20th Feb 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=9 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

@Channel4News I make no apology for saying that leaving the EU without a deal would be a catastrophe for British farming. National Farmers Union President Minette Batters says a nodeal Brexit is the stuff of nightmares. https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1097841785173393409 19th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Reuters UK Englands High Court on Tuesday gave Aviva Britains second largest insurer approval to transfer around 9 billion in assets to a new Irish company just before the starting gun is fired on Brexit. The move timed for 2259 GMT on March 29 is part of a wider withdrawal of business and money by financial companies seeking to keep contracts and policies within the European Union even after Britain departs. Brexit formally takes effect at 2300 GMT on March 29. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu/aviva-natwest-to-join-brexodus-of-business-to-eu-idUKKCN1Q81YW 20th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Guardian Michael Gove warned that delays were likely in Calais because of mandatory EU checks on food imports on the French side of the channel. The tariff regime Britain would like to apply in the event of no deal will be revealed in the next few days. He told the National Farmers Unions annual conference in Birmingham that reports that Britain would operate a zero tariff regime in order to secure frictionless trade in a nodeal scenario were not accurate. We can expect at least in the short term that those delays in Calais will impede the loading of ferries constricting supply routes back into Britain and furring up the arteries of commerce on which we all rely said Gove. The NFU recently warned that health and safety audits required on individual food processing plans required by the EU could take up to six months to complete effectively locking British farming exporters out of the bloc. On Tuesday Gove confirmed this by pointing out the EU had not yet classified the UK as a third country which will only happen after health and safety audits are complete. The EU still have not listed the UK as a full third country As I speak there is no absolute guarantee we will continue to be able to export to the EU he told farmers. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/brexit-uk-will-apply-food-tariffs-in-case-of-no-deal-michael-gove-says 19th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Sky News Skys economics editor says Brexit consequences rather than Brexit itself have driven Hondas looming exit from Swindon. https://news.sky.com/story/japan-eu-trade-deal-likely-the-biggest-factor-in-honda-move-11641288 19th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

BBC Honda has confirmed it will close its Swindon car plant in 2021 with the loss of about 3500 jobs. The Japanese company builds 160000 Honda Civics a year in Swindon its only car factory in the EU. Honda said the move was due to global changes in the car industry and the need to launch electric vehicles and it had nothing to do with Brexit. Business Secretary Greg Clark said the decision was devastating for Swindon and the UK. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47287386 19th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

Financial Times Michael Gove the environment secretary will seek to reassure British farmers in a speech to be delivered on Tuesday that the government will act to protect them as Brexit looms including if no deal can be reached for an orderly departure from Europe. Mr Gove who will make the remarks at the National Farmers Union annual conference in Birmingham is also expected to reiterate earlier pledges that Brexit will not cause the UK to lower its food standards in any way. https://www.ft.com/content/0fb44486-33c1-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812 19th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

New York Times The financial landscape of Europe is changing as banks shift employees and hundreds of billions of dollars worth of assets from London to new subsidiaries across the bloc in time for Britains divorce from the European Union a process known as Brexit on March 29. Banks are adjusting contracts with Brexit clauses to protect themselves if the separation is chaotic. Lawyers are checking regulations jurisdiction by jurisdiction to gird for possible future contractual disputes. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/17/business/brexit-banks-wall-street-london.html 17th Feb 2019

Jobs at Risk

The Spectator The Honda decision is about scale. A global company has to focus its resources in the places where it can a produce most cheaply but more importantly b sell most profitably. For Honda and similar firms that means the world can be seen as a handful of megamarkets places where it is possible to make things and sell them to hundreds of millions of potential buyers. For Honda that means a future focus on North America and Asia. https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/02/hondas-departure-is-bad-news-for-brexiteers-and-remainers/ 15th Feb 2019

Economic Impact

Express.co.uk Economists Marc Friedrich and Matthiaas Welk believe the UK will become a tax haven soon after Brexit if the country leaves the EU without a deal. Speaking to Focus in Germany the experts said In the case of a hard Brexit we expect to soon have the largest tax haven in the middle of Europe Britain. The International Monetary Fund expects growth losses of four percentage points in five years for the UK economy. In the short term foreign trade will get into a pickle. The pound will depreciate significantly again and inflation will rise. Yields on British government bonds will also rise with consequences for the state budget. The stock markets will significantly lower downwards. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1089498/brexit-news-latest-no-deal-brexit-consequences-brexit-negotiations 19th Feb 2019

