Michael Gove to bring in military planner amid fears of food shortages after no-deal Brexit
2 min read
Environment Secretary Michael Gove is reportedly set to recruit a military planner amid fears of food shortages if there is a no-deal Brexit.
According to the Telegraph, they will evaluate which pieces of Ministry of Defence land food can be stockpiled on so that there is no shortage in rural areas.
A Whitehall sourcetold the paper: "This is just sensible contingency planning for a worst-case scenario. It’s unlikely to happen but it is responsible to prepare just in case."
Earlier this week, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that 3,500 soldiers had been put on standby to offer support if Britain leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March next year.
It also emerged yesterday that Brits could be advised to change their diets if delays at the UK border make it harder to get perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables into the country.
One document seen by the Telegraph said: "Should an extreme event (such as no access to trade) impact the UK's access to food, UK agriculture has enough nutritious food for the vulnerable, however it would be a restricted diet with less choice for consumers. Maximising calorie production would lead to a dramatic reduction in livestock production with all crop production used for human food where possible instead of animal feed."
Earlier this week, Justice Secretary David Gauke indicated that he would quit the government if it backed no-deal. Backbenchers Sarah Wollaston, Nick Boles and Anna Soubry have all said they would resign from the Conservatives in such circumstances.
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