Failed to prepare

The UK has unilaterally decided to break the terms of the TCA and NIP and extend the "grace period" for food checks into Northern Ireland until October. THis was after the EU refused to allow it.

We have said in numerous posts that the UK wasn't ready for the end of the transition arrangements, and yet refused to extend it when it had the chance. Johnson and his Government have been living in denial for 15 months about what they signed up to, and what the Irish Sea border meant.

How serious the EU takes this is unclear, and whether they see it as a "material breach".

Your regular reminder that the EU have not yet ratified the TCA, as member states and Pariaments want to scrutinise it.

Now there's a novel idea.

The NIP was part of the WA signed back in 2019, and part of an international treaty. As we have always said, not a good look to break such treaties, nor to understand what you have signed up to, or sign up with the intention of never being in compliance of.

And today was the budget, and with businesses struggling with Brexit related costs and delays, shellfish companies folding, there wasn't one mention of Brexit in the whole budget. Like they pretend its all going so very well.