With No Deal rapidly moving from 'Project Fear' to a real possibility, here are some of the ways the government is wholly unprepared for it.
A revelation by BBC Newsnight poured cold water over the government’s plan to simply buy unsold lamb in the event of a No Deal Brexit. The industry body that represents frozen food storage business revealed they simply did not have the storage capacity.
But the depth of the lack of preparation goes far beyond potential tons of meat destined for the EU simply rotting away.
Here are some of the ways this government is not prepared for a No Deal Brexit:
Food shortages
A disruption to supplies will mean empty supermarket shelves within weeks, as major consumer and food organisations warn of the ‘disastrous’ effect on food availability.
Major supermarket chains have already started stockpiling fresh produce in preparation. But a combination of the ‘just in time’ supply chain and lack of storage space means this is a band aid.
Leave voters invoke a return to being self-sustaining and returning to a diet of parsnips, potatoes and the Blitz spirit. But this is the country where police were called when KFC ran out of chicken.
Lack of medicines
Uncertainty surrounding No Deal means that people have already started stockpiling medicines, leading to shortages in many common drugs.
After the collapse of the ferry transport agreement curtesy of uniquely incompetent former transport secretary Chris Grayling, there is no clear plan in place for medicine imports post-Brexit.
Prison riots
Food and medicine shortages could lead to riots in prisons across the country, revealed a consultancy contracted to assess the risks of No Deal by the Ministry of Justice.
The improperly redacted sections, not meant to be seen by the public, showed the potential impact on an already dangerously overstretched prison system.
Stranded lorries
Lorries to and from the continent already face significant congestion at Calais even under the frictionless trade arrangement. Waits from three hour to a whopping nine hours are not uncommon.
French authorities warned that even a two-minute border delay could lead 27,000 vehicles stranded on both sides of the channel. With traffic officers given the power to demand driver’s papers, the congestion and chaos will only increase.
Mobile roaming
Holidaymakers could face a return to the unwelcome reality of mobile roaming charges when travelling to the continent. Without EU regulations removing those charges, customers will have to depend on the largesse of mobile providers.
Travellers will also lose the ability to access platforms like Netflix in the EU, due to the loss of portability regulation.
Of course, with the plunging Pound making holidays unaffordable, this will be a non-issue for many.
Flight passenger rights
We all know that Brexit means scrapping those burdensome EU regulations, including the one protecting your passenger rights if your flight is cancelled.
Passengers are currently entitled to up to €600 compensation for delays over three hours, cancelled flights and being denied boarding. Whether such protections will be in place in a No Deal Free Market paradise is very much in question.
Doctor shortages
The NHS will be hit particularly hard by a No Deal Brexit (or any kind of Brexit), as it will struggle both to recruit and retain much-needed doctors and nurses.
The British Medical Association warned that with 10,000 doctoral vacancies, they ‘can’t afford to lose a single doctor let alone several thousand’.
Reciprocal healthcare
Another way No Deal with harm patients is through the end of reciprocal health care agreements, giving EU nationals here and Brits in Europe access to the healthcare system.
The new Tory party orthodoxy is of course that No Deal is Not Big Deal, and that the scenario was always on the table.
Brexit enthusiast Dominic Raab claimed that he spoke about No Deal in the lead-up to the referendum, when in fact what he said was there was ‘no doubt’ a deal would be secured.
Boris Johnson himself while campaigning for Vote Leave called the prospect of any trading tariffs with the EU ‘utterly absurd’. Which, to be fair, are the words many would have used a few years ago about the prospect of him as PM.
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6 Responses to “Eight ways No Deal will be a complete nightmare”
Theodora
Perhaps there will be not so many stranded lorries in Calais. Because simply they won’t bring supply.
One of our mayor transportcompanies told on our local news, that they were not prepared to drive to Calais and stuck there for days. One of the points they mentioned was. Time is money.
And people who are thinking That Mini wil be build near Oxford. Consider this; Why is the other big plant in Europe, where Mini”s are build expanding in a fast rate with new buildings and a new infra-structure?
nhsgp
https://interactive.news.sky.com/2017/brexit-countdown/
Food shortages? Really? Oh, well, lots of French farmers go bankrupt .They can join the Gillet Jaune full time
Lack of Medicines. So the NHS is stock pilling. No shortages. So since a large percentage of medicines consumed in the UK come from the UK, how many EU citizens will the EU kill because it doesn’t want any other countries leaving? 10, 20, 30,000 dead
Prison riots – Now you are getting desperate. Here’s an idea. 1 November at 00:01 am, we start deporting EU criminals. All of them. We can deport other criminals too to their home countries.
Stranded lorries. The EU says that the UK cannot drive its lorries to deliver to Switzerland. Going to be tough on Ireland when the UK says EU lorries cannot drive through the UK to deliver to other countries.
Mobile roaming. Ah yes, you’re going to have to pay more in Tuscany at your villa.
Flight passenger rights – Evidence?
Remember, EU regulations cost the UK 240 bn a year. One of the reasons for austerity.
Doctor shortages – What we do is say no recourse to public funds. An EU rule. EU nationals have to pay 3K a year for the NHS. The cost of insurance. No welfare since that’s public funds. What happens is lots leave, and the pressure is off the NHS – 30 bn saved – helps with austerity
Reciprocal healthcare – We start charging for NHS health care. Since the cumulative net migration numbers are so high, the UK wins – helps with austerity
Theodora
I think the last speaker is a bit confused.
Good manners nobody harms. Instead of your hostile writing.
Behaviour like this wil only make people in the EU angry and do your country not much good.
Instead of writing al kind of nasty things. Better put your time in searching for facts.
Tom Sacold
More Blairite lies and propaganda from Project Fear.
Charlotte Revely
It is hard to believe that anyone could think a man who ‘spaffed’ millions of pounds of public money on a non-existent garden bridge, water cannons and new buses without aircon as the planet heats up, not to mention the promise that the Boris Bikes would be cost neutral when they ended up costing tapayers £200m, is going to be able to handle the complexity of Brexit with a deal, let alone without. This is a man who can’t open his mouth without lying. This government is comprised of dangerous lunatics, who think they are implementing some kind of macho shock doctrine to the nation. God help us all.