Why Brexit could turn out to be the Grinch who stole Christmas – Scotsman comment

There’s nothing quite like the sense of wonder that fortunate children experience on Christmas morning when they wake to discover that Santa Claus has been.

Is Brexit going to be the Grinch who stole Christmas? (Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

However, this year on top of the curtailing of festivities necessitated by Covid, even good children may find that Santa has not brought everything that they had wished for because, regrettably, Santa’s sleigh, or rather a large number of sleighs, probably driven by his helpful elves, got stuck in a logjam at Felixstowe and were then re-routed to Rotterdam, missing the UK’s Christmas season entirely.

So who or what is responsible for this lamentable state of affairs? It is apparently the result of a “massive upswing in imports” caused by the pent-up demand being released at the end of the first coronavirus lockdown and stockpiling by importers worried about the Covid second wave and the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.

The British Toy and Hobby Association said companies were suffering "serious issues" retrieving their stock from ports in Felixstowe and Southampton, adding: “This is troubling for the toy industry who are under pressure to ensure children... get to open their exciting new toys on Christmas Day.”

The Covid crisis is one we have no option but to deal with as best we can. The Brexit crisis, however, very much depends on Boris Johnson and his willingness and ability to conclude a good trade deal with the EU. We hope this is closer than it currently appears.

The transition period isn’t even over, yet Brexit is shaping up to be the Grinch who stole Christmas.

And remember Brexit is likely to be for life, not just Christmas.

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