Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to lawmakers inside the House of Commons to update details of his new Brexit deal with EU, in London Saturday Oct. 19, 2019. At a rare weekend sitting of Parliament, Johnson implored legislators to ratify the Brexit deal he struck this week with the other 27 EU leaders. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Stephen Barclay, left, and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, right. (Jessica Taylor/House of Commons via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to lawmakers inside the House of Commons to update details of his new Brexit deal with EU, in London Saturday Oct. 19, 2019. At a rare weekend sitting of Parliament, Johnson implored legislators to ratify the Brexit deal he struck this week with the other 27 EU leaders. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Stephen Barclay, left, and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, right. (Jessica Taylor/House of Commons via AP)
British national newspapers are displayed for sale with their Brexit-related front pages at a supermarket in Surbiton, south west London, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pressing ahead to try to win parliamentary backing for his new Brexit deal as the European Union considers his grudging request to extend the looming Oct. 31 Brexit deadline. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
London– The British minister in charge of Brexit preparations says contingency plans are being “triggered” to cope with the disruptions expected if the country crashes out of the European Union without a divorce deal.
Michael Gove tells Sky News that “we are preparing to ensure that, if no extension is granted, we have done everything possible in order to prepare to leave without a deal.”
His comments Sunday come after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reluctantly asked for an extension to Britain’s scheduled Oct. 31 departure from the EU.
Gove’s move could be designed to pressure British lawmakers into supporting Johnson’s Brexit deal.
The U.K. government warned earlier this year that in a worst-case scenario, a no-deal Brexit could lead to disruptions including long traffic jams at ports, shortages of food and medicines and problems for travelers.
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