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12th Feb 2019

The NHS are reportedly stockpiling bodybags in case a no-deal Brexit goes ahead

Rory Cashin

Of all the grim things we’ve heard about Brexit so far, this might just be the grimmest

Brexit.

Brexit, Brexit, Brexit.

What is there possibly left to say?

Every time we think we have reached the bottom rung of how bad this whole thing can get, it turns out, nope, the bottom of this ladder is attached to yet another ladder of awfulness that goes down a whole lot deeper.

So far this week alone (and remember, it is still only Tuesday), Tony Blair has warned of “devastating” consequences for peace in Northern Ireland if no-deal Brexit takes place, while the Hard Brexit could start on Friday for a UK freight ship heading towards Asia.

The continuously changing parameters of how bad this whole thing is going keep changing before our eyes, and this latest development has a good chance of being literally the most alarming thing we’ve heard so far.

According to political journalist Robert Peston, the UK’s health minister Stephen Hammond has written to a Tory MP to provide assurance to one of the MP’s constituents that the NHS is stockpiling bodybags as insurance against a no-deal Brexit.

Yes. Bodybags.

In the letter Hammond stated: “The Department is working with its partners across Government, in the health sector and industry to prepare for any possible disruption in the supply chain. While this does not mean that we are expecting such disruption, the Government is preparing for all exit scenarios.

“These include sensible strategies for devices and consumables, including body bags, that come to the UK from ot through the EU, such as precautionary stockpiling by suppliers, to ensure that the supply of essential products is not disrupted.”

Why did he feel the need to specify, out of everything that could be possibly specified, bodybags? We have no idea. But here we are.

Happy Tuesday.