Brexit

TIM WALKER on the latest manoeuvrings for the job of BBC chair. Plus, the return of Michael Gove’s mystery leaker. Mandrake hears that the BBC plans to announce its new chair before Christmas and it looks as if Richard Sharp – a Tory donor who was once Rishi Sunak‘s boss at Goldman Sachs – is a shoo-in. More […]

Germany’s health minister has struck down claims UK officials were able to swiftly authorise the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine because of Brexit. Jens Spahn said the claims had been ‘misplaced’ as he reminded Westminster politicians that the vaccine had been partly developed by German biotech start-up. In a briefing on Wednesday, Spahn said although Britain had already approved […]

It suits various politicians to stay quiet on Brexit. But that must end now. On January 1st, Brexit goes from an idea to reality. The repercussions will come in waves. First comes the chaos at the border, which will take place regardless of whether there’s a deal or not. Our frictionless trading network with the […]

Nadine Dorries has been reported to Twitter’s complaints department after users protested about a message she wrote suggesting Britain fast-tracked the Pfizer vaccine thanks to Brexit. Several Twitter users have reported the Brexiteer minister after she said Britain would “still be waiting” for the approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had it not left the EU earlier this […]

A Brexiteer MP has issued expletives to convey his amazement at the number of customs declarations expected between Great Britain and Northern Ireland after Brexit. Northern Ireland committee member Bob Stewart was shocked to find out that the HMRC are expecting traders on both sides of the Irish Sea to lodge 11 million customs declarations after […]

The Netherlands has caused hilarity after it used a Brexit “monster” to issue a warning to its citizens. A picture of Netherland’s Brexit mascot handing out ‘Get Ready’ flyers at an EU port has stirred up a hilarious reaction online. The giant Muppet, dubbed by British media as Project Fur, has appeared at the port […]

Scotland should aim for full EU membership if it becomes independent, the country’s constitution secretary has said. Mike Russell said he would not like a “halfway house” of European Economic Area (EEA) membership. The EEA consists of members of the EU along with Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway, through the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) which […]

British expats have blasted post-Brexit travel rules which will prevent them spending more than three months at a time in the EU. When the transition period ends on January 1, Britons intending to stay in a European country longer than 90 days will have to apply for a visa in every sixth month spell. There […]

A former Brexit Party MEP has claimed that it will take a quarter of a century before the UK gets sovereignty back after the UK departs from the European Union. Ben Habib claimed that Boris Johnson’s proposals for a withdrawal from the EU “undermines sovereignty” and that the wishes of Brexiteers will not be resolved […]

Britain’s economy would suffer a “serious” short-term hit from a no-deal Brexit as it also grapples with the impact of a second wave of coronavirus, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned. The OECD said the resurgence of the pandemic comes at a “historic and critical moment” for the UK as the […]

The government’s post-Brexit farming proposals are a “full-throttle attack” on English family farms, according to Labour. Shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard told the Commons: “Labour supports public money for public good, of course we do, but that’s not what this is about. “Strip away the green coating and these proposals are a full-throttle attack on […]

A radio presenter has said Tory MPs opposing Boris Johnson’s latest lockdown plans are doing so because they “don’t like being told what to do”. The LBC’s James O’Brien has said the 100-strong group of Tories resisting the prime minister’s regulations were jeopardising the public’s safety. The band of MPs, known as the Covid Recovery Group (CRG), […]

Internet pranksters have proposed a blue plaque in memory of David Cameron’s contribution to Brexit in a cheeky dig at the former prime minister’s legacy after it was reported that he had banned the topic from his speaking engagements. The ex-MP for Witney both agreed to the EU referendum in June 2016 before leading the […]

Downing Street has said it will not be compromising on the UK’s Brexit negotiating position despite calls for a change of direction from the European Union. The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We want to try and reach a free-trade agreement as soon as possible. “But we have been clear that we won’t change our […]

A BBC presenter has attracted a wave of complaints after calling Brexiteers “headbangers, zealots and quislings”. Sue Perkins, a former Great British Bake Off host and well-known comedian, sparked controversy last week when she posted a tweet mocking David Cameron and Brexiteers. Responding to a message by the former Tory prime minister, which slammed the decision […]

A minister in Boris Johnson’s government has admitted that Brexit talks with the European Union could be extended beyond the transition period of December 31. Appearing on Sky News with Kay Burley, the environment secretary George Eustice said it is “always possible” to extend negotiations, and that the UK’s chief negotiator David Frost has always […]

