Brexit battle station Britain braces for turmoil as no-deal exit from EU approaches

THOUSANDS of troops have been put on standby and ferries booked to deliver emergency food and medicine supplies across the English Channel as Britain braces itself for a no-deal Brexit.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Cabinet overnight agreed to release $3.5 billion in funds as the government began ramping up plans for a no-deal exit from the European Union on March 29.

A no-deal exit without any customs or immigration agreements would likely cause enormous queues at the English and European air and sea borders, paralysing the movement of people, food, medicines and other supplies.

The Cabinet has put 3500 armed personnel on standby to be deployed in case of chaos around March 29.

Space on ferries is being reserved to ensure urgent supplies such as food and medicines could get into the UK, and businesses will be warned to start making their own plans to protect import and export supply chains.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said it was the government’s “continued duty to prepare for every eventuality, including a no-deal situation”.

He stressed that delivering Mrs May’s proposed deal that she had agreed with the EU remained the government’s top priority, and the best way to avoid Britain crashing out of the EU without a customs and people movement deal.

The Parliament will not vote on the deal until the week of January 14, after Mrs May withdrew it from the House of Commons.

Eurosceptic MPs are concerned the deal’s “Irish backstop’’ provisions, which seek to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, would keep the UK locked into EU laws for years.

It would also require the UK to pay about $68 billion in fees to the EU for the customs arrangements to stay in place during the transition period due to start after March 29.