UK Politics

The Conservatives have been accused of “rewarding their chums” after a hedge fund manager who has given the party almost £1.5m was handed a knighthood.David Harding, the founder and chief executive of Winton Capital hedge fund, has donated £475,000 since Boris Johnson became prime minister in mid-2019.He has been knighted in the new year honours list for services to philanthropy, having given large sums to the Science Museum and to the University of Cambridge.But Anneliese Dodds, the chair of the Labour’s party, said: “It seems the Conservatives are ringing in the new year in exactly the same way they’ve seen out the old: by rewarding their chums with gongs instead of our key worker heroes.“If you want Boris Johnson to recommend you for a knighthood, don’t bother working long hours on low wages to help others – just become a hedge fund manager and donate half a million pounds to the Tories.”Four more Conservative MPs received gongs, with a knighthood for backbencher Bill Wiggin, whose lucrative outside work for offshore investment firms – earning him £73,000 on top of his MPs’ salary – has been criticised.Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary sacked by Mr Johnson, and Robert Goodwill, a former minister backed by No 10 in a failed attempt to take over the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories, were also knighted.Caroline Dinenage, another former minister sacked in September’s reshuffle, was made a dame.The new year list saw Tony Blair appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry.Frank Field, a Labour MP for 40 years and now a crossbench peer, was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, an award is limited to the sovereign and 65 recipients at any one time.The prime minister has previously been criticised for nominating a string of major Tory donors – including former party treasurers – for peerages, as well as Brexit supporters.However, David Harding was one of the biggest contributors to the Remain campaign to stay in the EU, to which he gave £3.5m.He has previously suggested he would back state funding of political parties, saying, in 2015: “I’ve given a bit of money to politics. I rather wish I didn’t have to.“I’m sympathetic to the Tories and their approach to raising money, but also sympathetic to people who don’t like that in the UK.” More

Only one of the 27 EU countries has agreed a deal to rescue post-Brexit music tours despite Boris Johnson’s vow to ‘fix’ ‘the crisis, an industry group is protesting.The prime minister made the pledge under pressure 9 months ago – but only Spain has signed an agreement since, leaving artists drowning in expensive “mountains of red tape”.Now the Incorporated Society of Musicians is urging Liz Truss, the new Brexit minister, to reject the hardline approach of her predecessor, David Frost, which failed to make “progress”.“All the problems first identified as facing the creative sector due to the TCA [the Brexit trade deal] still remain,” says a letter to the foreign secretary.In an article for The Independent, the opera singer Sarah Connolly describes the bleak situation facing touring artists as “a seeping, pallid, undercooked, slippery slop”.“2022 is a year that many in the creative industries will look ahead to with trepidation,” Dame Sarah writes.“Omicron is on the rise and the problems with the Brexit deal from 12 months ago are still problems today. My message to the government for the new year is, ‘listen to us’.”The trade deal saw the UK – as The Independent revealed – reject an EU offer to retain visa and permit-free tours, breaking a promise made to music organisations last year.In March, Mr Johnson, confronted with the severe problems obtaining paperwork to perform and to transport equipment across EU borders, told MPs: “We must fix it.”But Lord Frost – the minister he put in charge – appeared to wash his hands of the crisis and refused to say it would be resolved, before quitting the cabinet.Ministers were then attacked, including by Elton John, for wrongly claiming 21 of the 27 EU countries are offering visa and work permit-free access, when severe restrictions still exist in almost all of them.In its letter, the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), representing 11,000 members, urges Ms Truss to switch tack and kickstart negotiations with EU states, while still calling for a visa waiver deal with Brussels.“The sector is now facing mountains of red tape, which is both costly and time-consuming,” warns Deborah Annetts, its chief executive.“The proposed solutions such as bilateral agreements with EU states have not materialised apart from with Spain and there are serious issues with cabotage, carnets and designated ports.“All these issues are adversely impacting the UK music industry and the broader creative industries, which is worth £116bn per annum, the same as finance or construction.”To add the anger, Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, quickly claimed credit for the Spain deal, allowing UK musicians to work for 90 out of 180 days.But industry insiders insist organisations including the Association of British Orchestras, and their counterparts in Spain, did the bulk of the negotiating – and it does not cover transportation.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been invited to respond to the criticisms raised in the letter. More

