Should the British be getting ready for a no-deal Brexit? [on hold]












6















As an American, I have been watching the Brexit proceedings with some confusion. To all appearances, British politicians do not want to compromise, and the European leaders do not want to compromise. This suggests that a no-deal Brexit will occur on the 12th of April (Friday). Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food or medicine. Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term? Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?










share|improve this question















put on hold as primarily opinion-based by LangLangC, CoedRhyfelwr, SJuan76, Frank from Frankfurt, Federico 17 hours ago


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.














  • 5





    My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

    – Kevin
    yesterday






  • 1





    FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

    – Denis de Bernardy
    21 hours ago








  • 1





    Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

    – Chris Melville
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    @ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

    – pjc50
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

    – alephzero
    19 hours ago
















6















As an American, I have been watching the Brexit proceedings with some confusion. To all appearances, British politicians do not want to compromise, and the European leaders do not want to compromise. This suggests that a no-deal Brexit will occur on the 12th of April (Friday). Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food or medicine. Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term? Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?










share|improve this question















put on hold as primarily opinion-based by LangLangC, CoedRhyfelwr, SJuan76, Frank from Frankfurt, Federico 17 hours ago


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.














  • 5





    My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

    – Kevin
    yesterday






  • 1





    FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

    – Denis de Bernardy
    21 hours ago








  • 1





    Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

    – Chris Melville
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    @ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

    – pjc50
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

    – alephzero
    19 hours ago














6












6








6








As an American, I have been watching the Brexit proceedings with some confusion. To all appearances, British politicians do not want to compromise, and the European leaders do not want to compromise. This suggests that a no-deal Brexit will occur on the 12th of April (Friday). Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food or medicine. Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term? Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?










share|improve this question
















As an American, I have been watching the Brexit proceedings with some confusion. To all appearances, British politicians do not want to compromise, and the European leaders do not want to compromise. This suggests that a no-deal Brexit will occur on the 12th of April (Friday). Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food or medicine. Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term? Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?







united-kingdom brexit






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 19 hours ago









JJJ

6,22922455




6,22922455










asked yesterday









adam.bakeradam.baker

21418




21418




put on hold as primarily opinion-based by LangLangC, CoedRhyfelwr, SJuan76, Frank from Frankfurt, Federico 17 hours ago


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.









put on hold as primarily opinion-based by LangLangC, CoedRhyfelwr, SJuan76, Frank from Frankfurt, Federico 17 hours ago


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.










  • 5





    My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

    – Kevin
    yesterday






  • 1





    FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

    – Denis de Bernardy
    21 hours ago








  • 1





    Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

    – Chris Melville
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    @ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

    – pjc50
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

    – alephzero
    19 hours ago














  • 5





    My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

    – Kevin
    yesterday






  • 1





    FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

    – Denis de Bernardy
    21 hours ago








  • 1





    Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

    – Chris Melville
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    @ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

    – pjc50
    19 hours ago






  • 1





    No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

    – alephzero
    19 hours ago








5




5





My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

– Kevin
yesterday





My impression has been that no-deal Brexit will have effects more like the 2008 USA recession than the USA Great Depression. It certainly won't be as bad as, for example, Venezuela's collapse.

– Kevin
yesterday




1




1





FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

– Denis de Bernardy
21 hours ago







FWIW May is cognizant that the UK's union might be at stake in the event of a no deal Brexit. IMHO the only sensible scenario where no deal might occur at this point is by accident. It would be after the EU rejects an extension for some reason or another (it could very well be this one, but I'd gather May will get a long extension) and, with a gun to their faces, the MPs fail to subsequently accept a variation of May's deal and then fail to repeal article 50.

– Denis de Bernardy
21 hours ago






1




1





Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

– Chris Melville
19 hours ago





Tactically, yes. The UK "should" have been actively preparing for no-deal more than 2 years ago. With adequate preparation, the government could therefore show the EU that they were ready and had nothing to fear - and therefore would have had a much stronger negotiating position. History will surely make case studies of the blunders of negotiation which have occurred over the past 2 years.

