Clutch at straws, whistle in the wind, fly a kite and head for any port

Prominence given in el Guradian to the musings of a senior civil servant, a former Head of the Civil Service no less, one B Kerslake. His argument runs like this: (a) the Government has left it too late to prepare for a no-deal (b) the consequences of a no-deal will be catastrophic (c) 'Parliament' will have to demand an extension for the negotiating process to avoid a catstrophe (d) 'the European commission would almost certainly insist on some “re-examination” of the original decision to leave'

The reply is more prominent than usual: 

The co-chairman of the pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave campaign group, Richard Tice, said Kerslake’s intervention was intended to “soften people up” for a delay to Britain’s withdrawal....“That would be absolutely appalling. People up and down the country would be furious that our civil servants and government have deliberately ignored the will of he [sic] people,” he told the Today programme... “What we have just heard from Lord Kerslake is part of the deliberate negativity from the civil service who are looking to soften people up in order to extend article 50. It is completely unacceptable.”

I think maybe even the Graun is spooked a bit by the authoritarian undertones of the Kerslake argument -- 'Parliament' will act in what way exactly -- diktat from a new Prime Minister? The EC will insist we go through the referendum again (surely it wouldn't risk it) or will it just pronounce the results null and void anyway?

If it's not sinister it's whistling in the wind, hoping for some external set of events or Strong Person to save the day? Or it's a kite flown now to frighten us all into settling for the EC's final offer?