The UK is still wrestling with the incoherence of Brexit

The UK is still wrestling with the incoherence of Brexit

Leaver or remainer — and let’s face it, it’s irrelevant now — it’s hard to dispute that elements of the UK’s departure from the European Union haven’t fared well upon contact with political or business realities.

And so it remains. The government is considering a fourth delay to imposing full import checks on products coming from the EU — which were supposed to come into effect on July 1 — the most problematic of which are inspections of food.

On the one hand, this would be a pragmatic move when war in Ukraine has stretched supply chains to breaking point. Politically (and sensibly), Downing Street is determined to avoid shortages on shelves or exacerbating the cost of living crisis.

But make no mistake: this issue, as they say, is a feature not a bug.

Two years ago, the government was insistent that full checks were essential, to keep “our borders safe and secure” and to “ensure we treat all partners equally” in trade.

Now, not so much. Concerns about changes are real: past introductions of less intrusive controls came with six to eight weeks of disruption mitigated only by a feather-light touch to enforcement. There may also be a bandwidth issue: “the government isn’t ready