Emmanuel Macron heads to UK as Britain and France split over border rules

Emmanuel Macron flew to Britain today for an Anglo-French summit amid a rift over how to stop snarl-ups at Calais from hampering cross-Channel trade.

The Evening Standard can reveal worries at the heart of the Government that France will deploy hundreds more border officials after Brexit to carry out checks which could delay lorries, cars and pedestrians.

The UK is pushing for a hi-tech approach to make the border as frictionless as possible after leaving the single market and customs union. However, concerns were being voiced in Whitehall that France favours a more “manpower-based” solution.

“The French approach is hundreds more border officials,” said a Government source. “We are proposing a systems-based approach fit for the 21st century. We have to work out whether the other side is going to be up to the job — that’s where the problem is. If the blockage is at Calais, not at Dover, there is nothing we can really do about it — it’s not in our control.”

Ports were said to be enthusiastic about adopting a pioneering electronic system, with forward declaration of goods, to ensure the smooth flow of trade.

However, British officials privately accept that it could take at least three years to fully implement the scheme once a Brexit deal is struck.

If an agreement is reached in October, the new system may still not be in place even after a two-year transition period.

Calais handles billions of pounds worth of British trade and there were fears that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU could disrupt or reduce it.

“Without a technological breakthrough, the obvious short-term solution to keeping everything moving is more manpower,” said a senior source in the En Marche! party, led by Mr Macron, pictured left. “This will not only ensure that one of the most successful and efficient ports in Europe continues to operate effectively, but that jobs will also be created.”

The different stances emerged as Theresa May faced criticism from some Tory MPs for agreeing to pay tens of millions of pounds for extra security in Calais and other northern French ports to deal with the migrant crisis.

The £44.5 million cash injection will fund fencing, CCTV and detection technology and the UK is also expected to accept more migrants, particularly children and those with relatives already here.

Britain’s ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn, former chief-of-staff to David Cameron, defended the deal.

He said the Anglo-French co-operation had seen the number of migrants in the Calais area reduce from around 10,000 to some 500 now. He did not rule out Britain contributing to the wider Calais economy given complaints from French civic chiefs that it was being hampered by the migrant situation.

He said that the UK and France do £71 billion worth of trade. “Ultimately it’s in all our interests to work out a (Brexit) deal that works for everyone and keeps trade moving,” he added. Britain has proposed that an electronic customs system could also be used to avoid the return of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, Paris was sceptical about whether such a scheme could be successfully implemented.

Today’s summit at Sandhurst also saw France and the UK increasing co-operation on defence and counter-terrorism.