• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Boris Johnson will press ahead with plans allowing ministers to tear up Brexit divorce deal

Businesses are frustrated with the uncertainty around trading arrangements once the UK leaves the single market and customs union at the end of the year.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-12-03 17:27
in Politics
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Controversial Brexit legislation set to return with trade talks on a knife edge. Negotiations continue to reach a UK-European Union trade deal by the end of the month.

Boris Johnson will press ahead with plans allowing ministers to tear up the Brexit divorce deal despite the current round of UK-EU talks being at a critical stage.

The Government confirmed it will ask MPs to reinstate controversial legislation giving ministers the power to break international law by ignoring provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland.

MPs will vote on the UK Internal Market Bill on Monday, potentially throwing talks on a UK-European Union trade deal into crisis unless an agreement can be reached by then.

Legal action

The EU has already taken the first steps in a legal action over the legislation.

The Government will also introduce the Taxation (Post-Transition Period) Bill, which reportedly includes measures to override parts of the divorce deal struck by the Prime Minister and the EU in 2019.

The developments came as talks on a post-Brexit deal were continuing, led by Lord Frost and the EU’s Michel Barnier.

RelatedPosts

Boris reminded of work from home comments as he grafts from Greece

Son of Tory donor who hosted Boris Johnson’s wedding party handed lucrative government contract

Liz Truss blasts Sinn Féin for ‘driving a wedge’ between Northern Ireland and UK

Right-wing dating app to be launched next month in US

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Intensive talks are continuing in person in London as they have throughout the week, with the negotiating teams continuing to work hard to resolve the differences that remain.

“Our focus remains, and will continue to be, on trying to secure a free-trade agreement, as it has throughout the negotiations.”

Brexit
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has been in London for talks (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

MPs will be asked to reinsert the controversial Northern Ireland provisions into the UK Internal Market Bill after the Lords voted to remove them.

The spokesman said: “We have been clear that those clauses represent a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market and to protect the huge gains of the peace process.”

The Taxation Bill will include “measures which are required to prepare for the end of the transition period”.

Asked if that would include the power to waive tariffs on goods crossing the Irish Sea, the spokesman said the details would be set out next week.

Speculation in Westminster suggests that the Government could draw back from the controversial measures if a trade deal can be agreed with the EU.

Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney suggested a deal could be reached within days as he urged European Union members to “hold our nerve”.

Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney
Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said he believed the UK wanted a deal (Niall Carson/PA)

The negotiating teams talked late into the night on Wednesday, fortified by a delivery of pizzas, as efforts continued to thrash out the deal which needs to be in place by the end of the month.

“It’s the time to hold our nerve, to trust Michel Barnier, who has done a phenomenal job to date,” Mr Coveney told Newstalk.

“I believe, if we do that, there’s a good chance that we can get a deal across the line in the next few days.”

Concern

But the Irish minister indicated the scale of concern in the EU about the UK Government’s controversial legislation.

Mr Coveney said he believes the UK wants a deal but added “they don’t always behave like that”, highlighting the bills scheduled for next week.

Downing Street sources played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough.

“I haven’t seen any white smoke,” one insider told the PA news agency.

Businesses are frustrated with the uncertainty around trading arrangements once the UK leaves the single market and customs union at the end of the year.

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy told Sky that the supermarket giant was preparing for a no-deal scenario.

“The biggest challenge we face really is the movement of product between borders, the movement of product between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and, of course, between mainland Europe and the UK,” he said.

“That’s the one area where we really would urge the Government to give us some clarity and to allow us to prepare even better for the end of December.”

Fishing and the so-called “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition on state subsidies and standards remain the main issues to be resolved in the talks.

Sir Keir Starmer
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer confirmed there were differing opinions within the party on its approach to voting on a Brexit deal (PA/House of Commons)

Reports have suggested that the UK has watered down its demands for control of fishing rights, by asking EU fishing fleets to hand over up to 60% of the value of stocks currently caught rather than the 80% previously sought.

But this falls short of EU demands in one of the most symbolically important aspects of the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Labour is split over how to respond to a deal if it reaches the Commons, with senior figures at odds over whether to support it or abstain.

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed there are differing opinions within the party on its approach to voting on a Brexit deal, but stressed that a trade agreement with the European Union was “in the national interest”.

The comments come after reports suggested there is a split at the top of the party over whether Labour should vote for any negotiated deal in the Commons or abstain.

Sir Keir said: “Of course there are different opinions, as you would expect, but we will pull together, discuss it as a team and be united.”

Related: Rees-Mogg’s hedge fund business partner handed senior trade role

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Classic Paprika Chicken Bake

Appy Pie – the App Builder to Take Your Business to New Heights

Express readers predict a Trump landslide in election

Liverpool & Chelsea stars play keepy-uppy with young amputee footballers

Watch: Will the PM get a new ethics adviser? This response is spot on

Angela Rayner exposes Rishi Sunak’s attempted whitewash in blistering thread

NEW: Serving Met Police officer charged with rape

Abbott trade job sparks conflict of interest claims in Australia

Boris Johnson says he will ‘almost certainly’ be taking paternity leave

Emperor penguins ‘could be wiped out by climate change within 80 years’

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.