British diplomats across the European Union are preparing to take part in a government-wide no-deal Brexit rehearsal, BuzzFeed News has learned.



Diplomats have been told that the rehearsal, which is code-named "Exercise Yellow Rehearse", will be a live cross-Whitehall exercise involving all Foreign Office posts in Europe and government departments in London.

The exercise is the latest sign that a no-deal Brexit is seen as an increasingly likely scenario. Departing the EU without a deal would put significant strain on the UK’s diplomatic network, which would have to deal with an array of issues. This includes the status of British citizens across the EU and an abrupt end to UK participation in EU decision-making processes on key issues such as security, climate change, international development, and defence.

Planning for the exercise is being led by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union, a diplomatic source said. It is still underway, but it's currently scheduled to take place Oct. 8–9, just three weeks before Brexit day, the diplomat added.

The purpose of the exercise would be to try to manage some of the chaos that would be created if the UK were to crash out of the EU without a deal, the source said.

The diplomat described the possibility of a no-deal Brexit as now "very likely".

In response to questions about the exercise, a government spokesperson said: “We are making all necessary preparations to make sure we are ready to leave the EU by 31 October, whatever the circumstances. Government regularly conducts scenario-based exercises to ensure its plans are robust, including in relation to Brexit."

Over the weekend, the Sunday Times revealed that the UK would face shortages of fuel, food, and medicine, as well as a three-month meltdown at ports and a hard border with Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to the government's own contingency plans.

Michael Gove, the cabinet minister in charge of no-deal preparations, described the study as a “worst-case scenario.”