36
thepainwillstart.ReadewantsScotlandtobreak
awayfromtheU.K.andrejointheEU.Recentopin-
ionpollssuggesta majorityofScotsagree.●3:45P.M.,CALAIS
Moore rolls hisvanontotheferry.Ninetyminutes
later, he’s intheU.K.again.Sixfloorsabovehim
in the port’scontroltower,Bannistersurveysthe
now packedfacilities.Customsspaceshavefilled
up at Calais,causingtruckstobackupinDover.A
queue of vehiclessnakespastthetower,through
passport andpolicechecks,beforebeingsorted
into 250 laneslinedupinfrontofsixferryberths.
One hundredandfiftytrucksanda fewpassen-
ger cars arewavedontothenowemptyferry.
One of Bannister’scontrollersis onthephoneto
Kent Police,who’veactivatedPhase1 ofOperation
Brock, theirtrafficmanagementplan.Shetells
them to releaseanother 150 freighttrucksfroma
holding areaontheA20roadapproachingDover.
After clearingtheport,Mooresteerspastthe
spot wherea BanksymuralonceshowedanEU
flag being chippedaway.It’sbeenpaintedover.
Bynow,trafficgoingtheotherdirectionis backed
upintoKent—headlightsstretchformiles.It’snot
asbadyetastheworstofthedoomsdayscenarios;
still, he’s notlookingforwardtohisnexttrip.The
Express jubilantlydeclares,“Finally!Nodeal,no
problem.” TheMailismoremeasured,withthe
tagline “Britainbracesforno-dealdisruption.”He
tries the puzzlesintheMirrorbeforeturningin,
shortly after 11 p.m.● EPILOGUE
It’satleasta fewdaysbeforemostBritonsnotice
theeffectsofno-deal.Retailerstockpilespre-
ventanyimmediateshortages.Agovernment
plantotransportcriticalsuppliesofmedicines,
chemicals,andfuelonextraferriesiseffective,
bypassingtheseverestborderlogjamsandlimit-
ingdisruption.
InthemorningBrexitmeetingsofcompanies
intheU.K.’sserviceindustries,themajorworry
isenforcement.CEOsaskheadsoflegaldepart-
mentsif theEUwillpunishroutinecross-border
activitiessuchastransferringdataorproviding
basicservices.Riskofficersrepeatedlyrefresh
theU.K.governmentandEuropeanCommission
websites,anxiousforanswers.Smallercompanies
chanceit,eitherbelievingtheywon’tbepulledup
orunwillingtopaytheextracostofcompliance.
Muchoftheeconomyis ina legallimbo.
Asholdupsattheportscontinueinthefol-
lowingdays,supermarketinventoriesdwindle.
Freshstrawberriesandtomatoesrunout,and
pricesforlettuceandcucumbersrise.Social
mediapicturesofemptyshelvesgoviral,spark-
ingpanic-buying. Factories schedule production
shutdowns. Continued confusion at the ports hits
supplies of medicines.
For Johnson, his Churchill moment has come.
He gives nightly speeches from No. 10, urging
calm. Brexit will be worth it in the long run, he
says. “Britain,” he says for the thousandth time,
“is taking back control.” �With Silla Brush▲McDonnellsays
Brexit’stariffsand
redtapemayforce
himtoslaughterall
ofhissheep◼ POLITICS Bloomberg Businessweek September 30, 2019