26th Apr 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=53 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

The Sun Two people have been injured after a huge blast at Britains biggest steel plant rocked Port Talbot this morning. Emergency crews rushed to Tata Steelworks in the South Wales town after a deafening explosion shook homes and woke locals at around 335am. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8942917/port-talbot-steelworks-blast-tata/ 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

The Scotsman The serious challenges lie in the long term where it will be difficult to maintain that status quo and firms will be operating in an environment with greater uncertainty higher costs a larger administrative burden and will have a reduced labour pool. https://www.scotsman.com/business/comment-germany-knows-we-re-open-for-post-brexit-business-1-4915183?utm_source=feedburner&amputm_medium=twitter&amputm_campaign=Feed%3A+google-news-brexit-rss-feed+%28Google+News+Brexit+UK+RSS+Feed%29 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times PO Ferries has begun legal proceedings against the government after being excluded from nodeal Brexit preparations the latest fallout from Britains preparations for leaving the EU. The claim revolves around a 33m payment by the Department for Transport to Eurotunnel to settle claims it had been unfairly excluded from plans to keep crosschannel routes open in the event of a disruptive exit from the EU. Eurotunnel was angry that the government had ignored its Le Shuttle train service when it promised payments of 89m to two operators Brittany Ferries and DFDS to lay on alternative ferry services to prevent congestion at the main DoverCalais artery. https://www.ft.com/content/baa1b578-676e-11e9-a79d-04f350474d62 26th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Economist Gartner a research company has conducted weekly polls of around 300 UKbased employees to see how they have been affected. The key week was towards the end of March when the official deadline for Brexit was scheduled it has since been postponed twice. In that week more than half of EU workers in Britain experienced disgust anger and sadness. Those feelings have subsided a little since but are still running at about 40 of EU workers. https://www.economist.com/bartleby/2019/04/25/eu-workers-in-britain-are-the-most-depressed-about-brexit 26th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times One of the worlds biggest money managers has revealed the damage wrought by Britains protracted negotiations to exit the EU saying the outlook should improve only when the terms of Brexit become clearer. Invesco which manages 955bn in assets from headquarters in Atlanta suffered big outflows from its UK business in the first quarter when UK investors accounted for 3.9bn of the 5.4bn drained globally from Invesco portfolios for the period. In the fourth quarter flows from UK portfolios came to 3.3bn of 20bn globally as a bout of market turmoil prompted investors around the world to shift money to safer assets. https://www.ft.com/content/007a9eae-676d-11e9-a79d-04f350474d62 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Times Almost a quarter of companies are not investing in their business this year due to Brexit uncertainty a survey reports. Business leaders have been delaying major decisions until clarity emerges about Britains future trading relationship with the European Union. The proportion of companies planning to invest in development has fallen to 33 per cent from 74 per cent six months ago research by Santander suggests. The figures come after the British Chambers of Commerce warned last month that business investment would sink this year to its lowest level since the financial crisis. The lobby group said that investment would fall by 1 per cent this year down from a decline of 0.9 per cent last year. It would be the worst performance since 2009 when investment fell by 16.6 per cent. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/investment-slumps-amid-brexit-gloom-l0wf57gzn?mc_cid=f2cb64bb2c&ampmc_eid=7b5a45611c 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Swindon Advertiser A flight operator says Brexit is to blame after cancelling its entire service from Southampton Airport this summer. Flylolo which is based in Bognor Regis blames the cancellation of 140 flights and 2000 bookings on uncertainties caused by Brexit. As reported by the Daily Echo the firm launched nonstop flights to Skiathos in Greece last year but has now ditched all of its services from Southampton. A statement from the company says It is with the greatest regret that I have to advise that we are cancelling our entire Southampton programme for this summer. https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17597946.flylolo-cancels-southampton-airport-summer-programme-2019/ 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Science Magazine The prospect of Brexit the United Kingdoms departure from the European Union has loomed long and large over researchers but the effects on funding so far have been speculative. Now a European funding agency has made a preemptive strike in advance of Brexit changing a policy that directly impacts grants in the United Kingdom. The European Cooperation in Science and Technology COST Association in Brussels is requiring that U.K. grant holders shift financial administration to a partner in Europe by 1 May. COST says the change will prevent disruption if Brexit occurs without a deal to smooth the transition and that it does not affect participation by U.K. scientists. But U.K. grant holders say the policy change is premature disruptive to researchand in at least one case it has led to a staff