29th Apr 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=54 brexit_cliff_edge

Economic Impact

The Times Manufacturers stockpiled goods at the fastest pace on record during the three months to April as the danger of a nodeal Brexit loomed large and sent business confidence tumbling. An unprecedented number of companies in the sector amassed inventories of raw materials and partfinished goods as well as completed products the CBI said in its latest industrial trends survey. A balance of 39 per cent of businesses reported a rise in stocks of raw materials compared with three months ago while the reading for unfinished products was 21 per cent and finished goods 25 per cent. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-stockpiling-increases-to-record-level-2jwwhxh3s 27th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Irish Independent It is in Scotlands interests to prevent Brexit turning England into an economic basket case SNP home affairs spokeswoman Joanna Cherry has insisted. The MP argued even if Scotland were to be independent it would be better for the country to keep England as close as possible to the single market and customs union as possible. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has so far refused to consider either of these options as she tries to win support for her Brexit deal at Westminster. Ms Cherry said Despite the fact that I think Brexit is a disaster for the United Kingdom I think it is in the interests of Scotland and the SNP to keep England as close as possible to the single market and customs union as possible. It will make it easier for us to be independent if England is in the same overall union and market for us. https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/brexit-could-leave-england-as-economic-basket-case-mp-warns-38055844.html 27th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Irish Independent Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients that its base scenario was the divorce deal would be ratified by May 22 but that there was a risk of Britains exit being delayed until much closer to the new October 31 deadline. The politics of Brexit have become more protracted and as a result the sideeffects of Brexit on the UK economy have intensified Goldman said in a note entitled Brexit Withdrawal Symptoms. From both a topdown and a bottomup perspective Brexit has taken a toll on the UK economy even though it has not yet happened Goldman said. It said Britains economy has underperformed other advanced economies since mid2016 losing nearly 2.5pc of Gross Domestic Product relative to its prereferendum growth path in large part due to weaker investment. https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/goldman-sachs-says-draggedout-brexit-is-doing-deeper-damage-to-uk-economy-38052659.html 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Reuters Britains protracted divorce from the European Union is hurting the worlds fifth largest economy as dwindling company investment signs of a looming labour market shock and poor productivity hinder growth Goldman Sachs said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-goldmansachs/goldman-sachs-says-dragged-out-brexit-is-doing-deeper-damage-to-uk-economy-idUKKCN1S20FW 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Financial Times Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has said he is ready to buy something in the UK tomorrow handing a big endorsement to Britain ahead of Brexit. We welcome the chance to put money out any place where we think we understand and sort of trust the system the 88yearold told the Financial Times in a broadranging interview. Were never going to understand any other culture or the tax laws or the customs as well as the US but we can come awfully close in Britain. https://www.ft.com/content/32676c5c-667e-11e9-9adc-98bf1d35a056 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Bloomberg Rarely have policymakers seemed so keen to snap the links that connect global markets even at the risk of economic selfharm. Theresa Mays dogged pursuit of a Brexit that takes Britain out of the European Unions single market and customs union is an obvious own goal considering the City of Londons global position. The U.K.s intransigence has already sent an estimated 800 billion pounds 1 trillion of bank assets and 5000 jobs across the English Channel and Irish Sea. Meanwhile the EUs plans to build high regulatory walls to protect its markets from a rogue neighbor have also led to some headscratching propositions from Brussels such as potentially forcing fund managers to trade top U.K. stocks on continental European soil rather than in London https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-26/brexit-s-financial-turf-war-enters-a-new-phase 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

Reuters Britains credit rating remains at risk of a further downgrade despite the extended deadline for its departure from the European Union ratings agencies SP Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings said on Friday. SP said its negative outlook reflected the risk of sustained economic weakness and a hit to government finances if Britain lost access to EU markets investors took fright or sterlings status as a reserve currency came under pressure. Fitch and SP both have a AA rating on British government debt. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-ratings/sp-and-fitch-warn-uk-rating-still-at-risk-from-a-no-deal-brexit-idUKKCN1S228Y?feedType=RSS&ampfeedName=domesticNews 26th Apr 2019

Economic Impact

City A.M. RBS profits fell in the first three months of 2019 it revealed a day after its chief executive announced his intention to resign. Ross McEwan yesterday announced he would step down after fiveandahalf years at the helm saying he had achieved his strategy to refocus the bank after its 45.5bn government bailout. However today the bank warned that ongoing Brexit uncertainty will pile further pressure on profits this year sending shares down 5.5 per cent to 236.3p in early trading. http://www.cityam.com/276752/rbs-profits-sink-bank-warns-brexit-uncertainty- 26th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Fewer British holidaymakers have booked a summer holiday inside the European Union this year amid continuing Brexit uncertainty Thomas Cook says. The travel firm says almost half 48 of the holidays it sold up until the end of February were to nonEU destinations up 10 on last year. Despite this the firm says Spain is still its most popular destination. Its findings chime with separate Post Office figures showing currency sales for longhaul destinations have jumped. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48087469 29th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Business Insider Uber Slack and Dropbox are just some of the buzzy billiondollar startups freaking out about the potential consequences of Brexit. https://www.businessinsider.com/us-startups-warnings-brexit-s1-ipo-2019-4 28th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Whistleblowers also allege that a Decisions on whether an applicant can stay in the UK supposed to take six months frequently take two years. During this time applicants are in limbo unable to work or rent property. b People who have sought asylum are frequently unlawfully detained for up to six weeks in immigration removal centres. c Personal performance targets indirectly encourage employees to reject applications without fully examining whether people have the right to remain in the UK. d People with a strong case to remain in the UK are deported because of poor decisions made by insufficiently trained staff. e Flights for deportations are frequently cancelled when asylum seekers protest on board and pilots refuse to fly https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/28/home-office-chaos-and-incompetence-leads-to-unlawful-detentions-claim-whistleblowers 28th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Yahoo! Royal Bank of Scotland RBS has warned continued Brexit uncertainty is likely to make income growth more challenging for the bank. The partnationalised lender used its first quarter results which showed a fall in profits to say that while it was maintaining its outlook for 2019 it was particularly concerned about delays in business borrowing decisions. A collapse in business investment because of Brexit fog has been cited as a major drag on the economy now set to be extended until up to 31 October following the UKs failure to secure domestic agreement on a withdrawal deal. RBS reported a 16 decline in operating profit before tax to just above 1bn from 1.2bn in the same period last year. Attributable profit before tax which reflects oneoff costs came in at 707m. That was a fall of 12 https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rbs-sees-profit-challenge-ahead-080600221.html 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