Economic Impact

Financial Times There were 167000 more people in employment during the final quarter of 2018 than over the previous threemonth period the UKs Office for National Statistics reported on Tuesday. The employment rate remained stable at a record high of 75.8 per cent. The data suggest that Britains jobs market has so far been insulated from the effects of uncertainty over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations even as overall economic growth last year fell to its lowest level since 2012 because of a drop in business investment. https://www.ft.com/content/f5249de6-3429-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Irish Independent Stormont chiefs could hand out more than 1.2 million in bonuses to staff under plans to entice more civil servants to join coordination teams for a nodeal Brexit. Civil servants are being offered a bonus of up to 1500 to join the contingency proposals which would come into force if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal The Irish News yesterday revealed. The Command Control and Coordination C3 structures may involve staff moving onto a 247 rota for up to six months and a central hub being established to handle a nodeal Brexit. http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/02/20/news/stormont-bonuses-for-no-deal-brexit-staff-worth-1-2m-1555651/ 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Brexit is already leading to a palpable decline in British influence at the UN and that influence would be in freefall but for the UKs commitment to spend 0.7 of gross national income on overseas aid a study has found. The report by the UK branch of the United Nations Association suggests Britain will lose political capital on the 15member UN security council and the larger general assembly in New York because its campaigns will no longer be automatically aligned with those of the EU. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/brexit-deline-uk-influence-un 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Wrexham.com Planning for a nodeal Brexit is being taken seriously across Wales but the picture varies across the country the Auditor General for Wales has said although locally the efforts will be scrutinised quite close to Brexit itself. http://www.wrexham.com/news/brexit-uncertainty-cannot-be-an-excuse-for-inaction-in-public-sector-says-wales-audit-office-164094.html 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Times As dwellers on this island observed the Brexit stormclouds on the horizon there was an underlying belief that while Storm Brexit would be turbulent it would never evolve into a fullblown nodeal disaster. There was an assumption that the British political establishment was undergoing some form of PRSD postreferendum stress disorder that would make them all crazy for a while but that eventually common sense would be restored. Instead the theatre of the absurd took up permanent residence in Westminster. Internecine war in the Tory and Labour parties has if anything got worse while in Northern Ireland Sinn Fin and the DUP squatted in their partisan trenches. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/storm-brexit-keeps-up-the-high-pressure-dmbmxrhkx 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian Deal or no deal thats the question on everyones lips right now. But for me and the 140000 other European carers and stayathome parents living in the UK it makes no odds. Either way we are being faced with separation from the people we love. Either way I am being told that I am unworthy of citizenship unworthy of my family. All because I chose to do what any mother would do in my circumstances and give my son the specialised care he needed. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/19/brexit-britain-disabled-son-separated-mother-settled-status 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Wales risks losing 80 of the laws that protect its environment after Brexit with no plans in place yet to replace them nature charities have warned. Wildlife habitats air and water quality could all be affected they have claimed. One organisation WWF Cymru has written to Environment Minister Lesley Griffiths calling for urgent action. The Welsh Government said it was developing proposals and looking forward to taking them forward. But with less than 40 days to go until the UK is set to leave the EU WWF Cymrus director Anne Meikle warned the rug will be pulled out from our existing environmental protections. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47295400 20th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Sky News Banking giant HSBC has reported tougher conditions in the UK in the run ... but we are still going to see a growth rate. On Brexit he said The longer we have the uncertainty the worse it is going to be https://news.sky.com/story/hsbc-sees-uk-business-weaken-amid-brexit-uncertainty-11641700 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian AstraZeneca and other companies have frozen all manufacturing investments. Britains secondbiggest drugmaker decided to halt further investments at its Macclesfield site in the summer of 2017. Its chairman Leif Johansson has said the UK needs to make sure it does not become an isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. David Jefferys a senior executive at the European arm of the Japanese company Eisai which makes treatments for Alzheimers disease epilepsy and breast cancer told the Guardian Nobody likes uncertainty. We are not making any new investments in the UK until there is clarity. Other major drugmakers such as Novartis and the Viagra maker Pfizer have announced plans to close UK manufacturing or packaging sites by 2020. Both decisions were made after the June 2016 referendum but the companies said they were not linked to Brexit. