19th Feb 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=7 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/18/workers-blame-brexit-for-demise-of-hondas-swindon-plant 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/honda-to-stun-ministers-with-closure-of-swindon-factory-11641154 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/18/carmaker-honda-plans-to-close-swindon-factory-reports 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/honda-to-close-uk-car-plant-in-2022-risking-3-500-jobs-1.3797828 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Reuters https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-honda-jobs/honda-to-close-uk-car-plant-in-2022-with-the-loss-of-3500-jobs-sky-news-idUKKCN1Q71BI 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Swindon Business News http://swindon-business.net/index.php/2019/02/18/breaking-news-honda-set-to-announce-closure-of-swindon-plant-with-3500-job-losses/ 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Guardian Honda is planning to close its factory in Swindon dealing what trade unions called a shattering body blow to the UK automotive sector which is already wrestling with the effects of Brexitrelated uncertainty. The Japanese carmaker is expected to announce as early as Tuesday that it is planning to shut its Swindon plant in 2022 in a move that would put 3500 jobs at its only European production site at risk and threaten many more in its supply chain. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/18/carmaker-honda-plans-to-close-swindon-factory-reports 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

BBC Since the referendum the Japanese government its UK ambassador and company managements have repeatedly warned about the corrosive effect of Brexit uncertainty and the possibility of losing frictionless trade with the EU. Honda is not alone in pulling investment from the UK. Nissan reversed its decision to build the XTrail SUV in Sunderland while Sony and Panasonic moved their European HQs to the EU. In each case the rationale was slightly different but many in Japan feel that failure to provide Brexit certainty counts as a broken promise permitting the loosening of ties that used to bind the two countries. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47285076?ocid=socialflow_twitter 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Guardian Honda workers in Swindon expressed their anger and fears for the future on Monday over the expected closure of the plant blaming Brexit for a loss that they said would send shockwaves through the town. After news broke of the likely closure in 2022 with the loss of 3500 jobs one worker leaving the plant said the atmosphere inside was clearly not very happy. The man who like most workers absorbing the news did not wish to be named has been with the company for 24 years. He blamed Brexit for the car giants decision. He said he had voted remain in the EU referendum and condemned the local Conservative MP Justin Tomlinson for campaigning for Brexit. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/18/workers-blame-brexit-for-demise-of-hondas-swindon-plant?CMP=share_btn_tw 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Yahoo Finance UK and Ireland Oxford professor Matthias Holweg who specialises in manufacturing and operations management told Yahoo Finance UK earlier this month that the industry could see death by a thousand cuts. The real danger is in the long run were going to see death by a thousand cuts and the industry becomes essentially smaller and smaller and thereby loses scale and competitiveness Holweg warned. Its an immediate logical consequence of the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The British car industry directly employs roughly 186000 people in the UK with a total of 856000 jobs dependent on the sector according to recent SMMT data. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/blame-brexit-uk-faces-threat-8000-lost-car-manufacturing-jobs-170615558.html 18th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Independent A vital part of the City of London supporting tens of thousands of jobs has been spared the worst effects of a cliffedge Brexit after European regulators recognised clearing houses which process trillions of pounds worth of transactions each year. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-city-of-london-jobs-saved-clearing-houses-esma-a8785521.html 18th Feb 2019

Economic Impact

Yahoo! British hedge fund manager and Brexit supporter Crispin Odey said on Monday he was again positioning for sterling to weaken calling the currency mortally damaged. The market is basically believing we wont have a hard Brexit and I think theyre probably right....The truth is there will either be a delay or Prime Minister Theresa May will get her way Odey told Reuters https://uk.news.yahoo.com/brexit-donor-odey-renews-sterling-short-position-does-163617073--sector.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47277412 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Facebook is an outofcontrol train wreck that is destroying democracy and must be brought under control. The final report of parliaments inquiry into fake news and disinformation does not use this language precisely but it is nonetheless the reports central message. And the language it does use is no less damning. Facebook behaves like a digital gangster. It considers itself to be ahead of and beyond the law. It misled parliament. It gave statements that were not true. Its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has treated British lawmakers with contempt. It has pursued a deliberate strategy to deceive parliament. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/18/a-digital-gangster-destroying-democracy-the-damning-verdict-on-facebook 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The UK government should define digital political campaigning and online political advertising and reform electoral law which is described as unfit for purpose to make the sources of online political adverts clear. It specifically cites the case of Mainstream Network a proBrexit campaign run by unknown individuals that spent 257000 over 2018 promoting dozens of adverts targeted at specific constituents encouraging them to write to their MP criticising Theresa Mays Chequers proposal. It complains that Facebook promised answers as to who was behind the campaign but has thus far failed to provide them. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/18/key-points-from-parliamentary-inquiry-into-disinformation 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

