Empty shelves and queues for petrol: what is causing Britain’s supply chain crisis, and is Ireland next?

With supplies being disrupted, long queues at the petrol pumps and warnings of a difficult Christmas, the public mood in Britain is turning sour as the full extent of Brexit’s huge repercussions become apparent. What is going on, and could similar scenes be witnessed in Ireland?

Rows of empty fruit and vegetable shelves in Tesco: analysts are warning British consumers to prepare for a difficult Christmas due to predicted shortages in electronic goods, toys and bicycles. Picture: Getty

Like almost all modern political movements, the campaign for Brexit boiled down to a catchy and easy=to-grasp slogan: Take Back Control. The pitch to British voters was simple. Brexit would mean the end of costly rules and regulations imposed by the EU, and allow Britain to retake control of its borders and set its own immigration policies once again.

And as the 2016 Brexit vote proved, a majority of British voters bought into that narrative. ...