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/what-are-brexit-contingency-plans-for-pharmaceutical-industry 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian In the months before the Brexit vote Japans government warned that a victory for the leave campaign could have a negative impact on investments in Britain. The Japan Business Federation noting that more than 1000 Japanese firms have a presence in Britain joined the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in pleading with Britain to remain in the EU. Since the referendum vote Japanese companies have stayed largely silent. Like all major employers they have broken cover in recent weeks to talk about the huge cost of a nodeal Brexit. But there have been precious few stories of companies and especially those that sell directly to consumers blaming factory closures or office relocations on the UKs decision to leave the European Union. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/19/carmakers-quitting-britain-wont-blame-brexit-its-not-in-their-interest?CMP=twt_gu 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Irish Examiner Aviva has been given the green light to transfer 10.1bn 8.8bn worth of assets to Ireland as the insurance giant ramps up its Brexit contingency planning. The group one of Britains biggest life insurance and pensions companies with 14.5 million policyholders received approval from the High Court today to transfer 9bn 7.8 billion. It follows approval earlier this month to transfer 1.1bn 1bn to Dublin. The relocation is designed to deal with the consequences of a nodeal hard Brexit in which UK based financial services firms will lose passporting rights that allow them to function in the EUs single market the worlds richest trading bloc. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/aviva-to-move-101bn-in-assets-to-dublin-as-brexit-looms-905618.html#.XGw6NZ0Z2EU.twitter 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Business investment in Wales is being paused and cancelled due to Brexit uncertainty a Welsh minister has said. Ken Skates said an unnamed manufacturer has put on hold investment in northeast Wales because of Brexit. The minister said the investment which would create 250 jobs will be lost in the event of a nodeal Brexit. He said ministers could possibly spend money on school and road building projects to stimulate economic growth if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-47294337 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Environment Secretary Michael Gove has promised that the government will apply tariffs to food imports in the event of a nodeal Brexit to provide specific and robust protections for farmers. His remarks come as the government is poised to release details of tariffs taxes on imports that would apply to thousands of products coming in from around the world if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Many supporters of Brexit argue that tariffs on food and other items should be scrapped in order to lower prices for consumers. But farmers fear that cheap imports and lower standards would destroy many parts of British agriculture. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47291378 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian In my opinion it is too late to stop Brexit. Businesses are already leaving and the damage is done. Faith in politicians is so low that seeing this through is very important to stop the rise of populism. In a way I think it would be good to leave so that people realise were better off being part of the club rather than out of it. If we leave with no deal in 12 months time we may be begging the EU to take us back. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/leave-to-remain-the-voters-who-have-changed-their-minds-over-brexit 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Some parts of the Welsh public sector have only made limited plans for a potential nodeal Brexit a public spending watchdog has warned. The Wales Audit Office WAO said councils in particular have not spent money because of the political uncertainty. Risks highlighted by public bodies include the disruption of food supplies to hospitals schools and care homes. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-47280899 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Efforts to encourage EU citizens to stay in Scotland after Brexit are to be stepped up Nicola Sturgeon has told members of the French parliament. The Scottish first minister addressed a committee of the Assemble Nationale during a visit to Paris. She said she would always make it clear that EU citizens are welcome. The Home Office is currently testing an application system for settled status in the UK which it said 100000 people had successfully taken part in so far. In January Prime Minister Theresa May announced that fees for EU nationals to apply to stay in the UK after Brexit had been scrapped although Ms Sturgeon said this was only after lobbying from other parties. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47283886 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Northern Ireland Water is stockpiling purification chemicals as part of its Brexit plan it is understood. There have been concerns that disruption in trade with the EU as a result of a hard Brexit could lead to shortages of some chemicals. Most of the chemicals that NI Water uses are manufactured in the UK or Ireland. It will nonetheless hold months worth of additional stocks at its own premises and at supplier warehouses. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47298682 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