layoff. The bureaucratic nightmare of moving these grants is pretty horrendous says Nic Walton an astronomer at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/fearing-no-deal-brexit-european-funder-orders-uk-researchers-transfer-grants 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Proposals to replace the EUs strong environmental protections after Brexit fall woefully short according to a highly critical report from a crossparty committee of MPs. The environment secretary Michael Gove said in December that the UKs environmental standards would be enhanced after Brexit. But the MPs report said the proposals severely downgrade the environmental principles that underpin current EU rules. It said the new Office for Environmental Protection OEP proposed as a replacement for the EUs enforcement mechanisms lacks independence from Goves office and has limited powers. The report from the environmental audit committee also criticises planned exclusions from environmental rules which one expert called absurd. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/25/mps-warn-post-brexit-environment-plans-fall-woefully-short 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Express.co.uk Speaking after meeting top EU officials Mr Abe said it was vital to ensure legal stability in the UK by avoiding a hard Brexit. Britain has long acted as a gateway to Europe for Japanese firms but a hard Brexit could trash the prosperous trading relationship. Mr Abe made the warning after meeting with EU presidents Donald Tusk and JeanClaude Juncker in Brussels for the 26th EUJapan summit. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1118998/Brexit-news-UK-EU-Japan-Shinzo-Abe-no-deal-Brexit-business-latest 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times UK law firm Fieldfisher is to merge with Irish firm McDowell Purcell as the legal sector in England and Wales steps up preparations for Brexit. Since the June 2016 referendum lawyers in England and Wales have rushed to join the Irish Roll of Solicitors in an effort to protect their rights to practice in the EU after the UK leaves the bloc. There were approximately 2200 such applications from 2016 to 2018 according to the Law Society of Ireland. Of the 18460 solicitors on the Irish roll more than one in ten qualified in England and has joined since the Brexit vote. So far however few UK firms have established offices in Ireland Pinsent Masons opened an office in Dublin in late 2017 while DLA Piper one of the biggest law firms in the world has announced plans to follow suit. https://www.ft.com/content/e2cd1740-671e-11e9-9adc-98bf1d35a056 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC The death of journalist Lyra McKee shows the need to find an answer to the Irish border question in the Brexit talks Emily Thornberry has said. The shadow foreign secretary urged ministers to accept that a customs union with the EU was the way to avoid a hard border and preserve peace. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington rejected a link between the border or customs arrangements and the murder. Treasury minister Liz Truss said it was very wrong to connect the two. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48039941 25th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Conversation - UK The public debate on immigration typically depicts employers as favouring migrants for reasons of cost and superior work ethic. The public is usually seen as opposed to all but highly skilled migration while migrants themselves are viewed as having little aspiration beyond lowskilled work. These three misunderstandings have led to the policy proposals in the recent white paper which place tight limits on lowskilled migration which could considerably reduce EU migration. The policies will prove particularly problematic for employers in lowerskilled sectors but evidence also suggests that they arent what the public want either. http://theconversation.com/post-brexit-immigration-policy-that-shuts-out-low-skilled-migrants-wont-suit-anyone-115680 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Sun The Tories most powerful backbencher has called on Theresa May to support a fresh Commons bid by Brexiteers to strip the Irish backstop from her EU deal. The Sun can reveal that senior Tory Eurosceptics are planning to table an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to remove the controversial insurance plan that keeps Britain tied to the EU indefinitely. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8941203/brady-urges-pm-strip-backstop-from-eu-deal/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK Jeremy Corbyn is facing a fierce backlash from Labour members after a draft leaflet for the European elections said the party would press ahead with Brexit. The leaflet passed to HuffPost UK makes no mention of the partys policy to push for a second referendum on quitting the EU was sent out to MEPs on Thursday. One Labour insider said MEPs were not given these leaflets to review they were just told this is what the party is printing and this is what they would have to put out. The leaflet claims the party will seek a better deal with Europe which ensures the UK has a say on trade deals while also underlining party policy on domestic issues. It has left the partys proEU membership furious and dismayed with one activist telling HuffPost UK In what will be an utterly polarised election standing in the middle will be a bad move. HuffPost UK also understands that staunch proEuropean former minister Lord Adonis who is standing for Labour in the South West region was forced to sign a loyalty statement or face being blocked as an MEP candidate. