Brexit

The Tories’ increasingly vicious civil war has continued with a government Brexiteer hitting out at business secretary Greg Clark over his please to listen to business. Brexit minister Steve Baker insisted Britain “must” leave the EU’s internal market as ministers jockey for position ahead of a crunch Cabinet summit at Chequers next week. His comments […]

The Conservative leader in the National Assembly for Wales has quit the post after seven years following a spat over the future for Welsh jobs after Brexit. Andrew RT Davies said in a statement that he had tendered his resignation “with deep regret” following a meeting of all Conservative Assembly Members (AMs) this morning. Prime […]

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been accused of a “pathetic little stunt” over a visit to the Irish border with a TV news crew – after failing to go on two trips with the Brexit committee he sits on. The leader of the hardline Tory European Research Group has today travelled to the border with Sky News. […]

Britain’s “divorce bill” from the EU could cost billions of pounds more than the government has acknowledged while its promised “Brexit dividend” will take years to materialise, MPs have warned. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said there was a “risk” that the final settlement could exceed the Treasury’s “narrow” estimate of £35bn to £39bn. It […]

Boris Johnson has poured cold water on England’s World Cup chances, telling fans “not to let their hopes get away with them”. The foreign secretary and Brexiteer-in-chief was criticised after downplaying Gareth Southgate’s side’s chances following their record 6-1 win over Panama at the weekend. Mr Johnson, already facing attacks over his no-show at the […]

Major job losses will occur if the government allows service industries to “fall off a cliff edge” after Brexit, London mayor Sadiq Khan has told MPs. Mr Khan called for much greater emphasis to be put on the sector during withdrawal negotiations with Brussels as services account for 40% of UK exports to the EU […]

The European Commission is making plans which could see British citizens requiring a visa to enter the EU after Brexit, it has emerged. A document titled ‘Pending and planned legislative proposals for the purposes of Brexit preparedness’, seen by the website Politico, has reportedly been presented to MEPs. The site said it was presented by […]

Who is on Question Time tonight and where do they stand on Brexit? Here’s your guide… The BBC’s flagship current affairs programme tonight comes from Birmingham, the show’s 47th visit to England’s second city and the first since David Dimbleby announced he would be ceasing his quarter-century bed-blocking at the end of this year. But […]

Ireland’s deputy premier has warned the UK there will be no Brexit withdrawal deal without an agreement on the Irish border. Ahead of a visit by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker to Dublin, Tanaiste Simon Coveney indicated that a no-deal scenario was now being seriously contemplated within the EU. “This is a question many people […]

Brexit rebels failed in their bid to force the government’s hand over a ‘meaningful vote’ – but how did your MP vote? Six Conservative MPs rebelled to support the “meaningful vote” amendment tabled in Tory MP Dominic Grieve’s name to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Four Labour MPs also rebelled to vote against the amendment, […]

The government has advertised for two new top jobs in airspace strategy and Brexit aviation negotiations – stressing that no experience of the complex sector is needed. The roles – officially titled Head of Airspace Strategy and Head of Aviation EU Exit Negotiations – appear on the civil service jobs website. The first role will […]

Prime minister Theresa May is facing yet another close Brexit vote as the EU (Withdrawal) Bill returns to the House of Commons amid divisions over the role of MPs in the final legislation. Here are some of the questions being asked about this week’s votes: What is the purpose of this Bill? The EU (Withdrawal) […]

Britain’s plan for a temporary customs “backstop” to solve the Irish border issue is “not acceptable” and any fall-back option cannot be time-limited, the European Parliament’s chief Brexit co-ordinator has told MPs. Guy Verhofstadt said the government’s position that the backstop of continuing UK alignment with the EU customs union would cease by the end […]

Ireland’s premier has accused the UK of stalling progress in Brexit negotiations and warned of the consequences of not striking a deal on the border. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested other countries would baulk at signing trade deals with the UK post-Brexit if prime minister Theresa May failed to honour commitments made to the EU on […]

Donations of £725,000 made by the official Leave campaign in the run-up to the EU referendum should have been treated as expenses, senior judges have heard. The Good Law Project (GLP) is bringing a High Court challenge against the Electoral Commission, arguing the commission should have taken action over spending by Vote Leave Ltd ahead […]

Brexit means there as a “very clear argument” for Gibraltar to have its own MP, a Conservative MP has said. South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay claimed Brexit provided Britain with an “opportunity to build further on our relationship and to protect further the Rock’s rights and interests, and this is best guaranteed by a closer […]

