Anger over lack of cash for Dover upgrade as Tory candidates try to blame France for delays
Clément Beaune, the French transport minister, said France was cooperating but ‘was not responsible for Brexit’.It follows frustration among Port of Dover executives that the government turned down a £33m bid to help upgrade the port to cope with the additional pressures of Brexit. Instead, it was given just £33,000 in December 2020, equivalent to 0.1% of the initial request. The port warned at the time that the “clock is ticking”.
“The underlying reality is that no matter how many they have, given the size of the port, given the fact that the government failed to invest in expanding the facilities, it is going to be like this – this will be the new normal.” Lucy Moreton, professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, also said it was predictable that Brexit would cause more disruption because of the additional checks required, adding: “This is the time it’s chosen to bite.”
The Labour chair, Anneliese Dodds, said: “While the Conservatives fight among themselves, families are stuck waiting hours on end to begin their family holiday as the chaos in Dover continues, and once again the government has failed to get a grip.”Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “We now have a zombie government completely incapable of sorting this mess out.
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