RTE.ie Investment banks have warned merger and acquisition teams in Britain they cannot pitch business to clients in the European Union if there is a nodeal Brexit without an EU chaperone sitting in on their meeting. This is according to sources familiar with the matter. Banks including Nomura and Credit Suisse have told dealmakers in London that in a nodeal Brexit scenario they would have to loop in EU colleagues when talking to customers in continental Europe about specific advisory work and regulated products like loans or bonds. Even coldcalling of company executives to pitch for new business out of London could raise eyebrows among EU regulators if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal the sources said. https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/0218/1031216-merger-and-acquisitions-brexit/ 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Evening Standard Europe stepped up preparations for a nodeal Brexit on Monday after giving key parts of the City of London temporary access to EU customers in the event of a cliffedge departure. The European Securities and Markets Authority the EU financial regulator has granted three UKbased clearing houses LCH ICE Clear Europe and LME Clear licences to carry on doing business with Europeanbased customers over the next 12 months even if politicians fail to strike an agreement. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/city-relief-as-eu-gives-nodeal-green-light-for-clearing-houses-a4069421.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times Honda production is returning to Japan for the same reason Nissan production is returning and Dyson production is heading to Singapore these countries have new free trade deals with the EU. Japans deal will slash tariffs on cars exported to the EU from 10 per cent to zero by 2027. Politicians knew Japanese carmakers were in talks to make tarifffree EU trade possible but did absolutely nothing to counter it https://www.ft.com/content/8f1e39b0-338b-11e9-bd3a-8b2a211d90d5 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Telegraph With only 38 days until Brexit Toto Wolff team principal of reigning fivetime world champions Mercedes has predicted that a nodeal scenario could create the mother of all messes for Formula One. While Wolff stopped short of suggesting that Mercedes had any contingencies to abandon the UK he signalled that a crisis was mounting. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2019/02/18/mercedes-boss-toto-wolff-says-no-deal-brexit-could-cause-mother/ 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Fleet News Fleets are being reminded that drivers may need an international driving permit IDP if they are going to drive abroad in the event of a no deal Brexit on March 29. Currently drivers can use their Great Britain or Northern Ireland in all EU or European Economic Area EEA countries and Switzerland but may need an international driving permit IDP to drive outside the EU or EEA. However the DVLA says if the UK leaves the UK without a deal people might need an IDP to drive in all EU and EEA countries apart from Ireland. https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-news/2019/02/18/fleets-reminded-of-no-deal-brexit-driving-licence-implications 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Irish Times When the Revenue Commissioners warned last month that the number of customs declaration forms filed a year could surge from almost 1.7 million to 20 million after the UK leaves the European Union OHare was listening. He and brokers like him will for the most part be the ones helping traders to prepare the declarations. I can see huge problems if it comes to a cliffedge Brexit says OHare whose Dundalkbased office is located just 6km 3.7miles south of the Border. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/we-re-going-back-in-time-brexit-and-the-customs-broker-1.3797053 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

