Brexit

The training focuses on addressing prejudices people may carry without knowing it and has been available since 2016 following multiple allegations of racism and sexism in the Commons. But Tories from the European Research Group and the “Common Sense Group” of right-leaning MPs said they will not be taking part in the programme, The Times […]

Disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox has made it through to the second round of the race to become the next director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Liz Truss, his successor at the Department for International Trade, announced that Dr Fox, the UK’s nominee for the top job has successfully navigated the first […]

This week’s Brexit row has a retro feel. Michel Barnier and an impasse in Brussels. Tory rebels led by a former attorney general. ‘Get Brexit done’. For old time’s sake we even had Ed Miliband gesticulating frantically at the despatch box and Nigel Farage popping up to declare ‘this isn’t the Brexit we voted for’. […]

Charles Dickens’ biographer and great-great-great-granddaughter explains why he was one of literature’s great – if unacknowledged – Europhiles. Charles Dickens pictured dreaming about the characters of his novels in a watercolour painting by Victorian artist, etcher and illustrator Robert William Buss. Picture: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images – Credit: Archant In the 19th century, the […]

The chances of a second referendum on membership of the European Union could greatly increase if a reported plot by MPs to take control of the Brexit agenda is successful, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has said. #Brexit: "Absolutely outrageous and unforgivable" if no-deal Brexit happens says Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable#marr https://t.co/Kyr1Li4hWc […]

A Norway-style Brexit could quickly gain in popularity should the prime minister’s Brexit deal flounder as expected in the House of Commons next week, a Conservative MP has said. Former minister Robert Halfon and Labour’s Lucy Powell have published a report outlining a ‘Common Market 2.0’ vision for a Norway-style Brexit. It would see the […]

The Brexit deal MPs will vote on next week is a compromise deal that not everyone will be happy with, a leading Brexiteer member of the cabinet has admitted. Arch Brexiteer Chris Grayling insisted the deal prime minister Theresa May is putting to the House of Commons is a ‘sensible compromise’ but said it is […]

The chances of a no confidence vote in the government if the prime minister’s Brexit deal is rejected have been ramped up by Labour, with its leaders saying it is a case of ‘when, not if’. Labour shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey. Picture: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA – Credit: Archant However leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow business […]

It is the question on everyone’s lips – what happens if, as expected, the government loses the key House of Commons vote on its Brexit plan next week? #Marr: Is there a Plan B if Theresa May's deal is voted down?#Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay says the government is committed to the PM's deal & some […]

The Breunion Boys are not targeting the hearts of teenage girls – but the 17.4m Brits who voted to leave the EU. At first glance, the Breunion Boys could be any other boy band. There’s the muscly one and the sensitive one and the one with glasses he probably doesn’t need. Except these guys are […]

More than half of grassroots Conservative members want Theresa May’s Brexit deal to be ditched in favour of no deal, a survey has found. About 57% of the rank and file are convinced that leaving the EU without a deal is better than their own leader’s Brexit plan, according to a poll funded by the […]

The government has been accused of “distracting from the gaping flaws in its own deal” after launching a massive publicity drive to prepare the public for a no-deal Brexit. Whitehall departments and the health regulator are to begin publishing guidance on how the public can get ready for issues that would arise from a disorderly […]

Theresa May has been urged to delay the “meaningful vote” on her Brexit deal for a second time. Former Brexit secretary David Davis has speculated the vote could be put off if May looks likely to lose it. His comments come as the prime minister prepares to meet EU leaders and seek further “clarifications” in […]

The firm handed a £13.8m deal to run ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit despite having no ships has been accused of cutting and pasting its terms and conditions from a takeaway website. Seaborne Freight was one of three firms awarded contracts totalling £108m last week to lay on additional crossings to […]

Awarding a £13.8m contract for no-deal Brexit ferry services to a company with no ships is an example of the government “supporting new business”, Chris Grayling has said. The beleagured transport secretary defended the decision to do a deal with Seaborne Freight, despite it never having run a Channel service. It was one of three […]

Jeremy Corbyn has refused to back a second EU referendum despite a poll suggesting almost three-quarters of Labour members want one. A survey of more than 1,000 party members found that 72% would like to see their leader throw his weight behind a People’s Vote. But Corbyn has long resisted such calls and, asked today […]

