Operation Yellowhammer: Government’s no-deal Brexit plans like preparing for ‘war or natural disaster’ Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the Government’s documents on no deal ‘reveal an absolute catastrophe for our country’

No-deal Brexit preparations revealed in official government documents are more like planning for a “war or natural disaster”, Labour has warned.

Ministers were forced to publish on Wednesday secret documents produced as part of “Operation Yellowhammer” into the potential impact of leaving the European Union without a deal.

The papers revealed the country could face shortages of food, medicines and even outbursts of civil unrest as a result of a disorderly Brexit.

The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said Parliament should be recalled so the Prime Minister can answer questions in relation to documents.

‘Absolute catastrophe’

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr McDonald said: “It reveals an absolute catastrophe for our country if he continues to drive the ship towards the rocks as he is going to do.”

He added: “This is more like emergency planning for war or a natural disaster. We cannot minimise this. It does not get more stark and we have got to wake up to the issues around us.”

Mr McDonald said Labour wants to stop a no-deal Brexit and gain an extension to Article 50.

He said when an extension is obtained, Labour would favour a general election. He also said the public would be offered a referendum with a “credible deal” opposite a Remain option.

His comments came as the chairman of Kent council called for police officers from all over the country to be redeployed to the county to help handle expected traffic disruption.

Paul Carter said he wants “boots on the ground”, and assurances that arrangements are in place for police officers and Highways England staff nationwide to be ready to “man the pumps”.

Boots on the ground

“I want assurance from Highways England and Kent Police that they have got the reciprocal arrangements with other police forces and Highways England officers around the country to make sure that they come into Kent in sufficiency to be able to man the pumps and make sure that the fluidity and the Operation Brock strategy, to keep the road network in Kent open at all times and direct them to where lorries if they are delays at the port, will be held until such time as they can depart from those ports,” he said.

Mr Carter, who leads the Conservative-controlled council, said “accelerated progress” has been made since the Yellowhammer report – released on Wednesday night – was drafted on August 2.

“There are still two or three outstanding matters which I am beating the drum on which need resolving in short order.”

Asked if he was worried about a no-deal Brexit, he said: “As long as we get satisfactory answers and progress on how the operating model for customs clearance is going to work and communicate that to the logistics haulage industry, I am pretty confident that we can avoid disruption in Kent.”