openDemocracy Brexit may have been rescheduled for Halloween but crossparty talks appear once again to have hit an impasse. Acutely affected by this perennial Brexit limbo are the 3.8 million EU citizens living in the UK now having to apply to remain in a country that for many has been their home for decades. Laure OlivierMinns a French national who has lived and worked in the UK for over 30 years is one of the many EU citizens who has felt forced to make the unimaginable decision to leave her life and British family behind in the UK due to the increasing hostility of postreferendum Britain. We sat down in a cafe in Nantes the hometown to which she recently returned where she told me that her trust in her adopted country is gone. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/brexit-does-split-families-anxious-eu-citizens-unconvinced-by-home-office-reassurance/ 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Accountancy Age Brexit has generally been positive for hiring especially across public practice recruitment with growth plans in regional areas implemented by the Big 4 and Top Ten firms with most now open to their employees working across various locations. 2018 was broadly a positive and successful year for the accountancy profession. Jobs registered supported this with a healthy split between replacement and expansion hires as well as specialist roles within tax especially buoyant anticipating the impact of Brexit. https://www.accountancyage.com/2019/04/26/brexit-boosts-recruitment-in-accounting-and-finance-roles/ 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

iNews https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/no-deal-brexit-stockpiling-space-unavailable-ahead-of-chrisrmas/ 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Reuters UK With Brexit looming British factories stockpiled over the last three months at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s and theyre increasingly downbeat about their prospects a survey showed on Friday. The Confederation of British Industrys CBI quarterly survey added to signs that Brexit and a slowdown in the global economy has lumbered manufacturers who account for 10 percent of the British economy with a headache. Expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid2009 when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-economy-manufacturing/uk-factories-stockpile-for-brexit-at-fastest-pace-since-records-began-in-1950s-cbi-idUKKCN1S20YK 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Accountancy Age Brexit has generally been positive for hiring especially across public practice recruitment with growth plans in regional areas implemented by the Big 4 and Top Ten firms with most now open to their employees working across various locations. 2018 was broadly a positive and successful year for the accountancy profession. Jobs registered supported this with a healthy split between replacement and expansion hires as well as specialist roles within tax especially buoyant anticipating the impact of Brexit. https://www.accountancyage.com/2019/04/26/brexit-boosts-recruitment-in-accounting-and-finance-roles/ 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BuzzFeed News Future EU students at universities in England will no longer have the right to pay the same tuition fees as home students in highly controversial plans being drawn up by the government. BuzzFeed News has learned that education secretary Damian Hinds is proposing to withdraw home fee status and financial support from EU students starting courses in the 202122 academic year whether Britain leaves the union with a deal or without. https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/higher-fees-for-eu-students-at-english-universities 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Irish Independent Brexit may have disappeared from the headlines thanks to a talks extension but that doesnt mean we have dodged a bullet its just that the day of reckoning has been postponed. There was relief last week from the Department of Finance when it presented its economic forecasts that the delay meant the economy would not experience an immediate sharp stop. https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/brexit-will-hit-older-lessskilled-workers-38039611.html 27th Apr 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times EU nationals living in the UK are being urged to use European elections next month to protest over a government proposal to make future students from the bloc pay more to study at English universities. Damian Hinds education secretary is proposing to end the preferential status enjoyed by EU students for courses starting in 202122 whether Britain is scheduled to leave the union. The proposal first reported by BuzzFeed News was not denied by the Department for Education and has already attracted criticism that the government is willing to hobble its thriving universities by turning away international talent. Another dreadful idea from this dimwitted government said Gavin Esler a former BBC journalist and a candidate for the Change UK party in next months European Parliament elections. https://www.ft.com/content/b2c15f8c-693c-11e9-a9a5-351eeaef6d84 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters UK https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-scotland-poll/brexit-drives-support-for-scottish-independence-to-49-percent-yougov-idUKKCN1S30CE 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Express.co.uk https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1119803/scottish-independence-snp-indyref-2-nicola-sturgeon 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-48066464/sturgeon-scotland-needs-protection-from-brexit-and-boris 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News Nicola Sturgeon has declared it is time for Scotland to become independent and called on the SNP to make sure there is a surge in support for leaving. Addressing her partys conference in Edinburgh Scotlands first minister said events since the last Holyrood elections have shown beyond any doubt that for Scotland the Westminster system is broken. Referring to Brexit Ms Sturgeon said that if the UK cannot be persuaded to change course and reverse it Scotland must. She added We must have the choice of a better future. Scotland must have the choice of an independent future. https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-time-for-scotland-to-become-independent-11705728 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Nicola Sturgeon has said she believes the world is facing a climate emergency and pledged to speed up efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions. Following similar moves by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this weekend the Scottish first minister said she was declaring the emergency because the science showed global warming was worsening. She told the Scottish National partys spring conference in Edinburgh that if the UKs expert advisory committee on climate recommended more urgent action to cut CO2 emissions in a report later this week her government would act. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/28/nicola-sturgeon-world-facing-climate-emergency-snp 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News Nicola Sturgeon has declared it is time for Scotland to become independent and called on the SNP to make sure there is a surge in support for leaving. Addressing her partys conference in Edinburgh Scotlands first minister said events since the last Holyrood elections have shown beyond any doubt that for Scotland the Westminster system is broken. Referring to Brexit Ms Sturgeon said that if the UK cannot be persuaded to change course and reverse it Scotland must. She added We must have the choice of a better future. Scotland must have the choice of an independent future. https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-time-for-scotland-to-become-independent-11705728 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

@Channel4News If the UK cant be persuaded to change its course Scotland must. First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon tells the SNP Spring Conference that she plans to pass legislation for a second independence referendum by the end of 2019. https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1122562744501383168 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has refused to rule out pursuing an independence referendum even if Brexit does not happen. Ms Sturgeon had already announced she wants a socalled Indyref 2 citing Britains exit from the European Union as the reason. In an interview with Sky News ahead of her SNP partys spring conference she declined to say whether or not she would drop plans for a referendum if Brexit did not take place. https://news.sky.com/story/sturgeon-keeps-indy-vote-option-even-if-no-brexit-11704007 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Bloomberg Theresa May is still pursuing a Brexit deal that would get the U.K. out of the European Union before elections next month. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-28/u-k-conservatives-still-seeking-brexit-deal-before-eu-election 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Over the next 48 hours a battle will take place that will settle the future of the Labour party and arguably the country. Is Labour to be the party of Europe in uncompromising opposition to the rise of an ugly hardright English nationalism Or will it continue to temporise over Europe so enabling the centre of political gravity to shift towards the English nationalist right https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/28/time-has-run-out-labour-must-seize-last-chance-to-take-stance-on-brexit 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Labour could sign up to a Brexit deal without a fresh referendum attached if the government makes significant concessions in the ongoing talks the shadow business secretary has suggested. In a blow to proEU supporters Rebecca LongBailey said the party was not hugely prescriptive on its terms when asked if the inclusion of a public vote was a red line for Labour in the negotiations. Ms LongBailey who has attended crossparty talks alongside shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor John McDonnell said meetings had been productive with discussions about workers rights a key ask for Labour. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-second-referendum-deal-talks-long-bailey-a8889836.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK A polling expert has predicted the Conservative Party will lose more than 800 local council seats as at faces an electoral backlash over Brexit as senior Tories acknowledged the party faces a difficult night. Voters prepare to go to the polls in England on Thursday against expectations of a hammering and fears that worse could follow in May 23s European elections. Election pundit and Tory peer Lord Hayward said he expected the Conservatives to lose more than 800 councillors and marked losses of control of authorities. The Tories are at an historic high for a governing party after nine years in power he said. A fall from that level is therefore inevitable at some stage and it will come this year with force. He suggested that Labour would gain around 300 seats from the Tories and the Liberal Democrats 500. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/election-tories-brexit_uk_5cc60149e4b04eb7ff976dea 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-news-live-theresa-may-european-elections-labour-second-referendum-a8887191.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Labour has taken a sevenpoint lead over the Conservatives ahead of the European elections a new poll has found. A study by Opinium put Labour on 33 per cent the Conservatives on 26 per cent and the insurgent Brexit Party on 17 per cent when the public was grilled on how they would vote in a general election. The Liberal Democrats were on 6 per cent with Ukip the Green Party and the new centrist party Change UK all on 4 per cent. In a fresh headache for Theresa May the former Ukip leaders new party was neck and neck with Labour on 28 per cent for next months European elections while Tory support collapsed to 14 per cent in the 23 May contest. Support for the Brexit Party ahead of the European elections has surged from 12 per cent in the past two weeks with voters apparently flocking to it from Ukip. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-polls-labour-conservative-brexit-party-eu-elections-a8889721.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Labour is prepared to sign up to a Brexit deal with the government without the promise of a referendum attached if crossparty talks make significant progress in the coming days one of the partys negotiators has said. With talks set to resume on Monday Rebecca LongBailey the shadow business secretary made clear that if Labours Brexit demands were met she would not expect the party to insist it be put to a public vote. Our party policy has always been that firstly we want to get a Brexit deal that puts our economy and living standards first and protects our environmental protections workplace protections health and safety standards she said. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/28/labour-hints-at-backing-brexit-deal-without-promise-of-referendum 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Brandon Lewis has refused to say when the Tories European election campaign will launch saying his priority is not to have to fight them at all. The UK is due to elect new MEPs on 23 May after Brexit was delayed amid continuing parliamentary deadlock. Several parties have launched their campaigns already but Conservative chair Mr Lewis told the BBC his focus was on next weeks local elections. The UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October or sooner if a deal is agreed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48083407 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

