Next boss: The UK is a long way from gridlock and chaos
The UK can avoid severe disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the boss of one of the country's leading retailers has told the BBC.
Simplified customs and border procedures had made the chance of hold-ups of goods far less likely, he said. "We are a long way from disorder and chaos, the fact that HMRC has introduced these transition methods will make an enormous difference. I think the encouraging thing is that we are rapidly moving from the disorder and chaos camp to the well-prepared camp.
"In the vast majority of deals I've done, if the deadline is midnight, the deal gets done at 11:55 but we need to have nerves of steel and prepare ourselves for either outcome."Even if the UK ports wave everything through, Lord Wolfson concedes that the government cannot influence what will happen on the other side. He said that Next had moved all its imports and exports out of Calais to other ports.
"There was a wilful attempt to not prepare. They were so scared of no deal they couldn't allow anyone to admit it could happen. That's changing and I think that means in the worst case you get mild disruption - in the best case - you get a deal."
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