Dominic Grieve has said we would see a state of emergency (HERE) being declared if we leave without a deal at the end of March next year. Considering all we have been told how we are going to soar away after Brexit, this would be quite shocking to many people. Imagine a modern, developed, western nation getting itself into a position where a state of emergency has to be declared short of war, civil disorder or a natural disaster. It would be the ultimate humiliation.
A state of emergency isn't just a phrase, it's an official status giving the government powers it wouldn't normally have. We might see rationing, the suspension of food safety checks (HERE) and whatever other measures are required to maintain order.
This is how Wikipedia describes how such a state can be declared in the UK:
"In the United Kingdom, only the British Sovereign, on the advice of the Privy Council is able to proclaim emergency regulations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 in case of any seriously fatal threats to their human welfare, their human society, and their environment, such as warfare or terrorism. These regulations last for seven days unless confirmed otherwise by Parliament. A state of emergency was last invoked in 1974 by Prime Minister Edward Heath in response to increasing industrial action".
And the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act:
"... guides upon the creation of a Local Resilience Forum to consider such matters within an existing police force boundary and requires responders to undertake risk assessments, maintain them in a Community Risk Register and to publish this register. Risks in this context are those that could result in a major emergency. This Community Risk Register is the first step in the emergency planning process; it ensures that the plans that are developed are proportionate to the risk".
Lord Digby Jones said there wouldn't be any pain from Brexit.
