How you will be affected if the UK leaves the EU with no deal?
- 9 Sep 2019,
- Updated: 9 Sep 2019,
THE bill drawn up to stop a No Deal Brexit has been passed in the House of Lords - paving the way for it to become law.
This is a major blow to Boris Johnson who had insisted Britain would leave the EU on Halloween "no ifs, no buts".
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What is a No Deal Brexit?
A No Deal departure from the European Union means leaving without formal arrangements for the future relationship or any transition period.
Currently Britain's trade, customs and immigration rules are tied up with the single market and a host of EU regulatory bodies.
Mr Johnson had insisted Britain would leave the EU on October 31 "do or die" - and was prepared to lave with no deal.
He said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask the EU for another Brexit extension.
However a proposed law blocking a No Deal Brexit was backed by MPs on September 4 and was passed in the Lords on September 6.
It will become law within days once it gets the formality of royal assent.
In a bid to scupper the legislation, Mr Johnson is calling for a General Election - a move that has so far been resisted by Labour.
The parties have been mulling whether to agree to a mid-October election, which can only be triggered if two-thirds of MPs agree.
Mr Johnson says an election is the only way to break the Brexit impasse.
But opponents don't want to agree unless they can ensure the PM can't take Britain out of the EU on October 31 without a divorce agreement, as he has threatened to do.
Mr Johnson said at the launch of his campaign that he was "not aiming for a No Deal outcome" for Brexit but the threat of no deal was a "vital" negotiation tool.
He insisted the UK "must do better" than the deal served up by EU bosses.
If opposition MPs refuse to back any Government moves to force an election, Mr Johnson may make the extraordinary decision to trigger a confidence motion in his own administration.
He would effectively be daring opposition politicians to back him, and hoping that no other potential governments emerged which could command a majority in the Commons - running the risk of a caretaker government taking power.
If a new government cannot be formed within 14 days, Parliament would be dissolved and an early general election triggered.
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What happens if there is no Brexit deal?
To avoid a No Deal Brexit, the UK government would have to pass a Brexit divorce plan into law, obtain another extension from the EU, or cancel Brexit.
Under a No Deal scenario, Britain will crash out of the EU with no transition period to ensure a smooth crossover.
The 310 mile frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic could become a hard border if no other arrangement is made - which could be catastrophic for the region.
The UK will immediately have to leave EU institutions including the European Court of Justice and Europol.
Businesses would lose their passporting rights, which allow them to sell their services across the EU without having to obtain licences in each individual country.
The UK will no longer contribute to the EU budget - currently about £9billion a year.
Under a No Deal, there would be no time to bring in a UK-EU trade deal.
Instead, trade would initially have to be on terms set by the World Trade Organisation.
This means tariffs will apply to most goods UK business send to the EU, which could make those goods less competitive.
What is the Government doing to prepare for a No Deal?
Boris Johnson has has insisted he won't ask the EU to delay Brexit again - even if he is required to do so by law.
The Benn bill has been presented by Labour MP Hilary Benn, and has been signed by opposition leaders and recently-sacked Conservatives, including Alistair Burt and Philip Hammond.
It requires the Government to either reach a deal - or gain Parliament's approval for a no-deal Brexit by October 19.
Johnson announced an extra £2.1billion of funding to prepare for a No Deal, which is doubling the amount of money set aside this year.
Ministers had previously announced plans for troops on the street and emergency ferries to cope with this scenario.
They had already unveiled the post-Brexit immigration system, which will end preferential treatment for EU migrants.
Mr Johnson has tasked Michael Gove with preparing for a No Deal Brexit.
He also assured the 3.2million EU nationals living in Britain that "under this government you will get the absolute certainty of the rights to live and remain."
The government is expected to be defeated later today when it asks MPs again to agree to a snap election.
Meanwhile legislation aimed at preventing a No Deal Brexit is expected to receive Royal Assent today.
How will I be affected by Brexit?
The Government has launched a “Get Ready for Brexit” campaign to keep the public informed.
The official "Get Ready For Brexit" portal has a questionnaire for individuals or businesses to find out how they could be affected.
The checklist allows users to say whether they propose to travel to the EU, export to Europe or if they are a British national living in the EU.
Some of the advice on the site includes warning that those wishing to travel with pets may not be able to take their animals abroad until 2020.
These people are being advised to contact their vet "at least four months" before travelling to have all the necessary paperwork.
People are also encouraged to "check for disruption" before travelling to the EU after October, as "border checks may take longer".
The site also advises people to renew their passports "as soon as possible".
Those using mobile phones in the EU are warned they "may be charged for using your mobile device in the EU if your operator has re-introduced roaming charges".
Businesses can also find out on the site what paperwork they may have to fill in to import or export goods to the EU after Brexit.
