BORIS FACES LITTLE FESTIVE FAMILY CHEER AS THE WORK GOES ON

BORIS Johnson will be keeping his Christmas celebrations short, small and local this winter in line with the advice from his Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.

The Prime Minister has told friends he will spend most of the festive holiday at work in Downing Street. He has plenty to attend to. His team are braced for a stormy start to 2021 following the UK’s exit from the EU’s customs union and single market at the end of the year.

“January and February are going to be pretty rocky,” a senior Government insider told me this week. “Deal or no deal, it’s going to be different and it will take time to adapt.” Downing Street aides fear that many British businesses are unprepared for new customs rules coming into force on New Year’s Day. Understandably, employers have been absorbed with coping with the commercial impact of the coronavirus pandemic while waiting in vain for the trade negotiations to come to a conclusion.

Even if a UK- EU free trade deal is achieved out of the last- ditch talks happening this week, a wholly new and hugely complex customs regime will have to be rushed in. Ministers are braced for traffic tailbacks at ports, confusion at customs checks and scare stories about consumer shortages. They expect the diehard Remainers largely silenced by the Prime Minister’s general election triumph last December to be back in full- throated outrage at the country’s Brexit choice. Mr Johnson is said to be in phlegmatic form, relishing the challenges – and angry political rows – the New Year will bring.

Fulfilling his pledge to “Get Brexit Done” will not bring any peace and tranquility soon. The Prime Minister has had a tumultuous year personally with his hospitalisation for coronavirus and the birth of his own Wilfred. His break with his family may be short, small and local but will still need to fully recharge him for more turbulence ahead.