Gove puts 1,600 troops on standby to keep fuel f lowing at the pumps
80 Army tankers at the ready to supply petrol from secret bunkers to avert No Deal crisis
MICHAEL GOVE has put 1,600 soldiers on standby to drive a fleet of 80 petrol tankers to prevent fuel shortages in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
Mr Gove, Boris Johnson’s No Deal supremo, told a meeting of his Daily Operations Committee – known in Whitehall as the XO – that full deployment of the Forces would take 21 days, meaning the order would have to be given by October 10 if Mr Johnson executes his plan to leave on October 31 ‘do or die’.
It comes amid growing concern in Whitehall that fuel shortages could prove to be the most disruptive consequence of a No Deal departure.
Mr Johnson has cranked up the preparations for No Deal compared with those made by Theresa May’s administration, in an attempt to show Brussels that the UK is serious about leaving the EU without a deal – efforts he says have now been thwarted by pro-Remain MPs forcing through legislation to impel Mr Johnson to ask the EU for a further Brexit delay.
The XO, which meets in a room in the basement of the Cabinet Office every weekday to cover all aspects of the Government’s preparations for leaving, was also told that secret bunkers full of fuel are being placed around the country at strategic locations to supply the emergency services and other ‘business-critical functions’.
The committee was told that a reserve tanker fleet of 80 tankers – 15 for aircraft fuel, 65 for road fuels – would be deployed in the event of a No Deal as part of Operation Escalin, an existing Ministry of Defence contingency plan to keep supplies moving in the event of a fuel strike.
It requires the mobilisation of 1,600 troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force with the right ‘hazardous material’ driving qualification to stand in for truckers. If supplies are seriously disrupted, Mr Gove’s committee agreed a ‘declaration of emergency’ would be made under the Energy Act 1976 to introduce fuel rationing.
Drivers’ hours would also be relaxed to ‘enable drivers to make longer journeys to make deliveries from alternate locations located further away from the refinery’.
The committee was told that, if disrupted supplies threaten the operation of airports, a Notice To Airmen order – or NOTAM – would be issued, warning airlines that fuel supplies are running short. Under ‘industry protocols’, the airlines would then ration supplies so that planes would have to fill up on fuel after each return journey.
However, the committee was warned that the contingency plans might not be sufficient to avoid widespread chaos if industrial action also takes place.
‘Should this occur at more than one site, then the mitigations might not be able to maintain fuel supplies to normal levels,’ the committee was told.
‘If this risk were to occur at a similar time to other potential Yellowhammer risks, it may have an exacerbating effect and stretch response capacity in the industry, police and HM Government.’
Leaked copies of Operation Yellowhammer, the Government’s contingency plans for No Deal, have shown that officials fear it could lead to public disorder, travel chaos and shortages of fresh food, medicines and petrol.
The 150-page Yellowhammer report, produced by the Cabinet
POISED: Members of the Armed Forces will man a fleet of petrol tankers if supplies are hit by No Deal Office, warns that few individuals and businesses have prepared for the impact of No Deal because they have believed Government assurances that Boris Johnson is seeking a deal with Brussels.
It warns that a No Deal Brexit could cause major disruption for months, with public protests and counter-protests absorbing ‘significant amounts of police resources’.
It adds that Northern Ireland will be hit particularly hard, with paramilitaries potentially benefiting from an increase in smuggling, and suggests that the availability of certain types of fresh food ‘will decrease in a reasonable worst-case scenario’.
‘Widespread chaos possible if there’s industrial action’