A Labour MP has called on ministers to back moves to abolish the House of Lords following the latest defeat in the upper chamber for the government’s flagship Brexit bill. Frank Field – one of a small group Labour MPs to campaign for Leave in the EU referendum – has tabled a bill in the […]

Non-UK EU nationals make up more than a quarter of the construction workforce in London, according to official analysis. It found 28% of those employed in the industry in the capital are from one of the 27 other EU member states. Nationally, around one in 14 construction workers are non-UK EU citizens – referred to […]

The UK will not be able to take part in the European Arrest Warrant after Brexit, Michel Barnier said today as he hit out at British politicians who sought to blame Brussels for the consequences of the Leave vote. The European Union’s chief negotiator said Theresa May’s “red lines” meant it was impossible to remain […]

A Labour shadow minister has backtracked on support for a vote on a final Brexit deal just 48 hours after pledging it. Shadow Northern Ireland minister Stephen Pound filmed a video message on Saturday in which he clearly and unambiguously backed a People’s Vote, saying there was a need “to have a cold evaluation”. But […]

At 7pm tonight, as the eyes of England turn to the World Cup opener against Tunisia, self-styled patriot Jacob Rees-Mogg is giving a speech. The hardline Brexiteer and Tory leadership hopeful will be speaking on ‘Brexit and beyond: Britain’s place in the world in the 2020s’ as part of Commons speaker John Bercow’s lecture series […]

Embattled Theresa May today channeled her predecessor John Major as she begged rebel MPs in her Conservative party not to tie her hands on Brexit. The prime minister insisted Parliament must not be able to “overturn the will of the British people” as she faced a fresh battle over her Brexit legislation. With the EU […]

Pro-European activists today unveiled billboards and ad vans in the constituencies of four leading Labour MPs they accuse of failing to oppose the Tories’ approach to Brexit. Pro-European youth movement Our Future, Our Choice (OFOC) displayed the ads in the constituencies of shadow chancellor John McDonnell, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, shadow defence secretary Nia […]

Theresa May is pursuing a “high-risk strategy” by seeking to deny MPs the chance to block a no-deal Brexit, leading pro-EU Conservatives have warned. The government provoked the anger of Tory Remainers yesterday with proposals which they say fall well short of the truly meaningful vote they are seeking on the way forward if Parliament […]

The SNP have called for all MPs to have suicide awareness training after an alleged Tory jibe. The call came following yesterday’s Brexit bill debate in which it was alleged Ian Liddell-Grainger shouted “suicide” when SNP leader Ian Blackford asked what options were open to Scottish parliamentarians to debate the devolution amendments to the EU […]

Who is on Question Time tonight and where do they stand on Brexit? Here’s your guide… The BBC’s flagship current affairs programme tonight comes from Caernarfon, the heavily-Welsh speaking town in the north-west of Wales. Ond pwy sydd ar y Panel? A beth yw eu barn am Brexit? Here’s your guide… John Mann Who? Labour […]

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has admitted Labour is walking its own “tightrope” over Brexit. He said Labour’s position was a “traditional British compromise” aimed at the concerns of both Leave and Remain voters. In a speech to City leaders he also urged businesses to speak up about their concerns with the Brexit process. Mr McDonnell […]

Parts of manufacturing industry face “extinction” unless Britain remains in a customs union with the EU, the president of the CBI has said. Paul Drechsler, who is standing down from his role in the business organisation, said politicians were not focusing on the economics of Brexit. He told the BBC: “If we do not have […]

Relations between the Scottish and UK governments have reached a new low as furious SNP leaders threatened to withdraw their cooperation with Westminster, accusing Conservatives there of forcing through a Brexit “power grab” by the backdoor. Scottish Government ministers and SNP MPs were outraged when amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill related to devolution were […]

Labour is avoiding answering questions on Brexit, says Liberal Democrat candidate for Lewisham East LUCY SALEK. We need a final say on the Brexit deal This week MPs vote on the Brexit bill. The people of Lewisham East also have a vote and a choice, either they send me to Parliament, safe in the knowledge […]

Nobody said it was easy, sang Coldplay. This lot did “All of this is going to be bloody difficult to do,” the UK’s former ambassador to the EU, said of Brexit today as he gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. “If you take Brexit seriously, which I do, you can’t say you […]

A “major crunch” is looming over Britain’s post-Brexit customs arrangements with Brussels, the UK’s former ambassador to the EU has said. Sir Ivan Rogers raised serious concerns about the two trading options which have split the Cabinet as he gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee. Senior ministers have been divided between a maximum […]