AHEAD of the United Kingdom’s scheduled no-deal exit from the European Union on Oct 31, the UK government on Sunday announced the launch of a massive information campaign with an aim to address fears and questions about the effects of Brexit on individuals and businesses.

Dubbed the “largest-ever” government public information campaign costing up to reportedly 100 million pounds for ads across television, social media, billboards and other platforms, the campaign titled “Get Ready for Brexit” urges people to visit the gov.uk/brexit website to prepare businesses and the public for Britain’s departure from the EU.

The webpage at the outset definitively states, “The UK will leave the EU on 31 October 2019. Answer a few questions to find out how you or your business should prepare” and proceeds to reveal a “checklist” with multiple options which users can read and select from to best describe their status in the UK.

One question even asks if you are planning to bring your pet or driving from the EU to the UK or vice versa. A question for business owners includes asking if their business does any of the following activities, such as sell goods or provide services in the UK, import from the EU, export to the EU, provide services or do business in the EU, transporting goods across EU borders.

It’s said to be the largest information drive since WWII

At the end of the questionnaire, the results page shows users what they need to do as an individual or family to remain in the UK if they are not already UK citizens, as well as what their businesses must ensure to continue the activity.

The initiative is being spearheaded by cabinet boss Michael Gove who is an ardent Leave politician currently serving as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since he was appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In a statement announcing the campaign launch, the cabinet cites government research as showing that only 50pc of the population think it’s likely the UK will leave the EU on Oct 31; 42pc of small-to-medium-sized businesses are unsure of how they can get ready, and just 31pc of the British public have looked for information on how to prepare for Brexit.

“Ensuring an orderly Brexit is not only a matter of national importance, but a shared responsibility,” Mr Gove said.

Although it is unclear how the government will spend the funds with two months remaining before Brexit, data on annual advertising expenditure shows the 100 million pound figure surpassing traditional advertising spends by major consumer brands.

Reaction to campaign

While diehard Leave campaigners have welcomed the ubiquitous campaign as a necessary measure to facilitate a no-deal transition, supporters of Remain mocked the campaign on social media and said it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Twitter users critical of the campaign posted photos of a fire with the “Get Ready for Brexit” tagline. One user filled the survey and wrote, “At the end, there were only annoyances, extra red tape and explanations of how life was going to get worse. Is the section about all the amazing benefits going to be added later?”

One question in the survey that appears to have particularly irked users is “Do you plan to travel after October 31, 2019?” to which a Twitter user sarcastically remarked, “I assume unless you’re at death’s door or are a massive home bird, you probably do plan on travelling at some point in the future. These questions are about as clear as this whole Brexit process has been.”

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2019