The good thing about your numbers is that it shows the effect of covid (my numbers were from 2019). The difference shows millions of people who through no fault of their own are now unemployed.
Linking it back to the other part of the conversation that means it is likely that the fraction of people exploiting the system is considerably lower. As many will not be the stereotypical claimants.
For context, see shanties have become slightly popular in the UK this week following some Tik Tok videos that have gone viral
Just saw this and while I dont deny the figures are down Iām not 100% sure of the claim that all of the freight is bypassing the UK. I say this because freight numbers are also significantly down in he likes of Dover, Folkestone etc. Basically, they arenāt coming in anywhere the same numbers as they were.
For towns like Holyhead etc. this isnāt good if itās a long term thing
Hasnāt Ireland opened a couple of ferry routes directly to France? With the delays at the UK border, the economics of those have now probably shifted significantly.
edit: yes, I knew I had seen something along these lines.
Yes they have. I couldnāt say if that new route makes up the whole shortfall, I suspect it doesnāt to be honest as I also suspect that overall trade into the UK is down. A pandemic probably doesnāt help either.
How much of an impact on Welsh ports is difficult to judge to be honest. Yes less, traffic but perhaps more checks etc.
I would guess the impact would be even greater on Liverpool, because the delays will likely be smaller at smaller ports. There would still be a lot of Ireland-UK trade, but I have to think the most rational route for most loads would be through Belfast rather than a port in the Republic, so perhaps that shift offsets the reduction in ālandbridgeā traffic for Liverpool, at the expense of the ports in Wales.
I remember the absolute chaos when the US shut the border in September 2001, then re-opened with security checks. Even the more modest crossing at Ivy Lea to upstate NY had a 25km line, where a normal crossing even at peak would be no more than an hour wait. I did not think much of it driving past that line, and then our supply chain went crazy for a couple of months.
Perhaps freight is heading to Belfast and then into the UK. Entirely possible. I havenāt heard of any news on changes if freight levels at Liverpool and Heysham but I would expect something to be honest. Rosslare to Europe is probably more attractive to many right now as well.
Either way it looks like the Welsh ports will suffer more as a result, but thereās still a massive amount of readjustment going on.
Another casualty
Canāt blame him. Heās only following the example set by others, with closer ties to Bozo:
Just saw that the likes of Aaron Banks etc. have tried to move their affairs etc. to Ireland. Hasnāt gone down well.
yes, looks like another has realised the difficulties arising from leaving and has decided to jump ship.
Johnson senior makes everything the Johnson is a little more understandable to be honest. Junior is definitely a chip off the old block.
Last 2 years (I think) our passport system has been inundated with requests for passports from British citizens on both sides of the Irish Sea. Even Ian Paisley jr(who hates us) has his now, although all born on the Island, North or South, are entitled to an Irish passport itās still ridiculous that those who voted for brexit are allowed a workaround.
From recent reports the land bridge is to be avoided(for the time being) and new routes have already been opened to head straight to mainland Europe with more routes continuing to open. I recall Holyhead being critises in 2016 as that area voted out when most of their business flows to/from Ireland.
Isnāt that so they can keep hold of their domain name āleave.euā? (UK residents can no longer hold .eu domain names.)
Letās face it, āleave.ukā might send out the wrong message. 
Yes I think. It was just a snippet that I had caught. I need to go back to it.
Yes but I have some sympathy. Holyhead or its proper name, Caergybi is not a nice area yet it has more than most. It has the port and did have Wylfa nuclear power station on its doorstep. 2 major sources of employment. So itās a bit odd that it has had its struggles. Also the port is a well known conduit for drugs into the UK. I suspect some of it stays there.
I could well believe that the locals were screaming for change and latched on to the Brexit message as a result. Itās also now a conservative seat but it has been a bit of a seesaw seat.
So the latest on Brexit, is that due to inability/logistics of selling fish. The fish price at auctions in Scotland have plummeted by 80% for some varieties.
So instead Scottish fisherman are instead sailing to Denmark to offload their catch there.
Since 2021, 40 % of fish sold at Denmarkās biggest fish auction is from Scottish boats. Which is about 600 tonnes of fish.
Iām not convinced that Dominic Raab has a functioning brain, but there you go. 