David Davis: Brexit negotiations to be ‘reset’ in November September 19, 2018 Brexit negotiations could be “reset” in November as the UK and EU struggle to strike a deal they both find acceptable, according to former Brexit secretary David Davis. The EU’s stance towards the UK will soften in the coming months as both sides try to bridge the gap in negotiations to avoid a no deal scenario, [...]
Ditch talk of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit to spare motor industry £5bn tariffs, pleads trade body September 19, 2018 The car industry body has urged Theresa May to ditch talk of a "no-deal" Brexit, saying it would lead to £5bn tariffs for a sector that is already in trouble. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said a no-deal Brexit – in which the UK would crash out of the EU on terms set [...]
Ignore Michael Gove – there’ll be no chance to edit Chequers once the ink is dry September 19, 2018 Theresa May’s ambush of her own cabinet in July by presenting the fait accompli of the proposed Chequers deal, which the EU remains unconvinced about and which will be the subject of discussion among EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow, was for me the low point of the Brexit negotiations. That was until last Sunday, when [...]
EU working to improve Irish border backstop proposal, Barnier says September 18, 2018 The European Union has softened its approach to the Irish border backstop "insurance policy" arrangement, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said this evening, in a push to effectively complete the Brexit deal within the next month. Speaking in Brussels ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow and Thursday, Barnier confirmed that work was ongoing to improve the offer to Britain and said [...]
Time for the government to set out the details of its post-Brexit immigration policy September 18, 2018 Inch by inch, the government is creeping closer to a new immigration policy. With the publication yesterday of the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) report, there are no reasons left not to set out a vision for this complicated and contentious area of policy. The expectation is that Theresa May will use her speech to [...]
Labour has faced crises before, but this is uncharted territory September 18, 2018 After a summer of turbulence, the Labour party conference will get underway in Liverpool next week. The stories swirling around the run-up centre on the current maelstrom of fanatical support for Jeremy Corbyn, the increasing despondence of moderate MPs, accusations of antisemitism at the heart of the party, all against a backdrop of online discussion [...]
Brexit: EU has let ‘cat out of the bag’ over Irish border solution, claims Theresa Villiers September 17, 2018 The EU has been accused of letting the "cat out of the bag" after a leaked Brussels document suggested technology could solve the Irish backstop issue in the Brexit talks. It has been reported the EU chief's negotiator Michel Barnier is prepared to accept technology could be used to monitor goods moving between Northern Ireland and mainland [...]
Theresa May ‘irritated’ by talk of leadership challenges September 16, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May has said she gets “irritated” by speculation about her position as leader of the Conservative Party, as she heads towards a crucial crunch meeting with EU leaders later this week. In an interview to mark six months until Britain is due to leave the European Union, May slapped down former foreign [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan joins calls for second referendum on Brexit September 16, 2018 The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has joined calls for a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, claiming the Conservative Party has been left with only “incredibly risky” options for Brexit. Khan, one of the Labour Party’s highest-ranking politicians, wrote in The Observer that an opportunity for the “best possible” Brexit [...]
Mark Carney says Chequers-style Brexit could ‘bounce’ UK economy by £16bn September 15, 2018 Bank of England (BoE) governor Mark Carney has said the UK economy could enjoy a £16bn "bounce" if Britain negotiates a trade deal along the lines of Theresa May's Chequers proposal. Details have emerged from a leaked cabinet meeting in which the Bank of England boss revealed he thought May's plan, which seeks a free trade area [...]