CNBC The U.K. business minister has confirmed that a trade agreement with Japan wont be in place by the time Britain leaves the European Union. Cargo leaving Britain by sea will now be arriving at some ports after March 29th. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/19/due-to-brexit-uk-ship-heads-to-japan-with-no-guarantee-of-unloading-cargo.html 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The World Health Organization reported earlier this month that fake leukaemia medicine packaged for the UK market to look like the genuine drug Iclusig was circulating in Europe and the Americas. On all counts people in the UK are vulnerable right now. The criminals business model depends on patients taking risks. And desperate patients will buy medicines from dodgy sources for lots of reasons our research shows. If the medicine you need isnt covered by your insurance or health service you turn to the internet think of the HIVprevention pill PrEP in England and Wales for example. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/19/brexit-fake-medicines-counterfeit-drugs 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian A furry blue monster aimed at spurring companies in the Netherlands to take Brexit seriously may look slightly odd but seems to be doing a good job the Dutch government has said. The enormous Muppetlike creature unveiled in a tweet last week showing it sprawling unhelpfully across the desk of the foreign minister Stef Blok had prompted 10 times more companies to take an official Brexit scan the foreign affairs ministry said. A spokesman said on Tuesday that on the day Blok launched the campaign 6832 companies assessed the impact upon their businesses of Britains forthcoming departure from the EU at the brexitloket.nl website compared with 691 the previous day. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/19/blue-brexit-monster-dutch-businesses 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Belfast Telegraph The Irish Environment Minister has assured a government committee that they are not anticipating blackouts or power outages on either side of the border in the event of a nodeal Brexit. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/irish-government-assured-over-power-outage-fears-from-nodeal-brexit-37832414.html 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC Karin was born in Germany. After 35 years of living and working in Scotland she is now worried about her citizenship after Brexit. Charity the Fife Migrants Forum say concerns may lead many EU nationals to avoid signing up for socalled Settled Status. The Home Office insists the scheme is a simple and straightforward way of protecting the rights of those EU citizens living and working in the UK. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-47285526/karin-worries-about-her-citizenship-after-brexit-it-s-the-only-life-i-ve-ever-known 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

TheJournal.ie Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that there is enough medicine in Ireland for 8 to 12 weeks in the event of a nodeal Brexit and that people should not be stockpiling medicines as it may cause issues later on. https://www.thejournal.ie/simon-coveney-medicines-4500979-Feb2019/ 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

iNews With a nodeal Brexit looming supermarket bosses have again warned of the adverse impact it will have Stockpiling can only prepare the UK for so much as theres limited space and fresh food has a short shelf life One retail chief said it may well be that we all have to get used to canned goods like Spam https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-food-shortages-no-deal-spam-canned-peaches-leeks/ 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Sun Ministers have set up a logistics hub in Belgium to ship critical NHS supplies under a nodeal Brexit. The Department of Health has also reserved its own dedicated shipping channel from mainland Europe to the UK to ensure vital medical products get through. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8465486/medical-hub-shipping-brexit-no-deal/ 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Guardian The number of workers in the UK from elsewhere in the EU fell by 61000 at a time when the number of British and nonEU workers soared official figures show. It contrasted with an increase in the number of nonEU workers in the UK rising from 1.16 million to 1.29 million in the same period. This was an increase of 130000 compared with the equivalent period 12 months earlier and the highest number since records began in 1997. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/19/britain-eu-workforce-decline-numbers-elsewhere-soar-brexit?CMP=share_btn_tw 19th Feb 2019

Administrative Fall Out

@KnoxTony One big Brexit beneficiary is Dublin where Bank of America Citigroup and Barclays are expanding their ranks. Dublin is our headquarters for our European bank now full stop said Anne M. Finucane vice chairwoman of Bank of America... https://twitter.com/KnoxTony/status/1097412529641410560 18th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters Earlier on Tuesday reports said the Malthouse Compromise would not be included in Brexit talks between British Prime Minister May and European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker on Wednesday. However Steve Baker a member of a eurosceptic group in Mays ruling Conservative Party said the Malthouse Compromise was alive and kicking after a meeting with May on Tuesday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-compromise/uk-will-push-options-to-brexit-backstop-for-future-trading-idUKKCN1Q826U 20th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian Theresa May will present the EU with new legal proposals to solve the Irish backstop issue on Wednesday which Downing Street hopes will be enough to convince Eurosceptics to back her Brexit deal. The prime minister is travelling to Brussels to meet JeanClaude Juncker the European commission president with a plan to secure legal assurances that the backstop would not permanently bind the UK into a customs union. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/brexit-backstop-may-rules-out-malthouse-compromise 20th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

