HMRC ordered to make planning for a no-deal its ‘absolute priority’

PM is given his own ‘countdown clock’

A BREXIT “countdown clock” worth an estimated £500 has been delivered to Downing Street as time ticks down to October 31, the deadline for Britain leaving the European Union.

The timepiece will be displayed in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office, Number 10 has confirmed.

A similar clock has also been hung in Conservative Party headquarters below a message saying: “We will have delivered Brexit and left the EU by –.” As of today there are 90 days until October 31. SAJID Javid ramped up Brexit preparations last night, telling HMRC officials to make no-deal preparations their “absolute top priority”.

The Chancellor said the department must be able to deliver a “functioning regime” from October 31.

He said there would be “more money available” for HMRC, in addition to a £375million boost earlier this year, to help with no-deal preparations over the next three months.And Rishi Sunak, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, yesterday said the recruitment of extra border officials had been speeded up.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he added: “A lot of the money we are spending is going to go on things that we would need to spend anyway because we are leaving the European Union.”

In his letter to the HMRC chief executive Sir Jonathan Thompson, Mr Javid wrote: “HMRC must make no-deal preparation their absolute top priority as the UK prepares to exit the EU on October 31.”

He added that the department must “deliver critical internal systems and staffing and the necessary infrastructure to deliver a functioning regime”.

Mr Javid has unleashed an extra £2.1billion to “turbocharge” no-deal planning.