Dealing with post-Brexit paperwork ‘pure hell’, shipping head tells MPs

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Lisa O’CarrollJanuary 13, 2026 at 07:48 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A shipping head, Toby Ovens, told UK MPs that post-Brexit paperwork has created logistical nightmares and increased costs for businesses. He cited instances of veterinary errors causing delays and significant financial burdens, including a truck detained in Calais for 27 days due to a paperwork error. These issues have contributed to a decline in UK goods trade since Brexit. The remarks come as UK and EU negotiators prepare to meet in London to discuss a new veterinary agreement aimed at reducing red tape. The National Farmers Union also highlighted technical challenges in aligning agricultural standards, while the Confederation of British Industry noted the EU's reluctance on issues like mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Confederation of British Industry 40% Sean McGuire 40% National Farmers Union 50% Tom Bradshaw 50% Broughton Transport 60% Liam Byrne 60% UK ×270% Calais ×470% Toby Ovens ×280% European Union ×490% Brexit ×595%

Keywords

brexit paperwork 100% post-brexit bureaucracy 90% trade 70% eu 70% red tape 60% exports 60% veterinary agreement 60% sanitary and phyto sanitary agreement 50% hauliers 40% food and drink 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Calais

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

Topic Connections

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

No topic relationship data available yet. This graph will appear once topic relationships have been computed.

brexit paperwork post-brexit bureaucracy trade eu red tape exports veterinary agreement sanitary and phyto sanitary agreement hauliers food and drink

Explore Full Topic Graph