Lack of Govt information has made it impossible to plan for Brexit

• Official report from London Resilience Forum says ‘there is a significant gap in information and planning assumptions’ by the Government

• Sadiq reveals huge potential impact of Brexit on London government

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today warn that the Government has made it impossible for local authorities – including City Hall - to prepare adequately for Brexit by failing to provide the information and preparation required for local plans.

Appearing before the London Assembly’s EU Exit Working Group, the Mayor will say that local government – as well as businesses - need urgent clarity on what will happen once the UK leaves the European Union so that they can put effective contingency plans in place.

Sadiq will reveal the findings of a report, published today, that he asked the London Resilience Forum* to produce on Brexit contingency planning that states that ‘there is a significant gap in information necessary to inform detailed contingency planning. Partners will require further information from central government about the residual risks.’

The report also says that: ‘The technical notices and details of the Government’s preparations published by central government, while helpful for some sector specific issues, do not alone contain sufficient information to inform contingency planning.’

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am deeply concerned that the UK Government is wholly unprepared for whatever kind of Brexit takes place – be that a bad deal, or even worse, no deal at all.

“Over the summer the Government has released 105 technical notices in a completely failed attempt to provide either clarity or reassurance. And they are still unable to explain what the consequences of Brexit will be for government at a local level.

“That’s why I asked the London Resilience Forum to establish the impact of a no-deal Brexit on a number of critical areas.

“The Forum's work has indicated that there's been completely inadequate information from the Government to inform local planners and individual organisations of the expected outcomes of a no-deal Brexit.

“My position is crystal clear, the Government has no mandate to lead the country into either a disastrous bad deal or a no-deal Brexit, and the final decision must be given back to public.”

Sadiq will also discuss today for the first time the likely impact of a bad Brexit deal, or crashing out of the EU with no deal, on the Greater London Authority itself and the services it provides including Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade.

In particular, he is concerned about the lack of clarity around plans for the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, intended to replace billions of pounds of vital European funding for business, employment, skills and regeneration. The Mayor is worried that the fund may not be large enough and that it may not be fully devolved to London, as is presently the case.

He also believes that TfL and managers of other big infrastructure projects will lose the ability to borrow money at the most favourable rates and conditions from the EU’s bank, the European Investment Bank. This source has been crucial for funding Crossrail. In addition, the GLA’s credit rating may be affected.

Tomorrow, Sadiq heads to Brussels for meetings with senior EU politicians including the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier.

He will also meet EU Vice Presidents Valdis Dombrovskis and Maroš Šefčovič, and EU Commissioner Julian King to discuss the capital’s needs from the Brexit negotiations.