Hauliers: Far from being a solution to the Irish Sea border the Windsor Framework ‘cements  Irish Sea problems’

In an extraordinary letter to this newspaper three industry experts say that only now, almost six weeks after the modified Northern Ireland Protocol was unveiled, have they got detailed answers to their questions about the internal UK frontier.

Peter Summerton, Paul Jackson and Mark Tait write: “On March 30, in an extended government briefing session, question after question unpicked the spin and revealed the stark reality of a hard border within the United Kingdom. It is now clear that the ‘green lane’ is a complete misnomer due to its heavily fettered access.”

In the letter, also published in the Daily Telegraph, the trio challenge the prime minister Rishi Sunak’s claims to have removed the Irish Sea barrier, and they say: “Sadly, far from being a practical solution, the framework has cemented a hard border, operating to the most complex set of customs and food and animal safety processes found anywhere in the world.”

Last week Mr Summerton claimed that “the government and other politicians who know what's happening” had not “come clean on the complexities of moving goods.