Rich nations have broken their promise to vaccinate 40 per cent of people against Covid in every African country by the end of 2021, new figures show.Just 7 of the continent’s 54 countries have reached the target, according to the World Health Organisation, with most lagging way behind at under 10 per cent.Africa’s largest nation, Nigeria, has fully vaccinated just 2.1 per cent of its people, with Ethiopia (3.5 per cent) and Democratic Republic of Congo (0.1 per cent) also having among the lowest rates.The target was set at the G20 summit in Rome in October, but only Morocco, Tunisia, Botswana and Rwanda have reached it, of countries on mainland Africa.Three small island nations – where logistical challenges are less daunting – have also passed 40 per cent, including Seychelles and Mauritius which have fully vaccinated more than 70% of their populations.The WHO is now warning that its further target of 70 per cent coverage in every nation of the world by June 2022 looks doomed, in Africa.“As things stand, predictions are that Africa may not reach the 70 per cent vaccination coverage target until August 2024,” said regional director Matshidiso Moeti.The UK has said it will have achieved its pledge to donate 30 million surplus doses to the developing world by the year’s end, having handed over 21.8 million by the middle of December.But a former head of the UK Vaccine Taskforce says that effort falls far short of what is needed and leaves “a gaping hole in our Covid-19 defences”.“We must fight the pandemic globally to protect the UK from Omicron and from other future variants harming our health and economic prosperity and hindering our freedom of movement,” Clive Dix said this week.“Sharing vaccine doses with other countries should not be considered only when we have doses to spare. The drive to vaccinate the UK must be accompanied by a similar effort beyond our shores.”The UK also continues to block the lifting of patents on Covid vaccines – to drive down the cost for developing countries – despite US president Joe Biden swinging behind the idea.Mr Johnson has claimed the UK is “leading” the world in donations – despite sharing fewer jabs than the US, Germany and France – and provoked anger by claiming the problem in Africa is “vaccine hesitancy”.Last summer, he announced 100 million doses would be released by the middle of 2022, but pleas for the programme to be speeded up have been rejected.Of the first 30 million the UK has shared, just 4.6 million have been handed over as direct donations to another government.The majority have been flowed directly from the manufacturers AstraZeneca to the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (Covax), which received £548m from the UK. More

Food banks fear they will be forced to to turn away hungry families during a “bleak” winter as they face soaring demand and supply shortages.Charity bosses said they expect the number of people in dire financial trouble to shoot up next year because of rising food and fuel bills, the coming National Insurance hike, and the recent cut to Universal Credit.Food bank managers told The Independent they may be forced to reduce packages – or even turn away hungry families – as they are uncertain they will be able to match growing demand with extra supplies.The Dad’s House food bank in London’s West Brompton area is currently helping 425 individuals or families a week, but expects the number to rise to 550 households a week in the coming months.“We usually see the impact of debt after Christmas, but we’re expecting things to be much worse because of the rising food and fuel bills,” said manager William McGranaghan. “The early months of next year are going to be really tough. We will struggle to meet the demand.”Food banks said they have seen individual donations of produce fall in recent months, while the organisations which distribute surplus stock from the food industry continue to be hampered by supply problems.Mr McGranaghan said he is not sure if Dad’s House can sustain an increase in numbers coming through the doors for long because the charity only has financial reserves to buy two to three months’ worth of food.“It’s a dire situation,” said Mr McGranaghan. “It’s going to be a bleak winter ahead. We just don’t know the limits of what food banks can actually do. I fear we might have to tell people, ‘Sorry, we just don’t have any food’. Which we would hate to do.”A mid-December survey carried out by the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) found 90 per cent of food banks have already seen an increase in the need for help in recent weeks, as both inflation and October’s £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit hits home.Some 30 per cent of independent food banks told IFAN they might not be able to support “everyone asking for help” if demand continues to increase.The cost of living in the UK has risen by 5.1 per cent in the past 12 months – the highest rate in 10 years, according to official inflation figures published earlier this month.As well as the soaring costs of fuel, clothing and food, changes to the energy price cap will allow suppliers to put up tariffs from April – the same month a 1.2 per cent National Insurance rise will hit the lower earners.Tina Harrison, who runs the Trinity Foodbank in Bury, said she expected rising living costs to push even more people into trouble next year. She and her team currently help 100 individuals or families a week – but they expects the number to rise to around 150.