The leader of Harrow Council said he is “not confident” the borough will benefit from international business if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

Cllr Graham Henson said a no deal Brexit would be “disastrous” for companies in Harrow and he urged prime minister Boris Johnson to reject this prospect.

He referenced the Government’s recently published ‘Yellowhammer’ report, which outlines the “worst case assumptions” of a no deal Brexit on October 31.

The papers suggested that, in this scenario, there could be protests and counter-protests on the streets, reduced food supplies and severe delays at ports.

They also warned that businesses could collapse and, given the high number of small and medium companies in Harrow, this is an area Cllr Henson is concerned about.

“I’m not confident there will be any international opportunities in our area,” he said.

“And a no deal Brexit will have a potentially disastrous impact on businesses in Harrow.”

He added that businesses outside the EU are unlikely to commit to trade deals until the fallout of Brexit is fully understood.

It came after Cllr Marilyn Ashton, deputy leader of Harrow Conservatives, said he should be promoting Harrow and looking to strike up alternative relationships.

She suggested that the Indian market, given Harrow’s demographic make-up, would be full of opportunities.

“We have a responsibility to talk up Harrow,” she said. “You should be more optimistic about the borough that you represent.”

She added that it was not the council leader’s job – nor the Mayor of London’s – to focus on criticising the Government over Brexit.