– Chris Melville
19 hours ago




1




1





@ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

– pjc50
19 hours ago





@ChrisMelville of course, that would have forced a lot of the business no deal planning to occur earlier. Since in many cases this is "close UK arm of the business" that would have made it clear much earlier that the game was up.

– pjc50
19 hours ago




1




1





No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

– alephzero
19 hours ago





No politician is allowed to say that the real negotiations will start the day after a theoretical "no deal" has happened. But that's the political reality of the situation.

– alephzero
19 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















18















Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food




This is happening, from the FT (February 2019):




But the closely watched purchasing managers’ index compiled by IHS Markit/CIPS on Friday showed concrete evidence that stockpiling was becoming widespread — particularly in the food and drink, clothing, chemical and plastics, and electrical and electronics sectors — and was being implemented at more larger companies than small ones.







or medicine.




Same here, from the Guardian (first quote, second quote):




The government is in talks with drug companies about funding the extra costs of stockpiling and flying in vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the health secretary has revealed.







Patients should consider stockpiling their own drugs if it looks likely the UK will leave the EU with no deal, the pharmaceuticals industry has said, telling MPs that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for medicine supplies and necessitate emergency powers.




Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term?



There are many effects, both in the long term and in the short term. The stockpiling is actually only a band-aid solution, especially with regard to fresh food one can only stockpile for a few weeks (or less), according to the BBC:




Fresh food - which cannot be stockpiled - is the biggest concern. A vegetable shortage last year, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.




The thing with most food (and other importers, like manufacturing plants) coming into the UK is that it works with so-called just-in-time deliveries, from the BBC:




The UK's supply chains work on a "just in time" basis, meaning stock is delivered daily, not stored for long periods in warehouses.



[...]



To illustrate the complexity, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says 290 trucks come through Dover each day just supplying citrus fruits. He says any level of disruption, such as trucks needing to pass extra inspections, is likely to have an impact.




One of the 'problems' here is that UK imports rely heavily on the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Indeed, many imports to the UK from Asia go via Rotterdam. Or to quote Mark Dijk, the Port's external affairs manager (as cited by the Independent):




“We are also a hub for the UK. All the deep-sea ships from China are coming into Rotterdam, and their goods are then going into shallow water ships to the UK,”



Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?




No, as pointed out by Fizz, there are no-deal preparations going on on both sides of the Channel. And those preparations have been going on for a while now.






share|improve this answer
























  • with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

    – Fizz
    yesterday






  • 2





    @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

    – JJJ
    yesterday





















4














The UK government has put out no-deal Brexit info for businesses. (And so has the EU.) But this is presumably not expected to be like a natural disaster, so the general public hasn't been instructed to do anything in particular, insofar, and as far as I know.



For individuals, there are instructions/information dealing with the new border procedures, EU studies programmes, EU family law, and "buying things from Europe".



The "should" part of your question probably only admits answers that are primarily opinion based, at the moment.






share|improve this answer



















  • 2





    There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

    – Luaan
    17 hours ago



















2














The British should certainly be preparing for it, and I think some are, but I would be shocked if the UK actually crashes out with no deal on April 12th. Like everyone else, I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen as things seem to change almost on a daily basis. For example, last week President Macron was signalling that he'd had enough of the UK's indecision and would veto any extension to the leave date. However, almost immediately after that, the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar said that whoever pulled such a move would "never be forgiven".



Because of that, I can't see a hard Brexit being precipitated by the EU, because their perceived self strength lies in their unity, which until now has been unshakeable. What's more likely, at least in the short term (Theresa May is asking for an extension to June 30th), is that the proverbial can will continue to be kicked down the road by the British government whilst it remains paralysed by indecision and division.



A hard Brexit can only happen now if a British government allows it to happen. There are still plenty of politicians and people in the country who want that.






share|improve this answer








New contributor




ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





















  • I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

    – George Barwood
    19 hours ago



















1














The government is between a rock and a hard place.



Full scale preparations would cost a huge amount of money, and cause the public to start panicking. Imagine if the government told supermarkets to stockpile long life foods, people would go crazy buying up supplies.



