6th Mar 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=18 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

ChronicleLive Reports suggest Japanese carmaker Nissan is considering plans to change production shifts at its Sunderland plant in a move that would lead to hundreds of job losses. The automotive giant has refused to comment on claims that it is looking to cut back production line shifts at its Sunderland plant threatening around 400 jobs. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/hundreds-jobs-nissan-could-risk-15926526 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

Sky News Nissan is considering plans to cut back production line shifts at its Sunderland plant in the latest setback to the UK car industry Sky News understands. If the Japanese carmaker goes ahead with the plan it could result in 400 jobs being threatened Sky sources say. The Nissan proposals would see the number of shifts on a production line making Qashqai and Leaf vehicles reduced from three to two. https://news.sky.com/story/nissan-could-cut-back-production-line-shifts-threatening-jobs-sky-sources-11655931 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

Autocar Nissan is evaluating plans to cut back production line shifts at its Sunderland plant which could threaten 400 jobs according to reports. The Japanese car maker is considering cutting the number of shifts on the production line that makes the Qashqai and XTrail SUVs from three to two Sky News says. Nissan recently reversed plans to build the nextgeneration XTrail at Sunderland citing the decline in demand for diesel as the key factor while acknowledging uncertainty over Brexit raised questions over longterm investment in the plant. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/nissan-could-cut-production-shifts-sunderland-says-report 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

Sky News Peter Schwarzenbauer the German car giants board member responsible for Mini and Rolls Royce cars said the firm would need to consider moving production from the UK as the company could not absorb the extra costs they would inevitably face. He also told the Reuters news agency at the Geneva car show that some engine manufacturing at Hams Hall in Birmingham could be lost to Austria. https://news.sky.com/story/bmw-may-shift-mini-and-engine-work-from-uk-in-no-deal-brexit-11655739 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Independent BMW may move some of its engine production from the UK to Austria in the event of a nodeal Brexit one of its board members revealed on Tuesday. We have some flexibility on the engine side with Steyr in Austria Peter Shwarzenbauer told Reuters at the Geneva car show. We would need to make some adjustments toward Steyr. We are preparing to be able to do it. Schwarzenbauer also told Sky News that BMW will have to consider ending Mini production at its Oxford plant if the UK leaves the EU with no deal in place. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bmw-brexit-no-deal-production-move-uk-austria-job-cuts-workers-a8808236.html 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

Daily Mirror Production of the iconic Mini in the UK could end in the event of a no deal Brexit German owner BMW warned. A top boss said Minis plant in Oxford and BMWs engine factory here were in danger if the UK crashing out of the EU led to ... https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-bmw-warns-production-mini-14092374 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

@Haggis_UK BMW tells SkyNews that they would have to consider moving Mini production out of the UK in the event of a NoDealBrexit. https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1102921032736915456 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

RTE.ie Ladbrokes owner GVC Holdings said today it had made plans to relocate servers hosting online gambling platforms to Ireland for Brexit uncertainties. GVC owns games brands such as partypoker PartyCasino Casino Club Gioco Digitale and Foxy Bingo. It also said the cut to the maximum stake on fixedodds betting terminals FOBTs in the UK will result in the closure of up to 1000 shops while it expects the EBITDA impact to be 135m in 2019. https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0305/1034344-gvc-holdings-results/ 6th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

BBC Car giants Toyota and BMW have both warned a nodeal Brexit threatens the production of their cars in the UK. BMW told Sky News it could consider moving production of its Mini from the UK in a nodeal scenario. Separately the head of Toyotas European operations said a negative outcome could put future investment at its UK factory near Derby at risk. Johan van Zyl told the BBC that if the Brexit hurdles are too high it would undermine Toyotas competitiveness. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47457219 6th Mar 2019

Economic Impact

Reuters UK Britains economy risks stalling or contracting as Brexit nears and a global slowdown worsens with firms in the dominant services sector reporting job cuts for the first time in six years and falling new orders. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-economy-pmi/uk-economy-flat-lines-as-brexit-nears-firms-cut-jobs-pmi-idUKKCN1PU0UW 5th Mar 2019

