On winning the best Brexit tells bickering ministers
‘Unlikely’ no deal rubbed from the file
MINISTERS signalled a growing possibility of a no-deal departure yesterday, by stripping the word “unlikely” from Brexit planning documents.
The text of Department for Exiting the EU papers was altered, inset left, after the Cabinet agreed to speed up contingency measures for a breakdown in the Brussels talks.
It followed the continuing row between Westminster and the EU about the “backstop” mechanism for the Northern Irish border.
However, officials insisted leaving with a deal remained the most “likely” option.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “This is a straightforward reflection of the decision that was taken by Cabinet to move to a position where we are implementing our no-deal plans in full. “The most likely outcome is to leave the EU with a deal. We are getting close to March 29 and it is important that the Government ramps up its preparations for no deal.
“Citizens and businesses should take relevant action too.”
Pro-Brussels MPs attacked the wording change. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said: “This should worry everyone.
“They can change the words to whatever they want, but no deal will be economic carnage for the country. No government of any stripe could support that.
“This is just bureaucratic deceitfulness.”
A Department for Exiting the EU spokesman said a number of documents published on the Government’s www.gov.uk website were being “updated” to “reflect yesterday’s Cabinet decision to enact the remaining elements of our no-deal preparations”.
Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting agreed no-deal planning should become the Government’s “operational priority” and gave Whitehall an extra £2billion for no-deal exit preparations.