Some years ago there was a problem with the supply of petrol with a similar reaction. People queuing for hours to put a few litres of fuel in their cars out of fear. People stockpiling and taking advantage with high prices.



On the other hand, if the UK does crash out of the EU it's going to need those stockpiles. The government has been trying to put contingency plans in place, but it's not been going well.



So the UK government is strongly motivated to keep its preparations low key and largely secret (e.g. possible medicine shortages, having the army on standby), but also needs to spend billions on them to ensure it doesn't have mass panic, riots and people dying...



All the while saying that no-deal is a real threat as a negotiating position with the EU and with it's own MPs and Parliament, and simultaneously trying to obey its legal obligation to avoid a no-deal crash.



It's as crazy as it sounds.






share|improve this answer






























    4 Answers
    4






    active

    oldest

    votes








    4 Answers
    4






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    18















    Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food




    This is happening, from the FT (February 2019):




    But the closely watched purchasing managers’ index compiled by IHS Markit/CIPS on Friday showed concrete evidence that stockpiling was becoming widespread — particularly in the food and drink, clothing, chemical and plastics, and electrical and electronics sectors — and was being implemented at more larger companies than small ones.







    or medicine.




    Same here, from the Guardian (first quote, second quote):




    The government is in talks with drug companies about funding the extra costs of stockpiling and flying in vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the health secretary has revealed.







    Patients should consider stockpiling their own drugs if it looks likely the UK will leave the EU with no deal, the pharmaceuticals industry has said, telling MPs that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for medicine supplies and necessitate emergency powers.




    Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term?



    There are many effects, both in the long term and in the short term. The stockpiling is actually only a band-aid solution, especially with regard to fresh food one can only stockpile for a few weeks (or less), according to the BBC:




    Fresh food - which cannot be stockpiled - is the biggest concern. A vegetable shortage last year, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.




    The thing with most food (and other importers, like manufacturing plants) coming into the UK is that it works with so-called just-in-time deliveries, from the BBC:




    The UK's supply chains work on a "just in time" basis, meaning stock is delivered daily, not stored for long periods in warehouses.



    [...]



    To illustrate the complexity, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says 290 trucks come through Dover each day just supplying citrus fruits. He says any level of disruption, such as trucks needing to pass extra inspections, is likely to have an impact.




    One of the 'problems' here is that UK imports rely heavily on the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Indeed, many imports to the UK from Asia go via Rotterdam. Or to quote Mark Dijk, the Port's external affairs manager (as cited by the Independent):




    “We are also a hub for the UK. All the deep-sea ships from China are coming into Rotterdam, and their goods are then going into shallow water ships to the UK,”



    Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?




    No, as pointed out by Fizz, there are no-deal preparations going on on both sides of the Channel. And those preparations have been going on for a while now.






    share|improve this answer
























    • with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

      – Fizz
      yesterday






    • 2





      @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

      – JJJ
      yesterday


















    18















    Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food




    This is happening, from the FT (February 2019):




    But the closely watched purchasing managers’ index compiled by IHS Markit/CIPS on Friday showed concrete evidence that stockpiling was becoming widespread — particularly in the food and drink, clothing, chemical and plastics, and electrical and electronics sectors — and was being implemented at more larger companies than small ones.







    or medicine.




    Same here, from the Guardian (first quote, second quote):




    The government is in talks with drug companies about funding the extra costs of stockpiling and flying in vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the health secretary has revealed.







    Patients should consider stockpiling their own drugs if it looks likely the UK will leave the EU with no deal, the pharmaceuticals industry has said, telling MPs that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for medicine supplies and necessitate emergency powers.




    Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term?



    There are many effects, both in the long term and in the short term. The stockpiling is actually only a band-aid solution, especially with regard to fresh food one can only stockpile for a few weeks (or less), according to the BBC:




    Fresh food - which cannot be stockpiled - is the biggest concern. A vegetable shortage last year, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.




    The thing with most food (and other importers, like manufacturing plants) coming into the UK is that it works with so-called just-in-time deliveries, from the BBC:




    The UK's supply chains work on a "just in time" basis, meaning stock is delivered daily, not stored for long periods in warehouses.



