A Downing Street source said "in common with the rest of government we have stood down our no-deal operational planning with immediate effect”. The news triggered an angry reaction from Brexiteers, with Tory MP Crispin Blunt describing it as a “confidence matter if true”, implying it could trigger the fall of Theresa May’s Government. Mr Blunt tweeted: “This would be a confidence matter for me if true. @Commons Foreign 12 March 2017 unanimously called this a dereliction of duty.
“No deal is not just a matter for UK unless PM has decided to revoke. That’d complete betrayal of 2016 referendum & 2017 GE.”
Labour’s Darren Jones posted: “We spent what, £4bn, on no deal preparations? Is that right?
“£4bn of tax payers money preparing for something no British government could really let happen whilst our schools, hospitals, councils and police struggle on without proper funding.
“What a disgrace of a Government.”
Lewis Goodall talks about his story on Sky News (Image: Sky News)
Speaking on Sky News earlier, Mr Goodall said “millions and millions of man-hours” had been spent already on no deal planning.
He added: “The fact that this was at a meeting discussed by the cabinet secretary himself, the head of the civil service, indicates that as far as operationally at least, the civil service is winding down its no deal planning with immediate