Economic Impact

The Guardian The Bank of England has said that the failure of EU regulators to put in place measures to protect continental banks increased the risk of panicky trading on financial markets in the aftermath of a nodeal Brexit. Without further guidance to EU banks and insurers and greater urgency to put in place rules before the 29 March article 50 deadline traders on international money markets could raise the costs of lending to the banking sector. This could intensify the impact of Britain crashing out of the EU the Bank said. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/eu-banks-could-face-panicky-trading-after-no-deal-brexit-bank-of-england 5th Mar 2019

Economic Impact

The Guardian No manufacturer would begrudge the Bank of Englands efforts to save us from another 2008style credit crunch. Threadneedle Street is merely doing its job and everybody knows it started with the advantage that the EU needs access to Londons banks. But the outcome is a comfort blanket for the City London is on its way to becoming a free port Simon Jenkins argued in this paper last week and next to nothing for the rest of the economy. https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2019/mar/05/brexit-wont-bother-the-city-but-everyone-else-should-worry 5th Mar 2019

Economic Impact

Bloomberg There is now just a 9 percent chance that the U.K. will leave the European Union at the end of March without an agreement according to a Bloomberg survey of banks. Much more likely is that Britains exit will be delayed or even that Prime Minister Theresa Mays beleaguered deal will get through Parliament both of which are seen pushing the pound higher. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-05/pound-set-for-further-strength-if-pundits-are-right-on-brexit 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Shropshire Star Doctors and nurses from Shropshire are among the signatories to a letter warning of the damage Brexit is doing to the National Health Service. https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2019/03/02/shropshire-medics-issue-warning-over-crippling-effects-of-brexit-on-nhs/#disqus_thread 2nd Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Yorkshire Post One in ten shoppers claim to have started stockpiling food to prepare for a no deal Brexit according to Kantar Worldpanel As Brexit uncertainty intensifies the latest grocery market share figures published today from Kantar Worldpanel show yearonyear ... https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/retail/one-in-ten-shoppers-stockpiling-food-to-prepare-for-no-deal-brexit-1-9629832 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Traffic jams built up on Tuesday around the French port of Calais as customs officers worked to rule carrying out tighter checks on lorries heading for the Channel Tunnel and the ferry port. The action which began on Monday is aimed at improving pay and staff numbers ahead of the UKs expected departure from the EU on 29 March. Dunkirk further up the French coast is also affected. Brexit is a catalyst for deeper anger said one union official. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/47454150 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

iNews The latest data shows rents across Britain actually fell for the first time in a decade last year. The biggest falls were in Yorkshire and Humber where rents dropped by 21 3.63 per cent and London where rents were down by 30 per month from 2018. How Brexit will affect renters really depends on two things your landlord and whereabouts you live in the country. https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/brexit-house-renting-prices-consequences-how-affect-landlord-rents/ 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Atlantic As Britain prepares to leave the EUwith no agreement ensuring an unimpeded flow of goods between the two yet in placeboth sides are ramping up their nodeal preparations a scenario rife with fears of supplychain disruptions increased food prices and economic uncertainty. Ottolenghi fears the situation could upset the countrys esteemed food scene as well its internationalist culture that has allowed his restaurants and others to thrive https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/03/ottolenghi-brexits-consequences-uks-food-scene/583945/ 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Foreign Policy In the case of the United Kingdom where the average resident uses an unrivaled 110 rolls of toilet paper per year the highest figure in Europe any meaningful measure of forward planning would require more real estate than is currently available. This is just one of the terrible challenges that the paper industryand the publicmay face in the coming months said Andrew Large the director general of the Confederation of Paper Industries the leading trade association for the U.K.s paperbased industries. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/05/hard-brexit-means-hard-times-on-the-toilet/ 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The booze cruise is back in fashion as shoppers stock up on cheap wine from across the Channel before the Brexit deadline on 29 March. Sales at Majestic Wines Calais stores soared 49 last month and preorders are up 78 in March as shoppers take advantage of Frances low alcohol taxes while they can. Nearby Calais Wine Superstore said its preorders for March are up 100 and sales are up 51 since January. The huge increase in Calais sales comes amid evidence that one in 10 Britons have begun stockpiling groceries while a further 26 are considering doing so. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/05/booze-cruise-brexit-majestic-wine-calais-stockpiling 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times Differences on Brexit capture the way in which perceptions of the UK and EUs future prospects are filtered through each countrys experience of recent European crises its party political landscape and social cleavages. Farright rightwing populist and antiestablishment voters are much more likely than people on the centreright centrists or moderate leftists to think that the UK will prosper as a nonEU member. https://www.ft.com/content/a6ca486e-3f3a-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aece 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Daily Mail Regulators have launched an inquiry into the impartiality and depth of the BBCs news and current affairs coverage. The Ofcom probe follows bias claims from both sides of the political divide especially over Brexit. It also comes amid growing fears that serious news coverage is in retreat and allegations from rival news providers that the BBC uses too much clickbait celebrity or frivolous stories with little public service value to lure online readers. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6775061/BBC-faces-probe-biased-reports-pointless-stories-claims-not-impartial.html 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Scotsman BBC staff are starting to undergo unconscious bias training. Staff are being asked to complete online courses. A spokeswoman said training is being provided to all staff and is designed to make the BBC a better and more inclusive place to work. The BBC said it early February that it would roll out unconscious bias training. https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/bbc-staff-to-receive-unconscious-bias-training-1-4882482 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Prospect Magazine One strand of criticism unites the Remain and soft Brexit factionsthat the BBC is so obsessed with balance that on Brexit issues it gives credence to nonsense. And there are heavyweights in the BBC who worry about this too. One senior presenter put it like this We should encourage debate while being more militant about our core approachthat we are factbased and question and test all sides of the debate. We should not be doing vanilla on the one hand versus on the other hand journalism. I am sympathetic to the arguments about the danger of false equivalence and think we should be clear about the weight of arguments. But if a substantial number of people believe so to speak that bananas are blue we have to treat that seriously. Seriously but robustly. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/mark-damazer-bbc-brexit-coverage-bias 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Northern Ireland businesses will not be ready for new border procedures if there is a no deal Brexit later this month senior customs officials have warned. The HM Revenue Customs HMRC officials were giving evidence to MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. Jim Harra told the committee that even if border processes were announced today there is insufficient time for traders who wish to comply to get ready. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47452886 6th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

