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'DISORDERLY DECEMBER'

No Deal Brexit plans secretly restart over fears trade talks with Brussels will collapse

NO DEAL Brexit plans have been secretly restarted over fears trade discussions with the EU could collapse.

Whitehall's committee in charge of plans for if Britain left without a deal has been fired up again and met last week, a Cabinet minister told the Mail on Sunday.

 Ministers are planning in case the UK exits the transition period without a trade deal
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Ministers are planning in case the UK exits the transition period without a trade dealCredit: AFP

They began preparing for a "disorderly December" in case Britain leaves the so-called transition period at the end of the year without an agreement in place for trade.

One of the PM's top aides, Dominic Cummings, warned that Brussels hadn't yet "woken up" to Britain's negotiating position, and would take a few weeks to do so.

He said on Friday at a meeting of advisers: "We are not bluffing on the no extension."

Boris has insisted he won't be extending the 11-month trade talks past the end of 2020, but Brussels bosses are sceptical everything can be done in time.

Britain is set to leave the EU officially on January 31, paving the way for formal negotiations about a deal to finally begin with the EU - and other countries around the world.

However, little will really change until the end of the transition period, to give businesses time to get ready.

Boris repeatedly said he would not extend Brexit beyond 31 October when he became PM, but as his deal wasn't passed in time MPs forced him to delay yet again.

But after winning his stonking 80-seat majority in December, he has been able to push it through the Commons and Britain is on track to leave on time.

If there's no trade deal in place by the end of the year, Britain could fall back on World Trade organisation rules rather than agreed trade or border laws.

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