Brexit: Government spends £80m on ferries in hope of seeing off threat to medical supplies

The government has been forced to spend almost £80 million of taxpayers’ money on hiring ferries in the hope of avoiding disruption to vital medical supplies caused by Brexit at the end of 2020. Extra sailings will be laid on at eight less-used ports on the east and south coasts of England in a bid to divert traffic away from the Kent ports of Dover and Folkestone, which are expected to be so gridlocked that ministers are ordering lorries to obtain permits to enter the county. But campaigners against a no-deal Brexit questioned whether the last-minute move would prevent shortages, and called on Boris Johnson to channel his energies on securing a trade agreement with the EU to prevent “huge”...