,
8 tweets,
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1/ Late night thread on this story, food and medicine shortages.
For me, once the initial horror of this story implies wears off, what's left are burning questions:
"On what basis are these plans being drawn up? What, if anything, does the government know about what's coming?
For me, once the initial horror of this story implies wears off, what's left are burning questions:
"On what basis are these plans being drawn up? What, if anything, does the government know about what's coming?
2/ I have always been careful not to express a view on whether No-Deal Brexit will actually cause acute shortages of any specific thing.
At most, I've made what I hope are informed guesses about the types of disruption you might see, and the industries/processes most vulnerable.
At most, I've made what I hope are informed guesses about the types of disruption you might see, and the industries/processes most vulnerable.
3/ The Government, with its vastly greater resources, skilled civil servants and the ability to draw on information from any firm and agency in the country, is apparently drawing up plans to Dumbo Drop black pudding and penicillin on Essex.
You can see why that would worry me.
You can see why that would worry me.
4/ So inevitably, that brings me to ask:
"Just what is Michael Gove reading in his briefings that's making him contemplate flying trucks and bank closures?"
"Just what is Michael Gove reading in his briefings that's making him contemplate flying trucks and bank closures?"
5/ Are these plans being drawn up as absolute worst-case break-glass-in-case-of-emergency measures, just so there's something in place if unforeseen horrors materialize?
Or are these proportional responses to what his reports are telling him is a real and potential threat?
Or are these proportional responses to what his reports are telling him is a real and potential threat?
6/ Prior to the change in Government, we were all constantly assured that any panicked noises from within Whitehall and Westminster were just May's handpicked remoaner saboteurs trying to scare the country into adopting the WA and thus moving the UK capital to Bruge.
7/ Well, now the Prime Minister is Boris Johnson, whose entire negotiating gambit has been very publicly declared as making No-Deal seem like an option the UK can live with.
Preparing C-130's full of baked beans doesn't send that message... but they're apparently still doing it.
Preparing C-130's full of baked beans doesn't send that message... but they're apparently still doing it.
8/ If the government has credible information that significant No-Deal disruption is likely, they should be transparent about that so people can prepare and make informed choices in any upcoming political processes.
If they don't, they should be transparent about that too. /end
If they don't, they should be transparent about that too. /end
