No Deal Brexit in Essex
County Cllr David Kendall raised the following written and verbal question regarding a "No Deal Brexit" at the Full Council meeting at County Hall on 8th October with the Council Leader, Cllr David Finch
Question: Having attended the Brexit briefing I remain unclear what the effects of a no-deal Brexit will be for Essex. Can the Leader of the Council please clarify this?
Reply: The changes that a no deal Brexit may bring to Essex reflect the national effects.There is uncertainty, but official guidance on the worst case national economic effect is provided in the BoE guidance updated 4th September and on the worst-case disruption in the Yellowhammer document of 2 August published 11 September. We cannot locally provide greater certainty against national uncertainty However we know that Central Government has accelerated plans for no-deal since that date which will act to reduce but not eliminate, the probabilities and scale of impacts and are participating in that response.
Locally we are engaging businesses through a commission with BEST Growth hub. reviewing the approach to groups that the settlement scheme may not reach and working with local partners in the ERF to strengthen and support preparations made by Highways England for the local Strategic Road Network, Harwich port and HMRC as operators of a Common Transit Convention site at North Weald.
Question: Will the County Council be producing it's own local version of the Yellowhammer document?
Reply: No.
David said:
"This vague response on the impact a no-deal Brexit will have on Essex residents will be of little comfort to the businesses and families who are worried about what is going to happen. People's jobs and livelihoods are being put at risk if a no-deal happens along with a shortage of medicines and an impact on our environment. The fact that the County Council is also not willing to publish it's own version of the Yellowhammer document should concern us all.
"What have they got to hide?"