THE EU’s former chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said Britain's supply chain crisis, which has seen pumps run dry and supermarket shelve go bare, is a “direct consequence” of Brexit.
Barnier, who is running for the French presidency, said the shortage of lorry drivers and ongoing supply chain problems were down to the UK’s decision to quit the EU.
“Part of the answer is linked, effectively, to the consequences of the Brexit because the UK chose to end the freedom of movement [of people],” he said.
“And there is a clear link to the truck drivers."
He added: “In addition to the freedom of movement, the UK choosing to leave the single market – that means that the UK decided to rebuild, for the very first time, non-tariff barriers between the EU and the UK. It is a direct and mechanical consequence of Brexit.”
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The French politician was speaking at a virtual event hosted at the London School of Economics, promoting his new book My Secret Brexit Diary – which details his time negotiating the exit deal on behalf of the European Commission.
The former Brexit negotiator also told BBC’s Newsnight that the Northern Ireland protocol “cannot” be dropped and remains the “only way to find a solution for all the problems created by Brexit”.
Barnier also claimed Johnson “knew exactly what he signed” when he negotiated the Brexit deal with the EU. “What creates problems in Ireland is Brexit, nothing else.”
His claims follow comments made by Germany's Social Democrats' leader Olaf Scholz, who yesterday blamed Brexit for the fuel and supermarket supply chain problems which have hit the UK.
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Speaking after his party narrowly won his country's elections Scholz, who is likely to succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor following negotiations between parties on forming a coalition government, said: "The free movement of labour is part of the European Union.
“We worked very hard to convince the British not to leave the union. Now they decided different and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that.”
Former Irish premier Leo Varadkar, now the country’s trade minister, also said Brexit was largely to blame for the fuel shortages and empty supermarket shelves in the UK.
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