‘Make no deal Brexit preparations your top priority’: Boris Johnson’s message to every civil servant in the country as PM warns them there is ‘no doubt’ that Britain is leaving the EU on October 31
- Prime Minister has written a letter telling civil servants that Brexit is the ‘priority’
- He also added that his approach to leaving by October should be in ‘no doubt’
- Comes hours after news of first quarter of negative economic growth since 2012
Boris Johnson has told the civil service that leaving the EU by October 31 must be their ‘top priority’.
Writing to thousands of civil servants last night, the Prime Minister reconfirmed his determination to deliver Brexit on time and that there should be ‘no doubt’ over the aim.
The Chancellor Sajid Javid also said yesterday that completing Brexit before the current deadline would ‘put our country on the road to a brighter future’.
In his letter, the Prime Minister wrote: ‘My approach to Brexit is simple, and I want you to be in no doubt about it.’
The Prime Minister (pictured with Larry the No 10 cat in Downing Street yesterday) insisted he remained ‘confident’ it would be possible to reach a new agreement with the European Union before Britain is due to leave on October 31
‘We must restore trust in our democracy, and fulfil the repeated promises of Parliament to the people, by coming out of the European Union on 31 October.
‘We will be leaving on this date, whatever the circumstances. I would very much prefer to leave with a deal – one that must abolish the anti-democratic Irish backstop, which has unacceptable consequences for our country. But I recognise this may not happen.
‘That is why preparing urgently and rapidly for the possibility of an exit without a deal will be my top priority, and it will be the top priority for the Civil Service too.’
The attraction of a snap election was underlined yesterday with a YouGov poll suggesting Mr Johnson’s tough stance on Brexit and pledges to boost public service were winning over voters
The letter comes as Boris Johnson looks to be gearing up for a November election today after cancelling the holidays of senior ministerial aides.
The Prime Minister’s chief strategic adviser Sir Edward Lister emailed all special advisers on Thursday informing them that no holidays should be booked until the end of October.
The move is likely to fuel speculation that ministers are preparing the ground for a general election after MPs return to Westminster in September.
The Prime Minister’s chief strategic adviser Sir Edward Lister emailed all special advisers on Thursday informing them that no holidays should be booked until the end of October
In his email, seen by The Guardian, Sir Edward told staff there had been ‘some confusion about taking holiday’.
He said no leave should be booked until October 31 and that compensation would be considered ‘on case by case basis’ for those who already had holidays booked.
‘There is serious work to be done between now and October 31 and we should be focused on the job,’ the email said.
It comes after Mr Johnson ordered a fast-track spending review to fulfil his multi-billion pledges on police, the NHS and schools.
Speculation over an early snap poll has reached fever pitch after Whitehall was told budgets for the next year are being rushed through – in an apparent bid to show the PM is making good on his promise to end austerity.
Mr Johnson repeatedly refused to rule out triggering an election for November 1 yesterday, amid Remainer fears that he will use the tactic to stop them blocking No Deal.
Jeremy Corbyn has demanded the head of the civil service, Sir Mark Sedwill, stops Mr Johnson if he tries to dissolve Parliament until after the October 31 Brexit deadline. Pro-EU MPs have also urged the Queen to sack the PM if he attempts to cling on after losing a confidence vote.
The Labour leader appealed directly to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, pictured with the Prime Minister above, insisting Mr Johnson should be blocked from taking Britain out of the EU during a general election campaign
The attraction of a snap election was underlined yesterday with a YouGov poll suggesting Mr Johnson’s tough stance on Brexit and pledges to boost public service were winning over voters.
The Tories were nine points ahead of Labour on 31 per cent, and Mr Johnson was nearly twice as popular as Jeremy Corbyn, with 39 per cent saying he made a good PM.
However, there are warning signs for the premier, as the unashamedly pro-Remain Lib Dems were on 21 per cent and the Brexit Party was on 14 per cent.
Mr Johnson has so far resisted pressure to consider an electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s insurgent party, but many Tories believe he will need to do a deal to avoid Eurosceptic support being split.
There was also some bad news on the economy today, with new figures showing UK plc shrinking in the second quarter for the first time since 2012.