RTE.ie A national association representing Irelands transport and logistics industry has accused the Government of being unprepared for a nodeal Brexit scenario. Freight Transport Association Ireland FTAI has called on the Government to advance and clearly communicate contingency plans for a nodeal Brexit or it warns the country will face significant threats to its supply chain. Speaking on RTs Morning Ireland FTAI General Manager Aidan Flynn said A nodeal Brexit would have a seismic impact on the UKs trading environment and in turn the freight distribution and logistics sector on both sides of the Irish Sea. https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2019/0305/1034335-brexit-ftai/ 6th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/theresa-may-workers-rights-jim-fitzpatrick_uk_5c7ed560e4b020b54d7f9255 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-rights/uk-promises-safeguards-on-workers-rights-after-brexit-idUKKCN1QM2Q3 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/brexit-workers-rights_uk_5c7ef944e4b06ff26ba352ce 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC MPs have been promised a vote on any changes to workers rights after Brexit as Theresa May seeks Labour support to pass her deal on leaving the EU. No 10 said Parliament would be given a say over whether to adopt any new protections introduced on the continent and to stay aligned with EU standards. Labour MPs in Leave constituencies have been seeking assurances the UK will not fall behind EU standards after Brexit. But the TUC said they should not be taken in by blatant window dressing. The union movement said what was being offered was flimsy procedural tweaks. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47460850 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mirror The flimsy proposals shes unveiled today wont even guarantee your existing rights after Brexit. And they certainly wont stop workers rights in the UK from falling behind those in the rest of Europe. Theresa May says our rights at work wont be watered down. But her promises are worthless when she is unlikely to be in post this time next year. And theres nothing to stop a future rightwing Tory government from tearing these rules up altogether. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/frances-ogrady-theresa-mays-brexit-14092145 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/05/soft-brexit-could-be-result-if-may-deal-rejected-again-says-chief-whip 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times Julian Smith the government chief whip has issued an ultimatum to Eurosceptic Tories vote for Theresa Mays Brexit deal or Europhile Conservative and Labour MPs will join forces to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU. Mr Smith told the cabinet on Tuesday that the stakes would be very high when MPs have a second meaningful vote on Mrs Mays deal. He didnt sound very optimistic we would win said one minister at the meeting. https://www.ft.com/content/7b375ac6-3f25-11e9-9bee-efab61506f44 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard Jeremy Hunt today warned French president Emmanuel Macron to do a deal on Brexit or risk the UK becoming a strategic competitor just offshore of the EU. The Foreign Secretary piled pressure on Paris to ditch its hardline stance on Brexit as Attorney General Geoffrey Cox dashed to Brussels to seek a breakthrough in the deadlocked talks on the UKs divorce from the EU. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/do-a-deal-on-brexit-or-risk-britain-as-strategic-rival-to-eu-hunt-warns-macron-a4083041.html 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Channel 4 News Millionaire Brexit backer Arron Banks eagerly pursued a multibillionpound gold deal brought to him by a Russian oligarch with links to the Kremlin just months before the EU referendum Channel 4 News can reveal. Business associates of the selfstyled bad boy of Brexit offered to oversee a plan to create a massive new Russian gold company and tried to arrange a personal meeting in Moscow with key players from a stateowned Russian bank. Five months before the referendum the finance company suggested that Banks travel to Russia to meet executives at stateowned bank Sberbank to hurry the deal along. Associates of Mr Banks even identified a shell company based in Sweden to be used as a vehicle for the deal. Russia experts have told Channel 4 News that the document suggests Mr Banks and his associates expected the funding to come one way or another from the Russian government. https://www.channel4.com/news/the-banks-files-how-brexit-bad-boy-arron-banks-was-eyeing-a-massive-russian-gold-deal 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Bloomberg The governments chief whip told the Cabinet that the vote next week on Mays Brexit deal will be tight according to three people familiar with the situation. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-05/u-k-in-last-ditch-talks-to-fix-divorce-deal-brexit-update?utm_content=brexit&amputm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amputm_source=twitter&amputm_medium=social&ampcmpid%3D=socialflow-facebook-brexit 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Sun Parliament will force Britain into a permanent customs union with the EU if the PMs Brexit deal is voted down next week the Chief Whip has warned. Government discipline chief Julian Smith delivered the dramatic assessment to the Cabinets weekly meeting on Tuesday. Instead of a simple Brexit delay of up to three months to keep negotiations on the PMs deal going Mr Smith said rebel Tories would ally with Labour to swiftly take control of the Commons order paper. An indicative vote would swiftly follow for MPs to pick their preferred Brexit outcome which he is now certain would be a softer Brexit and a customs union. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8569835/permanent-customs-union-theresa-may-brexit-deal/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

