Downing Street has conceded that “new processes” brought in after Brexit played a role in days of chaotic travel queues at Dover, one day after Suella Braverman, the home secretary, was accused of denying it was a factor.
Asked whether the UK’s departure from the EU had been part of the reason for waiting times of up to 10 hours for coaches being allowed on to Channel ferries, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said the delays were due to “a combination of factors”, including poor weather and the high volume of traffic.
Questioned on what role, if any, Brexit had played, the spokesperson noted French officials now manually inspected and stamped every passport as passengers left the UK, which required time.
“Obviously we recognise there are new processes in place,” he said. “That’s why authorities were given a long time to prepare for the new checks including during the transition period, of course, and we are in discussion with our French counterparts about how we can further improve the flow of traffic.”
He added: “We believe that we have put in measures to mitigate any of the challenges that may crop up – that’s giving authorities additional time to prepare, and working with our French counterparts in increasing our ability to move traffic and passengers through freely.”
Asked whether this was a “yes” to this meaning that Brexit did play a role, the spokesperson said: “I’m happy to repeat myself.” He was told this was not necessary.
During media interviews on Sunday, when asked about queues which saw school trips cancelled and a wave of complaints, Braverman said operations at the French border had largely been “very good” since Britain exited the EU.
She told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I don’t think that’s fair to say that this has been an adverse effect of Brexit.
“We’ve had many years now since leaving the European Union and there’s been, on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border.”
Later, speaking on the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme on BBC One, Braverman denied the situation at Dover would repeat itself and blamed “bad weather”.
Her comments prompted ridicule, with the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, saying she was “in complete denial”.
Asked whether similar delays could occur again, either later over Easter or in the summer, Sunak’s spokesperson repeated that the recent chaos had been down to “a combination of factors rather than a single issue”.
They said: “We’re working with the Kent resilience forum, who are responsible for plans and operation decisions, to cope with the potential for disruption and high volumes of traffic. We’re working with port authorities, the operators and the French government to keep any potential for disruption to a minimum.”
