To think Macron is ridiculous

[Dongdingdong]

These poor lorry drivers are very isolated anyway due to the nature of their jobs. The chances of them catching this new super strain and transmitting it are even slimmer than most people’s very slim chances. Macron’s decision to close the border is a hysterical overreaction and no doubt politically (Brexit) motivated. Open the borders and let them through!

@StormzyinaTCup

The lateral flow test is only 50% sensitive.

Well we can provide the lateral flow this side of the channel and if wants the PCR test done he can arrange for it to be done on their arrival in France. Does he not want the drivers home for Christmas or something. It's nothing but a tantrum.

I think if it were uk drivers stuck in France, potentially carrying a new strain of CV into the country, you'd be the first calling for them to have a PCR test first.

We have wasted 48hours, we could have agreed (PCR) this on sunday, results in this morning (at the latest) lorries in france heading home this afternoon.

Most drivers are from former soviet states and its the UK that has had 4 years to build a decent lorry park with full welfare facilities but didn't, very little there, with most facilities not yet built... we leave transition in 9 days?
Even without Cv, we have not prepared.

HistoryKitty
France IS NOT stopping food / vehicles / goods entering the UK

France IS NOT stopping food / vehicles / goods entering France

it is stopping People entering France from the UK

Why do people who opposed Brexit and live in the UK, want us to suffer? Baffles me. Comments like "We deserve what we get"! Isn't a better attitude to try and make it work. Some very spiteful people indeed. Pathetic.

Any competent government would have consulted neighbouring countries prior to proclaiming their 'mutant zombie virus' to the world

So you consult with other countries before you consult your own people, even though there lives may be at imminent risk? That doesn't sit right with me Jason118. I'm not sure what political point you were trying to make but I think your probably way off.

I wonder what the French think of Macron

@Girlyracer

Why do people who opposed Brexit and live in the UK, want us to suffer? Baffles me. Comments like "We deserve what we get"! Isn't a better attitude to try and make it work. Some very spiteful people indeed. Pathetic.

The UK knowingly elected a pathological liar as Prime Minister a year ago.

Surely it’s up to you to know who your MEPs are by engaging with the process, voting and looking at the results. And then contacting them and asking for answers if you don’t like the way the EU is doing things. The other EU nations really do engage better with this.

I think the French hate Macron with a passion.

My SIL lives in France and says the French are pretty happy with how Macron has been dealing with coronavirus which I find astonishing given their poor statistics.

I don’t think anybody wants us to suffer. People may think we need to face up to the consequ3nces of what we’ve done, which is not the same thing at all.

I think if it were uk drivers stuck in France, potentially carrying a new strain of CV into the country, you'd be the first calling for them to have a PCR test first

I would probably do what they should be doing and that is getting them back onto home soil, especially given its Christmas, and PCR testing on arrival where it can be properly monitored and better facilities provided.

Not leaving them in a car park in the middle of Winter - jeez. If he is making them wait an additional 72hrs because he will only accept a certain type of test then he can ship over the supplies required for that.

There is a separate thread about the problems the drivers are experiencing, and the way that the Sikh community and other volunteers have stepped up to help the drivers stranded on the motorway. Manston has facilities, but there was no expectation that hard shoulders on motorways would be used as car parks for days on end, so this situation was not planned for. I don't care what anyone says, the combination of Brexit, along with a pandemic that has worsened 10 days prior to the Brexit end date, was a perfect storm not foreseen by anyone. Macron is scoring political points, IMO, and doesn't care that thousands of drivers are suffering.

@ListeningQuietly

HistoryKitty France IS NOT stopping food / vehicles / goods entering the UK

France IS NOT stopping food / vehicles / goods entering France

it is stopping People entering France from the UK

Thats correct. Its stopping people who are driving vehicles with food and goods from entering France. Which means that no one is willing to go back the other way as they'll be stranded. Which means food and goods are not entering the UK due to the result of that action.