“We’ve had generous donations that will get us through Christmas – but it’s going to be a very tough few months ahead,” she said. “We definitely expect the upward trend in demand to continue next year. We’re anticipating it will go up about 50 per cent because the picture looks so desperate.”The Trinity Foodbank manager added: “We’ll do our best, but I fear we’ll struggle to help everyone in the way we have. We might have to reduce the amount we give out. We’ll have to look at new ways to try to source more food to deal with this demand.”FareShare – the national charity that distributes surplus stock to food banks and other charities across Britain – said the lack of hauliers and ongoing labour shortages in the food sector had hit deliveries into its warehouses.“The winter period looks to be a time of enormous uncertainty for us,” said Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of FareShare. “We don’t know what the impact of any supply chain issues will be – but they could result in a significant drop in the amount of food we’ll be able to redistribute to frontline charities.”The Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest network of food banks, handed out an average of 5,100 parcels a day from April until September – an 11 per cent increase compared to 2019, as need remains well above pre-pandemic levels.Chief executive Emma Revie told The Independent that the network expects a “significant increase” in people asking for emergency help in 2022.“It’s a worry there won’t be enough food to meet demand,” said the Trussell Trust chief. “But I’m heartened that people always seem to respond generously, because no-one wasn’t to see people go without.”Ms Revie also urged the government to “look again at our welfare system,” adding: “If it’s not keeping people out of food banks, then government should be focusing urgent attention on strengthening the social security system.”The Trussell Trust food bank in Colchester currently provides enough meals for 1,300 people each month this year – but manager Michael Becketts expects that to go up to 1,600 people a month.“The economic pressures look very much like they’re going to push more people into trouble,” he said. “We have to prepare for it – I have to plan to feed 20,000 people in 2022. My fear is it may be even more than that.”Sabine Goodwin, co-ordinator of the IFAN network, said the pressure food banks are under to support “an ever-increasing number of people” unable to afford food are “immense”.She added: “It’s essential that the government increases social security payments so that they match the cost of living as urgently as possible. It’s also vital that the rising tide of in-work poverty is tackled through adequate wages and job security.”The Felix Project said it was aiming to increase our supply to charities across London from over 30 million meals to nearly 40 million meals next year “in the face of huge demand”.Shane Dorsett, director of operations at Felix, said: “We need as much help as we can get – right now we’re asking for volunteers to help us make use of the huge quantities of good food being kindly donated by our supply partners.”The government said recent changes to the taper rate and work allowance should see around 1.9 million working families on Universal Credit gain an average £1,000 a year. But Resolution Foundation 3.6 million families on Universal Credit would be worse off because of the end of the £20-a-week uplift.A government spokesperson said: “We’re providing extensive support to those on the lowest incomes … Our £500m Household Support Fund is also giving more help to the most vulnerable with essential costs this winter, and councils have been given an extra £65m to support low income households with rent arrears.”The Independent’s Help the Hungry campaign, run in partnership with the Evening Standard, helped raise over £10m for Britons struggling to access food during the pandemic. More

Tony Blair’s appointment to the Order of the Garter will spark speculation over whether similar honours are in the offing for his successors as prime minister Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May.Unconfirmed reports last year suggested that the delay in honouring Blair was acting as a “gong-blocker” for later PMs.Knight companionship of the Order is awarded personally by the Queen, and sources were reported to have said that she was reluctant to invite Mr Blair to join because of anger at his handling of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.At the time, the new prime minister urged the sovereign to return to London from Balmoral and make a public statement about the death of Diana, who he dubbed the “People’s Princess”.All but two of the Queen’s nine PMs before Blair were made Knights of the Garter, an honour created by Edward III in 1348. Harold Macmillan declined the offer, while Sir Alec Douglas-Home was already a knight of the Order of the Thistle before entering No 10 in 1963.But only one has had to wait as long as Mr Blair for the honour – Edward Heath, who was appointed to the Order in 1992, 18 years after leaving office in 1974.Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson took knighthoods immediately after departing Downing Street, while Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher had to wait around five years and Major and James Callaghan eight. Anthony Eden was already a Companion of the Order before becoming PM in 1955.The Sunday Times last year reported that the delay in honouring Blair was preventing similar titles for his successors.Courtiers were said to be keen to address a political imbalance because among the 102 members of the four most coveted honours — the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Order of Companions of Honour — Tory politicians outnumber their Labour counterparts by more than five to one.It was reported that  rebalancing the system could also benefit Labour grandees including John Prescott, Margaret Beckett and Harriet Harman.However, Heath’s long wait indicates that there is no formal bar to prime ministers being appointed to the Order ahead of their predecessors, as both of his Labour successors Wilson and Callaghan became Garter knights before him.Royal sources last year dismissed suggestions that the Queen was blocking a similar honour for Blair as “absurd”, saying that reports suggested “a pettiness that simply does not exist”. More

One year to the day since the UK finally left the European Union, the people of Britain believe Brexit has done the country more harm than good, according to a new poll.The exclusive Savanta survey for The Independent reveals that, on issues ranging from the economy to red tape to Britain’s ability to control its borders, more voters believe Brexit has worsened the UK’s position than improved it.Almost six out of 10 (57 per cent) believe Boris Johnson lied to them about what Brexit would be like during the bitter referendum campaign of 2016.And by a clear margin, they said that the Remain campaign’s forecasts of damage to the economy and increased red tape from Brexit have proved more accurate than the Leave campaign’s promises, such as the claim on Mr Johnson’s bus that EU withdrawal would deliver £350m a week for the NHS.By a slim majority of 51 to 49 per cent respondents said that if they could vote again, they would opt to rejoin the EU – with younger voters hugely more enthusiastic than the old for renewed membership.More than half of those questioned (51 per cent) want a referendum on rejoining at some point, with 39 per cent saying it should come in the next five years, compared to just 32 per cent who say the issue should never be reopened.The figures represent a significant blow to Mr Johnson’s claim – central to his platform at the last election – that EU withdrawal would deliver a boost to Britain and encourage a new spirit of confidence, optimism and unity.In a message released today to mark the anniversary, the prime minister said that his Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU had allowed UK companies to “seize new trading opportunities” around the world and freed the government to establish a regulatory regime suited to British interests.However, the bulk of the 70 trade deals which he hailed as a benefit of Brexit were no more than “rollover” agreements maintaining arrangements which the UK already enjoyed as an EU member, while government figures suggest that others with Australia and New Zealand will boost GDP by only a tiny fraction of 1 per cent, compared to the 4 per cent loss expected from leaving the EU.Other benefits claimed by Mr Johnson included a faster Covid vaccine rollout, the introduction of a points-based immigration system, simplification of alcohol duties, the abolition of the Tampon Tax and the restoration of the crown stamp on the side of pint glasses.Promising to “maximise the benefits of Brexit so that we can thrive as a modern, dynamic and independent country”, he added: “The job isn’t finished and we must keep up the momentum. “In the year ahead my government will go further and faster to deliver on the promise of Brexit and take advantage of the enormous potential that our new freedoms bring.”  But today’s poll suggested that few voters have yet experienced benefits from EU withdrawal.When asked what effect Brexit had so far had on the UK’s interests generally, some 38 per cent said it had been damaging, against just 27 per cent who said it had improved matters. Even among Leave voters, only 39 per cent said that Brexit had been good for the UK’s interests, with 34 per saying it had made no difference and 18 per cent saying it had been harmful.Former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine, a leading figure in the Remain campaign, told The Independent that the survey reflected a growing realisation among voters that they had been misled about the supposed benefits of Brexit for the UK.“The British people were deceived,” said Lord Heseltine. “The Brexit campaign was based on a range of emotional prejudices that set a mood of national frustration.