Brexit news latest: EU publishes no-deal action plan including measures to protect British expats

The European Commission has published its no-deal action plan
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The European Union today triggered “bare bones” emergency plans to mitigate chaos in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Brussels announced 14 measures to stop aeroplanes being grounded at UK and EU airports, limit disruption to the City and hauliers, protect citizens abroad and ease the impact on businesses. But its measures would hit Brexiteer hopes of a managed no-deal departure.

The European Commission warned that its proposed actions would be time-limited, often to just nine months or a year, and would not stop turmoil in many areas of daily life.

Fears remained that there could still be queues at borders and scaled back flight schedules.

The Commission stressed: “These measures will not — and cannot — mitigate the overall impact of a no-deal scenario.”

Brussels published its proposals just 24 hours after No 10 announced that families across Britain will shortly be sent official advice on how to prepare for the UK crashing out of the EU.

Brexit Day, March 29, 2019, is just 100 days away. The Commission stressed to member states that it was “essential and urgent” to adopt its blueprint “today” to ensure the necessary contingency plans are in place in time.

“They are limited to specific areas where it is absolutely necessary to protect the vital interests of the EU and where preparedness measures on their own are not sufficient,” the commission added.

“As a rule, they will be temporary in nature, limited in scope and adopted unilaterally by the EU.”

The development came as a Cabinet minister hinted that “many” members of the Government could resign if the “fantastical mythical creature” of a no-deal Brexit is made official policy.

In an interview with the Standard, Justice Secretary David Gauke rounded on senior Conservatives for “not facing up to reality” by claiming that leaving the EU without a deal is viable.

Theresa May leaves from 10 Downing Street in central London on December 19, 2018 before heading to the House of Commons to attend the weekly Prime Minister's Questions
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He is also the third Cabinet minister in a week to argue openly that MPs could stage an “indicative vote” on other options, such as a second referendum, if Theresa May’s deal is voted down in the Commons. Downing Street has rejected the idea.

Asked if he thought Cabinet members would resign if no deal became official policy, Mr Gauke told the Standard: “I think there are many Cabinet ministers who don’t think that that would be a responsible course of action.”

His comments came as three Tory MPs — Nick Boles, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston — said they would resign the party whip if a no-deal Brexit became policy.

The Justice Secretary, a loyalist who backs the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement, said passing her deal was “the best way of taking no deal off the table”.

He hit out at Brexiteers who claim a “managed no deal” could be achieved without inflicting catastrophic damage. The policy is reportedly being pushed by 11 Right-wingers in Cabinet, including Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

Pointing to the “clear” reality that the EU would not sign a deal that left out the Irish border backstop and a financial settlement, currently £39 billion, Mr Gauke said: “Anyone suggesting there is a deal that doesn’t involve those elements, I fear, is not facing up to the hard choices that are in front of us.

“Relying on some fantastical mythical creature of a deal that has all the aspects we would like and with none of the downsides the EU will insist upon is not facing up to reality.”

Urging MPs not to “pretend there are other deals out there”, he said they should use the Christmas break to “think long and hard” and then back Mrs May’s deal in the national interest.

Mr Gauke follows Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and Education Secretary Damian Hinds in arguing that indicative votes may have to be staged.

“At the moment MPs are too often acting as critics rather than participants and not taking responsibility,” he said. “Indicative votes might be a means by which we can … force MPs to take that responsibility and act in the interests of the country.”

A no deal, he said, would “potentially be devastating for our reputation for economic competence”.

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