CBC News The Dutch government says its been in talks with 250 foreign firms considering moving or expanding operations into the Netherlands in the wake of Brexit. At least 42 made the move in 2018 according to figures recently published by a Dutch foreign investment organization. The European Medicines Agency is in the process of relocating from London to Amsterdam. Electronics giants Sony and Panasonic have announced plans to move their European hubs from Britain to the Netherlands. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brexit-united-kingdom-netherlands-economic-impact-1.5021575 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Railway Gazette International The European Commission has adopted proposals designed to help avoid major disruption to crossborder rail services between the UK and the European Union in the event of a no deal Brexit. The Commission is working with the European Parliament and Council to ensure the legislative measures can be in force ready for when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 2930. The proposals would ensure that safety authorisations for certain rail infrastructure in particular the Channel Tunnel can remain valid for a strictly limited period of three months to allow longterm solutions in line with EU law to be put in place. This would be conditional on the UK maintaining safety standards identical to EU requirements which the UK has already said it intends to do. https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/policy/single-view/view/commission-adopts-no-deal-brexit-contingency-measures-for-rail.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Express and Star Talks are under way to ensure there are no disruptions to supplies of medicines and vaccines if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal next month. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust which runs New Cross Hospital in the city said there were three suppliers considered to be high risk. But health bosses said they were not likely to stockpile medicine on guidance from the Department of Health. https://www.expressandstar.com/news/health/2019/02/18/new-cross-hospital-chiefs-draw-up-plans-for-no-deal-brexit/ 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Daily Mail https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-6716275/FTSE-LIVE-Birds-Eye-issues-no-deal-Brexit-warning-Reckitt-profits-rise-McColls-earnings-tumble.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Independent Fans of fish fingers could see the prices of their favourite food shoot up virtually instantaneously should Britain crash out of the EU without a deal the head of Birds Eye in the UK has warned. The frozen food specialists managing director for the UK and Ireland Wayne Hudson said many food products would be affected by a disorderly Brexit. Manufacturers would have to pass tariffs of up to 20 per cent on to retailers who would themselves have to decide how much of the extra cost to pass on to shoppers he cautioned. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-food-price-rise-birds-eye-warning-wto-tariffs-a8784246.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC We are in a situation now where many of our fellowcitizens living in Spain or France do not know in just over 40 days time whether they will have any health cover Sarah Wollaston the Conservative chair of the House of Commons health select committee told BBC News. Well look at the situation in those two countries and Ireland. There is considerable uncertainty about what would happen if there is no deal but the government says it is in close discussions with EU member states and will do all it can to ensure patients can continue to access healthcare whatever the outcome. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47213212 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The threat of a nodeal Brexit has prompted more than 50 chemicals companies to move regulatory approvals from the UK to the EU. The companies which have operations in the UK have applied to use European Union regulators for critical authorisations to protect their ability to do business legally. Their current authorisations will become worthless if there is no transition arrangement following 29 March the planned date of Brexit according to data provided to the Guardian by the European Commission. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/17/chemicals-firms-move-regulation-to-eu-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC There would be a return to violence in Northern Ireland if there was a hard Irish border due to a nodeal Brexit or a rushed border poll claims a report. The new research was conducted by Irish Senator Mark Daly in conjunction with two UNESCO chairmen. Mr Daly said the report highlights the responsibility of the UK government to stand by the backstop. Both the EU and the UK government have said they are committed to avoiding the return of a hard border after Brexit. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47272124 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The British aerospace sector is bracing for a nodeal Brexit which it estimates could mean billions of pounds in extra costs. The impact on some goods could equate to 38 of their sale value according to one nodeal Brexit scenario modelled by ADS a lobby group for the aerospace and defence sectors. The group estimates that new customs checks alone will cost an extra 1.5bn per year. While tariffs are less of an issue for the sector as most finished aerospace parts are not caught by the levies import VAT and tariffs on generic parts and raw materials could still add significant costs. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/18/what-are-brexit-contingency-plans-for-aerospace-and-defence 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Wired The Tech For UK crowd is mostly comprised of startup founders developers recruiters marketing experts social media strategists. They might have joined out of simple proEU sentiments andor out of worry for Brexits impact not only on their lives but on their livelihoods and businesses. They have seen how VCs stopped liking the UK they are fretting about European innovation grants drying up or European tech workers talk about moving somewhere else some of them of course are European citizens themselves. Dismayed by the fatalistic comportment of official trade organisations these people eventually congealed into an unofficial proRemain guerrilla operation determined to use their skills to make the Brexit train stall before it goes flying over the white cliffs of Dover. As Butcher puts it this is an exercise in civic technology. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/techforuk-techuk-startups-brexit-eloise-todd-gina-miller-nodeal 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Express Brexit is proving a headache for travellers with ongoing negotiations and political uncertainty prompting huge confusion prior to the UKs departure from the EU on March 29. A new warning has now been issued by experts for those who have already organised and stumped up the cash for their postBrexit break. https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1088879/brexit-news-latest-uk-flights-brexit-surcharge-money-saving-expert 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The government is being urged to prevent consumer safety standards from slipping after Brexit to avoid putting lives at risk from the growing number of potentially dangerous counterfeit electrical goods coming into the UK. As the country edges closer to leaving the EU the charity Electrical Safety First ESF wants the government to prioritise consumer safety and protection regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations which could be the UK crashing out without a deal. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/feb/18/electrical-goods-eu-safety-standards-consumer-legislation-brexit 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Independent Britons have been stockpiling euros as the UKs departure from the European Union draws nearer new figures suggest. Sales of euros have been up on the previous year for each of November December and January. While the numbers show British appetites for holidays on the continent have not been diminished by Brexit they could also illustrate fears the pound could slump if the UK crashes out without a deal on 29 March. Post Office Travel Money which handles one in four of all foreign exchange transactions said there had been strong demand for euros in recent months. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/euros-pounds-sterling-currency-brexit-no-deal-29-march-a8783591.html 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Politico.eu A top Airbus executive warned today that a nodeal Brexit would be catastrophic for the industry adding that the company has already spent tens of millions of euros preparing for such a scenario. There is no such thing as a managed no deal its absolutely catastrophic for us Airbus Senior Vice President Katherine Bennett told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. Some difficult decisions will have to be made if theres no deal ... We will have to look at future investments she added. https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-airbus-katherine-bennett-warns-of-catastrophic-no-deal-brexit/ 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Consultancy.uk Big Four firm EY has announced that it is shifting its legal entity from London to Brussels ahead of Britains exit from the European Union. The move will bring the entity in line with continental auditing rules while shielding it from changes in the recognition of professional qualifications between the UK and EU. https://www.consultancy.uk/news/20369/ey-europe-abandons-london-for-brussels-before-brexit 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