    [...]



    To illustrate the complexity, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says 290 trucks come through Dover each day just supplying citrus fruits. He says any level of disruption, such as trucks needing to pass extra inspections, is likely to have an impact.




    One of the 'problems' here is that UK imports rely heavily on the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Indeed, many imports to the UK from Asia go via Rotterdam. Or to quote Mark Dijk, the Port's external affairs manager (as cited by the Independent):




    “We are also a hub for the UK. All the deep-sea ships from China are coming into Rotterdam, and their goods are then going into shallow water ships to the UK,”



    Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?




    No, as pointed out by Fizz, there are no-deal preparations going on on both sides of the Channel. And those preparations have been going on for a while now.






    share|improve this answer
























    • with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

      – Fizz
      yesterday






    • 2





      @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

      – JJJ
      yesterday
















    18












    18








    18








    Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food




    This is happening, from the FT (February 2019):




    But the closely watched purchasing managers’ index compiled by IHS Markit/CIPS on Friday showed concrete evidence that stockpiling was becoming widespread — particularly in the food and drink, clothing, chemical and plastics, and electrical and electronics sectors — and was being implemented at more larger companies than small ones.







    or medicine.




    Same here, from the Guardian (first quote, second quote):




    The government is in talks with drug companies about funding the extra costs of stockpiling and flying in vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the health secretary has revealed.







    Patients should consider stockpiling their own drugs if it looks likely the UK will leave the EU with no deal, the pharmaceuticals industry has said, telling MPs that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for medicine supplies and necessitate emergency powers.




    Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term?



    There are many effects, both in the long term and in the short term. The stockpiling is actually only a band-aid solution, especially with regard to fresh food one can only stockpile for a few weeks (or less), according to the BBC:




    Fresh food - which cannot be stockpiled - is the biggest concern. A vegetable shortage last year, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.




    The thing with most food (and other importers, like manufacturing plants) coming into the UK is that it works with so-called just-in-time deliveries, from the BBC:




    The UK's supply chains work on a "just in time" basis, meaning stock is delivered daily, not stored for long periods in warehouses.



    [...]



    To illustrate the complexity, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says 290 trucks come through Dover each day just supplying citrus fruits. He says any level of disruption, such as trucks needing to pass extra inspections, is likely to have an impact.




    One of the 'problems' here is that UK imports rely heavily on the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Indeed, many imports to the UK from Asia go via Rotterdam. Or to quote Mark Dijk, the Port's external affairs manager (as cited by the Independent):




    “We are also a hub for the UK. All the deep-sea ships from China are coming into Rotterdam, and their goods are then going into shallow water ships to the UK,”



    Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?




    No, as pointed out by Fizz, there are no-deal preparations going on on both sides of the Channel. And those preparations have been going on for a while now.






    share|improve this answer














    Given the dire warnings about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, I would have expected people to be taking precautions, such as stockpiling food




    This is happening, from the FT (February 2019):




    But the closely watched purchasing managers’ index compiled by IHS Markit/CIPS on Friday showed concrete evidence that stockpiling was becoming widespread — particularly in the food and drink, clothing, chemical and plastics, and electrical and electronics sectors — and was being implemented at more larger companies than small ones.







    or medicine.




    Same here, from the Guardian (first quote, second quote):




    The government is in talks with drug companies about funding the extra costs of stockpiling and flying in vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the health secretary has revealed.







    Patients should consider stockpiling their own drugs if it looks likely the UK will leave the EU with no deal, the pharmaceuticals industry has said, telling MPs that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for medicine supplies and necessitate emergency powers.




    Why is that not happening? Are the deleterious effects of a no-deal Brexit longer term rather than shorter term?



    There are many effects, both in the long term and in the short term. The stockpiling is actually only a band-aid solution, especially with regard to fresh food one can only stockpile for a few weeks (or less), according to the BBC:




    Fresh food - which cannot be stockpiled - is the biggest concern. A vegetable shortage last year, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.




    The thing with most food (and other importers, like manufacturing plants) coming into the UK is that it works with so-called just-in-time deliveries, from the BBC:




    The UK's supply chains work on a "just in time" basis, meaning stock is delivered daily, not stored for long periods in warehouses.