ITV News A concerted attempt by Labour MPs and MEPs to engineer that their party would campaign unambiguously for a confirmatory Brexit referendum in the EU elections looks set to flop. Instead Jeremy Corbyns preferred position of characterising a new public vote only as an option is likely to prevail because he seems to have retained the backing of most of the leaders of the big trade unions. The decision on how strongly to push for a referendum and how Labours position on it should be worded in its manifesto will be taken at a crunch emergency meeting of the partys ruling NEC on Tuesday. I am told by senior party sources that in talks last Tuesday with the leaders of the socalled five big trade unions Unison Unite the GMB Usdaw and the CWU only the GMB signalled a strong preference for a confirmatory referendum to be upgraded from an option to a clear policy preference. Unison and Usdaw are in theory aligned with the GMB on this but sources close to Corbyn do not believe they will vote against the Labour leaders preferred and more ambiguous referendum formulation in a couple of days. https://www.itv.com/news/2019-04-28/labour-set-to-retain-equivocal-referendum-position/ 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News The Conservatives are in for a difficult night in Thursdays local elections a senior party figure has admitted. Deputy chairwoman Helen Whately admitted the poll will be a chance to kick the government amid predictions of a backlash over the delay to Brexit. https://news.sky.com/story/conservatives-in-for-difficult-night-in-local-elections-11706044 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Business Insider Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable urges Change UK to ditch petty tribalism and form an electoral alliance. Cable has failed to persuade the new antiBrexit party of former Conservative and Labour MPs to form a proRemain alliance for the upcoming European elections and beyond. Supporters fear this refusal to cooperate will split the Remain vote and hurt antiBrexit parties. Cable told Business Insider that an electoral alliance was common sense and that millions of Remain voters would feel angry and betrayed if parties did not work together. Lib Dem Tom Brake hit back at Change UK suggestions that Lib Dem members should quit the party and join Change UK. https://www.thisisinsider.com/lib-dems-slam-change-uk-petty-tribalism-in-anti-brexit-alliance-row-2019-4 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

South Wales Argus https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17602042.plaid-cymru-demands-a-welsh-independence-second-referendum-if-a-peoples-vote-on-brexit-is-refused/ 28th 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 bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-48059170 26th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Euractiv.com The Brexit Party of archeurosceptic Nigel Farage outspent both the Labour and Conservative Parties on political advertising ahead of the European elections during the Easter break according to data published by Facebook. The Brexit Party which is campaigning for the UKs withdrawal from the EU at the earliest opportunity spent 11523 on Facebook ads between April 14 and April 20 a figure that dwarfs the 6646 and 6251 spent by the Labour and Conservative parties respectively across the same period. Meanwhile Change UK a new party established by proEU advocates only begun advertising on Facebook on Tuesday and has so far spent considerably less. https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/farages-brexit-party-spends-big-on-facebook-ads/ 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Jeremy Corbyn put honesty and integrity the idea of doing politics in a different way at the heart of his pitch for the Labour leadership four years ago. That makes Labours longstanding failure to clarify whether or not it is decisively in favour of a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal all the more depressing. Ambiguity remains the name of the game as we approach the European elections in just a few weeks. A draft campaign leaflet that was leaked last week did not even mention a referendum pledging that Labour would seek a better deal with Europe after Brexit. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/27/observer-view-on-labour-manifesto-get-off-the-fence-jeremy-corbyn 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Support for remaining in the EU stands at well over 80 per cent in the majority of member states a new continentwide poll has found with Britains political crisis apparently a poor advert for leaving. The survey by Kantar asked people how they would vote in an inout referendum and found that Luxembourg 94 per cent Portugal 92 per cent Ireland 91 per cent and the Netherlands 91 per cent had the highest support for EU membership out of the 28 countries in the bloc. Apart from the UK the highest level of support for leaving was in the Czech Republic where 66 per cent supported Remain and 34 per cent Leave. Italy was close behind as the next most Eurosceptic country with 72 per cent Remain and 28 per cent Leave. Austria and France were the third and fourth most Eurosceptic. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brexit-eu-survey-italy-ireland-portugal-eurosceptic-poll-a8888126.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Sky News There appears to be no end to the Brexit deadlock in sight with Labour again accusing the government of refusing to budge on its red lines in crossparty talks. Shadow business secretary Rebecca LongBailey told Sky News there needed to be hard and fast progress in the discussions which will continue this week. She also denied suggestions from the Conservatives that her party was stalling saying were certainly not dragging our heels. Ms LongBailey told Sophy Ridge on Sunday Honestly I think the discussions so far have been productive theyve gone into a lot of detail there seems to be a willingness on both sides to move towards some form of consensus. https://news.sky.com/story/labour-government-still-refusing-to-move-on-brexit-red-lines-in-cross-party-talks-11705925 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard A Labour frontbencher today refused to say if a second referendum is a red line for the party if the government meets its Brexit proposals. Talks between the Conservatives and Labour are set to resume this week in an effort to find a solution to the stalemate. When shadow business secretary Rebecca LongBailey was asked on Sky News Sophie Ridge on Sunday whether a second poll was one of the partys demands in the talks she said Jeremy Corbyn and his team were not being hugely prescriptive on the minute detail of specific elements because we are willing to compromise and we are willing to be flexible. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-news-latest-labour-frontbencher-rebecca-longbailey-refuses-to-say-if-second-referendum-is-a-a4128446.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Brandon Lewis has refused to say when the Tories European election campaign will launch saying his priority is not to have to fight them at all. The UK is due to elect new MEPs on 23 May after Brexit was delayed amid continuing parliamentary deadlock. Several parties have launched their campaigns already but Conservative chair Mr Lewis told the BBC his focus was on next weeks local elections. The UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October or sooner if a deal is agreed. This means the UK must now hold European Parliament elections on 23 May if it wants to avoid leaving the EU without a deal. But if agreement can be reached among MPs before 22 May the UK could cancel its participation in the elections. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48083407 28th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Irish Independent The option of a nodeal Brexit should be on the ballot paper in a second referendum the interim leader of Change UK has suggested. Heidi Allen said she felt that the choice should be offered to voters as to some people it represents a clean Brexit but added that an option to remain as we are must also be included. Ms Allen who quit the Tories in February to join the Independent Group also said the new party had to be about more than just Brexit. In an interview with The House magazine Ms Allen said she has some sympathy for allowing a nodeal option on the ballot paper in a second referendum. https://www.irishnews.com/news/brexit/2019/04/27/news/no-deal-brexit-option-should-be-on-ballot-paper-says-second-referendum-backer-1607146/ 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

