Brexit has left us all at sea – even the fishing industry

The paralysis at Britain's new borders was wholly foreseeable to those not led astray by zealotry and ignorance in high office

Teething troubles? Bumps in the road? Pull the other one, Mr Gove. As the daily news from fishing crews, farmers, road hauliers, wine merchants, musicians and thousands of businesses up and down the land - not least in Northern Ireland - confirms, Brexit tier 3 is indeed a disaster. Far from having teething troubles that disappear, many of these businesses are having their commercial teeth extracted.

It becomes increasingly manifest by the day that this is a Conservative act of conscious economic self-harm which, in an ideal world, would be rescinded before things get a lot worse. Not to put too fine a point upon it, Brexit is not only a disaster: it is also plain stupid.

Leaving perfectly sensible trading arrangements was always guaranteed to end in tears. We - or some of us - have done it to ourselves