    [...]



    To illustrate the complexity, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says 290 trucks come through Dover each day just supplying citrus fruits. He says any level of disruption, such as trucks needing to pass extra inspections, is likely to have an impact.




    One of the 'problems' here is that UK imports rely heavily on the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Indeed, many imports to the UK from Asia go via Rotterdam. Or to quote Mark Dijk, the Port's external affairs manager (as cited by the Independent):




    “We are also a hub for the UK. All the deep-sea ships from China are coming into Rotterdam, and their goods are then going into shallow water ships to the UK,”



    Or is everyone assuming that some kind of deal will be struck at the last minute?




    No, as pointed out by Fizz, there are no-deal preparations going on on both sides of the Channel. And those preparations have been going on for a while now.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered yesterday









    JJJJJJ

    6,22922455




    6,22922455













    • with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

      – Fizz
      yesterday






    • 2





      @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

      – JJJ
      yesterday





















    • with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

      – Fizz
      yesterday






    • 2





      @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

      – JJJ
      yesterday



















    with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

    – Fizz
    yesterday





    with the caveat that stockpiling you mention/quote is being conducted by business and/or the government.

    – Fizz
    yesterday




    2




    2





    @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

    – JJJ
    yesterday







    @Fizz that's right, there are also examples of civilians stockpiling food and medicine, but I think the businesses provide a better example as they're making business decisions, civilian 'hoarders' are found everywhere and it's not easy to show their decisions always have merit or that they're just overreacting.

    – JJJ
    yesterday













    4














    The UK government has put out no-deal Brexit info for businesses. (And so has the EU.) But this is presumably not expected to be like a natural disaster, so the general public hasn't been instructed to do anything in particular, insofar, and as far as I know.



    For individuals, there are instructions/information dealing with the new border procedures, EU studies programmes, EU family law, and "buying things from Europe".



    The "should" part of your question probably only admits answers that are primarily opinion based, at the moment.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 2





      There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

      – Luaan
      17 hours ago
















    4














    The UK government has put out no-deal Brexit info for businesses. (And so has the EU.) But this is presumably not expected to be like a natural disaster, so the general public hasn't been instructed to do anything in particular, insofar, and as far as I know.



    For individuals, there are instructions/information dealing with the new border procedures, EU studies programmes, EU family law, and "buying things from Europe".



    The "should" part of your question probably only admits answers that are primarily opinion based, at the moment.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 2





      There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

      – Luaan
      17 hours ago














    4












    4








    4







    The UK government has put out no-deal Brexit info for businesses. (And so has the EU.) But this is presumably not expected to be like a natural disaster, so the general public hasn't been instructed to do anything in particular, insofar, and as far as I know.



    For individuals, there are instructions/information dealing with the new border procedures, EU studies programmes, EU family law, and "buying things from Europe".



    The "should" part of your question probably only admits answers that are primarily opinion based, at the moment.






    share|improve this answer













    The UK government has put out no-deal Brexit info for businesses. (And so has the EU.) But this is presumably not expected to be like a natural disaster, so the general public hasn't been instructed to do anything in particular, insofar, and as far as I know.



    For individuals, there are instructions/information dealing with the new border procedures, EU studies programmes, EU family law, and "buying things from Europe".



    The "should" part of your question probably only admits answers that are primarily opinion based, at the moment.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered yesterday









    FizzFizz

    14.3k23592




    14.3k23592








    • 2





      There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

      – Luaan
      17 hours ago














    • 2





      There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

      – Luaan
      17 hours ago








    2




    2





    There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

    – Luaan
    17 hours ago





    There's not much for the general public to do, really. Even if you wanted to, say, hoard some extra medical supplies, if everyone does this (at guidance from the government, no less), it will probably raise the prices anyway. All the while raising completely unwarranted panic, making people waste money and time etc. Businesses need to prepare, people don't - they just need to know about the changes that affect them directly (as you mentioned), which mostly means things like "don't forget to get a passport if you're planning a vacation".

