28th Mar 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=34 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

Sky News Brexit has been holding back recruitment with curbs on EU immigration likely to damage the farming industrys growth union bosses have said. A drop in seasonal workers driven by Brexit has left daffodil growers struggling to harvest their fields amid warnings that crops will almost certainly be lost as the year progresses. The daffodil season which lasts from January to April contributes about 45m a year to the UKs economy. The National Farmers Union NFU said uncertainty over the value of the pound and the future ability of staff to work in the UK after Brexit has resulted in a significant drop in pickers choosing to come to the UK. https://news.sky.com/story/daffodil-and-coffee-worker-shortages-amid-brexit-uncertainty-11676588 27th Mar 2019

Economic Impact

The Guardian UK retail sales fell in March at the fastest rate for more than a year as Britains mounting political crisis over Brexit weighed on consumers willingness to spend according to a survey of major retailers. The latest figures from the Confederation of British Industry covering high street firms responsible for a third of employment in retailing showed that retail sales slid in March by the most since October 2017. The business lobby groups monthly retail sales index plunged to 18 in March from a level of 0 in February meaning more retailers reported a slump in sales than reported an increase. City economists had expected a reading of 5. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/27/retail-sales-fall-as-brexit-uncertainty-weighs-on-consumers 27th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times Parts of Kent might become cut off by traffic jams following the UKs departure from the EU and might need special help to receive basic supplies according to the county council expected to be the worst hit in the event of postBrexit travel and trade disruption. Fiona Gaffney the councils Brexit coordinator said the Isle of Thanet on the northeastern tip of Kent was among the areas where delivery of supplies movement of emergency vehicles and other essential travel could become particularly difficult. https://www.ft.com/content/f0e90216-4fe6-11e9-b401-8d9ef1626294 27th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Nottingham Post Local councils are being warned to brace for an increase in community tension and localised trigger events as the UK leaves the EU. In the latest of a series of updates sent by the Government Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City councils have been advised there could be increased community concerns about hate crime after Brexit. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/councils-warned-prepare-potential-hate-2687521 27th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Bloomberg Dozens of companies have added Amsterdam offices as a result of the U.K.s impending departure from the European Union and some 2400 jobs have been created in the Netherlands with officials predicting many more will come. Real estate agents say they speak English with half the buyers or renters who show up for home viewings and lender ABN Amro Group NV has stationed a Brexit team of 10 people at Amsterdams airport to offer mortgages to potential homebuyers flying in from London. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-27/brexit-is-making-life-tough-for-amsterdam-homebuyers 27th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Surprise surprise your rights will likely not be protected as the government once promised. For the very few who still had hope that Brexit would not affect them this may come as a shock and cause serious concern about their future in the UK. For me it is reassurance that I did the right thing in leaving the UK last September. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/27/brexit-britain-eu-citizens-rights 27th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

CRN Border blockages and price cutting may not even be the biggest threats to the channel in the event of a nodeal Brexit. Dave Stevinson MD of QBS Software warned that changes to currency rates could have the biggest effect on pricing. Changes in currency are a bigger risk than excess inventory which would probably be covered by price protection or contracts between the vendor and distributor he explained. My advice to resellers and disties is to have a strong look at their foreign exchange policy in the next few weeks and months a big swing can wipe out all the profit. https://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/3073273/how-disties-are-reacting-to-the-new-brexit-deadlines 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BuzzFeed News The alternative plan which secured the most votes in favour was a motion calling for a second referendum which lost by 295 to 268 ironically the same 52 to 48 margin as in the 2016 referendum. In second place was a motion calling for a permanent customs union to be added to the withdrawal agreement tabled by former Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke which was beaten by 272 to 264. Other motions were even less successful. Two proposals put forward by Brexiteers calling for a nodeal Brexit and the socalled Malthouse plan garnered only 160 and 139 votes respectively. A crossparty proposal for a Norwaystyle softer Brexit dubbed Common Market 2.0 also performed poorly losing by 283188. Nonetheless several of the options fared between that Mays deal at the second meaningful vote earlier in March which was crushed by 391 votes to 242. https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/parliament-rejected-every-single-brexit-plan 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/27/brexit-indicative-votes-latest-news-theresa-may-resignation/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/27/brexit-indicative-votes-latest-news-theresa-may-resignation/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47728333 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politico https://www.politico.com/www.politico.eu/article/brexit-uk-house-of-commons-no-majority-for-any-brexit-option/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6855167/Labour-not-Remain-party-Senior-Corbyn-ally-sparks-party-chaos.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC None of MPs eight proposed Brexit options have secured clear backing in a series of votes in the Commons. The options which included a customs union with the EU and a referendum on any deal were supposed to help find a consensus over how to leave the EU. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the results strengthened ministers view their deal was the best option. The results capped a day of drama in which Theresa May promised to stand down as PM if her deal was passed. The prime minister told a meeting of Tory MPs she would leave office earlier than planned if it guaranteed Parliaments backing for her withdrawal agreement with the EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47728333 28th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

