No-deal Brexit would bring 'risks and disruption' with 'delays for businesses', admits Dominic Raab

Dominic Raab has admitted a no-deal Brexit would bring “risks and disruption” with “delays for businesses” and exports hit by tariffs, ahead of issuing further advice to the public.

The Brexit Secretary sought to temper expectations about crashing out of the EU without an agreement, saying: “No one should pretend that no deal would be straightforward.”

Mr Raab said ministers could “mitigate” the dangers, easing the flow of imports into the UK by “recognising certain EU-approved goods for import”, for example.

But, in a newspaper article, he warned: “In a no-deal scenario, we can't control the EU's response to UK goods going the other way.”

He wrote: “There would be risks and some short-term disruption. Extra checks at the EU border would bring delays for businesses.

Later, in a radio interview, Mr Raab did not challenge industry warnings that a no-deal Brexit would bring delays at Channel ports of “45 mins for just one truck”.

“Certainly, there are some risks in relation to no deal and one of them would be disruption at the border if – in the worst-case scenario – the EU and member states responded without the collaborative spirit.”

There would be “contra-flow systems on the M20”, appearing to confirm plans for lorries to be parked for many miles along one side of the key motorway link to Dover.

Nevertheless, Mr Raab hit back at companies criticising Brexit preparations, saying: “It’s easy for businesses to blame Brexit, rather than take responsibility for their own decisions.”

And, in the article for The Daily Telegraph, he insisted: “The UK will manage the challenges of “no deal” so that we make a success of Brexit.”

He also wrote: “It's nonsense to claim that UK supermarkets would run out of food,” – although the warnings have only been off shortages, not empty shelves.

The comments came ahead of a special three-hour meeting of the cabinet, its longest discussion yet on readiness for leaving the EU without a deal.

The Brexit department will then issue a further 28 “technical notices” for businesses and the public, covering mobile phone roaming charges and environmental and vehicle standards – but not, as expected aviation.

In the article, Mr Raab also repeated warnings that the government would not pay the full £39bn “divorce bill” if no withdrawal agreement reached.

“The government would not pay the terms of the financial settlement as agreed with the EU. There’s no deal without the whole deal,” he wrote.

However, on Tuesday, Philip Hammond told a House of Lords committee that Britain would still honour its financial obligations, whatever the outcome.

It appears likely that Britain would pay around half the bill – the half which was originally calculated as the obligations from 45 years of EU membership.

Economists have pointed out that a “saving” of up to £20bn would be dwarfed by the economic damage from a no-deal Brexit, which the Treasury said would blow an £80bn hole in the public finances.