    – Luaan
    17 hours ago











    2














    The British should certainly be preparing for it, and I think some are, but I would be shocked if the UK actually crashes out with no deal on April 12th. Like everyone else, I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen as things seem to change almost on a daily basis. For example, last week President Macron was signalling that he'd had enough of the UK's indecision and would veto any extension to the leave date. However, almost immediately after that, the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar said that whoever pulled such a move would "never be forgiven".



    Because of that, I can't see a hard Brexit being precipitated by the EU, because their perceived self strength lies in their unity, which until now has been unshakeable. What's more likely, at least in the short term (Theresa May is asking for an extension to June 30th), is that the proverbial can will continue to be kicked down the road by the British government whilst it remains paralysed by indecision and division.



    A hard Brexit can only happen now if a British government allows it to happen. There are still plenty of politicians and people in the country who want that.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















    • I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

      – George Barwood
      19 hours ago
















    2














    The British should certainly be preparing for it, and I think some are, but I would be shocked if the UK actually crashes out with no deal on April 12th. Like everyone else, I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen as things seem to change almost on a daily basis. For example, last week President Macron was signalling that he'd had enough of the UK's indecision and would veto any extension to the leave date. However, almost immediately after that, the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar said that whoever pulled such a move would "never be forgiven".



    Because of that, I can't see a hard Brexit being precipitated by the EU, because their perceived self strength lies in their unity, which until now has been unshakeable. What's more likely, at least in the short term (Theresa May is asking for an extension to June 30th), is that the proverbial can will continue to be kicked down the road by the British government whilst it remains paralysed by indecision and division.



    A hard Brexit can only happen now if a British government allows it to happen. There are still plenty of politicians and people in the country who want that.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















    • I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

      – George Barwood
      19 hours ago














    2












    2








    2







    The British should certainly be preparing for it, and I think some are, but I would be shocked if the UK actually crashes out with no deal on April 12th. Like everyone else, I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen as things seem to change almost on a daily basis. For example, last week President Macron was signalling that he'd had enough of the UK's indecision and would veto any extension to the leave date. However, almost immediately after that, the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar said that whoever pulled such a move would "never be forgiven".



    Because of that, I can't see a hard Brexit being precipitated by the EU, because their perceived self strength lies in their unity, which until now has been unshakeable. What's more likely, at least in the short term (Theresa May is asking for an extension to June 30th), is that the proverbial can will continue to be kicked down the road by the British government whilst it remains paralysed by indecision and division.



    A hard Brexit can only happen now if a British government allows it to happen. There are still plenty of politicians and people in the country who want that.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.










    The British should certainly be preparing for it, and I think some are, but I would be shocked if the UK actually crashes out with no deal on April 12th. Like everyone else, I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen as things seem to change almost on a daily basis. For example, last week President Macron was signalling that he'd had enough of the UK's indecision and would veto any extension to the leave date. However, almost immediately after that, the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar said that whoever pulled such a move would "never be forgiven".



    Because of that, I can't see a hard Brexit being precipitated by the EU, because their perceived self strength lies in their unity, which until now has been unshakeable. What's more likely, at least in the short term (Theresa May is asking for an extension to June 30th), is that the proverbial can will continue to be kicked down the road by the British government whilst it remains paralysed by indecision and division.



    A hard Brexit can only happen now if a British government allows it to happen. There are still plenty of politicians and people in the country who want that.







    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.









    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer






    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.









    answered 21 hours ago









    ayahuascaayahuasca

    1291




    1291




    New contributor




    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





    New contributor





    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.






    ayahuasca is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.













    • I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

      – George Barwood
      19 hours ago



















    • I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

      – George Barwood
      19 hours ago

















    I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

    – George Barwood
    19 hours ago





    I have personally not prepared for it, and I see it as a very unlikely event. I think talking about a no-deal exit is politicians bluffing to try and get their way, but it's not going to happen. On April 12, most likely the can will be kicked, less likely article 50 will be revoked, even less likely a no-deal exit will occur.

    – George Barwood
    19 hours ago











    1














    The government is between a rock and a hard place.