MSN.co.uk https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/oliver-letwin-the-unlikely-brexit-rebel/ar-BBVhbhn 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

iNews The architect of these events is Sir Oliver Letwin a Tory MP and former minister. His intervention has led some to refer to him as a jobbing Prime Minister. On Monday night MPs voted to hold a series of votes to establish the most popular way forward on Brexit. The decision showed MPs were unhappy with Theresa Mays negotiations and confirmed they were resoundingly against her Withdrawal Agreement. https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/oliver-letwin-amendment-brexit-mp-west-dorset-prime-minister/ 26th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Theresa Mays plan to secure Tory MPs backing for her Brexit deal by promising to resign has been blown apart after her DUP partners in government vowed to block it in a new vote. Ms May announced she will resign within weeks if Tory rebels desperate to see the back of her allow the Brexit deal she struck with Brussels to pass through the House of Commons. The move did see Boris Johnson and other rebels finally fall into line but within hours the boost was wiped out when DUP leader Arlene Foster branded the prime ministers Brexit plan an unacceptable threat to the UKs integrity. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-theresa-may-resign-deal-meaningful-vote-dup-a8843061.html 28th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The New European A series of indicative votes in the House of Commons has found that no alternative to Theresa Mays Brexit plan has been found but a second vote won over the most MPs. A total of 268 MPs voted for a confirmatory second referendum with 295 voting against giving it the most support in the House of Commons out of all of the options. It narrowly beat the option of a Customs Union which received 264 votes with 272 MPs voting against. Both options were more popular than Theresa Mays Brexit deal which won over just 242 MPs in the second meaningful vote. Labours alternative Brexit plan was the third most popular option with 237 votes with 307 votes against Common Market 2.0 had 188 votes with 283 votes against and revocation of Article 50 had 184 votes with 293 votes against. A nodeal Brexit had just 160 votes with 400 votes against and the Malthouse Plan B gained just 139 votes with 422 votes against. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/results-of-indicative-votes-on-brexit-alternatives-revealed-1-5963517 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politics.co.uk The instant reaction in the Commons Chamber and online was exasperation. None of the eight ideas about Brexit put to MPs this afternoon commanded a majority. It was easy to paint it as a typically shambolic bit of parliamentary chaos. But the truth was completely different. The fact there was no clear winner was as expected. Once the dust settled and you could take a hard look at the numbers something was clear This was a very good night for the Peoples Vote campaign. We always knew it would go like this. It had been plain for a long time that there was no majority for any one option in the Commons. When Oliver Letwin was arguing for his system on Monday before MPs voted to support it he made it clear that it would be a multistage process. http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/03/27/indicative-votes-a-people-s-vote-just-became-much-more-likel 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Theresa May has promised Tory MPs she will quit if they back her Brexit deal. She told backbench Tories I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party. The PM said she knew that Tory MPs did not want her to lead the next phase of Brexit negotiations and I wont stand in the way of that. But the DUP said it had not changed its position and would still vote against the deal. The BBCs Laura Kuenssberg said the DUPs refusal to back the deal at this stage was a huge blow for Number 10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47725529 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC If the deal doesnt go through then its not quite clear that Mrs Mays offer to go still applies although it is almost impossible whether it stands or falls that she would be able to stay. The prime minister hopes that by offering to leave Number 10 shell take the country out of the EU with her smoothly without more political turmoil. And that order of a sort will be restored and the uncertainty for all of us will end. If that happens well see a new leader in Downing Street by midJuly. But that is still a gamble. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47727432 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Metro MPs have this evening voted against revoking Article 50 in a series of votes in the House of Commons. The amendment was voted down with 184 aye votes and 293 no votes. The motion tabled by the SNPs Joanna Cherry was signed by 33 MPs including Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable Labours Ben Bradshaw and all 11 members of The Independent Group. The votes MPs took part in were indicative meaning the Prime Minister is not bound by the result but will give her guidance over what MPs are thinking. https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/27/revoke-article-50-option-rejected-mps-brexit-vote-9036977/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters British Conservative Party lawmaker Oliver Letwin the architect of a series of votes on alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plan said on Wednesday he would continue to vote for her deal. I still hope even at this last moment ... that those of my colleagues who have not been backing the prime minister .. may change their minds and the prime minister might get a deal over the line on Thursday or Friday. If she does no one would be happier than I am Letwin told BBC radio. Ahead of lawmakers holding socalled indicative votes on a variety of possible Brexit outcomes later on Wednesday Letwin said he did not expect the process to deliver an immediate majority view on the way forward. If we do go forward to Monday and if on Monday one or more propositions get a majority backing in the House of Commons then we will have to work with the government to get the government to implement them. There is nobody else other than the government to implement them he said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-europe-letwin/uk-conservative-mp-letwin-says-will-back-pm-mays-deal-idUKKCN1R80K5 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Record The sight of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sharing a platform with Alastair Campbell and Michael Heseltine at the Peoples Vote Rally in London did not upset me as much as it did others but it was symbolic of the times. The Letwin amendment which has temporarily given Parliament a greater degree of control over Brexit proceedings was drafted by the chief architect of Thatchers poll tax yet in the national interest the SNP supported the legislative tweak. That would be fine if not for the fact that the SNP tore into Labour for years for sharing a platform with the Conservatives at the 2014 referendum. But now apparently its OK. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-independence-campaigners-face-perils-14195336 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

