This is how much Brexit will cost you

Britain’s departure from the European Union could cost the government as much as £65m, a new report by the Institute for Government has found.

The report said the cost is set to top £60m as 500 extra civil servants need to be hired.

The report, called Planning Brexit, says that “while Whitehall is building the machinery to respond to Brexit, politicians don’t yet know what to do with it – or if they do, they aren’t saying”.

The report says: “There is a gaping void in the government negotiating strategy” and urges ministers “to move swiftly to spell out [the government’s] plan for reaching a negotiating position – even if it doesn’t want to give away its hand”.

It adds: “At the very least, Theresa May needs to clarify the process and timescales though which she intends her government to reach its initial negotiating position” and warns that “in the absence of a clear plan, Kremlinology and off the cuff remarks are filling the void”.

Hannah White, programme director and co-author of the report, said: “The current situation – where we are left to interpret the personal musings of individual ministers – is frustrating those looking for an early exit, perplexing those with whom we have to negotiate and unsettling those looking to do business with the UK.”