    Full scale preparations would cost a huge amount of money, and cause the public to start panicking. Imagine if the government told supermarkets to stockpile long life foods, people would go crazy buying up supplies.



    Some years ago there was a problem with the supply of petrol with a similar reaction. People queuing for hours to put a few litres of fuel in their cars out of fear. People stockpiling and taking advantage with high prices.



    On the other hand, if the UK does crash out of the EU it's going to need those stockpiles. The government has been trying to put contingency plans in place, but it's not been going well.



    So the UK government is strongly motivated to keep its preparations low key and largely secret (e.g. possible medicine shortages, having the army on standby), but also needs to spend billions on them to ensure it doesn't have mass panic, riots and people dying...



    All the while saying that no-deal is a real threat as a negotiating position with the EU and with it's own MPs and Parliament, and simultaneously trying to obey its legal obligation to avoid a no-deal crash.



    It's as crazy as it sounds.






    share|improve this answer




























      1














      The government is between a rock and a hard place.



      Full scale preparations would cost a huge amount of money, and cause the public to start panicking. Imagine if the government told supermarkets to stockpile long life foods, people would go crazy buying up supplies.



      Some years ago there was a problem with the supply of petrol with a similar reaction. People queuing for hours to put a few litres of fuel in their cars out of fear. People stockpiling and taking advantage with high prices.



      On the other hand, if the UK does crash out of the EU it's going to need those stockpiles. The government has been trying to put contingency plans in place, but it's not been going well.



      So the UK government is strongly motivated to keep its preparations low key and largely secret (e.g. possible medicine shortages, having the army on standby), but also needs to spend billions on them to ensure it doesn't have mass panic, riots and people dying...



      All the while saying that no-deal is a real threat as a negotiating position with the EU and with it's own MPs and Parliament, and simultaneously trying to obey its legal obligation to avoid a no-deal crash.



      It's as crazy as it sounds.






      share|improve this answer


























        1












        1








        1







        The government is between a rock and a hard place.



        Full scale preparations would cost a huge amount of money, and cause the public to start panicking. Imagine if the government told supermarkets to stockpile long life foods, people would go crazy buying up supplies.



        Some years ago there was a problem with the supply of petrol with a similar reaction. People queuing for hours to put a few litres of fuel in their cars out of fear. People stockpiling and taking advantage with high prices.



        On the other hand, if the UK does crash out of the EU it's going to need those stockpiles. The government has been trying to put contingency plans in place, but it's not been going well.



        So the UK government is strongly motivated to keep its preparations low key and largely secret (e.g. possible medicine shortages, having the army on standby), but also needs to spend billions on them to ensure it doesn't have mass panic, riots and people dying...



        All the while saying that no-deal is a real threat as a negotiating position with the EU and with it's own MPs and Parliament, and simultaneously trying to obey its legal obligation to avoid a no-deal crash.



        It's as crazy as it sounds.






        share|improve this answer













        The government is between a rock and a hard place.



        Full scale preparations would cost a huge amount of money, and cause the public to start panicking. Imagine if the government told supermarkets to stockpile long life foods, people would go crazy buying up supplies.



        Some years ago there was a problem with the supply of petrol with a similar reaction. People queuing for hours to put a few litres of fuel in their cars out of fear. People stockpiling and taking advantage with high prices.



        On the other hand, if the UK does crash out of the EU it's going to need those stockpiles. The government has been trying to put contingency plans in place, but it's not been going well.



        So the UK government is strongly motivated to keep its preparations low key and largely secret (e.g. possible medicine shortages, having the army on standby), but also needs to spend billions on them to ensure it doesn't have mass panic, riots and people dying...



        All the while saying that no-deal is a real threat as a negotiating position with the EU and with it's own MPs and Parliament, and simultaneously trying to obey its legal obligation to avoid a no-deal crash.



        It's as crazy as it sounds.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 19 hours ago









        useruser

        10.7k32542




        10.7k32542















            Popular posts from this blog

            How to label and detect the document text images

            Vallis Paradisi

            Tabula Rosettana