Chancellor announces extra £2bn Brexit funding during Westminster chaos
Chancellor Sajid Javid will announce a further £2bn to be spent on Brexit when he lays out government funding for the next year tomorrow, taking the total spent on Brexit planning to £8bn.
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The new money is to be spent in the year after Britain leaves the European Union, the Treasury said in a statement, which the government has promised will be on October 31.
It comes after Javid announced an extra £2.1bn of funding in July to “turbo-charge” preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
Critics say the government is wasting money by going for a damaging no-deal Brexit that will cost the economy.
The announcement comes amid political chaos in Westminster. The government lost a key vote tonight which allows MPs to take control of parliament and try to stop a no-deal Brexit tomorrow.
The Treasury has said the money includes funding for the Home Office to support border forces and extra cash to help British ports cope with Brexit.
It means more than £8.3bn will have been spent planning for and delivering Brexit since the referendum in 2016.
This includes the original £4.2bn of Brexit funding allocated by former chancellor Philip Hammon in 2016, the additional injection of £2.1bn announced in July, and the new funding of £2bn announced today for the next two years.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said: “One of my first acts as Chancellor was to announce £2.1bn additional funding to prepare to leave the EU.”
“This new funding will ensure that departments can grasp the opportunities created by Brexit after we leave on 31 October.”
Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain accused the government of wasting money, however.
Read more: Labour MPs attempt to reintroduce old Brexit deal
Best for Britain chief executive Naomi Smith said: “How much more money has to be thrown at this misguided project before even this Government cries, Enough?” She said “£2bn would pay for 50,000 nurses.”