“Get Brexit done”, Boris Johnson spluttered over the course of his 2019 election campaign, three years after the country marginally voted to leave the EU.
We are still seeing the problems that the policy has created, even though it is now five years since the original referendum. Brexit, we’re afraid, is by no means “done”.
This is an example of a working week. This week is just one example of the five times the earth has revolved around the sun. In that time, Brexit has caused chaos for businesses because of lorry driver shortages and chaos for businesses because of poor trade agreements. Even the international press has taken a giddy look at us.
Here are all the embarrassing Brexit moments that have happened just this week alone:
Grant Shapps claims Brexit has actually been good for the HGV lorry driver shortage
Despite industry bodies saying the complete opposite, Shapps took to Sky News on Friday morning to claim that Brexit has helped plug a shortage of almost 100,000 drivers because it has enabled the government to process a change in the way tests will operate – which have also incidentally been slammed for being potentially dangerous for road safety.
According to the Road Haulage Association, Brexit has caused drivers to leave the country and created a bureaucracy that slows down goods entering the country. Thank you, Shapps.
Priti Patel’s new border rules challenged for ‘breaking international law’
Priti Patel’s new asylum plan stigmatises those seeking asylum in the UK as “unworthy and unwelcome” and creates a two-tier system that would be in violation of international law, the UN Refugee Agency has said.
The bill would criminalise asylum-seekers who enter the UK without permission meaning they could spend four years in prison but human rights groups and bodies have slammed Patel’s vision for post-Brexit Britain.
International press embarrassed by Britain
A series of front pages and headlines in European papers have called Britain out for Brexit leading to food shortages and
No worries, Boris Johnson, it’s not like international diplomacy and good relations is in any way useful for the UK.
US trade deal comments come back to haunt Brexiteers
Comments made about the ease with which Britain would secure a trade deal with the US after Brexit has come back to bite Brexiteers after Biden and Johnson failed to create meaningful deals during talks in the US this week.
A video showed just how much Johnson’s messaging about the potential deal has gone from enthusiastic to flat in the last few years, while a clip of Raab saying that there could even have been a deal made before the 2020 presidential election is also doing the rounds.
It is embarrassing.
Petrol shortages cause stations to close
Just as Brexit came for supermarkets and high street restaurants, it has now caused a “handful” of BP stations, and a small number of Esso-owned Tesco Alliance stations to close because of a lack of lorry drivers to deliver supplies of petrol. Oh, dear.
Shapps, speaking to BBC, said that while the government could send in the army to aid if needed but advised motorists to carry on as normal.
That’s fine then.
David Lammy expertly slams Grant Shapps over post-Brexit supply issues
David Lammy delivered a brilliant monologue on Question Time schooling Shapps on the supply chain crisis.
“What we’re looking at is a winter of discontent,” He said.
“We have shortages of staff, shortages of supplies and shortages of skills. Why has this happened? It largely happened because of the promises that your party made on Brexit which have not been delivered. Where is the trade deal with the United States? Where is the trade deal with India? We haven’t got one.
“Why haven’t you invested in further education? Where are the night schools?
“Of course we need to get on with the visas so that these people can come in and it’s not just HGV drivers it’s fruit pickers, it’s caterers, it’s people in concert halls. Right across this country, there are shortages. You promised that immigration would come down and you know that it needs to go up if we’re to deal with these problems.”
You can tell him.
Market worker’s sarcastic response about how Brexit has raised food costs goes viral
A wholesale market worker in Manchester gave Remainers a chuckle when she sarcastically slammed Brexit for causing inflation.
Mariella Gabutt told a reporter: “The price of a container pre-Brexit (because it’s nothing to do with Brexit) pre-Brexit was £3,000 just over for one container, the same container, the same goods cost £14,000 now. Massive jump, of course, there’s inflation.”
The clip did the round on social media as people praised her for her sassiness.
Brexiteer’s promise that post-Brexit Britain will not be like Mad Max haunts him
A Brexiteer’s assertion that Britain will not be “plunged into a Mad Max-style world borrowed from dystopian fiction” after Brexit has resurfaced due to the petrol shortages and other issues we have seen this week.
David Davis made these remarks while he was Brexit secretary, in a speech to Vienna business leaders.
Turkey supplier blames Brexit for supply issues
A Turkey farmer has not minced his words. Paul Kelly spoke to Byline TV and blamed Brexit for creating problems in the supply of labour. He warned that these problems will only get worse over the festive season.
“The reason we’re having all these issues is entire because of Brexit and nothing else,” He said.
“The people that we used to have come into the country to pluck and pack our turkeys, they’re no longer allowed in.
“Come Christmas, the workload doubles if not trebles and the people aren’t there.”
He said that he had to dispose of products because there weren’t enough workers to process them.
“It’s an absolute nightmare,” He stated. “There will be a car crash come Christmas”.
EU ID scheme causes airport headache fears
Concerns have been raised that that EU citizens living in the UK may not be allowed to board flights into the country because of confusing new ID rules.
EU citizens not able to legally reside in the UK following Brexit will be unable to use EU, EEA and Swiss national ID cards to enter. Brussels is worried that airlines might not be able to make distinctions between permanent residents and them at the boarding gates.
So, how can we all enjoy our sovereignty together?