Brexit 1) May has ‘forged consensus’ inside Tories over Brexit bill (or has she?) “After months in which British Eurosceptics railed against the EU’s divorce demands, Theresa May has forged a rare consensus in her often fractious Conservative party. Not only has the UK prime minister won cabinet backing for an increased offer to settle […]
Bercow threatens to expel Davis from Parliament over the Brexit papers… “David Davis could be expelled from parliament if he fails to hand over sensitive documents about the impact of Brexit on the economy, John Bercow warned yesterday. The Commons Speaker said Mr Davis could face a charge of contempt of parliament if he fails to satisfy MPs […]
Brexit 1) Davis hands over the “58 economic reports” — but they’re redacted “Dozens of studies into the impact of Brexit on various parts of the economy do not contain any information which will damage the negotiations with the European Union, David Davis has said. The Exiting the European Union secretary last night handed over […]
Clark launches Industrial Strategy paper today ‘Improving our business environment means making the UK one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business. Investing in people means giving more of us the skills to seize the opportunities of today’s and tomorrow’s labour market. For ideas, we want to be among […]
Brexit 1) Irish border continues to threaten “green light” on trade talks “Ireland’s European commissioner has urged Theresa May to change her Brexit plans dramatically to prevent a mounting crisis over the Irish border from derailing her hopes of an EU trade deal. The threat of a hard Irish border has emerged as the major […]
EU hints at talks breakthrough… “The EU finally indicated it was ready to start talks on a post-Brexit trade deal this evening. After weeks of stalemate, the president of the European Council hinted at a breakthrough following talks with Theresa May. Donald Tusk suggested it was ‘possible’ talks on trade could begin at a crunch summit of […]
Brexit: May to offer cash in exchange for trade negotiations… “Theresa May will tell Donald Tusk on Friday she is prepared to give ground on the Brexit divorce bill as Brussels demands a written guarantee of more money to unlock trade talks. The European Council President will make it clear to the Prime Minister that Britain […]
Budget 1) Deadline for balancing the books pushed back yet again “Philip Hammond’s ambition to get Britain’s finances back into the black receded further last night – as the Treasury watchdog said he would struggle to eliminate the deficit before 2031. The Chancellor had promised to balance the books by 2025. The target has been […]
Budget 1) Hammond plans a ‘prosperous, inclusive’ Britain, with a ‘bright future’ ‘Philip Hammond is preparing to deliver a budget to parliament that will “make or break” his political career, according to senior allies, who warned that one mistake could mark the end of his tenure at the Treasury. The chancellor is already under intense […]
Brexit 1) Gove and Johnson drop fundamental opposition to increased bill — dependent on good trade deal “Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have agreed for the first time that Britain should increase its Brexit divorce bill offer above £20 billion if the EU is prepared to make concessions in return. The Cabinet’s most powerful Brexiteers […]
May: A budget, and an industrial strategy, aimed at building a better future ‘This week’s budget will take a balanced approach to public spending, but at the same time investing in our key public services and keeping taxes low. But we must also recognise that some parts of the country have struggled to keep pace […]
Brexit 1) EU threatens to withhold rebate “Europe is threatening to keep back Britain’s final rebate payment of €5 billion as part of the negotiations over the Brexit bill, The Telegraph can disclose. Senior British sources said that negotiations over the bill, which the EU sets at €60 billion (£53.6 billion), had still not settled whether the UK […]
Brexit 1) Johnson and May clash over the ‘divorce bill’ “Boris Johnson is blocking plans to increase the £20billion divorce offer to the EU. The Foreign Secretary has warned Theresa May that he cannot accept a further ‘unilateral’ increase in the size of the divorce payment without written guarantees from Brussels on a future trade deal. The EU is demanding […]
May and Hammond ‘locked in Green Belt standoff’ “Theresa May and Philip Hammond were locked in a stand-off over housing last night after the Prime Minister publicly vetoed the idea of more building on the Green Belt. Just a week ahead of the Budget, Mrs May told MPs yesterday that she was ‘very clear’ about the need to protect Green […]
EU 1) Tory rebels pledge to work with Labour on the Withdrawal Bill “Tory Remainers were branded ‘collaborators’ last night as they threatened to side with Labour to frustrate Brexit in Parliament. As the EU Withdrawal Bill began its detailed scrutiny in the Commons, the rebel group said they were ready to inflict a series of damaging defeats on the […]