Business Insider reports:

Britain faces shortages of fresh food, fuel, and medicine in the increasingly likely event that it leaves the EU without a transition deal, jamming ports and requiring a hard border in Ireland, official government documents leaked to the Sunday Times show.

The Times said the forecasts compiled by the Cabinet Office set out the most likely aftershocks of a no-deal Brexit rather than the worst case scenarios. The dossier, known as “Operation Yellowhammer”, is thought to be a comprehensive rundown of the government’s preparation for a no-deal Brexit.

The newspaper reported that up to 85% of lorries using the main channel crossings “may not be ready” for French customs, meaning disruption at ports would potentially last up to three months before the flow of traffic improves.

The government also believes a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic will be likely as current plans to avoid widespread checks will prove unsustainable, the Times said. [Continue reading…]