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fury-as-corbyn-euro-elections-leaflet-suggests-labour-backs-brexit_uk_5cc1e94be4b031dc07ef6b3a 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The London Economic The Government has responded to a petition To establish a Public Inquiry into the conduct of the 2016 EU Referendum insisting there are no plans for an inquiry. The response by the Cabinet Office insists that electoral offences are investigated thoroughly by the appropriate agencies but adds this Government wrote to every household prior to the referendum promising that the outcome of the referendum would be implemented This Government stands by this commitment. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/government-refuses-public-inquiry-into-2016-eu-referendum-misconduct/25/04/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News Theresa May is preparing for her next Brexit battle with a plan to give MPs a vote on the key piece of legislation to take the UK out of the European Union as early as next week. Having just survived another attempted coup on the part of her angry parliamentary party on Wednesday night the prime minister is now getting ready to ask MPs to ratify her Brexit deal by introducing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill WAB which enshrines her Brexit plan into UK law in the coming days. The move comes amid growing despair over Mrs Mays leadership with the officers of the 1922 committee on Wednesday only narrowly voting against a rule change to allow an early confidence vote in the prime minister. https://news.sky.com/story/may-plans-withdrawal-agreement-bill-vote-next-week-following-leadership-reprieve-11702900 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph Brexiteers must accept that the British Empire is dead and buried a leading MEP has said before challenging Nigel Farage and his Brexit party to bring it on in Mays European elections. Philippe Lamberts the leader of the European greens and member of the European Parliaments six strong and influential Brexit Steering Group said the Brexit Party would be powerless in Brussels even if it triumphs in Mays elections. He backed a second Brexit referendum but warned putting no deal on the ballot paper would turn Britain into a rogue state. He told Brexiteers that they never stood a chance of making Brexit a success before attacking Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn for caring more about their parties than the country https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/accept-british-empire-dead-brexit-has-failed-top-mep-tells-brexiteers/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has refused to rule himself out as a candidate to be next Tory leader. Asked directly if he would run to replace Theresa May if she stands down the cabinet minister replied wait and see. Hunt who stepped into the role when Boris Johnson resigned over Brexit said the next PM must be someone who believes in Brexit. While the former health secretary voted Remain in 2016 he has signalled his leadership ambitions by aligning himself with Conservative members and taking a strongly proLeave stance. Speaking to journalists in central London on Thursday he said the next leader should support Brexit as I do even if they failed to vote Leave in the past. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-hunt-refuses-to-rule-out-running-to-be-tory-leader-and-pm_uk_5cc1bd2fe4b0ad77ff80dca6 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph Westminster is still paralysed by Brexit. Things might be a little less techy now that MPs have been able to have their first proper break since Christmas but the fundamentals havent changed. There are several key reasons for the deadlock and only a few things that might break them. Theresa May just wont quit This week there was yet another failed attempt to oust Theresa May from Number 10. Brexiteer MPs had hoped to curtail her 12month amnesty from leadership challenges but the backbench 1922 Committee voted against the idea. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/brexit-deadlock-way-logjam-european-elections/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News ProBrexit convert Jeremy Hunt has claimed nodeal would be better than no Brexit as he all but confirmed he will run for Tory leader. In a speech to political journalists in Westminster the formerly proRemain foreign secretary spelled out his new proBrexit credentials. Quizzed about the Tory succession in which he is expected to be a candidate he said the next leader should support Brexit as I do even if they failed to vote Leave in the past. Its got to be someone who believes in Brexit because that is the fundamental mission of the government at the moment said Mr Hunt. https://news.sky.com/story/no-deal-better-than-no-brexit-jeremy-hunt-claims-11703485 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Record https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/indyref2-vote-not-allowed-uk-14594243 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Theresa Mays deputy has said the Scottish Parliament will not be given the power to hold an independence referendum by 2021. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said there was no evidence of a surge in support for another vote. And he said the referendum in 2014 had settled matters for a generation. Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday she wants a referendum before the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021 if the UK leaves the EU. But the first minister also indicated that Westminsters approval was needed to put the legal status of any vote beyond doubt. She has not yet made a fresh request to the UK government for this to happen but told BBC Scotland that Mr Lidington was a member of a UK government that is clinging to power by its fingertips and has zero authority or credibility https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48053363 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6960393/Nigel-Farage-says-Brexit-Party-stand-General-Election.html 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-reveals-brexit-party-will-stand-in-next-general-election-a4126831.html 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Sun The Brexit Party is planning to take on the Tories and Labour in the next General Election Sun Online can reveal. Nigel Farage has confirmed he wants to run candidates for Parliament in future to stop Remainer MPs blocking Brexit. His new party is on course to come top in next months EU elections just months after it was founded. And in an interview with The Sun Mr Farage pledged to use the Brussels poll as a springboard to take the party into power in Westminster. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8938714/nigel-farage-brexit-party-general-election/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian The larger Brexit choices of 2019 are starker too. With the centre option on Brexit collapsing the decision lies between extremes. We are back to remain or leave but now in their 2019 versions. The times will inevitably be very divided again. The effective Brexit choice will lie between no deal promoted by Mays successor and much of the Tory party and a second vote hopefully but by no means certainly promoted by Corbyn and by other parties too. But the choice for proEuropeans has now been clarified and no proEuropean can doubt where they must stand. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/25/no-soft-brexit-no-deal-revoke-vote?utm_source=feedburner&amputm_medium=twitter&amputm_campaign=Feed%3A+google-news-brexit-rss-feed+%28Google+News+Brexit+UK+RSS+Feed%29 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politics Home The Foreign Secretary who voted Remain in the referendum said he wanted a clean Brexit in order to deliver on the result of the 2016 vote. Mr Hunt also said wait and see when asked whether he would throw his hat into the ring to be Tory leader when Theresa May stands down. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/foreign-affairs/news/103450/jeremy-hunt-i-would-choose-no-deal-over-no-brexit 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph Could the European Union allow a newly independent Scotland to rejoin the bloc after Brexit and what conditions would Brussels demand from Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon wants a Scottish independence referendum by 2021 if Brexit happens. Independence she said on Wednesday in Holyrood would allow us to protect our place in Europe. But as with so much to do with the European Union things are nowhere near as simple as that. The European Commission today appeared to rule out any preferential treatment for an independent Scotland. It is possible with enough political will from Brussels and across the EU that rules could be bent to ease Scottish membership. But there are significant reasons why that could be tricky to achieve https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/would-brussels-even-allow-independent-scotland-join-eu/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Express.co.uk Government insiders say the Prime Minister given up hope of cancelling UK participation in the European Parliament poll by securing Commons approval for her withdrawal deal within the next three weeks. Instead she is preparing for a determined push to force crucial withdrawal legislation through Parliament in time for the country to quit the EU by the end of June. Her new timetable will mean British voters are set to elect a new troop of MEPs next month likely to include figures from the new Brexit Party including Nigel Farage and former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe who will have lost their jobs by the time the new European Parliament assembles on July 2. One source said The focus now is on hitting the June 30 deadline so the MEPs dont take up their seats. Most Tory MPs expect the party to be hammered in the euro elections scheduled for May 22 with the Brexit Party tipped by many to top the poll. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1119033/brexit-news-latest-theresa-may-deadline-eu-european-elections 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard Sir Vince Cable will liken the Liberal Democrats campaign to stop Brexit to Charles Kennedys opposition to the Iraq war as he launches the partys EU election campaign. The Lib Dem leader and Twickenham MP is to say that only his party have the determined army of volunteers standing against the UKs withdrawal from the bloc. He will say it should be remembered that the Lib Dems had been against Brexit from the start even though they stood alone. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/vince-cable-liberal-democrat-campaign-to-stop-brexit-is-like-opposition-to-iraq-war-a4126856.html 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times Theresa May has dropped a plan to try to secure parliamentary approval for her moribund EU withdrawal agreement before next weeks local elections as hopes fade for any crossparty accord with Labour on Brexit. The prime minister wants to ask MPs to vote on legislation to approve Britains exit from the EU but the withdrawal agreement bill was not included in next weeks business for the House of Commons because of fears it would face certain defeat. Mrs May had been considering holding a vote on the bill ahead of the local elections on Thursday. https://www.ft.com/content/3bac82bc-6768-11e9-9adc-98bf1d35a056 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Sun Gavin Williamson has infuriated Whitehall mandarins by accusing them of leaking a secret decision about the Huawei telecoms giant. The Sun can reveal the Defence Secretary pointed the finger of blame at civil servants in the Cabinet Office for the major security breach. