“This operation yellow hammer leak is the version of what the contingency executive put together.” 1/6
“We remember attending a briefing on privy council terms which they said was not worst case but reasonable worst case. Theresa May had asked for this to be done. It was obviously project fear dressed up.” 2/6
Aug 14, 2019 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
B R E A K I N G: From Civil Service source
1a. Philip Hammond as Chancellor imposed a recruitment freeze on HMRC in November 2017, making it impossible to recruit new staff for an independent customs regime. This ban was in place for a number of months.
1b. ...Of course it increased pressure on existing staff, who had to deliver their normal workload as well as designing and preparing for new Brexit systems. Had he been serious about preparing for Brexit he would have been hiring external expertise.