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An error in the negotiation of post-Brexit trade rules has reportedly delayed the replacement of the UK’s Border Force fleet, increasing the cost to the taxpayer by hundreds of millions.
According to The Times, the replacement of five cutters and six patrol vessels used to monitor Britain’s borders and pick up people attempting to cross the Channel are delayed until at least 2030, while costs are likely to increase to £300 million — six times the original budget.
Dame Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, described the situation as a “cock-up” from the previous government, saying the error was “entirely avoidable”.
Rules agreed as part of the UK’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after exiting the EU in 2020 mean that government contracts must be open to international competition.
But the then trade secretary Liz Truss is said to have failed to exclude the construction of civilian ships from the list of contracts that must be opened to global competition, instead mirroring the EU’s terms of accession which only applies an exemption to the construction of warships.
Dame Angela told The Times: “This is a complete cock-up, which encapsulates the shambolic waste and incompetence from the previous government that we are now having to clear up.
“As a result of this entirely avoidable mistake, our country’s Border Force has been left spending a small fortune to keep their existing fleet in service, and the time and money required to provide their replacements has escalated way beyond what was originally planned.
“Whatever the difficulties, we will ensure that this project goes ahead, and that these ships are built in Britain, but it should never be forgotten that it was the rank incompetence of the previous government that left us having to wait so long, and pay so much, to deliver what our country needs.”
Meanwhile, Home Office sources dubbed it a “blunder”, telling The Times it forced the department to reconsider the design of the vessels.
They said the Home Office is now making plans to replace the fleet using a number of military modifications, allowing the contract process to be confined to British shipyards - something they said would be very costly.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Maintaining our border security is of the utmost importance as we continue to sustain and enhance our ability to deter, track, and interdict threats at sea and around our coasts.”
The Independent has contacted Liz Truss for comment.
