No-deal Brexit: Ex-civil service chief Bob Kerslake claims preparations are underway for ‘riots in the streets’ ‘We shouldn’t be preparing for riots in the streets, which is what we are doing at the moment’

Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, claimed officials are planning for “riots in the streets” in the event of a no deal Brexit as he urged Britain to stop the clock on its departure from the EU.

Talking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme the former top civil servant warned that the UK is not prepared enough for its future relationship with the European Union before it leaves on 29 March.

He said: “It’s unnecessary. The Government could stop this now. I think they could say we think, as many of the cabinets have already said privately, that no deal Brexit is simply not a realistic or viable option.

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Riots in the streets

“We shouldn’t be preparing for riots in the streets, which is what we are doing at the moment.

Host John Humphrys asked him: “Well that’s an exaggeration though isn’t it, nobody really believes that do they?”

He responded: “I have to tell you there are many civil servants and local government workers spending significant time not on the jobs they’re paid to do but actually preparing for this possibility.”



When Mr Humphrys questioned him on exactly how civil servants would prepare for such an event he responded: “I guess you look at where you deploy resources like the police, how the services are organised.

“It’s undoubtedly happening, trust me on this.

“We don’t need to be having these conversations, we don’t need to be wasting people’s time doing this, we could eliminate the option of no deal now.”

He went on to say: “It’s not a natural disaster outwith the control of the government. A huge amount of quite unnecessary fear is being created amongst the public.”

People’s vote

The peer, who was the head of the home civil service between 2012 and 2014, had written a report published by the People’s Vote campaign for a second referendum, saying the Brexit process should be put on hold as there was no clarity about key elements of Britain’s future relationship with the EU.

He said the “proper functioning of government” required a proper understanding of how issues such as the future regulation of air travel and drugs, the sharing of data and criminal records, and co-operation on tackling climate change would be dealt with in future.

“Britain is divided, directionless and hurtling towards a legal deadline, with no idea where we will end up after we cross it,” he said in the report.

“A responsible government should now acknowledge our predicament: we are not ready to embark on a journey when we do not know where we will end up. We should not leave until and unless we know where we are going.

“If we do, the only certainty is that the resources, energy and talent of our country will be consumed by Brexit for many more years to come. The nightmare will not end. It will simply take on another form.

“A blindfold Brexit that offers no clarity can never provide closure. It means the arguments about Brexit will just go on and on.”

Additional reporting by Press Association.