Brexit

NHS leaders have called on Boris Johnson to extend the Brexit transition period by a month, as it warns that no-deal could risk the health of patients during the Covid-19 crisis. Faced with an alarming rise in Covid-19 infections, they say that a month delay will take the NHS out of “the immediate danger zone, and […]

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has raised the prospect of officials working on the text of a Brexit deal on Christmas Day if a breakthrough comes before then. Martin said he and other EU leaders were on “stand-by” to endorse any agreement that might emerge from negotiations between Brussels and the UK government. “If you had a […]

A former government adviser has urged Boris Johnson to secure a Brexit trade deal, warning scenes at Dover port could be repeated if does not. Ex-Tony Blair adviser and The New European contributor Lord Andrew Adonis said the prospect of the British government “inflicting this state of chaos” was “utterly unthinkable”. Lord Adonis told the BBC it […]

A top-level Brexit call between prime minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will be held before the end of Christmas Eve. An EU source has confirmed to Reuters that the pair will hold a call on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the potential for a trade deal. The two spoke […]

Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick has claimed there was “no reason” why the scenes in Kent this week would be repeated if there was a no-deal Brexit. It comes as Jenrick warned it may take a “few days” to clear the backlog of around 4,000 lorries waiting to cross the Channel sparked by a French travel […]

Pro-Brexit newspaper the Daily Express has been derided over its front page criticising the French government and Emmanuel Macron for its decision to close its borders to the UK, sparking huge queues at the port of Dover. The newspaper front claimed that French president is ‘no friend’ of the UK after blaming him for causing […]

A cabinet minister has indicated that hopes are rising for a post-Brexit trade deal although major differences still remain between the UK and European Union. Negotiators are continuing to talk in Brussels, while prime minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are in close contact in an effort to resolve remaining […]

A British musician has been lauded after saying it was a “grave error” for the country to Brexit in the middle of an international crisis. Yungblud, whose real name is Dominic Richard Harrison, caught Twitter users’ attention when he called on the government to extend EU trade talk and avoid the UK “legitimately running out of […]

A transport head has said Brexit will cause traffic jams at British ports “like we have never experienced”. Road Haulage Association policy director Duncan Buchanan warned that the UK faced a “very serious” disruption to supply chains as a result of Brexit. Buchanan had been fronting an emergency meeting of the Common’s business and industrial strategy committee when he […]

Michel Barnier is updating EU ambassadors on Brexit talks with just nine days until the end of the transition period. Ahead of his briefing, the EU’s chief negotiator said: “We are really in a crucial moment and we are giving it a final push. “In 10 days, the UK will leave the single market and I […]

A quip from rugby union legend and sports pundit Brian Moore has perfectly sums up the cronyism over Brexit. The Remain-voting former English rugby union footballer expressed regret for voting against Brexit – because of the number of opportunities offered by the government to those that backed Leave. His comments come as more peerages were […]

James O’Brien has said an EU trade deal was inevitable and stated the reasons why in his final Brexit prediction of the year. Ahead of Michael Barnier updating EU ambassadors on the state of negotiations, O’Brien said he was confident a deal was in the works. “I can’t see it not happening, I can’t see […]

A former UKIP MP has been appointed by Liz Truss as a government trade advisor. Douglas Carswell, who defected from the Tories to UKIP in 2014, has become one of four new non-executive directors to the Department for International Trade (DIT) to “bring vast experience and expertise to the department at a critical time for the […]

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 […]