“This poll reflects a growing disenchantment as people recognise the scale of the deception. A year from now it will be worse.”The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, but a transition period meant that it remained in the single market and customs union and continued to observe Brussels laws until 11pm on 31 December.The 12 months since Brexit have been overshadowed by the Covid pandemic.But today’s poll suggests that voters have so far felt more downsides than benefits from EU withdrawal.Judging whether Brexit had worsened or improved a range of aspects of British life, in every case respondents answered in the negative.A clear majority (59 per cent) said EU withdrawal had damaged relations with the UK’s European neighbours, compared to 14 per cent who said they had improved. More than half (51 per cent) said Brexit had made it more difficult to access a range of goods and services, compared to 18 per cent who said availability had improved.Some 45 per cent said the burden of bureaucracy on UK businesses and citizens had increased as a result of leaving the EU, while just 21 per cent believed it had reduced.On the economy generally, 44 per cent said Brexit had been harmful and 24 per cent beneficial.Even on Britain’s ability to control its own borders – one of the central promises of the Leave campaign – just 23 per cent said Brexit had helped, against 43 per cent who said it had made matters worse.Some 41 per cent said the UK had become less united and 24 per cent more united as a result. And 39 per cent said Britain had less global influence, compared to 23 per cent who said it had more.Some 28 per cent said that their own ability to travel, work and study had been negatively impacted by Brexit, compared to 16 per cent who said it had been improved. And 23 per cent – almost a quarter – said it had hit their personal finances, against 19 per cent who believed Brexit had improved them.On every count, people said that the Remain campaign in the 2016 referendum gave a more accurate picture than Leave of what Brexit would be like.And 57 per cent said that they believed Mr Johnson lied more than he told the truth in the Brexit debate, against 26 per cent who thought the opposite.The accuracy of the vision of Brexit painted by the two sides in the referendum campaign was calculated by subtracting the number who now think their forecasts were wrong from those who think they were right.On Brexit’s impact on the UK overall, Leave scored +1 and Remain -22. On its outcome for Britain’s standing in the world it was -5 for Leave and +11 for Remain. And the Remain position was judged more accurate than Leave on: the economy (Remain +7, Leave -5); the unity of the UK (Remain +14, Leave -7); disruption to everyday life (Remain +9, Leave -10); and the impact on Northern Ireland (Remain +10, Leave -19).Despite these findings, the Savanta poll found the UK still split down the middle on Brexit, with 46 per cent saying the 2016 decision to leave the EU was right and 46 per cent wrong. Some 10 per cent of former Leave voters who said they now think it was the wrong decision were balanced by 13 per cent of Remain voters who now think it was right to leave.The director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, Prof Anand Menon of King’s College London, said that the finding appeared to demonstrate public attachment to the principle of “the sovereign right to make decisions for ourselves, even if the consequences may turn out to be economically negative”.Dissatisfaction with the outcomes of Brexit may reflect a broader disgruntlement with the government and the Covid pandemic, he said.“The people who think the government is doing badly with Brexit tend to be the same ones who think it is doing badly with Covid,” he said. “Once the pandemic is behind us, it will be easier to attribute outcomes as the result of Brexit rather than something else.”And Savanta associate director Chris Hopkins told The Independent: “Despite the public thinking that overall there have so far been more downsides than benefits from EU withdrawal, the fact remains that the public are almost equally divided between thinking whether Brexit was right or wrong and on whether they think the UK should rejoin or stay out of the EU. “Ultimately, whatever the legacy of Brexit in terms of its economic impact and how it affects Britain, the lasting legacy will be this somewhat irreversible divide that referendums tend to cause – and a second referendum, that many seem to still want, is unlikely to heal the divisions the 2016 referendum caused.”Support for rejoining was far higher in the poll among the younger generations, with 77 per cent of 18-24-year-olds, 73 per cent of 25-34-year-olds, 59 per cent of 35-44-year-olds and 54 per cent of 45-54-year-olds saying they would back renewed EU membership, excluding don’t knows and wouldn’t votes.Only in older age groups would majorities vote to stay out of the EU – by 60-40 per cent among 55-64-year-olds and 65-35 per cent among over-65s.Some 20 per cent of those questioned said they would like a referendum on rejoining the EU immediately and 19 per cent more said there should be a rerun ballot within five years.But 9 per cent said any new referendum should wait 6-10 years, 3 per cent 11-20 years and 4 per cent more than 20 years, while 32 per cent said the issue should never again be put to a public vote.Savanta questioned 2,096 adults in Britain over 10-12 December More