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8941084/gavin-williamson-huawei-telecom-5g-network-leak/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Wales should hold an independence referendum if Brexit happens without a further EU poll Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has said. People could then choose between an independent Wales at Europes heart or a forgotten secondclass region in a dying British state he said. The independence call goes further than his party conference speech in March. Polling for BBC Wales has put support for independence at less than 10 since 2011. Mr Price said Wales should hold a new national conversation about the countrys future whatever happens with the UKs departure from the European Union. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-48059170 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

ITV News The International Commission of Labours National Policy Forum which consists of MPs trade unionists MEPs and constituency representatives has voted unanimously that Labours manifesto for European elections should pledge to hold a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal. My sources say there were no dissenting voices. On Wednesday all Labour MEPs voted in precisely the same unanimous way for a referendum. Fridays Labours Trade Union Liaison Organisation is likely to inform the partys ruling NEC that its big union supporters including Unison the GMB and USDAW but obviously not Unite also want a referendum. So it is increasingly hard to see how Labours ruling NEC can at its emergency meeting next Tuesday ignore such widespread membership pressure and do anything but adopt a confirmatory referendum as the foundation of its manifesto. https://www.itv.com/news/2019-04-25/labours-national-policy-forum-wants-party-to-campaign-for-brexit-referendum/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

European Policy Centre Andrew Duff argues that neither the EU nor the UK is now fully in control. Both are being badly destabilised by Brexit. An accidental no deal is a live possibility. Unless the British have made real progress towards the exit by the time of the next EUCO in June attitudes will harden including those of Angela Merkel. Talks between proEuropean Tory ministers and the Labour frontbench have a 30 chance of success. If they fail both leaders are expected to commit to more indicative votes in the Commons this time rather more meaningful. Mr Corbyn may want to delay his agreement until after the UK has been obliged by the EUCO to fight a mock election to the European Parliament. But the June EUCO is the next important deadline if British MEPs are to be stopped from taking their seats. The proposal for a confirmatory public vote to second guess the House of Commons is badly misconceived. It reduces the chance that the Commons can reach a solid majority on anything and would throw the nation into bitter division enfeebling further the Westminster parliament and parties. Mr Tusk apart the rest of the EU knows that another referendum will not resolve its British problem. http://www.epc.eu/pub_details.php?cat_id=17&amppub_id=9199 24th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Spectator The International Commission of Labours National Policy Forum which consists of MPs trade unionists MEPs and constituency representatives has voted unanimously that Labours manifesto for European elections should pledge to hold a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal. My sources say there were no dissenting voices. On Wednesday all Labour MEPs voted in precisely the same unanimous way for a referendum. Fridays Labours Trade Union Liaison Organisation is likely to inform the partys ruling NEC that its big union supporters including Unison the GMB and USDAW but obviously not Unite also want a referendum. So it is increasingly hard to see how Labours ruling NEC can at its emergency meeting next Tuesday ignore such widespread membership pressure and do anything but adopt a confirmatory referendum as the foundation of its manifesto. That said many senior Labour figures tell me they worry Seumas Milne and Jeremy Corbyn will somehow find a way to prevent the party adopting an unambiguous pledge to campaign for a referendum https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/04/how-long-can-corbyn-resist-labours-drift-towards-a-second-referendum/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The New European MPs have called on the government to cut the red tape around EU citizens registration for the EU elections after it was found that fewer than 300 crucial forms have been returned with 13 days before deadline. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/voter-registration-shambles-for-eu-citizens-1-6016023 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