The European Union is proposing a new transatlantic alliance with Joe Biden’s America to repair their strained relationship caused by Donald Trump’s presidency. A draft report sights China’s “growing international assertiveness” as a challenge that needs both the EU and US to work together, even if they “do not always agree” on how to address it. […]

The National Trust has hired a firm headed up by former Vote Leave official to dampen discontent caused by a decision to review its 300 stately homes for links to slavery or colonialism following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Prominent Brexiteers, including Ann Widdecombe, claimed the body had a “woke agenda” after […]

Anti-Brexit campaigners have rebranded Kent the ‘the toilet of England’ on signs, in a stunt that attempts to highlight fears for the county’s motorways after Brexit. Where before motorists would be politely informed they were entering the Garden of England – as Kent is known – the new message read: “Welcome to Kent The Toilet […]

Former Tory minister and Boris Johnson critic ALISTAIR BURT presents a pro-European, Conservative vision for post-Brexit Britain. During the 2016 referendum, I made the case that UK’s interests – both foreign and domestic – were best served by remaining a member of the EU. However, being a pragmatist and a democrat are core conservative values and […]

Readers respond to suggestions Brexit is no longer the defining issue in politics it once was. Sir John Curtice tells us that 87% of Remain voters (“Has Brexit gone off the boil?“, TNE #220) would vote the same way again as they did in 2016. That tells me that 13% haven’t been following the news for the […]

Businesses have been urged to step up Brexit planning after a survey found only 42% believe they are fully prepared for customs changes. A poll conducted by Enterprise Ireland revealed 44% of businesses have yet to decide how to pay customs charges, while 30% have yet to decide who will manage customs procedures. Tanaiste Leo […]

British actors have been told not to audition for the role of a young Duke of Cambridge in a forthcoming film about Diana, Princess of Wales, due to new rules faced by the country post-Brexit. A casting invitation posted online calls for boys aged between nine and 12 to apply for the role of the […]

It’s clear Boris Johnson’s brazen approach will cost us all warns Michael White. The mighty Oxford English Dictionary has just celebrated the extraordinary nature of 2020 by issuing an unprecedented number of ‘words of the year’ – starting obviously with coronavirus and lockdown. Me, I was less ambitious in looking for words of the week. […]

A transport boss has called the government’s handling of Brexit border proceedings a “complete shambles”. The chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) Richard Burnett said the software needed to facilitate the transport of goods to and from the EU was not ready, Sky News has reported. In a letter seen by the outlet, Burnett […]

A German MEP has claimed that Britain’s ‘messy’ negotiating tactics are to blame for last-minute Brexit talks. Long-serving German politician Bernd Lange said Brexit negotiations would not have come down to the wire had British officials actually been properly prepared. Speaking on Bloomberg, Lange said: “There were a lot of months, starting in February, where there […]

Liam Fox has backtracked on comments he made about a Brexit deal being “the easiest in human history” by picking on semantics. The staunch Eurosceptic and former international trade secretary has attempted to weasel out of prior remarks he made about EU trade deal negotiations by focusing on his use of language. Appearing on Sky News’ […]

Lorry drivers were left queuing for five miles along the M20 in Kent as a trial of Brexit border controls were carried out at the Channel Tunnel. Lorries on their way across the English channel were forced to wait in queues stretching back to Junction 11 on the M20 as they approached the Eurotunnel entrance outside […]

LBC radio host James O’Brien has confronted the perception that Remainers want Brexit to fail in a passionate monologue arguing the contrary. O’Brien has explained why he thinks it is incorrect to presume Remainers want Brexit to be an economic failure. Speaking on his LBC show, O’Brien said: “Let me tell you something about being a […]

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has warned that a no-deal Brexit would cause more economic harm to the UK than the effects of Covid-19. Bailey said a failure to agree to a Brexit deal before the end of the transition period would wreak havoc on cross-border trade and damage the chances of a future economic partnership […]

A US official who once compared Brexit to a dog being run over by a car is expected to be appointed Joe Biden’s secretary of state. Antony Blinken once described Brexit as a “total mess” and said the process resembled a dog being run over by a car. Blinken, an Obama-era White House deputy, is expected […]

Why is fishing proving to be so intractable in the post-Brexit negotiations? Essentially for one reason: the claims made by Brexiters that Britain will be able to run a completely different national policy, reserve all rights to fish in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to UK fishers, and still export without impediment to the […]