Jeremy Corbyn is facing further pressure to back a second Brexit referendum after polling showed support among Labour members for another vote. The Labour leader has resisted calls from within his party to back a referendum, instead calling for a general election and promising to strike his own “jobs-first” Brexit deal with Brussels retaining all […]

Almost 200,000 Irish passport applications were received from the UK this year. The number from England, Scotland and Wales increased by more than a fifth compared to 2017, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said. Minister Simon Coveney said the total had risen since the Brexit vote in June 2016. Out of the total number of […]

The Scottish Government will work “to protect Scotland’s place at the heart of Europe” in 2019, Nicola Sturgeon has said in a New Year message. Scotland’s first minister said she believed the reputation for being a hospitable country “has never been more important”, and said EU nationals who had made Scotland their home would always […]

Jeremy Hunt has been accused of wanting to turn Britain into “a bargain basement for business” after he said the UK should follow the example of low-tax Singapore after Brexit. In what will be seen as an obvious bid to burnish his leadership credentials with Tory hard Brexiteers, Hunt hailed the south-east Asian city state […]

Jean-Claude Juncker has called on the UK to “get your act together” over Brexit, branding some Britons “entirely unreasonable” for expecting Brussels to put forward a solution. The European Commission president also rejected claims of a plot to keep the UK in the EU “by all possible means” and revealed he fears the majority of […]

A government department has spent more than £100m on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Documents outlining the £107.m agreements say increased border checks in UK ports after Brexit could “cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed” in the event of no deal. The move was described as […]

Britain’s most senior police officer has suggested Brexit could put the public at risk if security cooperation with the EU is weakened. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said she hoped police would have “as much as possible of the instruments” they currently have, such as database access, or something very similar as quickly as possible […]

Business leaders’ confidence in the British economy has plummeted as uncertainty about Brexit continues ahead of the March 29 withdrawal date. The cautious optimism shown by company bosses earlier in 2018 has entirely gone, according to a survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD). Overall optimism, which had briefly reached positive territory following the initial […]

France will overtake the United Kingdom to become the world’s sixth biggest economy next year as the impact of Brexit bites, a reports has said. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said “disruption” to the British economy was inevitable due to lower inward and business investment. The United States remains the world’s largest […]

At least 500 crimes mentioning Brexit have been reported to police since the referendum, shocking new figures have shown. Best for Britain, a group which campaigns for a second referendum, examined more than 20 Freedom of Information request responses from police forces across the UK and found a huge number of crimes committed in the […]

Jeremy Corbyn has taken a stance “completely at odds with the will of members” by saying Labour would continue with Brexit if they win a snap election, a former aide has said. Corbyn also hit out at EU laws on state aid which he said blocked investment. Labour passed a motion at its party conference […]

MPs who want to block a no-deal Brexit will have to either vote for Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement or a replacement to do it, Andrea Leadsom has warned. The Brexiteer Commons Leader warned politicians lining up to block efforts to take the UK out of the EU in March without an alternative no-deal was the […]

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said his party would continue with Brexit if it won a snap general election in the new year. The opposition leader told the Guardian he would “go back and negotiate and see what the timetable would be” with Brussels if Theresa May triggered a vote and lost, thrusting his party […]

The Tory Party is heading for a prolonged period in opposition “unless it engages more with modern Britain” and changes direction on Brexit, George Osborne has warned. The former Conservative chancellor warned that a general election was more likely than many people believed in 2019 in order to break the impasse in Parliament over Theresa […]

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom has refused to confirm the date of the “meaningful vote” on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Leadsom faced pressure from Labour and the SNP to give a date for the vote after the government suspended debate on the prime minister’s deal earlier this month. The Cabinet minister, speaking at business questions, would […]

There is a “plausible argument” for the public to be asked to vote again on Brexit if MPs remain deadlocked, a Cabinet minister has said. Amber Rudd acknowledged her comments would “distress” some of her Tory colleagues and stressed she was fully committed to Theresa May’s Brexit deal. But Commons leader Andrea Leadsom hit back […]