Boris Johnson is set to spend £100 million on advertising a Brexit
no-deal, government sources have said.
The new prime minister has already formed his so-called Brexit
‘war cabinet’ and this advertising campaign would be the biggest since the Second
World War, the Telegraph reports.
No-deal preparations have been ramped up since Mr Johnson won the
Tory leadership election by promising to leave the European Union, with or
without a deal, by October 31.
This marketing blitz comes as Mr Johnson makes his first official
visit north of the border, where he will announce a £300 million funding pot
for communities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It’s still not clear where this money will come from or how Mr
Johnson would get a no-deal through Parliament as MPs have voted against it
before.
He could suspend Parliament to get a no-deal through but MPs and
Lords voted against this controversial measure, which is known as proroguing.
Ministers said no deal preparations are being prioritised to force
Brussels to reopen negotiations and reconsider removing the Northern Irish
backstop from the withdrawal agreement.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi
Sunak told Sky News: ‘We are turbo charging preparations for no deal and that
is now the Government’s number one priority.’
He added: ‘We want to remove this undemocratic backstop from the
existing agreement but if the EU is not willing to talk about that, then it’s
right that we prepare properly with conviction.’
Newly appointed trade minister Conor Burns welcomed the Brexit ad
campaign but criticised the previous government’s failure to adequately fund
for no-deal.
He told BBC Radio 4 Westminster Hour: ‘It is really important that
businesses that are not yet geared up, get geared up because this is hoving
into reality.
‘It is a very serious possibility and I just wish the previous
government which was not led by Boris had got on with this a lot earlier.’
Mr Burns added: ‘Showing that we are aggressively preparing,
showing that the Treasury Hammond gloom is behind us and the Treasury are
financing the preparations for no-deal is the best way for us to approach our
European partners and say, “look we want a deal and let’s get back round the
table and let’s sort this out”.
‘I
just wish the previous government which was not led by Boris had got on with
this a lot earlier.’
The
Institute for Government (IfG) has advised Mr Johnson that a no-deal Brexit
would dominate Government’s agenda ‘for years to come’.
The
PM will need to kick-start the Government’s no-deal preparations immediately by
moving thousands of public servants into operational facilities, the IfG said
in a paper released on Sunday.
It
added that Mr Johnson would also have to introduce legislation ensuring direct
rule in Northern Ireland from October 31. Regardless of these measures, after a
no-deal Brexit the resources of the Parliament and civil service would be
drained and struggling businesses would need Government support, the IfG paper
said.
Source: Metro.co.uk
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