Brexit

Cracks in the Labour’s position on Brexit have been exacerbated after its leader in Scotland backed calls for an extension. Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said he supported an extension of EU trade talks in light of the Covid-19 crisis, putting his party at odds with UK leader Sir Keir Starmer. Downing Street has until December 31 to […]

Home secretary Priti Patel appeared to admit in television interviews that the numbers of lorries stuck in Kent waiting to cross to France is far greater than the numbers quoted by transport secretary Grant Shapps. More than 40 countries have banned flights from the UK due to a mutant variant of coronavirus spreading through the […]

A growing number of Leave supporters now believe voting for Brexit in 2016 had been “wrong”, new polling by YouGov has found. The latest figures from December 16 found voter regret among Leave supporters rose to 10-13%, up from 2-4% in August 2016. The portion of Brexiteers who believe leaving the EU was right has also fallen, […]

The government has reportedly planned to recall MPs to the House of Commons next week to vote on a possible deal between Westminster and Brussels over Brexit. MPs must be given at least 48 hours notice before returning to parliament, with the government unlikely to recall politicians over the festive period, even if a deal […]

A member of the government has called for Number 10 to end Brexit talks and move to a no-deal Brexit. Andrea Jenkyns, a parliamentary private secretary to Robert Jenrick, broke with the convention of collective responsibility for government decisions by turning to Twitter to issue the call. The junior member of government wrote: “No more […]

A BBC presenter has given a sobering assessment of the nation’s mood ahead of Christmas and a looming Brexit deadline in a minute-long clip. Ros Atkins captured the national sentiment in a cerebral monologue broadcasted on BBC World service. Soaking up news of the Dover port blockade, the uncontrolled spread of a new strain of Covid-19, […]

The EU’s chief negotiator is reportedly set to make an announcement on Brexit on Tuesday. Barnier will update EU ambassadors at 3pm GMT before addressing MEPs at 5pm. It comes after reports overnight on Boris Johnson’s new compromise on fishing arrangements. According to EU sources, British demand for a 60% reduction in the catch by value […]

A former Brexit Party MEP has accused Boris Johnson of deceiving voters over his commitment at the last general election and claimed that he is not delivering the Brexit people voted for. Ben Habib, who was a politician representing Nigel Farage’s party, claimed that the public did not vote by 52% to 48% to have […]

Boris Johnson has been criticised after being caught on camera laughing at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit at the latest daily Downing Street briefing. The prime minister laughed at a question from ITV’s Robert Peston when he asked about whether the UK was likely to leave the EU in the next week with a […]

A video from a 2013 debate on Scottish independence has resurfaced and it shows Nicola Sturgeon predicting Brexit and the consequences for her country. The 80-second clip shows Sturgeon telling then secretary of state for Scotland and Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael that Brexit risked isolating Scotland. In a televised debate on the Scottish independence, Sturgeon, […]

British war graves staff working in France and Belgium have been told to expect a 50% pay cut from next year following Brexit. Workers tending the graves of soldiers killed in both World Wars were told of the change mere hours after Armistice day. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission emailed 32 staff, some of whom had tended […]

Voters overwhelmingly want the government to seek an extension to Britain’s Brexit transition period, new polling has found. By more than two-to-one supporters of an extension to the transition period outnumber those that oppose one according to the data from YouGov. The polling was conducted at the end of last week on behalf of pro-European […]

Nicola Sturgeon has hit back at Boris Johnson after he made a Brexit quip about Scotland and fishing quotas. Sturgeon said Johnson could do with a “hairbursh” for Christmas in a dig at the prime minister’s scruffy style. The remark comes as Johnson said Brexit would be a gift for Scotland thanks to all the […]

Boris Johnson will not give in to demands to extend the Brexit transition period despite the coronavirus crisis, Number 10 has said. Downing Street rejected the call and dismissed the idea of a temporary “standstill” period maintaining current arrangements beyond the end of the year. The prime minister’s official spokesman said “time is obviously in […]

When Brexit inevitably goes wrong, who should take the greatest share of the blame? Readers have their say. Ian Dunt is right when he says “It is unsurprising that those who failed to stand up to Brexit are desperately trying to deflect blame when the damage rears into view”. However, I am not so sure […]

Labour leader Keir Starmer has rejected supporting calls for a Brexit extension during the coronavirus crisis – saying that he wants Boris Johnson to deliver his deal. Asked if he would support an extension, he said he wants Boris Johnson to prove he can ‘get Brexit done’ with his ‘oven-ready deal’. He explained: “I don’t want an […]

