Post-Brexit border checks on animal and plant products coming into the UK from the EU will reportedly be delayed again – in a bid to combat inflation.
Goods being exported from Britain to the Continent already undergo full checks. However, the implementation of a reverse regime has been delayed several times.
The new rules had been set to be in place from October. But UK Government sources have reportedly said it is being delayed yet again – in a bid to prevent the cost of living rising further.
It comes ahead of today’s meeting of the Bank of England’s monetary committee. The BoE is expected to raise interest rates yet again in a bid to bring down stubbornly high inflation.
Regarding goods checks, back in April Ministers said the new ‘border target operating model’ at UK ports was to be rolled out from October 31, with full implementation by October 2024. However, sources say the implementation of the planned model will now be pushed back.
Government insiders reportedly told the Financial Times that although while final details of the plan would be published “very soon”, its implementation would be delayed.
One Government insider told the publication: “The driving force behind this is the need to bear down on inflation, that’s why there will be a delay. There will be additional costs at the border.”
The FT said a government spokesperson confirmed that the Border Target Operating Model would be “published shortly”. However, the spokesperson said ministers “were carefully considering feedback from ‘stakeholders’ to ensure they had enough time to prepare”.
When pressed, the spokesperson said the new system is simpler than the one originally proposed last year – and would “be introduced progressively”.
The delay has been welcomed by industry figures. Shane Brennan, head of the Cold Chain Federation lobby group, said it was the “right thing to do”. The British Chambers of Commerce also said delaying the October controls was “sensible” given current inflation rates.
