British troops preparing plans to respond to no-deal Brexit
The British military is drawing up emergency measures for deploying troops to respond to any chaos caused by Britain crashing out of the European Union without a deal.
The Sunday Times said the British army was devising plans to deploy up to 10,000 troops on the streets to help police and the National Health Service cope with contingencies of a no-deal Brexit.
About 20 army officers who normally oversee Operation Temperer, the plan to provide soldiers to help police following acts of terrorism, were ordered last week to step up no-deal Brexit planning, according to the report, citing a well-placed army source.
The soldiers will be tasked with maintaining order, delivering medical supplies to hospitals and assisting with potentially massive traffic problems near major ports such as Dover in south of England.
Britain may leave the EU on March 29, 2019 without a deal that could outline its future relations with the bloc.
A draft Brexit deal negotiated by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU is likely to be rejected by the British Parliament as both pro- and anti-EU lawmakers have expressed their frustration at the agreement.
A no-deal scenario is the worst that can come out of Brexit, a process that started in June 2016 with a referendum in which Britons voted 52-48 to leave the EU after more than 40 years.
Some suspect the army’s plan to deploy troops is meant to contain any unrest that may unleash as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
Recurrent reports have suggested that the British police, already understaffed as a result of government austerity programs, would not be able to cope with riots and protests in such a situation.
Junior Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said last week that the army was on standby to help with the no-deal Brexit.
“The Armed Forces stand ready to support Britain on a practical basis... We have to plan for every single scenario,” said Ellwood without elaborating on what different scenarios of military's involvement would be.
Chief of the Defense Staff Sir Nick Carter also confirmed that the armed forces had been working on a No Deal operation. But Carter also failed to mention whether the army would play an aggressive role in the situation.
"What we always do is make sensible contingency plans for all sorts of eventualities,” said the commander.
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