NPR Instead of becoming a harbinger of the EUs demise the United Kingdom descended into political chaos and became a cautionary tale for other EU countries. Isabell Hoffmann who tracks opinion in the EU for Bertelsmann Stiftung a German independent foundation says Brexit hasnt hurt the EUs standing its helped it. We do see a Brexit effect in the numbers when it comes to support for the European Union says Hoffmann. Actually they go up in a significant manner and they stay up ever since. That support is up by 10 percentage points since the 2016 referendum she says. There are now roughly 70 percent of people whod say we would vote for our country to stay in the European Union. https://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/715926169/heres-why-brexit-wasnt-followed-by-frexit-swexit-or-nexit 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian A new report commissioned by the German Green party and seen by the Guardian will exacerbate concerns in Berlin over the small print of the withdrawal agreement in its current form. As the dust settles after months of chaos in Westminster suspicions are growing on the other side of the Channel that the backstop could in fact be the very opposite a brilliant deception device constructed by crack UK negotiators which would allow a more reckless British prime minister to undermine the EUs green and social standards while still keeping access to the European single market. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/26/irish-backstop-could-undermine-eu-standards-report-says 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The indy100 A candidate for Nigel Farages Brexit Party has said hes sick and tired of Leave voters being branded homophobic and racist by the media. Louis StedmanBryce a black openly gay man announced his candidacy for the party on Thursday at a press conference in Manchester. Speaking at the conference he said Our democracy has been betrayed by the medias portrayal of the type of person that voted for Brexit. The perception out there is that were white were homophobic were definitely racist and we didnt know what we voted for. I stand before you as a gay black man and I can definitely tell you I know what I was voting for when I voted for Brexit. StedmanBryce who is a property investor will head up the EUs Parliamentary Election campaign in Scotland reports Pink News. https://www.indy100.com/article/brexit-party-candidate-mep-european-elections-racist-homophobic-8887686 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Economist With both the Far Right and the ProEuropean political parties gearing up to fight the European elections in May The Economist believes it looks set to be the most European election to date https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/04/27/why-the-european-parliament-elections-will-be-the-most-european-yet 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters UK Chancellor Philip Hammond said on Friday that he was hopeful of clinching a Brexit compromise with the Labour Party to allow the ratification of Prime Minister Theresa Mays thricedefeated divorce deal. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-china/hammond-optimistic-of-finding-brexit-compromise-with-corbyns-labour-idUKKCN1S2118 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard Esler hadnt been interviewed for a job since he applied to be North America Correspondent at the BBC in 1989. Over Skype Heidi Allen with two or three other people in the room asked him questions. Why do you want to do it and so on. It lasted around threequarters of an hour. I didnt think I would get it he adds. But at six oclock on Easter Sunday he answered the phone to Chris Leslie who said they would like him to run at the top of the list. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/gavin-esler-in-just-10-minutes-i-knew-i-had-to-run-as-an-mep-a4127471.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Alanna Byrne a press coordinator for Extinction Rebellion said the protests were hugely successful and they were pleased with the way the message has travelled. Most of the feedback that weve had has been very positive and even the rightwing press has been covering us pretty well she added. She also claimed that the protests were justified despite criticism of the organisations techniques. People have to understand that this is urgent and we have to act now she said. We think the government has to do their part and take action now as well. Were really sorry to the public for being disruptive but at the end of the day if we dont cause this temporary disruption now the disruption in the future is going to be horrifying. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-protests-extinction-rebellion-london-google-search-a8886171.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC The Liberal Democrats have launched their European election campaign with an unambiguous pledge to stop Brexit. Leader Sir Vince Cable accused the Conservatives and Labour of a stitchup and said a peoples vote was the only way to end the Brexit paralysis. He added it was a pity that fellow Remainbacking party Change UK had not agreed to running a combined campaign. The UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October after Brexit was delayed amid continuing parliamentary deadlock. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48064699 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Express.co.uk BBC Europe Editor Katya Adler has claimed the European Union may just let the UK walk away from the bloc without a Brexit deal if an agreement is not reached before the end of October. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1119499/BBC-News-Brexit-UK-European-Union-deal-Theresa-May-latest-EU-Katya-Adler 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Express.co.uk Mr Wilkins said Prime Minister Theresa May had gone back on her election pledge to bring back the former Conservative and Unionists party name. Speaking on BBC Newsnight he argued that Mrs May had not stuck to that pledge. When quizzed by the shows host Emily Maitlis Mr Wilkins said The Prime Minister talked about going back to the real name of the party and made it a central plank with a lot of narrative. Ms Maitlis then asked whether this meant she had forgotten about the union he added There is a big element in the Conservative Party who would like it to be an English national party with a Scottish version a Welsh version. But for them Brexit and ideally no deal Brexit in their eyes is far more important than maintaining the union. