Britain to publish next batch of 'no deal' Brexit advice papers

Mobile phone roaming charges, environmental and vehicle standards will be among the topics covered by the technical notices, the government’s Brexit department said in a statement.

Recent signals from Brussels have pointed to renewed confidence that Britain and the EU can agree a deal to govern trading relations after Brexit, sending the pound up sharply against other currencies over the last couple of weeks.

Still, with the March 29 exit date nearing, the divorce agreement has yet to be finalised and the possibility of a “no deal Brexit” — which most economists think would hurt the British economy — remains.

The new technical notices would be published on Thursday afternoon, the Department for Exiting the European Union said.

“With six months to go until the UK leaves the European Union, we are stepping up our ‘no deal’ preparations so that Britain can continue to flourish, regardless of the outcome of negotiations,” Brexit minister Dominic Raab said. “These technical notices are part and parcel of our sensible, pragmatic approach to preparing for all outcomes.”

Last month the government published 25 of these papers out of a total of more than 80, which detailed how tariffs, financial services, state aid and pharmaceuticals would operate if Britain departs without a divorce deal.

At the start of this month, a Reuters poll of economists pointed to a one-in-four chance of a “no deal” Brexit. 

Brexit-supporting lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party publicly pledged support for her on Wednesday after media reports of a plot to oust her by rebels unhappy with her proposals for exiting the EU.

May’s “Chequers” proposals call for free trade in goods with the EU, with Britain accepting a “common rulebook” that would apply to those goods.

“Getting a deal with the European Union is still by far and away the most likely outcome,” Raab said, adding that he would continue to champion the Chequers proposals with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier “as the best way of securing the deep and special partnership we want with the EU”.