Tories assume crash position
Govt has secretly been getting ready for No Deal for months
A MIRROR probe has unearthed bombshell revelations that the Government has secretly been preparing since July to crash out of the EU without a deal.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd publicly declared this week that Britain leaving Europe with no agreement is “unthinkable”.
But in response to a freedom of information request by the Mirror, her own department admitted plans for quitting the EU with No Deal were “well under way” three months ago.
Our probe shows other major Government departments are in the same boat.
It will increase fears that Britain will depart the EU in March 2019 without a deal.
Experts have repeatedly warned that this scenario would be catastrophic for the UK.
Francis Grove-White, deputy director of anti-Brexit campaign group Open Britain, said last night: “It’s truly worrying that Government departments seem to be secretly planning for an extreme, No Deal Brexit that would hammer people’s living standards and threaten the economy and national security.
“This should have been ruled out months ago. No Deal is like walking away from a house purchase after already moving out of your old place. If you flounce out of the estate agent’s, you’ll be left with nowhere to live.”
The Mirror sent freedom of information requests to dozens of Government departments in July, a few weeks after the election. We asked whether they had a contingency plan for a No Deal scenario and, if so, could we have a copy.
Some departments failed to reply. Of those that did eventually respond, many confessed they’d had a No Deal plan in place for months.
Preparations by the Department for Exiting the EU were under way in July. It said: “Given the long lead-in times to put in place many contingency measures, we can’t wait until we see the final outcome of the negotiations to begin preparing.”
The Treasury, the Department for International Trade, and the Department for Transport were among the major departments that admitted they had plans for a No Deal scenario on the go at least three months ago.
The DIT said: “[We are] working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other departments to contribute to the Government’s preparations for Brexit, advising on the implications and operational aspects of EU exit for our trading relationships. “This includes plans to ensure the department is ready to deliver a new independent trade framework in the absence of any deal with the EU by March 2019.” The Department of Health was not making preparations in July but revealed it is now. An official said: “I can confirm [we are] developing contingency plans in case of a No Deal scenario.” Responding to our findings, Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said: “The Government should rule out a No Deal because talking up the prospect of an angry divorce simply leads to business reducing investment, both from abroad and by our own companies.” Independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation said last week that a No Deal Brexit would leave millions of British families £500 a year worse off. Despite this and other warnings, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday insisted Britain would be fine even if the Government fails to negotiate an agreement. He said: “We have to prepare for every eventuality... We will come through it very well whatever happens.” Brexit Secretary David Davis yesterday said leaving without a deal is “not our intention”, adding that it is a “very distant possibility”.