LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's
decision to launch one of the biggest advertising campaigns
since World War Two to get Britain ready for a no-deal Brexit
was largely ineffective, according to a report by the
government's spending watchdog.
The "Get Ready for Brexit" campaign stated that the United
Kingdom would be leaving the EU on Oct. 31 last year and urged
the public to visit a new website to check what they needed to
do to prepare for a no-deal exit.
In the end, parliament voted to extend the exit date to the
end of this month and Johnson went on to strike a divorce
agreement with the bloc.
The government had allocated 100 million pounds ($131
million) for its Brexit preparation campaign with adverts
running across television, radio, newspapers, online and on
billboards. Roadshows and campaigns targeting specific groups,
such as road hauliers were also held.
The National Audit Office found that the number of people
who said that they had looked or started to look for information
about what a no-deal Brexit would mean did not notably change
during the campaign.
The percentage of people looking for information ranged
between 32% to 37% percentage during the campaign. When the
campaign ended the figure was 34%.
"It is not clear that the campaign resulted in the public
being significantly better prepared," said Gareth Davies, the
head of the National Audit Office.
The government was criticised by lawmakers at the time who
said it was a waste of money and misleading to continue running
the advertising campaign after parliament ruled out Britain
leaving the EU at the end of October.
At the point when the campaign ended 46 million pounds of
the 100 million budget had been spent.
Britain will leave the EU on Friday, concluding years of
debate about whether it is be better off outside the bloc, and
beginning the process of redefining its economy, its national
priorities and its place in the world.
($1 = 0.7608 pounds)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Micahel Holden)