TORY Brexit secretary Dominic Raab yesterday set out what he called ‘practical and proportionate’ advice in case the UK leaves the EU with no deal. He announced the publication of 25 ‘technical notices’ setting out what the government is doing to prepare for no-deal.
Raab told a press conference: ‘The overarching aim of the notices is to facilitate the smooth, continued, functioning of business, transport, infrastructure, research, aid programmes and funding streams that have previously come from the EU.
‘In some cases, it will mean taking unilateral action to maintain as much continuity as possible at least in the short term, in the event of no deal, and irrespective of whether the EU reciprocates in practice.’ Giving example of ‘the batch testing of medicines’, he said: ‘We don’t want delays or disruption to supplies from the EU.
‘So, we propose accepting the testing and safety approvals of existing medicines, if they’ve been carried out by a Member State regulator. . . ‘Of course, given that we start from a position of common rules, we would also hope and I think expect, in good faith between close partners. ‘That the EU would recognise medicines from this country with our regulatory approval. ‘But in a no deal scenario, we can’t guarantee it.’
He assured that ‘there are no plans to deploy the army to maintain food supplies.’
He said: ‘For our part, if the negotiations fail, we would continue to behave as a responsible European neighbour, partner and ally.’
In the 25 documents, which cover sectors including medicine, finance and farming, it says: • The cost of card payments between the UK and EU will ‘likely increase’ and won’t be covered by a ban on surcharges • Business trading with the EU should start planning for new customs checks, and might have to pay for new software or logistical help
• Britons living elsewhere in Europe could lose access to UK banking and pension services without EU action • A licence might be needed to import nuclear materials from the EU.
On the NHS, he said six weeks’ worth of medical supplies would have to be stockpiled, that the UK already had three months of ‘buffer stock’ in more than 200 medicines, and that it was largely self-sufficient in terms of blood supplies.
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Today programme that the UK has nothing to fear from leaving without a trade deal and falling back on World Trade Organisation rules, that such an arrangement ‘would suffice’ and said the risks had been ‘absurdly overstated’.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told an Edinburgh audience yesterday that Labour would prioritise trade links with the EU in the Brexit talks. He added: ‘If you go down the road that’s being promoted by the Tory right, of a deal with the United States, we undoubtedly would be a lot worse off.
‘I think the proposals that Labour is putting forward, and the way that Labour would conduct those negotiations, would make sure that people would be as well off or better off.’