THE Prime Minister is facing criticism after being caught on camera laughing with his Transport Secretary about a No-Deal Brexit last night.

Boris Johnson held a press conference as the UK faces ports chaos and countries around the world shutting their doors after scientists revealed they believe a new variant strain of Covid-19 is more transmissible than the original.

The UK’s plans for Christmas bubbles over the festive period were thrown out, while millions of people in England were put into strict Tier 4 restrictions.

Police have doubled their presence at Scotland’s Border with England while non-essential travel between the nations remains banned.

READ MORE: Chaos sets in as Covid variant forces world to shut its doors on the UK

From Boxing Day, all of Scotland will face either level 3 or 4 restrictions in an effort to stop the variant coronavirus strain spreading further.

With huge traffic queues in Kent after France blocked all freight lorries crossing the Channel and fears of disruption to the UK’s fresh food supply, journalist Robert Peston asked if the UK is prepared for further disruption next week when the UK officially leaves the EU.

Peston asked: “It’s almost the end of the year, you must know by now whether we’re going to get a free trade deal. Will we?”

It could only be seen on certain streams of the conference – ITV and Sky, not the BBC – but Johnson then turned his head to Grant Shapps. The pair both laughed.

Responding to the question about Brexit shortly after, Johnson insisted he’d had a “great conversation” with Emmanuel Macron on border issues but said trade talks with the EU remain “unchanged”.

Pro-EU Femi Oluwole tweeted: “They laughed. Johnson kept smirking while answering.

The National:

“Don't forget: Even if there's a deal, jobs will still go.”

MP Jack Dromey added: "Tens of thousands of workers face redundancy as a No Deal #Brexit looms. And Boris Johnson laughs! Contemptible, absolutely contemptible.”

This morning there is no more certainty over when France will reopen its border to freight from the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said “on the M20 there are 650 lorries, and there are 873 lorries at the inland site in Manston” currently.

READ MORE: Covid-19 variant: Police increase presence at Border and train stations

Retail chiefs are calling for urgent solutions. 

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said the “borders really need to be running pretty much freely from tomorrow to assure us that there won’t be any disruption”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is a problem potentially directly after Christmas and that is really in fresh produce, so we’re talking here about things like salad, vegetables, fresh fruit, of which the vast majority come from Europe at this time.

“The problem actually is empty lorries, so the empty lorries which are now stuck in Kent, they need to get back to places like Spain to pick up the next consignment of raspberries and strawberries and they need to get back within the next day or so, otherwise we will see disruption.”

He added: “As long as it can be cleared today, there’ll be minimal impact for consumers – remember the shops are shut on Christmas Day which takes one day of buying out of the equation, but those lorries that are stuck in Kent, they do need to get back within the next day.”