The BBC reports:
The leader of Portsmouth City Council says he can not allow government inaction to “crucify Portsmouth” in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson said the authority and Hampshire County Council had already spent £4m on preparations to avoid gridlock near the city’s port.
The government has just announced port towns in England will receive an extra £9m to pay for preparations.
But Mr Vernon-Jackson said the money was “too little, too late”.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, the Lib Dem council leader said the government had so far refunded £350,000 of the £4m and it was unclear how the £9m would be allocated.
“We’ve had to plan so the whole of the south coast on the M27 doesn’t grind to a halt,” he said.
“The check-in gate for the lorries is really close to the motorway – 14 lorry lengths away.
“For the first time in 40 years, every lorry will have to have pre-customs clearance.
“Even if it is just two minutes extra for their check-in period, the government is saying we are likely to have 60 lorries queuing on to the motorway.”
You can read the full article here.
* News Meerkat - keeping a look-out for Liberal Democrat news. Meerkat photo by Paul Walter
One Comment
It’s intersting about the use of the word “crucify” here.
Recently we’ve heard a lot about politicians using highly emotive words and language to (irresponsibly, apparently) whip up emotions in the general public. So use of the words like “collaborate”, “sabotage”, “traitor” in the context of those trying to stop Brexit has been criticised. Will there be criticism of equally highly emotive words such as “crucify”? Or is language policing of others only applied when the opposing person holds views and taking a position that we don’t agree with