RTE.ie Brexit pressure is starting to grow on small and medium sized businesses SMEs here new research has found with two out of every five saying they are concerned about the issue. According to the latest InterTrade Ireland Business Monitor covering the fourth quarter of last year rising costs are also a worry for a third of Irish SMEs. As the economy approaches full employment attracting and recruiting the right employees remains an ongoing problem for smaller firms with more than ten staff with one in every five saying it is a struggle. https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2019/0218/1031200-brexit-businesses-government/ 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

UK Government The Government has just admitted organic food exports are DEAD after a no deal Brexit Unless an equivalency deal is reached with the EU or your UK control body is recognised by the EU you will not be able to export organic food or feed to the EU. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trading-and-labelling-organic-food-if-theres-no-brexit-deal 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Reuters Britain faces the catastrophic prospect of a nodeal Brexit next month due to the selfishness of some politicians and chaotic parliamentary proceedings the head of the countrys main manufacturing association said on Tuesday. The strong warning from Make UK previously known as the EEF comes as Japanese carmaker Honda is expected to say it is preparing to shut its main UK plant with a loss of 3500 jobs. Nissan earlier this month canceled plans to build its XTrail sport utility vehicle in Britain mostly blaming business reasons but also citing Brexit uncertainty. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-manufacturers/uk-manufacturers-warn-of-catastrophic-no-deal-brexit-idUKKCN1Q800X 18th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times Under its constitution Germany has strict limits to the extradition of its nationals. The only potential exceptions permitted are for requests from other EU countries which are made via the European Arrest Warrant or to an international court. This means Berlin will reject any British requests to arrest German nationals after Brexit even if a planned 21month transition period comes into force. During the transition period an integral part of Theresa Mays deal with Brussels that can be extended to the end of 2022 the UK would still apply EU law in full and stay under European Court of Justice jurisdiction. https://www.ft.com/content/8facc77a-32af-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812 17th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/18/simon-coveney-says-frustration-prevalent-in-ireland-as-brexit-looms 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