Former prime minister Tony Blair has been made a knight of Britain’s most senior order of chivalry, in an honour bestowed directly by the Queen.Sir Tony said his appointment as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter some 14 years after leaving office was “an immense honour”.But it is certain to prove controversial among those who blame the former PM for the UK’s involvement in war in Iraq in 2003.Founded in 1348 by Edward III, membership of the Garter is awarded personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the sovereign personally.The knighthood has regularly been bestowed upon former prime ministers, with all of Sir Tony’s nine predecessors receiving the honour apart from Harold Macmillan, who declined the title, and Alec Douglas-Home, who was already a member the Order of the Thistle before entering Downing Street.Membership is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales and no more than 24 living Companions. Current members include former MP Sir John Major, businessman Lord Sainsbury, former head of the civil service Lord Butler, ex-MI5 chief Baroness Manningham-Buller and former chiefs of defence staff Lord Inge, Lord Boyce and Lord Stirrup.Former Labour leader Blair, who held the keys to No 10 between 1997 and 2007, said: “It is an immense honour to be appointed Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and I am deeply grateful to Her Majesty the Queen.“It was a great privilege to serve as prime minister and I would like to thank all those who served alongside me, in politics, public service and all parts of our society, for their dedication and commitment to our country.”Sir Tony became Labour leader following the death of John Smith in 1994 and led the party to a landslide victory in 1997.He won two subsequent general elections in 2001 and 2005 before quitting Westminster in 2007, paving the way for his chancellor Gordon Brown to take over as prime minister.The 68-year-old famously hailed Diana, Princess of Wales, the “people’s princess” after her death in 1997 and was the UK leader during allied military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US.After leaving office, the former barrister became a Middle East envoy and set up the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to promote his “Third Way” brand of centrist politics.Appointments to the Garter are in the Queen’s gift and made without prime ministerial advice.They are for life unless a Knight or Lady Companion offends against certain “points of reproach”.Sir Tony is one of three new appointments announced by Buckingham Palace.Founded in 1348 by Edward III, the Garter is awarded by the sovereign for outstanding public service and achievement.It is said to have been inspired by events at a ball in northern France, attended by the king and Joan, Countess of Salisbury.The countess is believed to have dropped her garter, causing laughter and some embarrassment.The chivalrous king, however, picked it up and wore it on his own leg, uttering the phrase “Honi soit qui mal y pense” – “Shame on him who thinks evil of it” – now the Order’s motto.The Order’s emblem is a blue ribbon or garter worn by men below the left knee and by women on the left arm.Each year, Royal Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Garter gather at St George’s Chapel in Windsor for a colourful procession and ceremony.Watched by crowds of onlookers, they walk down the hill to the chapel from the State Apartments, dressed in blue velvet mantles, red velvet hoods, black velvet hats and white ostrich plumes. More

Companies bringing goods into Great Britain face a new set of bureaucratic hurdles from 1 January, as the UK imposes full Brexit customs controls on imports from the EU for the first time.Controls on exports to the EU under Boris Johnson’s Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) were introduced a year ago, but mandatory checks on imports from European countries were delayed to July, and then postponed again to the start of 2022 after British businesses warned they were not ready.Thousands of companies will have to complete customs declarations either at the border or in advance of moving goods, and will be required to produce proof that the items originate from within the EU in order to qualify for tariff-free access under the TCA.They will no longer benefit from the six-month grace period for making declarations and paying any relevant tariffs, introduced to smooth the process after the UK left the EU single market and customs union on 31 December 2020.Trucks bringing products to Britain will have to be registered on the government’s Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS). Importers will need an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number and the companies they buy from may need export declarations, licences or certificates to send goods to the UK as well as a Registered Exporter (REX) number of their own.Import declarations will require the correct commodity code for each product being brought into