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1118589/BBC-newsnight-latest-brexit-news-conservatives-union-england-wales-scotland-Chris-Wilkins 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph In a party so illdisciplined that top secret decisions like Huawei landing Britains 5G contract get leaked to the Telegraph it is perhaps no wonder Government whips have had their work cut out of late. As the MPs responsible for making sure as many members of their party as possible vote the way Theresa May wants it is fair to say Brexit hasnt brought out the best in the current crop of whips. Reports of dirty tricks and skullduggery lie at the heart of an aggressive campaign to persuade Tories to back the Prime Ministers widely unpopular withdrawal agreement. Yesterday Johnny Mercer the Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View once again accused the Governments enforcement officers of skullduggery https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/inside-dark-world-tory-whips-dirty-tricks/ 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post Amid growing frustration among the partys proEU rank and file that the leadership will block any campaign for a second vote. HuffPost UK understands trade union figures met today and jointly agreed to press Jeremy Corbyn to include the words confirmatory vote in the manifesto for the June 23 poll. But while the leadership was ready to agree the phrase would be in Corbyns foreword it would be banned from the main body of the manifesto sources have said. Unite arguably the labour movements most influential union was not at the meeting. A draft leaflet for the Euroelections passed to HuffPost UK on Thursday suggested the party had decided on a proBrexit stance trumpeting a better deal with Europe and making no mention of a second referendum. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nearly-90-mps-and-meps-demand-labour-backs-second-referendum-in-euro-elections_uk_5cc32934e4b0fd8e35bbd75a 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Huffington Post UK Brexit has turned our lives upside down and I had two options to sit down and wait for my fate to be delivered to me or fight for my rights and my beliefs. I choose to stand up. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/change-uk-independent-group_uk_5cc179d6e4b0764d31dcfb53 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Environmental activists who participated in the recent Extinction Rebellion protests have announced they are standing in next months European elections. Nine candidates are running to be MEPs under the banner of Climate and Ecological Emergency Independents including seven in London and two in the southwest England region having been inspired by the disruptive demonstration across the capital. In a statement the collective said they wanted to see Europe reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and have new citizen assemblies set up to give ordinary people a voice in shaping environmental policy. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/extinction-rebellion-climate-change-protests-london-european-elections-nine-candidates-a8888601.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph While some ministers have found themselves cast into relative obscurity by the Brexit debate Kit Malthouse planted himself squarely in the middle of it. In January the housing minister brokered a compromise plan formed by an extraordinary coalition of proEU and stridently Brexiteer Tories. For a brief period it appeared that the plan could give Theresa May a lifeline in the form of a Brexit plan that might just break the Commons impasse. But the Prime Minister chose not to adopt it as a new negotiating position with the EU. Now Mr Malthouse 52 who was a councillor for eight years in Westminster is concerned that the unedifying mess in Westminster could harm the Tories in this weeks local elections https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/27/kit-malthouse-dont-pin-blame-brexit-chaos-local-tories/ 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Labours ruling body will decide on Tuesday whether the party will campaign for a public vote on any Brexit deal Jeremy Corbyn has said on the campaign trail in leavevoting Peterborough. Almost 90 Labour MPs and MEPs including a number of frontbenchers wrote to the partys National Executive Committee NEC to demand that its European election manifesto include a clear commitment to a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal. However Corbyn declined to guarantee the commitment. He stressed that he was not a dictator and that the matter would be for the NEC to decide. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/27/labour-to-decide-on-brexit-public-vote-on-tuesday-says-corbyn 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/labour-wants-uk-first-country-14793010 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/27/labour-green-industrial-revolution 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Labour will this week force a vote in parliament to declare a national environmental and climate change emergency as confidential documents show the government has spent only a fraction of a 100m fund allocated in 2015 to support clean air projects.Jeremy Corbyns party will demand on Wednesday that the country wakes up to the threat and acts with urgency to avoid more than 1.5C of warming which will require global emissions to fall by about 45 from 2010 levels by 2030 reaching net zero before 2050. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/27/corbyn-declares-national-climate-emergency 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The New European 23yearold Carmen Smith is one of the youngest candidates standing for any party Plaid Cymru in the European elections. Here she writes why she thinks young people have the power to swing the election. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/carmen-smith-from-plaid-cymru-on-the-european-elections-1-6019022 27th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politics Home Ever since she railed against George Osbornes welfare cuts Heidi Allens relationship with the Conservatives looked fragile. After months of feeling disillusioned with her adopted party she helped to form The Independent Group. Now interim leader of the rebranded Change UK the South Cambridgeshire MP is hopeful for success at the European elections but says Brexit cannot be everything that her partys about. She talks to Sebastian Whale https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/foreign-affairs/brexit/house/house-magazine/103461/heidi-allen-%E2%80%9C-fact-people-are-trying-pick 26th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard The fact that European elections are happening at all is testament to the dismal failure of Brexiteers to have any real plan for how to deliver what they promised. They now seek to blame Remainers for not falling in line as though we should somehow have ceased to believe what we do because a narrow majority of others disagreed. Yet the real reason Brexit has been delayed and may well be cancelled is that those who advocate it cannot agree on what it should look like. The whole project has run into the sand as it deserved to. https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/vince-cable-let-s-train-our-guns-on-breaking-brexit-and-create-a-new-brand-of-politics-a4127356.html 26th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC The SDLP leader has urged politicians to show those who murdered journalist Lyra McKee that politics does work ... to have a Brexit committee to deal with the fallout from the UK leaving the EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-48072357 26th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

