Brexit: Labour urges Parliament recall after no-deal Brexit papers released

  • 2019-09-15 12:26:32
It is "more important than ever" that Parliament is recalled after the government published an assessment of the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit, Labour has said. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the Yellowhammer document confirms there are "severe risks" if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. MPs forced the release of the file before Parliament was suspended. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the government was mitigating the risks. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the planning document only showed what might happen "if the government didn't do anything about it". But he added "lots of measures" were being taken to reduce risks. Sir Keir said recalling Parliament would allow MPs "the opportunity to scrutinise these documents and take all steps necessary to stop no deal". His comments followed a ruling by Scotland's highest civil court on Wednesday that the government's proroguing of Parliament was unlawful. The Yellowhammer file, which is redacted in parts and almost identical to a version leaked to the Sunday Times last month, was released on Wednesday. It says in a reasonable worst-case scenario a no-deal Brexit could lead to: - a "decrease" in certain types of fresh food and "shorter supply" of key ingredients - price rises for food and fuel, which would "disproportionately" affect those with low incomes - "disruption lasting up to six months" potentially affecting medicines and medical supplies - protests and counter-protests across the UK - lorries waiting for more than two days to cross the English Channel The document also says some businesses could cease trading, the black market could grow, and some adult social care providers might fail. On the Northern Ireland border, the report says the current plans for "no new checks with limited exceptions" are "likely to prove unsustainable due to a significant economic, legal and biosecurity risks". But former PM Gordon Brown said the government was "still not telling the truth" about the "sheer scale" of the possible effects of no deal. "The worst-case scenario document downplays the risks to medical supplies, the threat to household budgets and the damage inflicted on the most vulnerable," he said.  

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