the country, along with its value. And licences and certificates are needed for certain high-risk goods.Authorities will have to be pre-notified of incoming animal and plant products, though full veterinary and sanitary checks on agri-food products do not come into effect until July 2022 in what is expected to be the most disruptive change to trading conditions resulting from Brexit.And there will be no change to imports from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to mainland Britain until the conclusion of talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol.In 2020, goods and services imports from the EU totalled around £300bn – half of all UK imports.The government’s Office for Budget Responsibility calculates that trade with the EU has already declined by around 15 per cent since Brexit, contributing to a forecast 4 per cent decline in UK GDP over the longer term as a result of EU withdrawal.The government insists that trader readiness for further changes is “strong”. But a recent survey by the Institute of Directors suggested that nearly one-third of British companies importing goods were not prepared for the new requirements coming into force as the New Year begins.And representatives of the logistics industry warned that even if UK firms get their paperwork in order, they are dependent on hundreds of thousands of small and medium sized (SME) exporting businesses from across the EU.Alex Veitch of Logistics UK, which represents hauliers, ferry companies, ports and customs agents, told The Independent that the organisation was “cautiously optimistic” that the bulk of UK/EU trade conducted by around 10,000 large multinational firms would continue unaffected.But he said: “There is concern that some EU exporters to this  country -particularly the SME community may not be ready to do the paperwork and there may be turnbacks because of that.”Delays were likely to be at the point of collection in EU nations, rather than at Channel ports, as most lorries will not depart for the UK without first receiving a “movement reference” number to show that the paperwork for their loads has been correctly completed, he said.“We are fully confident that 90 per cent of trade will be fine because it’s done by about 10,000 very big companies,” said Mr Veitch. “But nonetheless, just as we saw last year, there is the other 10 per cent of smaller traders who get caught out because they often have few people to look at this stuff.“And because this time the onus is on the EU exporters to get ready, it’s very hard for UK government to get those messages to them. There are definitely some bumps in the road to expect.”The chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, Shane Brennan, said: “UK-based businesses are pretty prepared. We’ve been doing this going the other way for the last 12 months. What we are really worried about is the businesses across the European Union because they are the ones that have to make a change now that they haven’t had to since Brexit.“As of January, they have to make declarations, they have to do the paperwork, they have to gather information in order to trade with the UK. That is a big change and we are worried about how prepared they are.”Mr Brennan said importers will face “significant extra cost” of around £300-£400 for every lorry bringing goods from the EU under the “much more inflexible and much more costly” system which replaces the free movement of goods available when the UK was a member of the 27-nation trading bloc.Full customs controls have already been in place for 12 months for alcohol and tobacco products, and one Welsh wine importer said he feared an “impending plane crash” for other sectors if their experiences are repeated.Daniel Lambert that lead times for supply had increased from one to eight weeks following Brexit and it was regularly the case that one-third of his range was missing.Only two of the 300 EU companies which he buys from had obtained the necessary REX status by the time new arrangements came into place a year ago, and some have still not done so, he said. Even when that bureaucratic hurdle is overcome, errors in paperwork are rife.“The system is so complicated that we seldom have everything done correctly by the suppliers first time round, it normally takes two or three versions to get it right,” said Mr Lambert. “Transportation companies are now in the habit – rightly so – of not even collecting stock until all documents are correct.”And he added: “My worry is that producers think ‘Oh f*** it’ and stop with the UK and sell everything within the EU. This is very plausible.”A government spokesperson said: “Overall trader readiness for the introduction of import controls is strong, and there is plenty of support available to ensure businesses are well positioned to comply with UK border processes from 1 January 2022, including one-to-one advice through the Export Support Service.“Through our targeted multimedia campaign and a series of sector-based webinars, businesses are also signposted to the relevant information to help them get ready.“Given the impact of Covid-19 on global supply chains, we are introducing import controls in phases throughout 2022 in order to give businesses more time to prepare.” More