Emergency plans for no-deal Brexit revealed
DOSSIER OUTLINES WORST-CASE SCENARIO
A NO-DEAL Brexit could lead to a “fullscale emergency” across Tyneside, prompting increased food bank use, restricted bin collections and leaving residents struggling to pay bills, city leaders have warned.
Newcastle City Council has released its worst-case scenario plans for the UK leaving the European Union without a deal on October 31. The summary document outlines fears of rising food prices putting pressure on the city’s food banks, increased community tensions and disorder, and a severe impact on the poorest residents.
It also warns any disruption to fuel supplies could damage the council’s ability to carry out bin collections, road repairs, and other basic services.
Labour council leader Nick Forbes, who had pledged last month to publish the city’s equivalent of the government’s Operation Yellowhammer documents, said local authorities desperately need more cash to help “cope with what will be a full-scale emergency impacting on all our residents”.
He added: “I am confident we are as prepared as we can be but the impact on the city as a whole will require proper funding so we can support EU citizens living in the city, residents on the lowest income who will be the worst affected by increased costs and our businesses to navigate the economic shock Brexit will cause.
“The support made available to local authorities so far is simply not enough – funds have been sufficient to prepare for the Nick Forbes worst but not to pick up the pieces in the days, weeks and months after October 31.”
The council’s no-deal plan states that:
■ Low-income households will be “disproportionately affected by price rises in utilities and services”, leading to an increase in deprivation in Newcastle.
■ Food price rises could increase requests to use food banks in the city.
■ More Brexit-related protests are likely, with a “potential for a rise in community tensions and public disorder”.
■ The damaging economic impact of nodeal may lead to people not being able to pay their council tax or business rates, with council cash reserves only able to make up any Brexit-related shortfall “on a time-limited basis”.
■ If border delays affect the distribution of fuel, there would be a knock-on effect for council activities including refuse collection, bereavement services, highway repairs, traffic signal maintenance and council house maintenance.
It also warns city authorities dealing with the fallout of Brexit could be overstretched through the winter if other problems such as severe weather, flooding, and flu outbreaks arise.
However, the council believes that there will be no impact on activity at Newcastle International Airport resulting from Brexit and says that there should be no immediate changes to the delivery of adult and children’s social care.
The documents also state the authority is “confident” Newcastle has sufficient housing to cope with the return of any ex-pats to the region – though it has not yet been given estimated figures of how many UK nationals living in the EU originate from the here.
Council bosses say they will now increase support available to help European citizens access the EU Settlement Scheme, after overwhelming demand led to increased waiting times.
Coun Forbes, who is leading a North of Tyne Brexit taskforce, added: “Newcastle is proud to be a welcoming city so we have been working hard to support EU residents to apply for settled status and will redouble our efforts in the event of No Deal.
“While we are reassured by our suppliers that we will be able to continue to provide nutritious school meals and our meals at home service to elderly residents – though we may need to replace some of the fresh ingredients with frozen or tinned products – we are deeply concerned at the impact price rises will have on those residents who are already struggling.
“The Government’s own scenarios state food prices will increase and it is likely energy prices will also rise, so as we enter the colder weather this is an issue where we will be pushing the Government to help us protect those who are most in need with adequate funding.” Services such as road repairs and bin collections could be affected