The New European A survey has found that Remain now have an 8 lead over Leave but one newspaper has put a proBrexit spin on its headline. The European Parliament Spring Eurobarometer polls people Europewide for attitudes towards the union. It found that while 45 of UK respondents would vote to remain today just 37 would vote to leave giving Remain an 8 lead. The other 18 of respondents were unsure. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/eu-brexit-poll-puts-remain-8-ahead-1-6019209 26th Apr 2019

Political Shenanigans

Bloomberg Nigel Farage is back doing what he does best Terrifying Conservative members of Parliament. Theresa Mays deeply divided Conservative Party cant agree on how to tackle the threat posed by the veteran antiEU campaigner and founder of the new Brexit Party a threat one Cabinet minister described as existential.As long as the Tories fail to deliver Brexit the minister said Farage will strip them of votes. The first test of that will be on May 23 when the country is likely to take part in an election to the European Unions parliament even though Britain voted to leave the bloc three years ago. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-26/brexit-party-threatens-tories-and-they-aren-t-even-fighting-back 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk Political commentator John Rentoul claimed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is likely to become Prime Minister at the next election thanks to the Governments failure to leave the EU. He said in The Independent that the Government promised the referendum three years ago but has failed to deliver Brexit. The coauthor of Tony Blairs biography also said that Corbyn is likely to win the next election because the Tories are done for. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1119913/brexit-news-latest-update-theresa-may-conservative-party-labour-party-jeremy-corbyn-eu 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk Although Mrs May has managed to buy some valuable time to get her Brexit deal through the UK is only just coming to the end of the beginning of the whole process. Dr Simon Usherwood deputy chair at The UK in Changing Europe think tank has argued that with every extension the UK is cutting into the crucial transition stage of the Brexit negotiations. The deputy chair has insisted that although every extension avoids the possibility of a no deal Brexit it will also make it much harder for the Government to come to an agreement over the upcoming transition stage. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1119912/Brexit-news-latest-UK-Theresa-May-Conservative-Party-UK-politics-EU-Donald-Tusk-Article-50 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/back-nigel-farages-brexit-party-and-youre-out-tory-mps-told-8bf73jfs6 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun Tory chiefs have warned MPs and local activists they will be kicked out of the party if they back Nigel Farage in the European elections. The threat came as a poll shows Theresa Mays troops faces a hammering as Brexit voters desert her in droves. But some fedup candidates vowed to jump ship instead of waiting to be pushed if the party goes ahead with the heavyhanded tactics. An Opinium poll showed support for the Tories has slumped to just 14 per cent ahead of next months the EU elections. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8955334/conservative-party-nigel-farage-brexit-threat/ 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Times The group said Britains leaving the EU had given it a chance to recruit supporters. Brexit has forced the IRA to refocus and has underlined how Ireland remains partitioned. It would be remiss of us not to capitalise on the opportunity said one of the dissidents. In the interview which followed months of secret contacts with republican dissidents north and south of the border the leadership said the shooting of the 29yearold journalist in the Creggan area of Londonderry 10 days ago was an accident that occurred in the midst of a riot and described her death as shocking and something that did nothing to further any cause. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-ira-says-brexit-helps-it-to-recruit-vwc6b6l97 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Leading Labour activists are warning Jeremy Corbyn that they could boycott the partys campaign for the European elections unless it backs a confirmatory referendum on Brexit as pressure mounts on the leadership to support a fresh public vote. The warnings come before a crucial meeting on Tuesday of Labours deeply split national executive committee NEC at which the wording of the partys European election manifesto is due to be decided. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/28/labour-activists-threaten-european-election-campaign-boycott-second-referendum 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Once you get going you will find that canvassing in a British high street is as enjoyable as any other contact sport and even more exciting in the sense that you can never be entirely sure who is going to be on your side. As you weave from shop to shop in a kind of rolling maul you develop an instinct about the members of the public who loom into your path. Sometimes you need to deploy the old sidestep sometimes you palm them off with another member of your team. But most times you will want to commit wholeheartedly to the tackle thrusting out your garish campaign bumf clasping their hand and inquiring joyfully whether you can count on their support. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/28/would-wrong-take-brexit-frustrations-hard-working-tory-councillors/ 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/carl-benjamin-ukip-mep-candidate-challenged-over-racist-language-11703619 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mail Police are examining sickening statements about child abuse made by a highly controversial Ukip candidate. Carl Benjamin was formally adopted by the party as a candidate for the European elections last week despite fury over his remark that he wouldnt even rape a Labour MP. Now a senior Ukip source has told The Mail on Sunday that they have passed a dossier to Wiltshire police containing deeply offensive remarks made by Mr Benjamin an online vlogger from Swindon who calls himself Sargon of Akkad. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6967747/Now-Ukip-candidate-said-wouldnt-rape-Labour-MP-says-OK-sexually-abuse-boys.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph The onset of the banking crash the squeeze on living standards and the austerity policies required by euro membership played a big part. Voters expected one or other of the two main parties to be able to reverse the economic decline and became disillusioned with both when they discovered that they did not have the power to do so within the EU. Even in Germany where the economy did relatively well the two main parties have suffered. Mrs Merkels centreRight CDU lost out badly from backing higher levels of immigration. Many voters also resented Germany having to pay the bills of other eurozone members. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/28/major-parties-across-europe-dying-unless-deliver-brexit-tories/ 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian He is supposed to be fronting a campaign to propel his Brexit party into the European parliament. But Nigel Farage abandoned Europe at the weekend and flew to the US to give a speech where he claimed entire streets of Oldham in Greater Manchester are split along racial lines. Addressing an audience of young libertarians at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania Farage said Oldham was a divided society. He told the Young Americas Foundation I could take you to a town called Oldham in the north of England where literally on one side of the street everybody is white and on the other side of the street everybody is black. The twain never actually meet there is no assimilation. Whole streets in Oldham of people who have lived in my country for over 30 years who dont speak a word of the English language. These folks are divided societies in which resentments build and grow. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/28/nigel-farage-raises-hackles-oldham-by-saying-town-split-on-racial-lines 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Properties displaying Liberal Democrat Labour and Green Party posters Sussex have been vandalised in attacks thought to be linked to Brexit. The houses targeted in Lewes had the words traitors and hypocrites spray painted on their exterior walls. The vandalism includes damage to property and the public footpath a spokesperson for Lewes Labour Party said in a statement. The recent vandalism appears to follow a national trend of antisocial behaviour against political posters and individuals who are involved in local democratic political activity. Campaigning is in full swing across the UK where local elections will be held on 2 May. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/local-elections-lewes-vandalised-posters-brexit-graffiti-traitors-a8890046.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Thousands of EU nationals living in the UK could inadvertently lose their right to take part in the upcoming European elections because of widespread confusion over how to register campaigners have warned amid reports some European citizens are yet to receive their poll cards. Existing rules stipulate that EU citizens must both register to vote and sign a special UC1 form stating that they will note vote anywhere else in the EU by 7 May. But confusion has arisen because the UC1 form must be resubmitted before every election even if the European national intending to vote has already signed and submitted that form previously for example before the 2014 poll. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brexit-latest-european-election-vote-eu-form-cabinet-office-a8888196.html 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Viewed cynically Sturgeons manoeuvre is reducible to picking a fight with Westminster over a referendum the UK government is unlikely to allow so as to buy time avert peoples eyes from the question of what the party has actually done with power and assist the SNPs chances in the 2021 Scottish elections. One big tension sits under everything the fact that even if independence looks more logical than ever the politics of actually pulling it off could not be more complicated. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/28/england-mess-scotland-splitting-away 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

