UK ‘fully ready’ for no-deal Brexit

The UK will be “fully prepared” for leaving the European Union without a deal, Downing Street has insisted,

Number 10 was forced to defend its preparations after reports that civil servants have been drawing up scenarios for a “Doomsday Brexit” that would leave the country short of medicine, fuel and food.

Prime Minister Theresa May still believes that “no deal is better than a bad deal”, and a “significant amount of work” had been done to make sure the UK could cope without a Brexit agreement, Number 10 said.

A Sunday newspaper reported that models for mild, severe and “Armageddon” reactions to no-deal exits were created by officials, with a source saying that even the severe scenario saw the Port of Dover “collapse on day one”.

But Mrs May’s spokesman said: “The Department for Exiting the European Union has said that these claims are completely false. A significant amount of work and decisionmaking has gone into our no deal plans, especially as it relates to ports, and we know none of this would happen.”

Asked if that was a “cast iron guarantee”, the spokesman said: “We are planning for all scenarios and we will make sure that we are fully prepared in the event of any eventuality.”

Meanwhile, a promised white paper on Brexit may not be published before the June summit of EU leaders as Downing Street said it was “not putting a time frame on it”.