Tory MPs have joined calls for parliament to be recalled to allow politicians to “hold ministers to account” over Brexit and Covid-19 decisions. Former Conservative chief whip – and chairman of the Covid Recovery Group – Mark Harper has led the calls for a recall, while Tory Brexiteer Desmond Swayne has accused the government of […]

JIM CHISOLM on how the media has failed to challenge the narrative behind Brexit – and how the data shows the people wouldn’t vote for it again. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Four and a half years ago, enough people fell for […]

A senior Tory MP has called for a Brexit extension – claiming it’s “time for maturity”. Simon Hoare, the chairman of the Northern Ireland select committee, said that he wants to see the clock “temporarily stopped” on Brexit talks. The MP for North Dorset said that there is now no time for parliament to scrutinise […]

Rhetoric on sovereignty coming from Britain during Brexit talks is “totally pathetic,” the EU vice president has said. Heidi Hautala said there was “no problem” with Britain leaving the bloc to reassert its “sovereignty” as long as it remained open to a fair transition. Speaking with the LBC’s Tom Swarbrick on the day of a new deadline, […]

A pro-Brexit trade unionist has said that Labour adapting a rejoin policy “for the foreseeable future” would be a “suicide mission”. Paul Embery. a trade unionist with the FBU and NUJ, claimed that the Labour Party needs to accept that “we’ve got to stay out of the EU” in a warning to Keir Starmer. Speaking […]

Boris Johnson has been warned that failure to secure a deal and give parliament a vote on Brexit is playing into Keir Starmer’s hands. The Labour leader has been at pains to balance his party’s pro-European outlook with accepting the vote of the June 2016 referendum. But with Johnson’s government unable to fully commit to MPs getting […]

Transport minister Grant Shapps has dimissed a call to “look at” extending the Brexit transition period to allow for the UK to deal with the Covid-19 chaos. Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Shapps rejected calls from Nicola Sturgeon to ensure the UK is “100%” focused on the coronavirus over the coming weeks. He said: “Nah, I […]

Brexiteers have been mocked after fuming about EU countries closing their borders to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – after previously complaining the EU prevents countries exerting their own control. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria have all imposed restrictions on UK travel, while the Port of Dover announced its ferry […]

Chaos at the ports due to a ban on freight to France is likely to cause chaos in Kent as the Brexit lorry park created to deal with disruption is not due to be operational until 1 January at the earliest. Countries across Europe have started banning flights from Britain after the disclosure the country […]

Traders reacted with concern over the latest restrictions announced by the Government on Saturday and the increased fears of a no-deal Brexit. The FTSE 100 blue chip index opened down more than 2%, but by 9.45am it had recovered, trading down 1.45%. Companies including British Airways owner IAG and engine maker Rolls-Royce took heavy hits, […]

Scotland’s first minister has called on Boris Johnson to extend the Brexit transition period. Nicola Sturgeon took to Twitter after talks between the UK and EU failed to secure a breakthrough, and as European countries started to ban travel to the UK due to Covid-19. The SNP politician said that the coronavirus now “our 100% […]

Talks on a post-Brexit trade deal look set to continue into next week after another weekend of tense negotiations failed to achieve a breakthrough. After the lead negotiators Michel Barnier and Lord Frost met in Brussels on Sunday, a UK government source said the discussions had been “difficult”. The source said that “significant differences” remained […]

MPs are on standby to return to Westminster from their Christmas break if an agreement can be struck in the final days of the year. Both Boris Johnson and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier were playing down the prospects of a breakthrough. The prime minister said the negotiations were proving “difficult” and called on […]

Christmas stockpiling and Brexit uncertainty have again caused huge queues of lorries to stack up in Kent. A long line of HGVs stretched up to five miles on the M20 as freight drivers headed for the Eurotunnel. The latest delays came as the UK marked less than two weeks until 2021 and the end of […]

Ministers have been warned of a series of concerns about the “overall state of readiness” for the end of the Brexit transition period in less than a fortnight. Decisions have been made “too late”, communications with businesses have been “patchy at best” and police may be forced to use “slower and more cumbersome” systems, the […]

Two EU citizens have won a Court of Appeal challenge against the government over post-Brexit access to Universal Credit. The court ruled, by a majority, that a refusal to allow two Romanian nationals to access the means-tested benefit amounted to “unlawful discrimination on the grounds of nationality”. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said the ruling […]