LBC Who is funding the Brexit Party 22m 50 secs Farage looks awkward and intially says weve done this all via the website but when pressed admits weve received one big donation refusing to say who it is. Rules say he must reveal it so why not reveal it now https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1122441243919732736 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Yorkshire Post Now however thats all changed. Its worth remembering that David Cameron only called a referendum because of the gathering Ukip storm he had to do something to defuse the prowling fruitcakes if he wanted to keep his party together and his own hand in No 10s sweetie jar. Sadly for him he underestimated the passion of people like my wife and the resonance of Farages cause. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/patrick-mercer-former-conservative-mp-explains-why-he-now-backs-nigel-farage-and-brexit-party-1-9734822 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Somerset Live https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lord-adonis-desire-public-vote-2805418 28th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun Andrew Adoniss staggering Brexit Uturn finally exposes him as the definitive example of all those unprincipled chancers now rotting British politics. Once a Lib Dem he became an unelected Labour peer a staunch Blairite then a Brownite. Then he became the Tories infrastructure chief. Then came his deranged crusade to reverse Brexit and his unhinged social media attacks on Leavers and even neutral civil servants planning for Brexit. He told Leavers not to vote Labour. Now though hes a Corbynista MEP candidate suddenly batting for a sensible socialist Brexit. No wonder peoples vote Remainers are outraged at their former figureheads betrayal. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8942633/andrew-adonis-brexit-u-turn-sun-says/ 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Times Scotland is poised to elect an MEP from Nigel Farages Brexit Party as voters abandon the Scottish Conservatives according to a poll for The Times. Ruth Davidsons party faces losing its only representative in the Strasbourg parliament analysis of the research by YouGov found as nearly 40 per cent of voters who backed the Scottish Tories two years ago switch to Mr Farages new group. The survey the first to be conducted after Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence also found increased support for secession with 49 per cent of Scots preparing to vote Yes compared to 45 per cent in YouGovs last poll for this newspaper in June. The research suggests that the SNP is on the verge of doubling its European politicians from two to four according to Sir John Curtice an election expert. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-revolt-as-scottish-tory-voters-back-farage-x7qmkcvxj 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC The ongoing climate of Brexit uncertainty has led to a testing time for MPs with some of them reaching almost breaking point a Lancashire politician has said. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said the political situation was affecting some members mental health and admitted to waking up at 4am thinking about Brexit. He told the BBC Its probably having an impact on MPs more than they would care to admit. The Mental health charity MIND has reached out to MPs and is offering help and support. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lancashire-48068482/brexit-uncertainty-affecting-mps-mental-health 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk MEP Change UK candidate and senior barrister Jessica Simor has said stopping the EU election at the last minute would likely be illegal. Ms Simor claimed that if the Prime Minister cancelled the EU elections she could face legal action from EU citizens residing in the UK. Yet Mrs May has repeatedly claimed she has until May 22 to cancel the election. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1119600/brexit-news-latest-update-theresa-may-EU-elections-polls-conservative-party-prime-minister 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News Facebook is preparing to tackle interference campaigns aimed to misinform and manipulate voters ahead of the EUs elections in May. Last year the company acknowledged that social media could have a damaging impact on democracy and admitted it was too slow to recognise Russian attempts to interfere in the US presidential election. To protect its users from similar interference in the upcoming EU elections Facebook has announced a new range of factchecking features. https://news.sky.com/story/facebook-prepares-for-eu-election-interference-ahead-of-may-vote-11703910 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian There is only one risk here for remainers that a big win for the Brexit party could spook some Labour MPs into voting for Mays package after all. But provided the Labour vote holds up and indicates that MPs seats are safe this risk ought to be minimal. In any case most analysts will be observing not the number of seats allocated but the share of ballots cast. Farage will do well but it seems unlikely that the Brexit party Tories Ukip and the DUP will collectively gain more than 50 of the vote. Indeed the biggest story of the election is likely to be the humiliation of the Conservative party. Given that this is the party responsible for delivering Brexit its drubbing in a national poll is unlikely to harm remainers. Even if the government lurched towards nodeal parliament would not allow it and the EU would not insist on it. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/elections-european-brexit-party-eu-democracy 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Turning up to a forgotten neighbourhood bringing food and promising to tackle supposed threats is a classic tactic of wannabe authoritarians from Weimar Berlin to the former Yugoslavia on the eve of civil war. So the crowd get burgers and a modicum of attention and a kind of lovebombing takes place creating a strong emotional bond between followers and a leading figure. On the surface this is about seeking electoral success but theres also the goal of building a street movement among those who feel ignored and disenfranchised. The campaign video was hellbent on stirring divisions. It even spoke of politicians who dont breathe the same air as his supporters. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/tommy-robinson-european-elections-mep-campaign-far-right-edl-a8887236.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mail Sir Roger Scruton has said that the witch hunt of people on the political right is getting worse following his dismissal over his comments on Islamophobia. former government advisor has expressed his concerns around the silencing of a conservative voice as he challenged remarks he made to the New Statesman publication last month. The 75yearold had been dismissed as a housing tsar following the interview with Downing Street then accusing him of making comments which were of a deeply offensive and completely unacceptable nature. The former Chairman of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission has now said the way his views were presented in the magazine were such as to cause some kind of scandal. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6965135/Ex-housing-tsar-Roger-Scruton-says-witch-hunt-people-political-right-worsening.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Carl Benjamin aka Sargon of Akkad repeatedly used the words nr and spic in a 2015 video yet UKIP claim hes fighting political correctness and will not kick him off the partys ticket in the EU elections https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ukip-refuses-dump-candidate-who-14677881 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

iNews https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/huawei-mps-want-criminal-investigation-to-track-down-the-leaker/ 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent You dont have to be a detective to deduce that the most likely leaker was a cabinet minister who wants to succeed May which reduces the list of suspects to 28 https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/huawei-5g-cabinet-leak-theresa-may-china-enquiry-a8887811.html 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun Protests are now planned outside her remaining dates on her Strictly Ann tour following her remarks on a BBC show. Widdecombe 71 is top of Farages Brexit Partys south west region list ahead of the European Parliament elections next month. The former Tory MP said Im sorry Im going to be blunt here it is unreasonable selfindulgent and entitled to think that you can retire at the same age with a much longer life expectancy at the states expense. The controversy surrounds the transition to equal pension age with campaigners saying many women only found about the change months before they were due to turn 60. It means many have had to carry on working for an extra five or six years. Up to 3.9 million women are thought to be affected by the changes according to the Women Against State Pension Inequality Waspi group. There is going to be a judicial review of the alleged mishandling of the case to be held at the High Court in June. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8954501/ann-widdecombe-slams-pension-campaigners/ 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian The Scottish National party has voted to establish an independent currency as soon as practicable if Scotland were to leave the UK as activists rejected a more cautious timetable put forward by the party leadership. In a narrow victory for the grassroots the party conference agreed by 52 votes to amend part of a wideranging economic blueprint created by the partys sustainable growth commission to allow for a new currency to be fasttracked and ready for introduction as soon as practicable after Independence Day. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/27/snp-votes-for-scotland-having-its-own-currency-if-it-leaves-the-uk 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian More than half the public 55 now think it would have been better never to have held the EU referendum given the difficulties of reaching an agreement on Brexit according to the latest OpiniumObserver poll. Strikingly more Conservative voters 49 now think the referendum was a bad idea than believe it was the right thing to have done 43. Among Labour supporters 72 believe it would have been better never to have staged the vote while 18 say it was worthwhile. The Conservatives are down 3 percentage points on 26 compared with a fortnight ago and continue to trail Labour also down 3pts on 33 by seven percentage points. Nigel Farages newly formed Brexit party meanwhile has established itself in a clear third place on 17 having been included in the national poll for the first time. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/27/public-thinks-eu-referendum-was-a-bad-idea-says-poll 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Labour is redrafting European election leaflets after accusations of ignoring a pledge to hold a further Brexit referendum the BBC has been told. They will now refer to the partys preparations for a general election with a referendum if necessary to avoid what it calls a bad Tory deal. Jeremy Corbyn says Labours ruling body will make a decision on Tuesday about backing a public vote on any deal. About 100 Labour MPs and MEPs want such a promise in the party manifesto. They wrote to members of the national executive committee before it meets on Tuesday to decide on the manifesto. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48078468 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News With local elections a week away the campaign remains dominated by the deadlock over Brexit painting a bad picture of the Conservatives https://news.sky.com/video/brexit-deadlock-not-local-elections-on-mind-of-conservative-voters-11704478 27th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

