Remain revives

I'm getting behind again, but the book is nearly finished. A few days ago,, a return from the dead, in the Graun

The scale of disruption predicted to hit UK borders post-Brexit is revealed in confidential government documents warning of queues of 7,000 lorries in Kent, and two-day delays to cross into the EU.

A “reasonable worst-case scenario” report, drawn up by the Border and Protocol Delivery Group, forecasts that thousands of passengers could also be forced to wait an extra two hours for Eurostar trains.

The good news is that the queues will no longer before stretch round the world in days (see posts passim):

“It is estimated a maximum queue of 6,500 HGVs may develop in January,” 

Rounding up to 7000 is just good journalism, of course, and Gruanies have never been good with numbers.

Elsewhere, the beloved P Toynbee seems back from hols and generating copy from her old cuttings:

Real life will eventually crash in on Brexit fantasies, but when? How long can people stay in that alternative universe where dreams of sovereignty blot out what’s all around them? The religious down the centuries often inhabited dream-worlds of phantom heavens: Brexit voters can hibernate inside their own virtual reality – but not for ever...Negotiations turned nuclear last week [ie stopped being nicey nicey]

Fear of resurgent Faragists [where?] weighs more heavily than his justice secretary’s threat of resignation, his chief legal civil servant walking out or seething Tory MPs, whose full strength we won’t know until final votes next week. But they are now backed by David Cameron, and four other former prime ministers [which must be the clincher, surely?]...To prefer risking a rekindling of Irish border passions is a wickedness too far. The former attorney general Geoffrey Cox says ministers breaking the law causes “unconscionable” damage to the UK’s international reputation...[more than a legacy of slavery,no doubt]

 One good bit though, if true:

For added irony, the vaunted new Japan free-trade deal commits the UK to tougher state aid restrictions than the EU’s: watch every new trade deal blow away more “sovereignty” fairy dust.

Rejoicing in the crushing power of international monopoly capitlaism becasue it will rebuke Leavers. Then fully back on the Grievance Highway, to provide a very helpful resume of Project Fear:

The motor industry warned on Monday that no deal would cause a £100bn “catastrophe”, as cars are hit with a 10% tariff and vans 22%. No deal would end certifications that allow billions of pounds’ worth of chemical exports to the EU. Financial services are creating new footholds in Amsterdam, Paris or Dublin, ready to take flight with their high-paying, tax-yielding jobs ...A plan for 29 lorry parks speaks for itself of the chaos expected: fresh vegetables will be “blockaded” by Johnson’s own folly. Expect food, medicines and all those essentials stockpiled last time round to be in short supply. [not that they are now, of course]

And support for Labour is rising again, thank goodness, at least with 'a Bristol manufacturer of industrial safety valves with £11m turnover that employs 130 highly skilled staff.', a classic Graun vox pop, whom Toynbee happened to bump into?

Not all are convinced about Starmer, though, including S Jenkins:

Labour has long felt trapped by Brexit. The issue has divided it from much of its working-class support. Starmer now accepts that Brexit is an accomplished fact. But we still do not know where he stands on such key negotiating issues as fishing and state aid to ailing firms, let alone a European single market. He seems frozen by indecision.

Starmer should deploy every conceivable parliamentary device to ensure a trade deal – plotting with minority parties, mobilising the House of Lords, stopping the clock [impossible,surely, once it is ticking]  whatever. Day and night, he should be tearing Johnson’s insurance policy to shreds [ie stopping the 'law-breaking'Bill].

Didn't they try all that and then massively lose an election?