@TNewtondunn Will the DUP really not vote for the deal Cabinet ministers still think they will at last minute. Still 36 hours to go to MV3 on Friday time to screw more billions from HMT and too early for them to give in politically. https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1111010310553518081 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC The DUP has confirmed it will not back Theresa Mays Brexit deal despite the prime ministers promise to step down if MPs backed it. The party said that it the changes it wants to see to the backstop have not been achieved. Theresa May told Tory MPs that she would stand down if they voted for her withdrawal deal. DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the party cannot sign up to something that would damage the union. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47718367 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters The fact that none of the alternative Brexit options voted on by British lawmakers on Wednesday won the support of a majority shows that Prime Minister Theresa Mays deal is the best option Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said. Lawmakers grabbed control of the Brexit process on Wednesday to try to break the impasse over Mays Brexit deal which has been rejected twice by parliament. The results of the process this House of Commons has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the government has negotiated is the best option Barclay told parliament. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-barclay-idUSKCN1R82M2?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_content=5c9c203700bd4700014fe5a5&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Herald Scotland Holyrood has called for Brexit to be scrapped if another referendum cannot take place. MSPs backed a motion lodged by Scottish Greens coconvener Patrick Harvie insisting the UK should revoke Article 50 in the absence of an extension allowing for a Peoples Vote. In a largely symbolic move the motion passed by 89 votes to 28 with the Scottish Tories voting against. It came ahead of MPs voting on a series of alternative Brexit options at Westminster. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17531340.scottish-parliament-votes-to-revoke-article-50-and-cancel-brexit/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Theresa Mays hopes of putting her Brexit deal to a third meaningful vote have hit another obstacle after John Bercow said parliamentary procedures could not be used to present it unchanged even as more senior Eurosceptics seem to be getting behind the agreement. Amid speculation the prime minister is making a private pact to set a date to stand down when the deal goes through more than 20 Conservative Eurosceptics have publicly suggested they will change their minds because they do not want a softer Brexit. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/27/andrea-leadsom-government-intends-to-revive-theresa-may-brexit-deal-this-week 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian The EU has pencilled in April Fools Day 2020 as a leading option for Britains first day outside the bloc should the UK government ask Brussels for a lengthy extension of article 50 in three weeks time it can be revealed. The date was to be offered at the leaders summit last week if Theresa May had followed through on her promise to request a short extension in the event of passing her Brexit deal and a longer one should it be rejected again by the House of Commons. Such was the disapproval of her cabinet the prime minister only sought a short delay until 30 June in her formal letter. She was subsequently given an unconditional extension until 12 April or a longer one to 22 May in the unlikely event of the withdrawal agreement being ratified this week. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/27/brexit-extension-could-last-until-31-march-2020-eu-documents-reveal 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