RTE.ie Tnaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said Ireland is ruling out any keyhole surgery on the Withdrawal Agreement and that the Irish Government would reject any unilateral exit clause or expiry date to the Irish backstop. He added that Ireland would not be steamrolled as the Brexit process nears a potential nodeal scenario at the end of March... https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0218/1031193-brexit-barclay-brussels/ 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Theresa May must launch an independent investigation into foreign influence and voter manipulation in the Brexit vote a committee of MPs says today amid growing evidence of lawbreaking by Leave campaigners. A highly critical report which warns democracy is at risk from rogue practices on social media turns its fire on the prime minister for the failure to probe their effect on the referendum result. No wideranging investigation has taken place despite the main Vote Leave campaign fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove being found by the Electoral Commission to have broken the law. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-vote-investigate-law-breaking-influence-manipulation-theresa-may-facebook-a8783746.html 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian The environment secretary Michael Gove is to pledge that British food standards will not be lowered in pursuit of trade deals. In an address to the National Farmers Union annual conference on Tuesday he is expected to also vow to minimise the risk that food producers will be left at competitive disadvantage in the face of cheaper imports that are below EU standards. His words follow a recent warning from senior figures in the US that if the UK chooses after Brexit to adhere to EU regulations which ban chlorinated chicken and hormonefed beef then trade talks will be difficult. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/michael-gove-vows-to-uphold-food-standards-after-brexit 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

LSE Blog Prime Minister Theresa May is lacking authority and credibility unable to listen or lead. Indeed having led the first government to be found in contempt of parliament May now finds herself in contempt of the people is her intransigence paralysing the country the economy the political system the country and its economy perhaps for years to come. Now the endgame threatens the preservation not simply of the British government but of modern Britain. The Brexit process revealed the weakness of Westminsters insular politics. The UK Parliament is seemingly incapable of running a modern economy and society. Westminsters politics are becoming more not less dysfunctional. Whether a general election could provide a way out of this mess hangs in the balance. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2019/02/18/can-a-general-election-be-a-way-out-of-the-brexit-conundrum/ 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said on Monday he would hold more talks with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier at midweek after British Attorney General Geoffrey Cox sets out proposed amendments to the tricky Irish border backstop. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-barclay/more-eu-uk-brexit-talks-set-after-cox-sets-out-backstop-changes-idUKKCN1Q71PN 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times If you are asking for how long the withdrawal can be postponed I have no timeframe in mind. With Brexit so many timetables have already gone by the wayside. But I find it hard to imagine that British voters would again vote in the European elections. That to my mind would be an irony of history. Yet I cannot rule it out. JeanClaude Juncker https://www.ft.com/content/7870eac4-33b2-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

CNBC There is no consensus on what constitutes a European army. It remains ambiguous whether it would be a centralized institution operating like traditional armed forces or a looser integration of European military personnel. European nations would have to forego an unprecedented level of autonomy something which they have rejected once before. With most EU members also being members of NATO a European Army may find it difficult to attain enough funding to justify its existence especially if states are considering their defense spending alongside NATOs security contributions. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/18/brexit-wont-necessarily-lead-to-an-eu-army.html 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC More and more people are trying to stop Brexit and ensure the UK stays in the EU a Welsh MP has said. David Jones said those calling for a second referendum or more negotiating time had no plan for leaving. The Tory MP for Clwyd West a former Brexit minister predicted a deal will not be agreed until a few days before the UKs departure on 29 March. It comes as Labours Anna McMorrin said a General Election or final say vote were the only ways to avoid chaos. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-47264002 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC Theresa May must approach Labour for a serious discussion over Brexit by the end of the month the shadow chancellor has said. John McDonnell told BBC Ones Andrew Marr Show that the prime minister can secure parliamentary approval for a deal but only if she is prepared to negotiate with Labour over its approach. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-47272145/brexit-theresa-may-must-talk-to-labour-john-mcdonnell 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph A Tory minister and four Conservative backbenchers appear poised to defect to the new Independent Group set up by disgruntled Labour MPs it has been claimed. Describing the breakaway group as remarkably sensible people the minister told the Telegraph he was prepared to join the new party if the Government presses ahead with a nodeal Brexit. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/02/18/tory-minister-four-conservative-backbench-mps-poised-join-new/?li_source=LI&ampli_medium=li-recommendation-widget 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Times This is our compromise we are prepared to facilitate the passage of the prime ministers deal through the House of Commons if the deal is put to a confirmatory ballot of the British people. We believe this is the way forward because Brexit started with the people and therefore should end with the people. We are preparing to lay an amendment in parliament to this effect at the appropriate time. There is precedent for our approach. The Good Friday agreement was enacted automatically after a ballot of the electorate on both sides of the Irish border. The people decided with the facts before them. The same with the 2011 AV referendum on the proposed changes to the electoral system. Again the people had the facts before them. Both pieces of legislation meant there was no need for a return to parliament. And no third fourth or fifth referendum. Our approach confines the theory of neverendum to the bin. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/we-ll-back-the-deal-if-the-people-are-allowed-a-final-say-8dktk2pg7 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

