A fake traffic jam on an airfield in Kent is peak Brexit – 14+ hilarious takes
In another Brexit moment that looks like fake news but isn’t, the UK government is testing its readiness for a no-deal Brexit scenario by arranging a fake traffic jam in Kent. No, really. How this is going to help is a mystery, seeing as they’ll only have a fraction of the traffic there that will be faced by border staff, but it’s peak Brexit if nothing else.
Meanwhile in the strangeness of Brexit – lorries are practising having a big traffic jam https://t.co/voztq4zOaO
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) January 7, 2019
Unfortunately for Chris Grayling, who organised the charade, the lorries turned up late and caused a traffic jam before they got to the airfield, plus only eighty-something out of the planned 150 lorries turned up. Top organising, Chris. Of course, it’s basically got a big target painted on it, with “TAKE THE PISS” at its centre, which is what people are doing.
1.
Current normal activities of a country that hasn’t lost its mind:
Practicing rotting bananas on the A246 to see if we’ll have food in April. pic.twitter.com/n6oo8EzxF4
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 7, 2019
2.
Using 87 lorries to try and see what 5000+ will do is so perfectly on-brand Brexit. It's like preparing for a famine by skipping lunch.
— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) January 7, 2019
3.
I'm highly confident that an exercise featuring 0.5% of the lorries likely to be stuck in Kent will give an accurate picture of what Kent will be like post-No Deal. https://t.co/ZXNx08AXQA
— David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley) January 7, 2019
4.
If there's a better metaphor for 2019 Britain than 100 lorries pointlessly rehearsing No Deal Brexit on a former WW2 airbase that closed 4 years ago thanks to shoddy management….. I've yet to see it pic.twitter.com/iBFua5eSUg
— Otto English (@Otto_English) January 7, 2019
5.
JUST IN: Govt. reveals RSC director Trevor Nunn is directing the rehearsal of lorries at Dover. 'They've all been wonderful!' cried Sir Trevor. Operation No Deal will tour the UK before a West End transfer in March. Olivia Colman stars, playing the driver of a Scania 143. pic.twitter.com/aVM6SddbKA
— Julian Dutton (@JulianDutton1) January 7, 2019
6.
“Couldn’t organise a traffic jam in Kent” is the new standard measure of incompetence.
— Nick Pettigrew (@Nick_Pettigrew) January 7, 2019
7.
Couldn’t the government have paid £14 million to a transport company with no lorries to carry out this trial
— Chris Murrell #FBPE (@cross1wire) January 7, 2019
8.
https://twitter.com/SpillerOfTea/status/1082202033028059136
9.
Government proves its Brexit road haulage plan can just about cope with 79 lorries.
This 1.3% of normal traffic.
And each lorry took double the usual time to pass through the controls.
I'm reassured, aren't you?https://t.co/rZbJhBhPpm
— Russ (@RussInCheshire) January 7, 2019
10.
This staged traffic jam to prepare for a post no deal Brexit Britain is very authentic. pic.twitter.com/rZJjR9UnI3
— Skillsmcgill (@skillsmcgill) January 7, 2019
11.
And they're off!
83 Lorries leave Manston Airport to see whether local roads can handle 5000 lorries in a #NoDealBrexit https://t.co/k2vDxATw9Y
— East Kent Tories Against Brexit (@EastKentTAB) January 7, 2019
12.
Brexit lorry test branded a 'farce' in glorious metaphor for the whole of Brexit.
"Now they can’t even count lorries," said an MP as the convoy of 89 vehicles at Manston Airport included a council bin lorry https://t.co/5shit70xrq
— Michael H. (@MichaelH14) January 7, 2019