Theresa May's Former Adviser Tells LBC "There's Often Not A Grand Plan"
19 August 2019, 17:00
A former Downing Street adviser has told LBC that "there's often not a grand plan," when asked by Eddie Mair why the government doesn't release all of its Brexit no-deal guidance.
After a leak of a government no-deal Brexit plan over the weekend Eddie Mair was speaking to James Johnson, a former special adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May and part of Number 10's strategy team.
Amazingly Mr Johnson said "there's often not a grand plan" when it comes to planning for a no-deal Brexit, the former advisor suggested "perhaps the government hasn't fully worked it out themselves yet."
Eddie questioned the former Downing Street insider, he said that the Operation Yellowhammer "wasn't exactly a pamphlet."
Mr Johnson said he had "some sympathy," with Number 10, and the "things that tend to hit the press do tend to be the worst case, most sensationalist things."
Eddie asked why the government couldn't just be open with the public and tell them what was happening.
Agreeing with Eddie, the former advisor said he suspected the government were "collating this information" and trying to "work out what they think about it."
Explaining why the government may not release the information straight away, Mr Johnson said even if the document could not be released in public, he believed the government should "make sure business is in the know."
Looking into his time in Downing Street, Eddie asked how much work was going on to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
Admitting Operation Yellowhammer has "existed for a long time" Mr Johnson said preparations have been going on for some time.
Asking the question that has been on the minds of people across the UK, Eddie asked who comes up with the names for these kind of operations.
"I don't think there's a grand naming committee," he revealed that it was probably just a "civil servant in Whitehall."
Watch the whole insightful exchange in the video at the top of the page.
