LONDON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- London mayor Sadiq Khan announced Friday he had stepped up preparations in the British capital for a "catastrophic" no-deal Brexit.
Khan said Britain crashing out of the European Union without a future trade deal was now more likely than ever.
He has stepped up City Hall's preparations for a no-deal Brexit, amidst growing concerns that the chances of Britain "crashing" out of the European Union are now higher than ever.
The mayor has asked the London Resilience Forum, the partnership responsible for ensuring London's preparedness in the event of emergencies, to establish the impact of a no-deal Brexit on critical areas such as access to medicines, energy and food, as well as the ability to maintain emergency care, law and order.
Khan also criticized the lack of advice and support from Prime Minister Theresa May's government for businesses who need to make plans now for managing the "chaos" of a no-deal Brexit.
City Hall said in a statement the mayor is consulting with London's business community over the next few months to determine exactly what support they need from the government, and identify where City Hall can step in to fill the gap that has been left.
"One of the biggest threats faced by businesses is the grave uncertainty for their European employees in a no-deal Brexit scenario, as the current offer of settled status' is entirely dependent on successful negotiations with the EU," said the statement.
Khan accused May's government of completely mishandling Brexit negotiations with Brussels, saying it has been held hostage by the hard-Brexit zealots in Parliament.
"Even ministers now admit that crashing out of the EU with no deal is now more likely than ever. If the Government had taken a different approach to the negotiations this would never have been an option, but we are now left with no choice but to plan for a no-deal scenario," said Khan.
"It is vital that businesses get the advice and support they need to start planning for the chaos of a no-deal Brexit now -- before it's too late," Khan said.
He added: "The biggest threat facing businesses is the growing chance that they could lose their European employees. The government's current offer of 'settled status' relies on a successful outcome of the Brexit negotiations. If talks were to break down, the three million EU citizens living in the UK, around one million of whom are Londoners, would have no guarantee that their rights to stay and work would be protected."
He said people born in the rest of the European Economic Area make-up a hugely important part of London's workforce, accounting for approximately 750,000 jobs in London's economy.
Khan added: "London has already seen a sharp fall in levels of immigration since the EU referendum, while the number of long-term migrants leaving the capital has continued to rise. Businesses regularly report the difficulty they face in getting the talented workers they need, and to now threaten the Europeans they currently employ is completely and utterly reckless.
"I am calling on Theresa May to do the only sensible and humane thing and extend the offer of settled status to EU Citizens currently living in the UK now, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations."