New Statesman The left must fight for the softest possible form of exit and then unleash a counterattack in the form of a second referendum. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/03/defeat-insurgent-far-right-labour-must-resist-brexit-all-its-force 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Irish Times Mr Tusk called April 12th the new cliffedge date and that Britain still had a choice between a deal no deal a long extension or the revoking of Article 50 Britains notification that it plans to leave the European Union. You cannot betray the six million people who signed the petition to revoke Article 50 the one million people who marched for a Peoples Vote or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union said Donald Tusk who chairs summits of EU leaders told the parliament. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/tusk-urges-eu-not-to-ignore-britons-who-no-longer-want-brexit-1.3840103 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Metro Brexit is apparently getting the Queen as stressed as the rest of us. The Queens main concern is thought to be the 2011 Fixed Term Parliament Acts no confidence procedure. This would be triggered following a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. As a result MPs would be given two weeks to form a new Government dragging her in to controversy potentially https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/27/palace-bricking-brexit-queen-get-dragged-political-chaos-9037158/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

iNews MPs voted against every single one of the indicative votes intended to find where a majority in Parliament was to be found. The closest a motion came to passing was tabled by Ken Clarke the veteran Conservative and Father of the House. However it was still defeated by 8 votes. 33 Conservatives voted for the motion as well as a few Independent MPs. Almost all of Labour also voted for it with just 12 electing to vote against it. https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-voting-customs-union-reject-by-just-8-votes/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jacob-rees-mogg-brexit-deal-theresa-may-dup-a8841341.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politico Several Tory archEuroskeptic MPs have signaled a shift toward U.K. Prime Minister Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement ahead of Wednesdays House of Commons votes on a series of alternative Brexit plans. European Research Group leader Jacob ReesMogg issued a frontpage apology for his Uturn in the Daily Mail confirming he will vote for Mays deal if the Democratic Unionist Party also comes on board. https://www.politico.eu/article/tory-euroskeptics-signal-shift-towards-theresa-mays-brexit-deal-european-research-group-leader-jacob-rees-mogg-boris-johnson/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times MPs voted for a soft Brexit and a second referendum in significant numbers on Wednesday but no single option for leaving the EU secured majority support in the House of Commons. A crossparty group of backbench MPs succeeded in taking control of the Commons agenda and organising a series of socalled indicative votes on alternative plans to Theresa Mays Brexit deal after it was emphatically rejected twice. Most of the plans were put forward by backbenchers in an effort to forge a consensus on a different option to the prime ministers deal. https://www.ft.com/content/c0b90936-50d8-11e9-9c76-bf4a0ce37d49 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent The constitutional revolution devised by Oliver Letwin Yvette Cooper Dominic Grieve Nick Boles and Hilary Benn has finally broken through the last defences and an ingenious group of backbench MPs have devised a way to take over the functions of the government temporarily https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/editors-letter/letwin-indicative-votes-commons-control-parliament-timetable-a8840611.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