@PA The Independent Group MPs are at the Electoral Commission for talks about becoming a fullyfledged political party group spokesman Chuka Umunna says https://twitter.com/PA/status/1102942865997684738 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters Scotlands parliament and the Welsh national assembly voted on Tuesday to oppose the Brexit deal agreed by the UK government the first time they have done so simultaneously in a sign of the United Kingdoms internal fracture over Brexit. Britains 5248 percent 2016 vote to leave the EU has stretched relations between the fournation United Kingdom because England and Wales voted to leave but a majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-scotland-wales-idUSKCN1QM2B3?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_content=5c7f05644b7385000164dfa2&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Mr Cox has dismissed reports he has given up on securing a firm end date to ensure the UK is not stuck. MPs will vote on the deal by 12 March. The UK is currently scheduled to leave the European Union on 29 March. If MPs reject the withdrawal agreement for a second time they will have the opportunity to vote on whether to go ahead in just over three weeks time without any kind of negotiated deal. If they decide against they will then have a vote on whether to extend negotiations and push the date of departure back by several months. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47449853 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC The Republic of Ireland will need to have difficult discussions with the EU and UK if there is a nodeal Brexit in a few weeks time the Irish prime minister has said. Leo Varadkar was speaking in the Irish parliament on Tuesday. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-47458935/brexit-difficult-discussions-with-the-eu-and-uk-if-no-deal 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph The former head of MI6 and dozens of senior academics have said a nodeal Brexit would be far better for Britain than Theresa Mays disastrous deal. Sir Richard Dearlove said there would be no tangible benefits from a Brexit conducted under Mrs Mays deal which would merely prolong the agony. In a letter to The Daily Telegraph he is joined by 33 academics and business leaders who say that a no deal Brexit would offer immediate opportunities. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/05/ex-mi6-chief-says-no-deal-brexit-far-better-theresa-mays-offering/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Unemployment could rise sharply in Northern Ireland if the UK crashes out of the EU the head of the civil service in the region has said in a letter to local political parties. Security in the region could also be undermined David Sterling said adding The planning assumptions include the possibility that in some scenarios a nodeal exit could result in additional challenges for the police if the approach appeared to be unfair or unreasonable for some of those most affected. These consequences do not arise from the possibility of checks or controls on either side of the land border but would simply be the direct consequence of the legal position that would apply. This point is well understood by the business community. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/05/brexit-threat-to-northern-ireland-jobs-revealed-by-civil-service-chief 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters Talks between European Union and British Brexit negotiators ended after more than three hours in Brussels on Tuesday and will resume on Wednesday sources from both sides said. An EU official said the talks did not go well. Neither side released any comments after the meeting which involved the EUs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the UKs Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-tuesday/eu-uk-brexit-talks-failed-to-reach-deal-on-tuesday-sources-idUKKCN1QM2QI?feedType=RSS&ampfeedName=domesticNews 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Argus Nicola Sturgeon hit out at the UK Governments unforgivably reckless stance on Brexit as she led calls from both Scotland and Wales to rule out Britain quitting the European Union without a deal in place. Ms Sturgeon spoke as both the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly looked set to rally behind a plea for Theresa May to rule out nodeal and extend the Article 50 deadline beyond March 29. Leaving the EU without any deal in place is an avoidable outcome which could only happen by the choice of the UK Government the Scottish First Minister said. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/national/17477954.nicola-sturgeon-warns-no-deal-brexit-would-be-unforgivably-reckless/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times Emmanuel Macron has stepped up calls for a more united EU laying out a series of proposals for a European renaissance to fend off resurgent populists expected to score big gains in the blocs elections in May. Never since the second world war has Europe been so necessary he wrote in an address to the citizens of Europe to be published on the opinion pages of multiple newspapers on Tuesday. And yet Europe has never been so much in danger. https://www.ft.com/content/bb07cca4-3e93-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aece?segmentid=acee4131-99c2-09d3-a635-873e61754ec6 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Yahoo Finance UK https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/british-airways-boss-lashes-over-155539089.html 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

