Call for free flow of goods if ‘Scexit’ happens

ParcelHero is urging that the free flow of goods at Scottish borders must be considered from the very beginning of any ‘Scexit’ planning process, to avoid the disaster of the Northern Ireland protocol.

ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks, said: “Of course, ParcelHero is entirely neutral on such an important issue, but we do urge everyone involved in planning for independence – and, perhaps, eventually reuniting Scotland with the EU – to prioritise the free flow of goods at potential English-Scottish borders.

“There was an abject failure by every side to thoroughly plan for the unrestricted passage of goods between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the Brexit vote was passed. That failure now haunts us, with 44% of retailers and 31.5% of manufacturers reporting a collapse in the amount of goods they ship to Northern Ireland.

“It’s a situation that is still unravelling. The UK Government was forced to unilaterally abandon the introduction of the (legally required) second phase of the Northern Ireland protocol agreement planned for April, which would have resulted in increased certification and the end of waivers on customs declarations. This move was met with a furious reaction from the EU, which has taken Britain to court over the issue.”