Britain’s main freight ports cannot cope with existing conditions – let alone Brexit

Chaos at the UK’s main freight ports, it turns out, is nothing new. Coronavirus has made this worse, and that’s even before Brexit has happened, writes Chris Blackhurst

A shortage of labour and strict safety rules are causing a backlog in ports like Felixstowe (Getty)

No sooner will we begin to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, then along will come Brexit. How prepared are we? Will departing the EU spell chaos?

Well, by weird coincidence, on the same day that Pfizer announced that its Covid vaccine works, an email landed in my inbox. It was from a friend who runs his own importing business, shipping in products from Asia.

“I don't know if you are aware of the terrible congestion and delays at our ports. This has been caused by too many people being laid-off in the first lockdown and not all being rehired, resulting in a lack of skilled and unskilled workers.”