@BBCNewsnight Labour MP Janet Daby one of the 90 MPs and MEPs calling for the party to make clear its backing for a second vote says it would be very difficult to hand out a leaflet that does not mention any commitment to another public vote https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1121893281015533568 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph The BBC must institute a dramatic overhaul of its attitude towards Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP now that Scotlands First Minister has thrown her troops into another referendum battle to break up Britain. She cant be permitted to get away again with the easy ride she enjoyed at the hands of Martha Kearney on the Today programme. Theres no certainty that there will be another referendum but with Ms Sturgeons officials all members of the British civil service remember preparing the ground for such a vote she must now be treated as a frontline British politician with all the attendant ferocious scrutiny of her views policies and record. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/26/nicola-sturgeon-trying-tear-country-apart-bbc-cant-keep-giving/ 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian The Labour leadership is pushing opportunity into the jaws of defeat given its overwhelmingly proEuropean base. The international commission of Labours national policy forum which includes trade unionists MPs and constituency reps has just voted unanimously that Labours EU election manifesto should pledge to hold a confirmatory referendum. On the same day the Huffington Post obtained a draft Labour leaflet for the European elections saying that Labour would go ahead with Brexit and seek a better deal with Europe with no mention of a confirmatory vote. It reported that neither Keir Starmer nor the head of the Labour MEPs Richard Corbett were consulted on the leaflets content. If that is the case it is plain outrageous https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/andrew-adonis-u-turn-brexit-labour-party-leadership 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Twitter has banned the Euro election campaign accounts of Ukip candidate Carl Benjamin and farright extremist Tommy Robinson. Ukip today refused to dump Benjamin after a video emerged of him using a variety of racial slurs. Benjamin a vlogger who calls himself Sargon of Akkad had already been banned from Twitter in 2017 for violating the platforms rules on targeted abuse. And Robinson whose real name is Stephen YaxleyLennon was permanently banned in March 2018 for violating its rules on hateful conduct. Benjamin rose to notoriety after Tweeting a message to Labour MP Jess Philips saying I wouldnt even rape you. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/twitter-bans-tommy-robinson-ukip-14729717 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Alastair Campbell says he would find it difficult to vote Labour in the European elections if the party does not pledge to hold a referendum on the Brexit deal. Tony Blairs former director of communications a supporter of the Peoples Vote campaign told Nick Robinsons Political Thinking Podcast that it would be an error of catastrophic proportions for Labour not to give the public the final say. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-48070877/alastair-campbell-warns-labour-over-brexit-referendum 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Jeremy Corbyn is under growing pressure over his partys position on a second Brexit referendum after a leaked draft of a campaign leaflet included no mention of a Final Say vote. The Labour leader faced an angry backlash over the flyer with MPs saying it had triggered complete meltdown in the party and left proEU MPs utterly furious. As the row deepened 75 MPs and 14 MEPs wrote to Labours governing body to demand that a clear commitment to another referendum be included in the partys manifesto for next months European parliament elections. Mr Corbyns top team is split on whether Labour should support a second referendum. Several senior shadow cabinet ministers want the party to support a public vote on any Brexit deal passed by parliament but Mr Corbyns inner circle say he only supports a referendum on the governments deal or to avoid a nodeal outcome. Other shadow ministers oppose another public poll entirely https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-second-referendum-corbyn-leaked-leaflet-a8888241.html 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk The Rocks chief minister Fabian Picardo said Brexit is more stalled than we could imagine as he predicted Britains exit from the Brussels club could be stopped altogether. Describing his relief if Britain remained in the EU he joked If there is no Brexit I will get so wasted and I will invite the mayor of La Lnea and my friends from here and from Gibraltar to celebrate with me. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1119235/Gibraltar-news-brexit-spain-uk-gibraltar-brexit-deal-latest 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror A Brexit Party candidate has sparked a backlash after claiming Tory Islamophobia was made up. Salmon tycoon Lance Forman said the row was invented by the left to distract from antiSemitic racism in Labour. In Twitter messages from 2017 to 2018 he also said Islamophobia was reactive and not enough Muslims are standing up for the Jews. And he described Jeremy Corbyn as a Nazi and fascist saying Its undeniable. Labour claimed the comments were disgraceful racist and bigoted while the Muslim Council of Britain said dismissing evidence of Islamophobia must not be tolerated. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-party-candidate-claimed-tory-14716386 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian What does a person say in two speeches that is worth 160000 Do they vomit gold This is the amount that Boris Johnson made last month. He made a speech for the India Today conference and he got 122990. Accommodation and transport provided of course. On the day Theresa May lost the second Brexit vote in the House of Commons he gave a speech for 38250 to Citigroup Global Markets Ltd. Johnson is certainly taking advantage of the more liberal rules about income and interests now that he is no longer a minister. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/26/money-grabbing-speeches-boris-johnson 26th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror The Tories face a bruising kick in the ballots as voters desert them at next weeks local elections a leaked briefing has revealed. An internal Lib Dem memo predicts a catastrophe for Theresa May s party when swathes of England hold council polls on May 2. More than 8300 seats are up for grabs half of them Conservative. The same set of seats was contested four years ago when David Cameron led the Conservatives to a shock general election triumph delivering the partys first parliamentary majority for 23 years. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-face-catastrophe-2-local-14594090 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times During Mr Johnsons brief and ignominious spell as foreign secretary officials reported that his response to inconvenient facts was to cover his ears and hum the national anthem until the bearer of the bad news had departed. Nothing has changed. https://www.ft.com/content/1af8c1f6-6674-11e9-a79d-04f350474d62 25th Apr 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Its rare nowadays to come across a Conservative who isnt trying to be the next leader of the party. Theresa May has been an inspiration insofar as most of her MPs think they could do a better job. So a mass audition has started with speeches outlining grand visions for the future. Almost every time we hear how the partys biggest problem is winning back young voters. But how This is where the ideas run out. Its a bit of a problem. For most of the last 15 years the Tories have been anxiously trying to look slick modern and vigorous only to see a pensioner Jeremy Corbyn waltz off with the youth vote. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/phoney-war-old-young-no-way-secure-conservatives-future/ 25th Apr 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Reuters Speaking at a summit in Beijing on Chinas programme to recreate the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and he offered British expertise in project financing. The Belt and Road Initiative has tremendous potential to spread prosperity and sustainable development touching as it does potentially 70 percent of the worlds population a project of truly epic ambition Hammond said. The U.K. is committed to helping to realise the potential of the BRI and to doing so in way that works for all whose lives are touched by the project he added. The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision Hammond said. To turn that vision into a sustainable reality it must work for everyone involved. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-silkroad-britain/britain-calls-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-a-vision-idUKKCN1S20O5?feedType=RSS&ampfeedName=worldNews&amprpc=927 27th Apr 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

The Telegraph Shinzo Abe Japans prime minister has said that a no deal Brexit must be avoided at all costs at a summit with European Union chiefs in Brussels. Mr Abe said that Japanese companies needed a predictable business environment to continue their operations in the UK before calling on the EU and Britain to ensure a smooth Brexit. Standing alongside JeanClaude Juncker. the president of the European Commission and Donald Tusk the president of the European Council Mr Abe said that Japanese firms had invested in Britain because it was a gateway to Europe. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/04/25/japans-prime-minister-warns-no-deal-brexit-must-avoided-costs/ 25th Apr 2019