Amazon warns UK that no-deal Brexit would risk 'civil unrest'
Amazon’s UK boss Doug Gurr warned Brexit secretary Dominic Raab in a meeting with senior business executives on Friday that Britain could face "civil unrest" within two weeks of a no-deal Brexit, the Times reported on Monday.
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Although Amazon declined to confirm the remarks, it admitted it was already planning for a range of outcomes, adding the company to the growing list of firms with growing concerns over Brexit.
“Like any business, we consider a wide range of scenarios in planning discussions so that we’re prepared to continue serving customers and small businesses who count on Amazon, even if those scenarios are very unlikely,” a spokesperson said.
Amazon assured it would remain committed to the UK after Brexit. Gurr said in June that the firm would create 2,500 jobs in Britain this year, bringing its total workforce in the country to 27,500.
According to The Times, Gurr delivered the warning at a summit of business leaders hosted by Raab at a country house in Kent owned by the government. Business leaders attending included Barclays chairman, Sir Ian Cheshire; Morrisons’ chairman, Andy Higginson; the chief executive of Lloyd’s of London, Dame Inga Beale; and the UK chair of Shell, Sinead Lynch.
The newspaper also reported that the comments stunned those who attended and that some had disagreed with his assessment.
A no-deal scenario has become more likely in the past two weeks as the Prime Minister struggles to convince Brexiters of the government's plans, having suffered multiple resignations from her Cabinet, including that of her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.
Raab said over the weekend that the government was making preparations for leaving the EU without a trade deal.
It was thought that such an outcome might trigger serious disruptions in terms of food and medicine supplies, the free movement of Brits within Europe and difficulties for UK and foreign businesses on the island alike.
However, a deal could be struck with Brussels if European officials showed the same "energy, ambition and pragmatism" as the Prime Minister and her Cabinet in the Chequers deal.
He told the Andrew Marr Show that an agreement could even be wrapped up in 12 weeks’ time - at the October EU summit.