THREAD: An insight into the government’s multi million pound 'Get Ready for Brexit; campaign and whether it should really be taken seriously.
1. According to the Cabinet Office ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ is an information campaign providing facts that citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take if the UK leaves the EU.
2. The campaign involves national advertising including TV, radio, press, digital and outdoor advertising. A major part of the campaign has been revamping the GOV.UK website to provide more detailed Brexit preparation information.
3. According to the Cabinet Office the campaign will continue to provide essential information to businesses and the public who might still need to take action after Brexit. This rather debunks the myth that once we’ve left, we can return to as if nothing happened.
4. The next issue is whether taxpayers’ money should be used to promote Brexit? According to the gov’t, the campaign doesn’t seek to do that. It simply states that it wants to ensure that citizens are fully prepared for changes.
5. But, the campaign continues to repeat that ‘we will be leaving on Oct 31.’ It's almost as if the campaign was conceived on the basis that the govt would face no challenges regarding exit date, nor that Boris Johnson is compelled to extend
6. In response to this, the Cabinet Office says that it remains the case in law that the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October. This is the date fixed by the EU Treaties and by Act of Parliament.
7. But hang on, the Benn Bill surely means leaving the EU on October is against the law? According to the Cabinet Office, no. Why? They say that the EU would need to agree any request for extension and if they do not then the statutory exit date would not change.
8. Officials say, “It is important that businesses and citizens prepare themselves for leaving the EU on 31 October and do not assume that they can put off preparations until a later date”
9. Even though it is law for the government to seek an extension if no deal can be brokered, this campaign ignores the fact that Boris Johnson & the gov’t is attempting to override the Benn Bill and refuse to ask for an extension.
10. So the next question is whether the ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign is politicised. According to the Cabinet Office, the Civil Service and the campaign is not politicised as it merely has a duty to the government and implementing Ministers’ policies.
11. If no deal is successfully prevented by a cross-party alliance of MPs opposing the PM, and an election isn’t called, we will be faced with a situation of our government spending £100m on advertising to prepare for an outcome that has been made impossible by parliament.
12. Even though this campaign is merely informing us of leaving the EU, it is ignoring that the UK cannot leave the EU on Oct 31 LEGALLY, by repeating the government’s commitment to leave on Oct 31 despite legislation on the contrary, it essentially contains political messaging.
13. In terms of cost, the gov’t states that campaigns should be conducted appropriately. When it was revealed that govt planned to splash £100m on advertising to prepare for no-deal Brexit, many feared the campaign would be thinly disguised Conservative Party election campaign.
14. Government-sponsored public-information campaigns are not meant to stray into communications that could benefit the ruling party. However, given the current mood in Westminster, it was easy to imagine the prime minister bending the rules.
15. Despite the campaign looking emotionless, many MPs believe the campaign contravenes purdah rules that are designed to prevent governments from influencing election results using public resources.
16. Purdah rules come into effect once parliament is dissolved for an election. As an election could be looking likely, it could be said that this campaign is fairly partisan in what we’ve already seen.
17. Today, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I’ve submitted a request to the government asking them to confirm reports that the ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign has cost around £100m so far. I hope that I will then be given a breakdown of the total cost to taxpayers.
