Companies prepare for disorderly Brexit as talks stall

London

BIG companies are stepping up their plans in case Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal as Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to get talks back on track after a major setback.

Britain is aiming to agree with the EU on Dec 14 to move the "Brexit" talks on to the second phase. This would focus on trade and a two-year transition deal to smooth the departure after March 2019. But the timetable has been thrown into doubt after discussions broke down in Brussels on Monday.