Ferry operator warns of possible implications of no-deal Brexit

Speaking to the BBC, Stena senior executive Ian Hampton said a no-deal Brexit could affect food supplies and see traders choose to bypass Great Britain.

“We can’t plan on the basis of what we don’t know, so we’re very anxious about the outcome,” he told Radio 4’s Today Programme.

Warning that checks along the Irish border could have a significant impact on trade flows, Mr Hampton said one possible implication of such an outcome could be a reduction in Stena Line sailings to and from UK ports, if traders start to opt to sail directly to the continent rather than via Great Britain.

He also called for clarity from the government about what trade declarations would be necessary in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Without it, he said, delays at ports could affect whether food got to supermarket shelves on time.

The government has stressed that it has proposed an ambitious future relationship with the EU in order to keep trade flowing.