The world needs a coordinated Covid policy — based on social realities, not just ‘the science’ October 20, 2020 The measures recommended by Victorian epidemiologist Dr John Snow to prevent cholera contain many that we’re now advocating today in response to Covid-19. Dr Snow advised better personal hygiene, checking the health of arrivals from abroad, and getting the homeless off the streets — all strategies taken by the UK government over the past few [...]
Boris Johnson targets Brexit trade talks with von der Leyen to agree summer deal June 2, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to hold Brexit trade talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in June, it is reported, with hopes of securing a deal before autumn, it is reported. “We need a broad agreement in place by the summer,” an unnamed UK official was quoted as saying by the [...]
European leaders agree to lockdown external borders for 30 days March 17, 2020 European leaders have agreed to implement a 30-day ban on non-essential travel to the EU in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. The measures, which were proposed yesterday by the European Commission, were just one of a number of steps that commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles [...]
UK must ‘think about trade-offs’ in post-Brexit trade talks, says Commission boss March 9, 2020 The UK must “make up its mind” about which trade-offs it is willing to accept when it comes to striking a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen has warned. The first round of talks, which took place in Brussels, ended last week with negotiators acknowledging there were serious gaps [...]
Before the Bell: Preparations start for a no deal Brexit December 11, 2020 It was another mixed session for European stocks yesterday, with the FTSE100 outperforming on the back of a slightly weaker pound, but it was notable that we saw heavy falls in UK banks and other stocks with a domestic focus on no deal Brexit concerns. Brexit talks With UK/EU trade talks extended to the weekend, [...]
It’s not about fish, it’s about control December 11, 2020 Throughout the highs and lows of the Brexit rollercoaster over the past five years, there has been precious little that can be regarded as consensus. One thing we can probably agree on, however, is that of the 17,410,742 people who voted to leave the EU, most of them probably didn’t do so on the basis [...]
Brexit trade talks: UK ‘U-turns’ on full border checks for EU goods June 12, 2020 The UK government has reportedly U-turned on its plan to implement full border checks with the EU from 1 January 2021 after Brexit. Ministers are under increasing pressure from businesses not to deliver a no-deal Brexit as the UK’s recovery from coronavirus looks likely to be a slow one. So far Boris Johnson’s government has [...]
Downing Street: Reports of UK compromise on Brexit talks is ‘wishful thinking’ June 2, 2020 Downing Street has dismissed speculation that the UK is preparing to compromise on fisheries and level playing field rules during Brexit trade talks with the EU. The Times reported today that EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier expected the UK begin to cave on the two major stumbling blocks to negotiations in this week’s negotiating round. [...]
Boris Johnson to tell Von Der Leyen trade deal must be done without extension January 7, 2020 Boris Johnson will tell the new European Commission president that a post-Brexit trade deal must be concluded before the end of December 2020, refusing to consider any extension. The Prime Minister is hosting Ursula Von Der Leyen in Downing Street this afternoon, in the pair’s first meeting since she took the reins from Jean-Claude Juncker. [...]
Davos 2020 day two live: Europe is tougher than China, says Trump January 22, 2020 Please manually refresh this page for our latest Davos 2020 updates. The World Economic Forum at Davos is focusing on climate change this year. Today, Chancellor Sajid Javid will speak on a panel on the future of financial markets. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will address the world and Prince Charles will make [...]