Could there be riots after no-deal Brexit?
Insiders say Army bosses are stepping up emergency plans to tackle potential chaos
The British Army is reportedly drawing up plans to deploy soldiers across the country amid fears of civil unrest if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal.
A “well-placed Army source” told The Sunday Times that officers who usually oversee Operation Temperer, a plan to send troops to help police following a terrorist attack, have been ordered to turn their attention to no-deal Brexit preparations.
“They are focusing on how the military could help the police keep public order and on how medicines would be delivered to hospitals,” the newspaper reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But could a no-deal Brexit really spark civil unrest?
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has insisted that there is little reason to worry. Appearing on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show in September, Javid said: “I don’t expect a no-deal outcome but we need to prepare for all contingencies and it’s absolutely correct.
“I’m not going to go into what the situation may or may not be but I think it’s fair to say we’re preparing for all contingencies.”
The minister spoke out after a leaked document from the National Police Co-ordination Centre warned that the “necessity to call on military assistance is a real possibility” in the weeks around Britain’s departure from the EU.
“There is an expectation that crime not directly connected to Brexit will rise, as acquisitive crime will habitually rise in the event of restricted availability of goods,” the document said.
This week Simon Kempton, the operational policing lead for the Police Federation of England and Wales, told Sky News that such scenes of civil unrest was “the worst-case scenario”.
Nevertheless, many people and companies believe the threat is very real. Doug Gurr, head of Amazon UK, has said that the online retail firm has factored in such a scenario as part of their contingency planning, reports The Independent.
And Remainer Tory MP Dominic Greave has warned: “We will be in a state of emergency – basic services we take for granted might not be available.”
The Irish Times has suggested that a no-deal Brexit might see “intermittent riots” by truck drivers at Dover owing to the new system of border checks, while Belfast might be hit with major unrest over the UK’s prospective relationship with Ireland.
Meanwhile, Theresa May’s critics are claiming that the deployment of military personnel is in itself a damning indictment of the Government’s belief in its own Brexit deal.
Responding to The Sunday Times report yesterday, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said: “To hear they now believe they must plan to send troops onto the streets to keep order reveals the sheer scale of their incompetence and how damaging they now realise Brexit might be.”
Labour MP Alex Sobel added: “This just goes to show how unprepared the Government are for a no-deal Brexit. Putting the Army on standby is an admission of complete failure.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is the Gaza war tearing U.S. campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
DOJ settles with Nassar victims for $138M
Speed Read The settlement includes 139 sexual abuse victims of the former USA Gymnastics doctor
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
14 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From photos of the infant universe to an energy advancement that could save the planet
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Stormont power-sharing in sight: 'good news' for Northern Ireland?
Talking Point Unionists vote to end two-year boycott after agreeing legislative package to address post-Brexit trading arrangements
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
How the biggest election year in history might play out
The Explainer Votes in world's biggest democracies, as well as its most 'despotic' and 'stressed' countries, face threats of violence and suppression
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published