Tuesday 22 January 2019 12:34 pm | Updated: Monday 03 June 2019 3:15 am

Three-quarters of trade could collapse in no-deal Brexit, report warns

Around three quarters of trade between Dover and Calais could grind to a halt if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, a leaked report has warned.

A UK Border Force report leaked to Sky News estimates that between 75 per cent and 87 per cent of cross-Channel freight trade could collapse for up to six months in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The document reads: "The French will apply at least the legal minimum of third country customs controls on all goods and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on specified food and agricultural products. This includes the imposition of 100 per cent customs documents checks.

"Even after an initial shock, Border Force assumes that a "new normal" for cross-Channel freight will be 50-100 per cent of current flows lasting 'until significant changes are made to improve border arrangements such as automation'.

"A significant proportion of traders will not be ready for D1ND (day one, no deal)."

The no-deal warnings come as MPs pile pressure on Theresa May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Former attorney general and Tory rebel Dominic Grieve has now tabled his motion to allow MPs time to debate various Brexit options in the run-up to the UK's exit from the EU.

Grieve was originally planning to table a motion that would have allowed 300 MPs from the five parties to be debated and voted on by the Commons for one day, taking control of the agenda away from the government.

Grieve's motion would now allow backbenchers to table different Brexit motions to debate six days before the UK leaves the EU on 12 and 26 February and 5, 12, 19 and 26 March 2019. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March.

The debate window could allow MPs to discuss various Brexit options such as remaining in the customs union – something the Labour party favours – a second referendum or the Norway model.

Labour today said MPs should be able to vote on whether to hold a second referendum in an amendment it submitted after May's Brexit Plan B update, in which she caused widespread dismay by revealing few changes to the deal that was resolutely rejected by MPs last week.