Britain prepares for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit
Businesses, public brace for worst if agreement with EU is not ratified Pro- and anti-Brexit demonstrators make their voices heard outside Parliament on Tuesday.
Britain’s government ramped up preparations Tuesday for the possibility that the country could leave the European Union in 101 days without a divorce deal — putting soldiers on standby and warning thousands of businesses and millions of households to get ready for the worst.
With the country’s departure set for March 29, it remains unclear whether British lawmakers will approve the divorce agreement that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government has negotiated with the EU.
The alternative, a “no-deal” Brexit, risks plunging the economy into recession and touching off chaos at the borders.
“The government’s priority remains to secure a deal, but we need to recognize with14 weeks to go that a responsible government is preparing for the eventuality that we leave without a deal,” Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said.
Members of May’s cabinet agreed to activate all of the government’s no-deal plans and advised the public to prepare for disruptions.
“Just because you put a seatbelt on doesn’t mean that you should crash the car,” Amber Budd, the Work and Pensions secretary, said.
Some 3,500 troops will be on standby to help deal with any disruptions, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said. The contingency plans also call for public service announcements to guide individuals on issues ranging from bank card payments in the EU to travelling with pets.
Businesses will receive a 100plus page online package to help them get ready. Emails to 80,000 of the most likely to be affected companies will be sent over the next few days.
The British government has already published dozens of papers advising of possible “nodeal” disruptions to the economy and daily life, saying busi- nesses could face red tape at the border, consumers could see higher credit card fees and patients could endure delays to medical treatment. The government has drawn up plans to charter boats to bring in essential goods in case supplies are disrupted. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that “I’ve become the largest buyer of fridges in the world” in order to stockpile medicines.
Opposition politicians said no amount of keep-calm-and-carry-on preparation could sugarcoat the impact of a chaotic Brexit.
“This is the reality of a no-deal Brexit: soldiers on the streets, medicines being stockpiled in the NHS (health service), and airports and ferry terminals grinding to a halt,” Labour Party lawmaker Ian Murray said. The British Chambers of Commerce said Tuesday that economic growth and business investment in 2019 were likely to be lower than previously forecast because of the uncertainty over Brexit.
The British government and the EU sealed a Brexit deal last month, laying out the terms of the U.K.’s orderly departure. But May postponed a parliamentary vote on the deal last week when it became clear legislators would reject it. A new vote has been set for Jan. 14.