Boris Johnson’s quest to build a new bridge linking the UK and France have been dismissed as ‘pie in the sky’ by UKIP’s transport spokesman.
Jill Seymour MEP said: “When so much of our existing transport infrastructure here in the UK is still crying out for investment to bring it into the 21st century, this idea of ploughing billions into a cross-channel bridge is an absolute farce.”
The foreign secretary floated the idea of a new crossing between the UK and France, during a summit with French president Emmanuel Macron.
Mrs Seymour said: “We already have air and sea connections with France, in addition to the rail and car services through the Channel Tunnel.
“While the construction of a 22-mile bridge might be feasible, it’s could cause total and utter chaos in one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping lanes, and the cost to the taxpayer would be eye-watering. Frankly, this is just pie in the sky.
“The two countries are already struggling enough as it is to keep illegal migrants from crossing into the UK through the single Channel Tunnel entrance, despite throwing millions of pounds of our money at the problem.
“The last thing they now need is another potential troublespot. First we had ‘Boris Island’, his totally impractical idea for a new airport on the Thames. Now we’ve got the equally far-fetched ‘Boris Bridge’.
“When transport links between some of the UK’s biggest cities remain so poor, the last thing we need is to be diverting money onto a vanity project like this.
