LONDON – Britain was cut off from the rest of Europe on Monday, flights and trains were banned by about 40 countries and freight was stopped at French ports as its neighbors worked hard to stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Towards the English Channel.
In the wake of the sudden collapse Britain fell apart and became autocratic, its people stuck at the airport or at home. It also ignited panic shopping in British supermarkets, as the nation, beset by mysterious new strains of the virus, now had to worry about not eating fresh food in the days leading up to Christmas.
Just 10 days before the deadline for negotiating a post-Brexit trade agreement between Britain and the European Union, they all added a chilling preview of what the chaotic rift between the two sides really looks like.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, reluctant to take drastic action in the face of a sudden reversal of the terrible new evidence he is handling the epidemic, may have challenged his graveyard before his zealous pro-Brexit government.
As they plunged into emergency meetings, Mr Johnson was simultaneously dealing with a growing public health crisis, economic upheaval in Brussels and trade talks that could cement a breakdown between Britain and its neighbors.
The threat of a dangerous disruption in food supply during the day was slightly reduced, as French officials said they were working on a health protocol that could resume cross-channel freight.
Mr Johnson said he had telephoned President Emanuel Macron and the French leader had told him he was “looking forward to dismissing him in the next few hours”. Speaking at a news conference, Mr Johnson assured Britons, “Everyone can continue to shop normally.”
Nevertheless, multiplication problems rocked the stock market and depressed the pound. And there was a vague sense that Britain was entering a new, more volatile phase of the epidemic at the very moment that its relations with its largest trading partner were being pushed into unrivaled territory.
Political critics pointed to the pattern of chaos, with some considering the tumultuous events of 1978 and 1979, while strikes across the country, due to the harsh winter weather, led to the collapse of the Labor government and the political rise of Margaret Thatcher.
“The government has to do something to get things under control,” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to former Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2000 over a series of politically damaging fuel crises. “One thing the public hates is when the government loses control.”
The trigger for the current upheaval was Mr Johnson’s announcement on Saturday that they were imposing severe lockdowns in London and the southeast of England, with new data showing that the rate of infection in those areas has been turbocharged by viral mutations.
Scientists who briefed the press on Monday estimated that 50 to 70 percent more transmissible variants than the original virus. (Mr Johnson had previously said it was 100 per cent.) They also raised the possibility that children may be more susceptible to the virus than the original virus, although Britain’s decision to leave schools open during the British Convention could have this effect. Kids mix more than adults.
Mr Johnson’s move was reversed three days earlier, when he promised to honor his vow to ease the ban for a few days around Christmas so that families could come together. Within hours of the announcement, thousands of people tried to flee London from railway stations and airports before the new rules came into force.
As a result, countries suggested banning flights from Britain – a list that began in the Netherlands and Belgium and increased to 17 European countries, as well as Canada, India, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong. Among those urging the Trump administration to do so was New York Governor Rewandrew M. Cumomo was, although the United States has not yet suspended flights.
The European Union said it would develop an integrated strategy for Britain and how it could handle incoming travel. But, until now, his actions were unequivocal, adding to the uncertainty of Heathrow, one of the main airports serving London.
British officials said they expect countries to ban travelers, as epidemiologists believe it is necessary to break the chain of transmission across borders. But they were said to have become bodyguards following the French government’s decision to stop cargo ships carrying truck drivers for hours.
France did not take such a step when the virus first broke out in Europe, as a short crossing between the ports of Dover and Calais is an important trade link for Britain and the continent, with thousands of trucks traveling daily.
The ban caused mile-long pagodas on both sides of the channel, as hundreds of trucks loaded with sewer food and products were stranded on the highway to the port of Dover. In Calais, next to the French, trucks awaited health guidance before moving their loads into Britain. Lacking clarity, 2,000 to 3,000 French troops remained stranded on the British side.
Britain’s transport minister, Grant Shapps, said about 20 per cent of fares going in and out of the country were affected. Waste goods – such as those packed in shipping containers – continued to enter France and goods could still be transported from smaller ports to other countries, such as the Netherlands. He also said the sanctions would not affect shipments of the coronavirus vaccine coming from the Pfizer plant in Belgium.
Mr Shepps described the situation as a kind of dry run for possible post-Brexit disruptions, saying the government’s contingency plan had reduced the number of trucks parked outside the port of Dover from 500 to about 175.
However, the gridlock on Monday was so great that a supermarket chain warned of a shortage of some food products before Christmas, and business groups called for urgent action.
James Weather, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, said: “They are taking millions of perishable products and the clock is ticking to prevent that delay.”
He estimated that Scotland was sending માં 5 million a day, or about 7 6.7 million, of food to France this week. Britain sends more seafood to the European Union than it imports, especially stocks of salmon, lobster and langoustines.
Mr Withers said the chaos should prompt the government to reconsider what happens at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December.
“The UK government must recognize that we are in the midst of a complete storm and it is totally unacceptable for businesses to risk further disruption and economic loss in a period of just 10 days,” he said.
Supermarket chains said food supplies for Christmas were already in hand, but there was a shortage of items such as lettuce, greens, cauliflower, broccoli and citrus if the travel suspension lasted too long. About a quarter of what is used in Britain is imported from the European Union.
Ian Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, said: “Continental truckers will not want to travel here if they are really in danger of marooning.”
Delivery of parcels is also being disrupted due to closure of ports. On Monday, the Deutsche Post DHL said more countries would also stop deliveries to Britain as travel bans were imposed.
With years of experience dealing with disruptions, Dover Port usually manages to quickly clear traffic backlogs once ferry service resumes. However, the situation remained fluid and any additional health checks could lead to further delays.
The impact of the chaos on Britain’s trade negotiations with Brussels is not clear. Negotiators failed to reach a deal by Sunday night, with the European Parliament setting a deadline for it to ratify the agreement in time for implementation from 1 January.
But talks continued in Brussels on Monday, with both sides saying the deal could be pushed to a later date. Negotiators appeared to have made little progress on the most contentious issue – European access to British fishing grounds – although there were no signs of imminent success.
Some analysts have interpreted France’s decision to block freight traffic as a hard-boiled tactic, reminding Britain of the cost of failing to sign a trade agreement. Some said the global people in Britain had identified him a few weeks ago after they were haunted by the lack of communication between Britain and its European neighbors.
Anand Mann, a professor of European politics at King’s College Lodge London, said it would have been better managed if the Johnson government had thought about it and really talked to its partners. “There seems to be a failure to exchange information.”
Mr Mann said the prime minister’s last-minute style and lack of consultation would make it more politically difficult for both of them to sell the trade deal and persuade lawmakers for a further lockout.
After Mr Johnson announced the latest lockdown on Saturday, some lawmakers from his Conservative party called for Parliament to be withdrawn, but no one currently has a plan.
“The idea that this government treats Parliament with contempt is fundamental,” Mr Mann said. “It makes it difficult to bear the political cost of this.”
While travel would be banned under any circumstances due to the threat of a rapidly spreading currency, analysts said Brexit made it politically easier for European governments to separate Britain.
Mr Powell, a former aide to Tony Blair, recalled the headline of the Apocrypha newspaper – “Fog in the channel; The continent is cut off ”- he is often asked to describe his arm-length relationship with the interior-looking Britain and the rest of Europe.
“Little England always wanted to cut the continent,” Mr Powell said. “They’ve finally got it.”
The report contributed to Esha Nels
