Liberal Democrats call for Urgent Government Support as Brexit Border Crisis Threatens Summer Gridlock in Kent
Liberal Democrat county councillors have tabled an urgent motion to Kent County Council (KCC), warning that the county faces unprecedented summer gridlock and economic paralysis without immediate government intervention and proactive local leadership.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Tim Prater and seconded by Councillor Antony Hook, highlights a “double whammy” facing Kent's road network this summer: the ongoing strain of freight management via Operation Brock, combined with severe tourist delays expected from the roll-out of the EU’s new Entry-Exit System (EES).
Recalling the technical failures, kiosk glitches, and severe delays witnessed across Europe during Easter 2026, the Liberal Democrat group warns that Kent’s local economy and residents will bear the brunt of a national transport crisis unless KCC and the Government take immediate action.
The motion demands that the KCC Cabinet Member for Highways produce a serious local mitigation plan, whilst robustly lobbying Westminster for emergency funding, increased operational powers, and use of the Sevington site for offline tourist traffic queuing. It also directly challenges the ruling Reform administration at County Hall to step up and stop treating traffic management as an afterthought.
Tim Prater, proposer of the motion, said:
"Kent is proudly the UK’s gateway to Europe, but our communities cannot continue to be treated like an unfunded national car park. For years, residents and businesses have borne the brunt of cross-Channel freight gridlock through the blunt instrument of Operation Brock (Brexit Operations Cross-Kent). This summer, we face an unprecedented double whammy as peak holiday traffic collides with the systemic friction of the new EU Entry-Exit System (EES).
"We saw the warning signs vividly over Easter. Technical failures and kiosk glitches proved that the EES is a ticking clock for Kent's roads. Yet, the current Reform administration at KCC seems content to simply watch it happen. It is entirely unfair of the government to expect Kent County Council to manage a national transport crisis alone, but the ruling group cannot just shrug their shoulders and blame Westminster.
"The leadership at KCC needs to step up, take this threat seriously, and stop treating traffic management as an afterthought. We are demanding that the Cabinet Member for Highways produces an immediate, serious local action plan. Simultaneously, the council must robustly lobby the Government for dedicated funding and operational powers, while explicitly demanding they utilise the Sevington site for offline tourist queuing to clear our local roads."
Antony Hook, seconder of the motion, added:
"Right now, Kent's local economy is being treated as collateral damage. For our independent high streets, hauliers, and logistics firms, gridlock means staff cannot get to work, deliveries are delayed, and supply chains grind to a halt. When our roads paralyse, local commerce bleeds. Furthermore, when Kent becomes synonymous with gridlock, visitors avoid the county altogether, starving our vital hospitality and tourism sectors of crucial summer revenue.
"The Reform administration campaigned on shaking up local government, but when it comes to the single biggest threat facing Kent's infrastructure this year, their inaction is deafening. Shouting from the sidelines is not a strategy. Our business community and our residents deserve a leadership that actively fights for them, not one that leaves our communities to absorb the fallout.
"Kent cannot simply absorb the financial blow of international border changes without national support. We need a council administration that takes the reins, coordinates with National Highways and border agencies, and aggressively pursues the policy levers required to protect Kent's economic resilience. We must take this EES issue, a direct consequence of Brexit, much more seriously than is happening now.”
The full text of the motion submitted to Kent County Council calls for an action plan from the Cabinet Member for Highways and a coordinated national approach with National Highways, border agencies, and port operators to manage tourist traffic. 3. Liberal Democrat Group MTLD - Tourist Travel in Kent.pdf
The EU Entry-Exit System (EES) is a new automated IT system for registering travellers from third countries (including the UK) each time they cross an EU external border.
Operation Brock (Brexit Operations Cross-Kent) is the traffic management system used on the M20 to queue coast-bound freight traffic during periods of cross-Channel disruption.