New York Times The way the process has been going counting on a reasonable vote at the last minute is seriously tempting disaster. There are several sites already displaying a countdown to Brexit and their message seems to be that the 11th hour has struck and getting an extension now might not be the worst idea. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/17/opinion/brexit-theresa-may.html 17th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Huffington Post UK https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-corbyn-lost-14-mps-general-election_uk_5c6ac16be4b05c889d21bef5 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/rebel-mps-looked-anguished-but-their-message-was-defiant-11641176 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Politico.eu All seven are supporters of a second referendum and frustration with leader Jeremy Corbyns reluctance to take that path contributed to their decision to leave. And while it would be wrong to see the split as a solely Brexitdriven event anger at antiSemitism in Labour ranks and wider political and ideological differences with Corbyn also played their part the timing 39 days before the day the U.K. is scheduled to leave means that Brexit will utterly dominate the agenda of this new parliamentary group. https://www.politico.eu/article/labour-breakaways-brexit-impact-independent-group-second-referendum-no-deal/ 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Politics Home https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/news/101905/tory-brexit-splits-deepen-sarah-wollaston 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk Arron Banks the former Ukip donor behind the campaign said In the coming weeks these new members will have a direct say in adoption of these MPs or not stop Brexit and we will do everything to stop you now or at the next General Election. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1088642/brexit-news-nigel-farage-purple-momentum-conservative-party-sarah-wollaston-deselection 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Irish Examiner The Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs was urged to take no deal off the table by Fergus Ewing Scotlands Rural Economy Secretary as the pair attended a public questionandanswer session in Edinburgh on Monday. Mr Ewing told an audience at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture SASA headquarters Unless we take a no deal off the table there will be irreparable harm particularly to our sheep our lamb sector that is so reliant on exports to the EU that a collapse in the lamb price would be an inevitable consequence. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/uk-government-accused-of-feckless-and-reckless-approach-to-brexit-905262.html 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Sun It will show the unnecessary crisis engulfing Britain as we stumble unprepared towards a No Deal Brexit was entirely made in Downing Street. It was created by a stubborn inflexible Remainer who ignored the clearly stated instructions of the British people especially those in her own party to leave the European Union. This failure of imagination is characteristic of a leader who defied advice triggered Brexit without a plan and lost her majority in a catastrophic snap election along the way. Now she wants to revive her universally detested Chequers deal famously branded a polished turd by Boris Johnson and ram it down the throats of Brexiteers. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8448498/if-we-strike-a-decent-brexit-deal-it-will-be-despite-theresa-mays-botched-negotiations/ 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Labour will only back a fresh Brexit referendum in extremis and is determined to get a deal done John McDonnell says. The shadow chancellor cooled hopes that Jeremy Corbyn is moving towards backing another public vote stating it was still not the best option. Lets get a deal done thats the most important thing for me Mr McDonnell told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. Insisting Labour would continue to push its softer Brexit plan despite Theresa May rejecting it he added You would only go back to the people in extremis if cant get a deal agreed through parliament. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-second-referendum-labour-back-john-mcdonnell-a8783271.html 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Irish Examiner The Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs was urged to take no deal off the table by Fergus Ewing Scotlands Rural Economy Secretary as the pair attended a public questionandanswer session in Edinburgh on Monday. Mr Ewing told an audience at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture SASA headquarters Unless we take a no deal off the table there will be irreparable harm particularly to our sheep our lamb sector that is so reliant on exports to the EU that a collapse in the lamb price would be an inevitable consequence. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/uk-government-accused-of-feckless-and-reckless-approach-to-brexit-905262.html 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Derek Degsy Hatton has been allowed back into Labour 34 years after being kicked out for belonging to the hardleft Militant faction. The former deputy leader of Liverpools City Council triggered a national outcry in the 1980s by setting an illegal budget and was blasted for sending redundancy notices by taxi to thousands of council workers. However the Mirror understands his membership was rubberstamped last week following a meeting of the partys disputes panel which is overseen by its ruling national executive committee. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/derek-hatton-been-allowed-back-14017366 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Keen to turn back the clock to the days when Britains men in uniform could brutally quash a native uprising in the morning appropriate half of Indias wealth in the afternoon and enjoy a GT or seven in the evening the man who once kept a pet tarantula in his office to cultivate an air of ruthless cunning has appropriated an image befitting his new role action man. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/18/brexit-britain-gavin-williamson 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Politics Home The DCMS committee has spent months looking into targeted advertising on social media fake news disinformation and foreign interference in elections. It has probed the secretive data firms that played a pivotal role in the EU referendum and looked at how their wares have been used to target voters away from the scrutiny of the public eye. In its conclusions it called for a compulsory code of ethics for tech firms overseen by an independent regulator with the powers to take legal action when rules are breached. It also said electoral laws were not fit for purpose and demanded major reform by Government including over foreign meddling in elections from states like Russia. But it trained its most damning fire on Facebook which it said intentionally and knowingly violated both data privacy and anticompetition laws by handing masses of user information over to app developers. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/technology/data/news/101902/mps-blast-facebook-boss-mark-zuckerberg-and-call-tough 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Britains global profile has diminished its ability to focus on internal nationbuilding. The British state is a machine for running and exploring the world he said. It doesnt work very well when it comes to the business of the modern nation. Its a country paralysed polarised and falling apart yet deluded about its global status. A humbling must come to pass https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/18/britain-brexit?utm_source=dlvr.it&amputm_medium=twitter 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Reuters UK British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will on Tuesday urge the government to adopt his partys Brexit plan for a permanent customs union with the European Union ahead of a visit to Brussels. With just six weeks until Britain is due to leave the bloc Prime Minister Theresa May is yet to win ratification of British lawmakers for her Brexit deal. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-corbyn-idUKKCN1Q71YN 18th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

