Britain could face a ‘Brexican stand-off’ as Theresa May is told to prepare for a no-deal Brexit
Senior Tories fear EU chiefs will fail to settle on a deal before Britain's two-year deadline
THERESA May was warned to prepare for a no-deal Brexit or risk economic “Armageddon”.
Senior Tories fear EU chiefs will struggle to agree a divorce settlement in the two years before the deadline for Britain to leave.
They have urged the PM to plan now to avoid possible chaos at ports, gridlocked roads and financial meltdown.
The “doomsday” scenario is spelled out in a report signed by 22 Tory MPs.
It stresses there is every chance Brexit Secretary David Davis will clinch a deal that will enable Britain to continue buying and selling goods tariff-free with Europe. But it warns the Government must prepare now for every eventuality, including walking away without a deal.
Failure to plan could lead to “serious disruption” if we are not ready on day one, the report says, with traffic delays of “biblical proportions”.
A plan to keep trade flowing post-Brexit is outlined in the report “Ready on Day One” by Dover MP Charlie Elphicke.
Mr Elphicke said: “We must put ideological discussions behind us. There are practical steps we can take now to ensure we are ready on day one to make a success of Brexit.”
The port of Dover handles £120billion of imports and exports a year.
It accounts for 40 per cent of all trade with the EU.
In his report, Mr Elphicke said there was no doubt the Government was committed to a deal.
But he said: “Two years is a very short time and it is likely that the EU will struggle to be able to move swiftly enough.
“Industry leaders have been trenchant in their warnings of the serious disruption we face if we are not ready on day one.”
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The report calls for resilient roads to all Channel ports, customs systems ready to go and one border agency to replace the array of ministries and quangos.
A Eurosceptic think tank insisted Britain had a “very strong negotiating hand and shouldn’t be afraid to play it”.
Jonathan Isaby, of Brexit Central, dismissed EU tough talk as “posturing you would expect at the opening of a negotiation”.
He added: “There is no reason for us to take an existing model for a deal off the shelf when we can ensure one is created to fit our unique circumstances.”
Brexicology
Brexican stand-off
BOTH sides are so far apart they will never agree a deal - so dig their heels in and refuse to budge an inch on anything.
Ends in a rock hard Brexit and relations between Britain and the EU in a deep freeze.
Never-ending Brexit
UK and EU fail to strike a deal within two years and make a transitional arrangement - staying in the single market and customs union and paying contributions.
The departure deadline is extended.
But it risks dragging on for years.
Brexsplit
Unlikely to happen, England and Wales leave the EU.
The rest of the UK - Scotland and Northern Ireland - remain members.
SNP boss Nicola Sturgeon gets something closer to independence and the Irish border problem is removed.
Norwegian Brexit
BRITAIN would be like Norway - outside the EU but with full tariff-free access to the single market.
The price is accepting free movement and paying towards the EU budget.
Dogs Brexit
Loose ends galore at the end of the two year period.
With both sides rushing to beat the deadline, a deal is struck littered with loopholes, unforeseen bills and ticking timebombs for the future.
Creme Brulee Brexit
Like the dessert, it's hard on the outside and soft underneath.
Don't fall for the sugar coating on this one.
The hard exterior is likely to be whipped up to keep Leave voters happy, while the rest is mega-soft, to keep business leaders sweet.
Hard Brexit
Leaving the single market and customs union to gain full control of our borders and strike trade deals with the wider world.
Britain would stop paying into the EU budget and Euro judges would no longer dictate our laws.
Soft Brexit
Britain would keep both feet inside the EU, and poke the end of a big toe outside.
It means staying in the single market and customs union - and accepting free movement.
Britain would continue paying into the EU budget and be partly bound by the European Court of Justice.
So what is the point in leaving?
Great British Brexit
THIS is the ideal solution based on the Canadian model.
We would leave the single market and customs union, while ending contributions and free movement.
Our negotiators reach a mutually beneficial low-tariff trade deal.
Cliff-edge Brexit
Britain crashes out of the EU at the end of the two-period without a deal.
We would seize back control of our borders, law-making powers, and stop handing over billions of pounds - but no trade deal.
We would revert to World Trade Organisation rules to do business with Europe.
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