Official ‘can’t promise all will be fine at borders’

A TOP government official has warned he “can’t tell you it will all be fine” at Britain’s borders if the country crashes out of the European Union.

Jon Thompson told MPs he was unable to give them any assurances about what would happen if there was a failure to secure an exit deal.

The head of HM Customs and Revenue said his French counterparts would not speak to him about the border because negotiations all went through Brussels.

It comes after another Whitehall mandarin admitted concerns over medicine supplies after Brexit were keeping him awake at night.

Mr Thompson told the Brexit committee the French authorities would not talk to the UK about whether there will be extra border checks at Calais if no deal is reached.

Mr Thompson called for a “practical approach” to the border, warning “the impact on France, Belgium, Ireland and Holland will also be dramatic”.

He said he could not give any assurances of what would happen in the event of no deal.

“I can’t tell you it will all be fine, I absolutely cannot tell you,” he said.

Sir Chris Wormald told MPs he lost sleep about the impact quitting the EU would have on the NHS workforce as well as future arrangements about treating patients on their travels. The Department of Health’s permanent secretary said the issues he was concerned about were the same regardless of whether or not a deal had been struck.

Asked about his main concerns, he replied: “Those three are securing the supply of medicines, workforce questions and reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the EU 27.”