//In that marathon cabinet meeting yesterday there was a lengthy presentation regarding the no-deal scenario and the report from the highest ranking civil servant did not make good reading.
He would know,wouldn't he?//
No he wouldn’t, Aggy, for the simple reason that nobody does. Couple that to the fact that despite its alleged independence, the Civil Service is ardently, almost to the point of mania, in favour of Remaining and you must take such information with a large dose of salt.
//3T - why is he still in post then?!//
Because he was appointed by a government who are similarly inclined and any dire predictions he can conjure up are grist to their mill.
Business thrives despite all interferences. Regardless of the forecasts that the world will come to an end as a result of No Deal it will not. There may be short term inconveniences caused by political dogma but business will adapt and thrive. It always does. I have suggested that a “Deal” amounts to permission to leave (without too much trouble). I would go further than that – I believe it is applying duress to the UK to agree to terms which to nobody in their right mind would acquiesce "in order to avoid any bovver we might cause for you". Any deal concocted by the EU will be to the EU’s advantage and the UK’s disadvantage. It will be designed to prevent the UK from competing in world markets on more favourable terms than EU member states can. That’s the whole point of the Customs Union (and a principle reason why Brexit is so necessary). But all we are doing here is regurgitating the arguments made prior to the referendum because it was made quite clear to everybody what leaving would mean.
///ZM,//What's happened to the cross party group trying to make a no-deal illegal? //
It was passed by one vote in the commons and is now with the Lords for debate later today.///
The vote passed yesterday does not make No Deal illegal, per se. It forces the Prime Minister to ask the EU for an extension to A50. If the extension is not granted we either leave with No Deal (because nothing else is on offer unless the PM’s appalling agreement succeeds at a fourth airing) or we must revoke A50. The EU knows this (which may help ikky understand why threatening to walk away is by no means “bizarre”and should always have been an option) and I know where my money is.