Garry Graham, Prospect’s deputy general secretary, responding to reports that 4,000 civil servants are being told to abandon their day jobs to prepare for No Deal, said:

“It is the job of the civil service to plan for all eventualities but it is illusory to think there is this spare capacity in the system, or that the 4,000 figure will be adequate to meet the challenges faced. Ministers need to be honest with the electorate and provide clarity about what government will not be doing while it prepares for what would be a disastrous No Deal Brexit, and what it will not be doing in the event that we do leave without a deal. Areas such as defence have already been cut to the bone and further reducing their capacity is short sighted in the extreme.

“It is clear that in the House of Commons there is no majority for a No Deal Brexit. Surely it is time for the government to face up to that fact and rule out No Deal once and for all.”