In David Cameron’s book ‘For the Record’ he says his “greatest regret” is that those who advocated to stay in the EU lost the vote – which ultimately divided the country, paralysed the government and left Britain increasingly at risk of leaving the EU without any deal. Now we are staring down the barrel of the Brexit shotgun living with endless manifestations of its reality.

The shortage of haulage drivers is not a new problem, but the government have been woefully incompetent in addressing this issue to mitigate its impact. Pre Pandemic the numbers of haulage drivers included tens of thousands from the EU. Thanks to the UK being catapulted from the single market, border bureaucracy has forced these drivers to go back home or work elsewhere. This is all compounded by a backlog in HGV driver COVID testing, making it impossible to get enough new drivers on the road. Most are paid by the mile rather than by the hour so delays and new tax changes are costing them money.

Of course this is only one example of the endless barricades which now present obstacles to cross-border working. Medically trained professionals may now not have their UK credentials recognised within the EU making it harder to secure posts in Europe and we all know how critical it is for doctors and scientists to collaborate internationally. Not to mention the barriers in place which block many EU citizens wanting to come and work in the NHS, teach in our schools or build our houses.

How anyone honestly believed that leaving the EU was a good idea is beyond me – it wasn’t and it isn’t and whatever was wrong with our relationship with Brussels, it wasn’t worth the Brexit train wreck that we are now living through.

@jrfblogs