@PolHomeEditor Jeremy Corbyn emails Labour MPs urging them to remain united. One says This is absolutely incredible. The leadership just dont get it. Within hours of the 7 leaving they send out this. This is their problem. Cloth eared and making matters worse. https://twitter.com/PolhomeEditor/status/1097506830526357507 18th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

The Guardian Japanese officials have reportedly accused Jeremy Hunt and Liam Fox of taking a highhanded approach towards a postBrexit free trade deal and briefly considered cancelling bilateral talks due to take place this week. The Financial Times cited unnamed officials in Tokyo who reacted with dismay to a letter sent on 8 February in which Hunt the foreign secretary and Fox the international trade secretary insisted that time is of the essence in securing a trade deal with Japan the worlds thirdbiggest economy. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/18/japan-almost-cancelled-brexit-talks-high-handed-letter-liam-fox-jeremy-hunt 18th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Financial Times Relations with Japan have soured as a result of a letter from the UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and international trade secretary Liam Fox which told their Japanese counterparts that time is of the essence and said flexibility would be required on both sides. Although UK officials insisted that the letter sent on February 8 had been couched in standard diplomatic language Japanese officials believe that it reflected an increasingly highhanded approach from the British side. In response officials in Tokyo briefly considered cancelling a round of trade talks this week. https://www.ft.com/content/9cd62bde-32ba-11e9-bd3a-8b2a211d90d5 17th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Politico.eu The emergency sirens are whirring for a nodeal Brexit only this time its not a drill. In European capitals there is now mounting alarm that Theresa May has set Britain on course for a diplomatic disaster by fundamentally misjudging how far EU leaders are prepared to bend at the last minute in their summit just a week before Britains EU departure date. https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-sets-course-for-brexit-disaster-no-deal-withdrawal-treaty/ 18th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Daily Express Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and AttorneyGeneral Geoffrey Cox will present EU officials with a legal way forward that aims to calm the nerves of Brexiteers over the controversial Irish backstop. Mr Cox will aim to secure fresh legal text that allows him to reverse his previous warnings that Britain could be locked in an indefinite custom union backstop by the EU. In a move that will enrage Brexiteers Theresa Mays newlook negotiation team will sideline the hunt for alternative arrangements in favour of legal assurances. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1089051/Brexit-news-UK-EU-Theresa-May-Ireland-backstop-deal-latest 18th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Express.co.uk The continuity agreement with Israel effectively rolls over the current trading terms the UK has as a member of the EU with the country. The deal will protect trade worth 4 billion between the two countries according to the Department for International Trade. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1088712/brexit-news-theresa-may-withdrawal-agreement-european-union-brexit-latest 18th Feb 2019