RTE.ie https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0305/1034470-shocking-lack-of-progress-on-brexit-says-iag-boss/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times Willie Walsh chief executive of IAG the airline group that owns British Airways has said the lack of progress in Brexit talks is quite shocking and would hurt the UKs economy. In a foreword to IAGs annual report Mr Walsh wrote I think it is inevitable that Brexit will have a greater impact in the months ahead. It has been quite shocking to get so far in the political process without having any real clarity about the future. That cant be positive for the economy. https://www.ft.com/content/27a22fde-3f53-11e9-9bee-efab61506f44 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/eus-donald-tusk-external-anti-european-forces-influenced-brexit-vote-11656232 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Donald Tusk has claimed external powers meddled in the Brexit vote as he called for EU member states to do more to protect the upcoming European elections. There are external antiEuropean forces which are seeking openly or secretly to influence the democratic choices of Europeans as was the case with Brexit and a number of election campaigns across Europe. And it may again be the case with the European elections in May said Tusk a former prime minister of Poland and vociferous critic of Vladimir Putin. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/05/donald-tusk-claims-anti-european-forces-meddled-brexit-vote?CMP=share_btn_tw 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Politics Home Chris Grayling has said he will not quit over a ferry contract blunder that forced the Government to shell out millions of pounds to Eurotunnel. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/transport/news/102292/chris-grayling-defies-calls-quit-over-brexit-ferry-fiasco-he-defends 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mail Professor Anthony Grayling CBE was distressed and enraged after discovering a tweet by Peter North saying he kept hoards of vile videos. The May 2018 post said Id bet good money that AC Grayling has a hard drive full of underage botty sex videos. Former Oxford don Grayling who appeared on BBCs This Week criticising a British exit from the European Union has sued Mr North for libel. Mr North has been described as a prolific writer in support of the UK leaving the European Union. He failed to file a defence and in a hearing at the High Court in London Judge Richard Spearman QC awarded Professor Grayling 20000 for the particularly pernicious libel. In my view thats a figure which should provide vindication for him he said. It must be clearly stated that there is no truth in the allegation against him. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6772425/Outspoken-Brexit-critic-wins-20-000-damages-ex-UKIP-candidate-branded-paedophile.html 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Irish Times The Garda was now aiding the London Metropolitan Police with its inquiries into the devices. British counterterrorist police have opened an investigation into who sent the three small bombs to Heathrow and London City airports and Waterloo train station ... https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/bombs-sent-to-london-airports-and-waterloo-came-from-ireland-1.3815339 6th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Politics.co.uk In the meantime we are left with the last gasp of the old lies from 2016 the idea the Commission will buckle that the member states will ride to our rescue. They will not. And there are older and uglier lies than that at play too that Britain will always outmanoeuvre and outsmart the continental Europeans and the insubordinate Irish will eventually do as theyre told. That too will not happen. In the end British exceptionalism will be the last reality to collapse. Because it is our oldest lie of all. https://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2019/03/05/the-endless-brexit-lies-have-left-us-in-an-orwellian-nightma 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent The court of appeal made it clear that they do not want to interfere with the 2016 referendum. Now more than ever it is essential MPs protect the national interest and that of their constituents above party politics. If a Final Say referendum crystallises it is vital that parliament engages in a cold rational debate about the imposition of robust legal safeguards. Firstly to act as a deterrent to noncompliance with agreed rules and secondly to ensure that any poll in which corruption occurs may be invalidated. If democracy means anything to those in power they cannot allow any further cheating to taint it. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-vote-leave-electoral-commission-rules-a8806331.html 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Bloomberg s Cox tries to achieve the apparently impossible on the muchloathed Irish backstop two factors play in Mays favor First the European Union wants to avoid a delay. It would be messy because of European elections and members are split on how long it should be. Secondly since May effectively replaced the option of no deal last week with the alternative of extending Brexit the decision facing hardliners is much tougher. They now have to choose between the risk of getting trapped in EU rules via the backstop and the certainty of getting trapped in the whole bloc through an extension https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-05/brexit-bulletin-last-ditch?utm_source=twitter&amputm_medium=social&amputm_content=brexit&amputm_campaign=socialflow-organic&ampcmpid%3D=socialflow-facebook-brexit 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