ITV News I am told that the cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill and the attorney general Geoffrey Cox informed Cabinet that if at the end of the Letwin process MPs pass a motion mandating the PM to pursue a new route through the Brexit mess perhaps a referendum or membership of the customs union or some other softer future relationship with the EU the PM and government would be in breach of the ministerial code and the law if they fail to follow MPs instructions. https://www.itv.com/news/2019-03-26/prime-minister-would-break-the-law-if-she-ignores-letwin-result/ 26th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Brexit has changed the political map and the old structures can no longer contain the crisis says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/26/brexit-mps-party-system 26th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Huffington Post Her voice cracking at one point May was heard in silence as she finally uttered the words her Brexiteer backbenchers had been waiting for. I know there is a desire for a new approach and new leadership in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I wont stand in the way of that. The reaction was one of relief both for her and her party. The very first response came from veteran backbencher Richard Bacon a doughty eurosceptic who announced he would now back the PMs deal. James Gray and Robert Courts said they too would now switch and dump their opposition. Backbencher Bob Seely asked May just how close she was to getting the DUP on board. She sidestepped the question. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-theresa-may-finally-set-her-resignation-timetable-to-get-brexit-over-the-line_uk_5c9c3408e4b072a7f6049586?j88 28th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8735519/theresa-may-resignation-last-minute-brexit-deal-alive/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News Theresa May has promised she will quit as prime minister once her Brexit deal is voted through. Mrs May made the promise in an address to Conservative MPs in parliament. Her move is a lastgasp attempt to persuade her own party to back her EU withdrawal agreement which has already been twice heavily defeated in the House of Commons. Mrs May told a gathering of the Tories 1922 committee I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party. I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit. https://news.sky.com/story/theresa-may-agrees-to-quit-once-brexit-deal-is-delivered-sky-sources-11676664 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Evening Standard Where are the selfstyled Brexiteer grand wizards who converged on Chequers last Sunday to deliver a scary ultimatum to May They have been replaced it seems by a huddle of meek and supplicant smurfs worried that Brexit might not happen at all. We know that May is going sooner rather than later that she has already agreed not to lead her party into the next general election and that the battery of her political authority is now completely drained. To present her imminent departure as a famous victory for the European Research Group is truly pathetic. No what has spooked the Brexiteers is the sudden scent in the air of total defeat. On Saturday hundreds of thousands marched through London demanding a Peoples Vote . https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/the-hardliners-are-fearing-defeat-and-remainer-mps-can-take-advantage-a4102066.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Most of the votes that are making this happen are from the opposition benches. Tonights results had a heavy Labour dimension. But the decisive element in the new situation is the mobilisation of the onenation Tories. Time and again in the past two years the proEuropeans the modernisers and the liberals on the Tory benches have flattered to deceive preferring to rally around May when she has been subverted and abandoned by the hard Brexiters. On Monday these Tory centrists finally stood up in force mustering 30 votes behind Letwin they included three very effective middleranking ministers who resigned. Today on the timetable motion 33 of them voted against May. This change has been pivotal. They will surely rally around Amber Rudd now. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/27/theresa-may-brexit-civil-war-crisis-parliament 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian MPs had examined correspondence between Cummings and the digital culture media and sport DCMS committee which was investigating the proliferation of false news stories during the EU referendum campaign. The privileges committee acknowledged its sanctions were limited to recommending the Commons issue a formal admonishment for Cummings conduct raising questions about the committees enforcement powers. The admonishment would require a resolution of the house which if passed should be communicated to Mr Cummings by the clerk of the house the committee said in its report. Damian Collins the chair of the DCMS committee said it was clear the powers of the house had been found wanting https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/27/commons-report-rules-dominic-cummings-in-contempt-of-parliament 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Evening Standard A conservative MP has called for an overhaul to the online petition system saying it leaves public opinion on important issues like Brexit open for manipulation from foreign state aggressors. During Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday MP Maggie Throup said a fundamental flaw of the current system is that it accepts unverified signatures from across the world. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mp-calls-for-epetition-overhaul-to-stop-public-opinion-manipulation-a4102391.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

