Brexit: There was a fake traffic jam to test how ports will cope with a no deal and people are baffled

It's now 2019 and the reality of Brexit and a potential no deal is just on the horizon and, to be honest, we aren't too optimistic about the future.

'Why?' we hear you ask. Well, just take a look at what has been going on on an unused airport near Ramsgate in Kent.

At around 8am, 89 lorries and HGV's assembled at Manston Airport (there was supposed to be 150) to take part in two test runs to see how the country's ports will deal with post-Brexit traffic.

The lorries collectively drove 20 miles down the A256 to the Port of Dover where they were directed to the Eastern Docks roundabout, waited for a bit, did a loop and then drove back to the airport.

There is a feat that a no-deal will create additional border checks at ports, which could result in hue 29-mile tailbacks.

The trial, which has been named Operation Brock, was a way of seeing how the roads would cope with such problems and increased traffic.

However, it has already drawn derision from Dover's Tory MP, Charlie Elphicke. He is quoted by BBC News as saying:

We've got to remember 10,000 lorries visit the Channel ports every single day so a test with less than 100 is not even a drop in the ocean.

Sending lorries around Kent on a wild goose chase all the way to Manston in the extreme north-east corner, and then sending them to the Port of Dover by a small A road, is not the right answer.

Over on Twitter, people were absolutely baffled at the sight of lorries taking part in a fake traffic jam. As you can guess, there were lots of Brexit jokes.

This thread from The Independent's political sketch writer, Tom Peck, really encapsulates how farcical the whole thing was.

All in all, this little exercise, the brainchild of our esteemed transport secretary Chris Grayling, found that delays would only last 10 minutes, which is somewhat reassuring, but it's slightly worrying that it cost the government at least £48,950 to figure this out.

Still, it's good to know that there won't be any shortage of portaloos on our nation's motorways post-Brexit.