Operation Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Author Andreas Trepte

Licence CC BY-SA 2.5

Source Wikipedia Yellowhammer

Jane Lambert

Operation Yellowhammer is the code name for the UK government's contingency planning in the event of a no-deal brexit.   It is also the title of a short document headed "Operation Yellowhammer" setting out the British government's worse case planning assumptions as of 2 Aug 2019.  It was published pursuant to a Humble Address to the executive made on 9 Sept 2019.

The paper addresses the following risk areas:

• Transport systems
• People crossing borders
• Key goods crossing borders
• Healthcare services
• UK energy and other critical systems
• UK food and water supplies
• UK Nationals in the EU
• Law enforcement implications
• Banking and finance industry services
• Brexit and the Irish border
• Specific risks to overseas territories and Crown dependencies (including the effect of Brexit on Gibraltar), and
• National Security.

The basic assumption is that the EU will be "as a whole unsympathetic" and that public and business preparedness will be at a low level owing (among other things to "brexit fatigue" following two previous extensions to the art 50 (2) notice period.

It is important to stress that this blog is not a campaign document. Its purpose is to alert clients and others to the factors that need to be taken into account when planning their investments and expenditure over the next few months.   Should anyone wish to discuss this article or brexit generally, call 020 7404 5352 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.