Brexit: Government plots rainbow tour of EU27 to talk future relationship before Michel Barnier can ‘whip them into line’ June 25, 2018 Theresa May is planning to go direct to key EU27 member states in a bid to get them onside with the UK’s position on the future relationship, City A.M. understands. While the Brexit white paper had been expected before this week’s European Council meeting, one source said the delay was now being viewed as a [...]
HMRC boss received death threats after revealing £20bn cost of Brexiters’ customs plan October 11, 2018 The UK's chief taxman received death threats after revealing it would cost £20bn to put in place the hard-Brexiters' customs plan, he revealed today. Jon Thompson, chief executive of HMRC, told MPs the figure in May as he gave evidence on a range of post-Brexit systems. The system, dubbed maximum facilitation, or 'max fac', would see [...]
Brexit white paper delayed until after European Council summit June 5, 2018 A government white paper expected to set out "ambitious and precise" details of the UK's position on Brexit is not expected to be published ahead of the European Council summit this month. The document – which is seen as critical by business groups trying to get a handle on the UK's negotiating position, as well [...]
ERG’s post Brexit plans for Irish border revealed September 12, 2018 The Irish border issue can be resolved through "the mutual trust on which regular trade depends", a new proposal put forward by pro-Brexit MPs today has said. The European Research Group's 19-page document suggests existing technology will make border checks unnecessary, while physical inspections can be carried out at exporters' or importers' premises, with exemptions for "the [...]
Key Chequers Brexit meeting to result in “softest of hard Brexits” as full Cabinet tips balance away from pro-Leave ministers June 27, 2018 Next week’s crunch meeting to thrash out a final position on the customs union is likely to result in “the softest of hard Brexits” after the balance has been shifted away from favouring government’s most ardent Brexiters. While it had originally been planned as a two-day overnight stay at the grace-and-favour Buckinghamshire mansion, the first [...]
Chequers Brexit meeting to result in ‘softest of hard Brexits’ as full Cabinet tips balance away from pro-Leave ministers June 27, 2018 Next week's crunch meeting to thrash out a final position on the customs union is likely to result in "the softest of hard Brexits" after the balance has been shifted away from favouring government's most ardent Brexiters. While it had originally been planned as a two-day overnight stay at the grace-and-favour Buckinghamshire mansion, the first [...]
Chinese bid for Northern Aerospace falls through as regulator denies approval July 9, 2018 Chinese takeover attempts to buy a British defence company have fallen through, according to UK private equity firm Better Capital. Approval has not been given for aircraft parts maker Northern Aerospace to be purchased by Derby-based Gardner Aerospace, a subsidiary of Chinese aerospace and mining firm Shaanxi Ligeance Mineral Resources. Read more: Aerospace sector revises [...]
Government calls in the lawyers to check if two customs options are legal May 16, 2018 Cabinet office minister David Lidington admitted this morning that the government had asked lawyers to look at the two post-Brexit customs options to check if they are legal. The cabinet is currently divided over two future customs options – the customs partnership model, which would see the UK collect taxes on behalf of the EU [...]
Brexit: Foreign secretary Boris Johnson tears into Prime Minister Theresa May’s “crazy” customs partnership plan over control fears May 8, 2018 Boris Johnson has publicly slammed the Prime Minister’s preferred option for a future customs relationship with the EU, describing it in an interview as “a crazy system”. The foreign secretary has made no bones about preferring the second of the two options, known as ‘max fac’, in which trusted traders can move freely across borders, [...]
Brexiters seek to revive Canada plus-plus-plus model as Barnier rejects Chequers cherry picking August 2, 2018 The Canada-plus-plus-plus model mooted by former Brexit secretary David Davis is still in play, with pro-Brexit MPs discussing how to revive it in favour of the Prime Minister's Chequers model. The model, also called Super Canada, was first publicly floated by Davis last year, suggesting the free trade agreement recently signed between the EU and [...]