@JP_Biz The Head of the NI Civil Service has sent an updated nodeal Brexit letter to the local parties warning of grave consequences which could have a profound long lasting impact on society. https://twitter.com/JP_Biz/status/1102959415269998593 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

LBC Lord Sugar has told LBC there is no such thing as a good Brexit deal because the EU is only interested in whats good for them. The proEU businessman and former enterprise advisor to Gordon Brown added that he had no idea whether he would have been able to have negotiated a better deal. https://www.lbc.co.uk/hot-topics/brexit/lord-sugar-lbc-no-such-thing-good-brexit-deal/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Channel 4 News Security adviser Max Bergmann on Russia Brexit for the Russians was a huge opportunity to sow discord in Europe and UK https://www.channel4.com/news/security-adviser-max-bergmann-on-russia-brexit-for-them-was-a-huge-opportunity-to-sow-discord-in-europe-and-uk 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Business Insider Brexit is a national crisis which could lead to a major public inquiry according to the UKs former chief ambassador to the European Union. Sir Ivan Rogers told Business Insider that UK politicians and officials should be going through a hell of a lot of reflection on how they have handled Britains exit from the European Union. He also said that Theresa May didnt know very much about the EU at the beginning of the Brexit process. https://www.businessinsider.com/ivan-rogers-brexit-crisis-may-require-a-public-inquiry-2019-3 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Fourteen Conservative party members have been suspended after posting Islamophobic or racist comments on social media The Independent can reveal. Comments found on a proJacob ReesMogg Facebook group from Conservative party members included calling for Muslims to be turfed out of public office for the government to get rid of all mosques and calling Home Secretary Sajid Javid a Trojan horse. The Muslim Council of Britain MCB which has repeatedly called for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia within the party said the latest revelation was astonishing https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-islamophobia-racism-suspended-member-conservatives-a8808571.html 5th Mar 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Sky News The Government will slash Britains trade tariffs to more than at any point in history if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal Sky News has learnt. The Department for International Trade DIT intends to cut 8090 of all tariffs imposed on goods imported into Britain according to Whitehall sources. The cuts which will be outlined in documents published if the prime minister fails to get parliamentary backing for her EU withdrawal bill next week represent a bombshell for many manufacturers and farmers in the UK. Since tariffs are a charge on thousands of types of goods entering the country they protect domestic producers from overseas competitors. https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-government-to-slash-up-to-90-of-trade-tariffs-if-uk-leaves-eu-with-no-deal-11656093 5th Mar 2019