London Evening Standard Theresa May has told MPs that there is still not sufficient support to bring back her Brexit deal to the Commons for a third meaningful vote. But the Prime Minister said she would continue her efforts to build support for the deal defeated by 230 votes in January and 149 votes in March and stage a vote before the end of the week. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-latest-theresa-may-tells-mps-there-is-still-not-sufficient-support-to-bring-back-deal-for-a4100366.html 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times Theresa May has avoided a rash of resignations by Europhile ministers by allowing Conservative MPs a free vote on alternatives to her Brexit plans as the House of Commons seeks to take the initiative from the government on Britains departure from the EU. In a move indicating her waning authority the UK prime minister will not instruct or whip Tory backbenchers or junior ministers on how to vote when the Commons debates rival plans to her Brexit deal on Wednesday evening although cabinet members will be ordered to abstain. https://www.ft.com/content/ee295b36-506b-11e9-9c76-bf4a0ce37d49 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Iceland says UK would have to accept free movement of labour while Norway wants to avoid being seen as interfering in Brexit politics https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/27/efta-countries-wary-of-commons-interest-in-norway-brexit-option?CMP=share_btn_tw 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC The only course of action for MPs after they rejected a range of alternatives to Theresa Mays Brexit deal is to pass the agreement a Welsh Tory MP said. David Davies said the exercise showed there was no support for other options. On Wednesday night MPs rejected eight proposals including calls for a customs union with the EU and for a further referendum. The votes came on a day when the PM told Tory MPs she would step down if her deal is backed.Two Welsh Conservative MPs who have voted against it twice told BBC Wales that Mrs Mays move would still not be enough for them to support the agreement if a third vote is held. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-47727737 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian If parliament spends its day voting on impossible options no progress will be possible and the kitchen closes on 12 April https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/27/mps-brexit-unicorns-parliament 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Nodeal Brexit plans could place Northern Irelands agrifood industry at a significant disadvantage the UKs environment secretary has said. The UK plan would mean that food exports from the Republic to NI would face zero tariffs said Michael Gove. However goods going the other way from NI to the Republic could face high tariffs. Mr Gove said the impact would depend on what the Irish government and European Commission choose to do. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47721777 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Bloomberg Now that parliament has taken control of the timetable in order to hold indicative votes on various Brexit paths one option MPs will be asked to reconsider is a second referendum. Talk of a new vote with a Remain option on the ballot has grown again following Saturdays massscale protest march. But lost amid all the chatter about another vote is the tangible danger to British democracy lurking in such a plan. The risk is that any attempt at what proponents call a peoples vote would likely be met with a peoples boycott. Regardless of the referendums final tally an organized boycott would mean all of Britain loses. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-03-27/a-boycott-is-the-underpriced-risk-of-a-second-brexit-vote 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

@RobDotHutton LABOUR BREXIT LATEST Jeremy Corbyns spokesman explains that the party only supports a referendum on a damaging Tory Brexit. If Labour takes power he says it will negotiate a better Brexit which wont need a referendum. https://twitter.com/RobDotHutton/status/1110895020209516544 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk Mr Blackford who is also SNP Westminster said today It is becoming increasingly clear that the cost the Prime Minister will pay to force her disastrous deal through is the price of her departure. Yet again another Tory Prime Minister is willing to ride off into the sunset and saddle us with a crisis in the UK and an extreme rightwing Brexiteer coming into Downing Street. Does the Prime Minister feel no sense of responsibility for what she is about to do https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1106188/brexit-news-latest-snp-norway-option-theresa-may-deal-latest-commons-vote 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Theresa Mays pledge to stand down if her Brexit deal is approved risks making an already bad project even worse Nicola Sturgeon has claimed. Ms Sturgeon said it could see Scotland shackled to a disastrous Brexit driven by a Tory party lurching even further to the right. She predicted that this would further reinforce the case for independence. Ms Sturgeon was speaking after Holyrood voted for Brexit to be cancelled if the UK faces leaving the EU without a deal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47707247 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Peoples Vote campaigners were left furious tonight after it emerged a second referendum would have got a majority if Labour MPs hadnt voted against it. The Indicative Vote motion on a second referendum was just 27 votes short of a majority exactly the same number as Labour MPs who voted against it. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-second-referendum-blocked-just-14196259 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun A man and a woman have been arrested for sending malicious messages to Remain MPs on Twitter A man and a woman have been arrested for sending malicious messages to Remain MPs on Twitter. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8732353/five-anti-brexit-mps-sent-threats-and-pictures-of-a-crossbow/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

iNews The Foreign Office has paid 15.9m for a sevenbedroom luxury penthouse in New York for a senior British civil servant charged with securing trade postBrexit to use at will. According to The Guardian foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt personally oversaw the purchase of a 5893 sq ft 574 sq metre property as the official residence for Antony Phillipson the UK trade commissioner for North America and consul general in New York. https://inews.co.uk/news/world/new-york-penthouse-government-bought-british-civil-servant-antony-phillipson/ 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Scotsman The Government emailed people who signed the Revoke Article 50 petition last night with a response. The petition currently stands at 5819436 signatures and is scheduled for debate in parliament on 1 April. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/general-election/brexit-uk-government-sends-official-response-to-revoke-article-50-petition-here-it-is-in-full-1-4896357 27th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Evening Standard Hardline Brexit irreconcilables should consider quitting the Conservative party former business minister Richard Harrington suggested today. He believes that Tories unwilling to accept any type of compromise on Europe would be better off seeking a party more in tune with their views. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/hardline-brexiteers-should-think-about-quitting-tories-says-rebel-former-minister-richard-harrington-a4102131.html 27th Mar 2019