Border work.

But there’s more uncertainty and new paperwork ahead. Many businesses are still at the mercy of how negotiations between the UK & EU play out. /7 END 🚛