iNews Former Labour minister Andrew Adonis has been among the most prominent campaigners for a second EU referendum since voters backed leaving in 2016. Last year he told radio station LBC that if you are a Brexiteer I hope you wont vote for the Labour party because theyre moving increasingly against Brexit. But he has now apologised for the comments from September and called on voters to back Jeremy Corbyns plan for exit https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/andrew-adonis-brexit-jeremy-corbyn-plan-european-elections-2019/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Ive run a national campaign bringing Brexit supporters and nonBrexit supporters together over a pint and a chat for over three years now travelling up and down the country from small seaside towns to hilly hamlets. Ive met such a depth of vibrant and inspirational characters who have touched me with their stories histories and aspirations. These are people who are too often reduced to being nothing more than the target of patronising Guardian opinion articles or the butt of mainstream comedians jokes simply for wanting their voices to be heard and their democratic wishes fulfilled. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/leavers-have-insulted-betrayed-standing-brexit-party-defend/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Two Conservative local election candidates and a woman honoured with an MBE are among 40 new selfprofessed Tory members who have shared or endorsed racist and inflammatory Facebook posts including Islamophobic material the Guardian has learned. The torrent of racist posts include references to Muslims as bin bag wearing individuals calls for the cult of Islam to be banned and the Quran being branded an evil book. One female Tory supporter even called for a boycott of Muslimowned shops and endorsed another comment labelling the religions followers subhuman and cockroaches. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/25/tory-candidates-suspended-over-racist-and-inflammatory-posts 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Jacob ReesMogg was paid in Champagne for giving an afterdinner speech it has emerged. The Tory Brexiteer was invited to speak at an event hosted by Global Media which owns a string of radio stations including LBC. It was revealed in the latest update of the Register of MPs Interests published today. According to the entry Mr ReesMogg was paid for speaking at the dinner on February 6 with 12 bottles of Champagne. In total the posh bubbly came to a value of 323.52 almost 27 a bottle. Its possible Mr ReesMogg was running low on Bolly after Brexitbacking colleagues raided his fridge. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/jacob-rees-mogg-paid-entirely-14590579 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Huffington Post UK https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tommy-robinson-to-stand-for-mep-in-euro-elections_uk_5cc1d1a0e4b01b6b3efe19fd 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Metro.co.uk Tommy Robinson has announced he is standing to be an MEP in the European elections. He said his working class supporters would send the elite a message theyll never forget if he was elected on May 23. The farright activist who cofounded the English Defence League attacked Nigel Farage and his new Brexit Party as he revealed he will be running in the north west region. Robinson said he admires what Farage has done in the past but called him just another millionaire stockbroker who looks down at the middle classes. https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/25/tommy-robinson-says-running-mep-european-elections-9319272/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/25/huawei-who-could-be-cabinet-leaker 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Theresa May has no option but to call in the security service MI5 to identify the source of a leak from the National Security Council a founding member has said. Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell told Newsnight MI5 and the cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill may have to interview cabinet ministers who sit on the council. The former international development secretary who sat on the NSC between 20102012 spoke out following a leak from the council earlier this week. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48059333 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Theresa Mays government is one of the least successful in our history. This is not merely the view of its opponents. It is also the view of its own key members. Less than a month ago the Conservative chief whip Julian Smith admitted to the BBC that discipline is not as good as it should be. Brexit he continued had generated the worst example of illdiscipline in cabinet in British political history. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/25/the-guardian-view-on-the-conservatives-the-headless-chicken-party 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Record https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/indyref2-vote-not-allowed-uk-14594243 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mail Arlene Foster today denied Lyra McKee was murdered because of the political vacuum in Northern Ireland and said her party will not change its mind on gay marriage. The DUP leader looked uncomfortable as a priest delivered a powerful message at the funeral of the murdered journalist in Belfast yesterday when he demanded to know why it had taken the horror of her death to unite politicians. Mrs Foster sat next to Sinn Fein leaders Michelle ONeill and Mary Lou McDonald at the Protestant St Annes Cathedral in Belfast and they were also forced to stand and clap. Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation as he called her senseless killing a huge injustice and said he dared to hope something so awful as Lyras murder could be a doorway to a new beginning. Mrs Foster said today I dont accept that the violence that caused Lyras death was caused by a political vacuum. It was caused by people who wanted to use violence to further their own warped political agenda. Thats why Lyra is dead. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6959021/DUP-leader-Arlene-Foster-denies-Lyra-McKee-murdered-political-vacuum.html 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Theresa Mays deputy has said the Scottish Parliament will not be given the power to hold an independence referendum by 2021. