Border Force strike: Suella Braverman warns Britons to ‘think carefully’ about Christmas plans
Home secretary Suella Braverman has warned Britons going away for the festive period to “think carefully” about their Christmas plans.
Braverman’s remarks come after Border Force staff at several UK airports – including Heathrow and Gatwick – announced their plans to strike for eight days, between 23 and 26 as well as 28 and 31 December.
Despite the walkout impacting the journey of thousands of travellers, the secretary said she wasn’t willing to compromise on the country’s security.
“Ultimately, I’m not willing to compromise on security at the border, that’s the number one priority,” Braverman told Sky News.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed more than 2 million passengers will be affected by the strikes, with over 1.5 million at Heathrow and Gatwick.
Nevertheless, the government has already come up with contingency plans.
Aviation minister Baroness Vere told journalists earlier this week the government was already liaising with third parties, including the army, to guarantee a smooth run of operations.