[ianch99]

The debacle continues:

Raab: I hadn't quite understood importance of Dover-Calais crossing

Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has told a tech event that he "hadn’t quite understood" the importance of the Dover-Calais crossing for UK trade.

According to the website Politico, Raab was speaking last night when he confirmed the choice of goods available to buy in the shops would be hit unless "frictionless trade" was maintained at the French border.

He is reported to have said: “I hadn’t quite understood the full extent of this, but if you look at the UK and look at how we trade in goods, we are particularly reliant on the Dover-Calais crossing.

"And that is one of the reasons why we have wanted to make sure we have a specific and very proximate relationship with the EU, to ensure frictionless trade at the border.

"I don’t think it is a question so much of the risk of major shortages, but I think probably the average consumer might not be aware of the full extent to which the choice of goods that we have in the stores are dependent on one or two very specific trade routes.”