“We want to work to ensure a no-deal doesn’t happen, but we have to prepare for that scenario, and we have to face up to the ugly truths of what it means, in terms of the imposition of tariffs on this island, and the imposition of non-tariff trade barrier on this island also.
“It will put strain and stress on not only that trade but the political systems that back it up too. That is the risk of no-deal that people need to understand in very blunt terms, because it is the truth and we shouldn’t sugar-coat it.” “At the end of March there was an extension of six months and some people on the back of that who had focused so intensively on Brexit took the foot of the accelerator,” he said.
“The Government will do its part. The State agencies are doing their part, and we will continue that across the summer, but others need to do it too.