I know a fair number of people who seem to revel in any perceived bad outcomes for the uk in a "I told you so, what did you expect" way as a badge of honour that they "have been proved right"!

I find it quite weird.

@Defenbaker

There is a separate thread about the problems the drivers are experiencing, and the way that the Sikh community and other volunteers have stepped up to help the drivers stranded on the motorway. Manston has facilities, but there was no expectation that hard shoulders on motorways would be used as car parks for days on end, so this situation was not planned for. I don't care what anyone says, the combination of Brexit, along with a pandemic that has worsened 10 days prior to the Brexit end date, was a perfect storm not foreseen by anyone. Macron is scoring political points, IMO, and doesn't care that thousands of drivers are suffering.

Web page written nearly a year ago - before COVID www.gov.uk/guidance/kent-traffic-management-on-m20-motorway-to-dover-and-eurotunnel

There is No Excuse For the UK Government to be this disorganised

So now any other country who finds a variant in the virus will keep quiet after seeing what has happened in the UK. I bet it hasn’t even come from the UK. I hope we keep our borders closed and no one wants to come here, it might actually be a blessing.

@Baileysforchristmas

So now any other country who finds a variant in the virus will keep quiet after seeing what has happened in the UK. I bet it hasn’t even come from the UK. I hope we keep our borders closed and no one wants to come here, it might actually be a blessing.

Might be, but the lack of food is a worry and there are already shortages.

So you consult with other countries before your own people....

Of course you do, it's called diplomacy and we used to be good at it!

@Snog

My SIL lives in France and says the French are pretty happy with how Macron has been dealing with coronavirus which I find astonishing given their poor statistics.

Better than our stats and the tories would still poll most votes if an election held tomo.

@Snog

I know a fair number of people who seem to revel in any perceived bad outcomes for the uk in a "I told you so, what did you expect" way as a badge of honour that they "have been proved right"!

I find it quite weird.

There’s no revelling. Holding to account those who voted to bring chaos and corruption to us all, perhaps. I take no joy that those numpties in Thanet, who listened to Farage et al and didn’t actually do any research about what leaving the EU meant, will suffer the most through inflation and shortages. Turkeys voting for Christmas doesn’t come close. I take no joy that my children’s future has been compromised. I take no joy that our country will be further polarised and far right views have been given air time. I’m both angry and sad at a government who are corrupt and self serving. Where cronyism outweighs merit. Where a generation are going to have to live with the hugely detrimental consequences.

No, sad, concerned, angered but not revelling. I can’t begin to imagine how those without dual nationality must be feeling.

@ListeningQuietly The govt is not perfect, but I think it's wrong to think that they can plan for every single contingency, in this case: Brexit + pandemic + mutating gene causing spiralling numbers 10 days before Brexit + the Macron factor. No government has handled the pandemic perfectly, but Macron is being pretty unreasonable in this situation, IMO.

@jasjas1973 France is doing better than the uk by the absolute tiniest of margins. We have the 6th highest deaths worldwide and they are number 7 right now.

Defenbaker
Stack and Brock and the Dover TAP have existed for years
the fact that they were not correctly implemented
is because the current cabinet are INCOMPETENT

COVID was not predicted last year
Brexit has been known about since June 2016

Manston has facilities, but there was no expectation that hard shoulders on motorways would be used as car parks for days on end, so this situation was not planned for. I don't care what anyone says, the combination of Brexit, along with a pandemic that has worsened 10 days prior to the Brexit end date, was a perfect storm not foreseen by anyone

So no-one in govt thought that without a vaccine, the CV situation wouldn't be worse than it was in the Spring/
Thats amazing because i have listened to many experts over the last 9 months saying exactly this, inc many in the NHS.
Formost would be Prof Devi Sridhar, currently advising the SNP.

Manston was only bought in October after MP Michael Gove warned queues of 7,000 trucks could clog up roads around ports.

So even without CV they knew but did nothing.

It's been another cock up completely.
Those poor drivers.