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said there was no evidence of a surge in support for another vote. And he said the referendum in 2014 had settled matters for a generation. Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday she wants a referendum before the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021 if the UK leaves the EU. But the first minister also indicated that Westminsters approval was needed to put the legal status of any vote beyond doubt. She has not yet made a fresh request to the UK government for this to happen but told BBC Scotland that Mr Lidington was a member of a UK government that is clinging to power by its fingertips and has zero authority or credibility https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48053363 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

ZDF Democracy under attack was Brexit bought German made documentary with English subtitles makes a very strong case that it was https://www.zdf.de/dokumentation/zdfzoom/videos/zdfzoom-democracy-under-attack-102.html#xtor=CS5-4 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Having been adopted as a Labour candidate in the South West region in next months EU elections he published a craven statement apologising for his LBC remarks. In it he claimed to be in favour of Brexit. Labour has always been clear it respects the result of the referendum he wrote desperately. He then lauded his partys sensible plan for a close economic relationship with the EU after Brexit. As handbrake turns go this one was noisy in the extreme. But it is deeply insulting in its casualness as well. There is no way this Labour lickspittle would have humiliated himself in such a manner had he not been told to do so by the partys high command. On that basis I think we all know his apology is to be taken with a bucket of salt. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/dear-leavers-lord-adonis-doesnt-want-support-brexit-party-certainly/ 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

@Peston The International Commission of Labours National Policy Forum which consists of MPs trade unionists MEPs and constituency representatives has just voted UNANIMOUSLY that Labours manifesto for EU elections should pledge to hold a confirmatory referendum... https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1121425028065763328 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

@PaulWaugh Also @AndrewAdonis mystery finally cleared up he was told he faced deselection as MEP candidate unless he signed a statement apologising for previous views and stuck to the line on Brexit https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1121505958004498433 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The New European Broadcaster Gavin Esler explains why he has decided to stand as a Change UK MEP candidate and how New European readers helped convince him to do so. We have three clear objectives Stop Brexit fix Britain reform the EU. The first step is a Peoples Vote. I want to bring this Brexit nightmare to an end. A confirmatory vote will mean we can move on to the real problems we face. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/gavin-esler-change-uk-mep-candiate-european-elections-1-6015278 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Chaos surrounding the date of the UKs departure from the EU means the form for EU citizens voting was only sent to 2 million European nationals on the electoral register a few weeks before the deadline instead of the usual fourmonth period. A leading organisation representing EU citizens in the UK has urged ministers to take immediate action to remedy the situation or face potential legal action. Roger Casale secretary general of the New Europeans said Because of the very tight timetable we would urge the government to allow those EU citizens on the electoral roll who miss the current 7 May deadline to fill in the required UC1 declaration forms when they arrive at their local polling stations on 23 May. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-uk-eu-citizens-right-vote-brexit-parliament-a8886081.html 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Times The election watchdog has warned that Theresa May risks undermining public faith in politics by going ahead with European elections that she says she wants to cancel. The Electoral Commission said that it was unprecedented in a mature democracy for a country to elect candidates to roles they may never fill. It warned that the polls next month would lead to questions about the impact on voters now and in the future adding that it was vital that our democratic institutions and traditions come through the elections intact. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theresa-may-is-risking-public-s-faith-in-politics-warns-poll-watchdog-n8r9wn6v2 25th Apr 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Bloomberg The divorce from Europe is on its way so Britain is under greater pressure to keep China as a trading partner. British Prime Minister Theresa Mays decision not to ban Huawei Technologies Co. outright was the easier choice. That doesnt mean it was the right one. The U.S. has been vociferously pushing for countries to exclude telecommunications equipment made by the Chinese firm saying its vulnerable to hacking by statesponsored actors from its home nation. But Huawei also has some of the most advanced gear for nextgeneration 5G networks. Its a conundrum. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-24/britan-s-embrace-of-huawei-is-really-about-brexit 24th Apr 2019