News: BPA Chairman comments on BREXIT negotiations

Commenting on Brexit and the forthcoming negotiations BPA Chairman Rodney Lunn today said:

“The vote for Brexit, whatever one’s views, raises some formidable challenges for the government as policy starts to take shape on how withdrawal will be achieved.

Whatever the outcome, ports are going to play a key role as it is they who are at the sharp end, the locations where border controls for freight and passengers are carried out.

Anyone who has witnessed the disruption recently to cross Channel services as a result of border control issues will see how important facilitating the movement of people and freight is, and how interruption and delay can have major implications for us as a leading trading nation.

We therefore urge the government to ensure as far as possible that Brexit will not result in extra red tape and bureaucracy at our borders.  We urge that in future negotiations the current ease and rapidity with which trade goods pass through our ports is fully preserved.

We have already had, along with colleagues across the industry, a very useful first post Brexit meeting with Department for Transport officials, also involving the devolved administrations.  We look forward to working closely with them and our new Minister, John Hayes.  We will also be writing to David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, stressing the unique, front line role of ports as facilitators of cross border trade.

We look forward to working with all parts of government to make Brexit a success.”