BBC It would be reckless and irresponsible to give a running commentary on changes the UK is seeking to the Northern Ireland backstop a government minister has said. Solicitor General Robert Buckland was answering MPs on sensitive Brexit negotiations taking place with the EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47295991 20th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Times On January 16 the day Theresa May saw off a vote of no confidence in her government and the one after her Brexit deal was defeated by a historic margin Mr Shuker registered a company called Gemini A Ltd which will support the Independent Group. He told friends that the company name was deliberately meant to sound like a Bond villains lair to annoy the conspiracy theorists. On February 10 the group registered a website and the venue for yesterdays launch was booked within the past week. If youre going to build a new politics its got to be the people who are currently on the field one of the MPs said. This has to be a project for current politicians and activists and people who want to build a new politics. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/labour-splitters-picked-their-moment-for-maximum-impact-lht59n8nm?utm_source=Twitter&amputm_campaign=confirm_brand_twitter&amputm_medium=paid_social&amputm_term=Henry_Zeffman&ampdclid=CjkKEQiA767jBRCIlIT7mYjAwJUBEiQA7fAah6Ue3y4nHKYSwjWIFJ90dGIaLJmdARzAV3_yDla6cSfw_wcB 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

@MrHarryCole Cabinet ministers explicitly told Malthouse Compromise wont be part of the measures put to the EU this week. https://twitter.com/MrHarryCole/status/1097875643423956992 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Herald Scotland Theresa May will meet European Commission president JeanClaude Juncker in Brussels on Wednesday commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas has said. Mr Schinas told the daily briefing for journalists in Brussels that the talks would aim to find a way through the current impasse over the Northern Ireland backstop but said the EU was not prepared to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17443736.eu-not-prepared-to-re-open-the-withdrawal-agreement-ahead-of-theresa-may-visit/?ref=twtrec 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Independent Britain is likely to delay Brexit because of the lack of a deal former EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said. Mr Barroso who ran the blocs executive from 2004 to 2014 said it would be right for the EU27 to accept any request for an extension. Theresa May has repeatedly said she would not extend the Article 50 period which expires on 29 March and that nodeal is better than a bad deal. MPs have however voted in principle https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-brexit-delay-article-50-eu-talks-trade-deal-jose-manuel-barroso-a8786776.html 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The New European Matt Hancock sidestepped calls to confirm he would resign to block a nodeal Brexit as he revealed the cost of NHS contingency planning. The health secretary said around 11 million of taxpayers cash has been spent so far adding there have been costs to the pharmaceutical industry due to stockpiling of medicines. Hancock also attempted to reassure people with diabetes after insisting the two major providers of insulin have made stockpiles of at least 12 weeks double that requested by the Government for other medicines https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/health-secretary-matt-hancock-asked-to-quit-to-block-no-deal-brexit-1-5898422 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Sun Theresa May last night dumped hitech plans to solve the Brexit deadlock amid hopes of an imminent breakthrough with Brussels. The PM told Cabinet it was not plausible to pursue the socalled Malthouse Compromise pushing for alternative arrangements to the hated Irish backstop by March 29. Sources claimed a new agreement on the backstop such as a timelimit could even be struck with the EU this weekend following talks between Theresa May and Commission boss Jean Claude Juncker on Wednesday night. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/8464122/theresa-may-ditches-hi-tech-brexit-plans/ 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Isle of Wight News Two of the Hampshires biggest councils are preparing for the impacts of Brexit with traffic misery forecast if no deal is reached. This it has been predicted will come from disruptions at both Southamptons and Portsmouths ports. Last week the nodeal Brexit plans for Portsmouth were likened to a Dads Army comedy. This week Southampton City Council will consider the impact of a nodeal Brexit. https://onthewight.com/mainland-councils-predicting-traffic-misery-at-ports-in-their-no-deal-brexit-plans-what-about-iwc/ 19th Feb 2019

Political Shenanigans

Evening Standard Up to three Conservative MPs are preparing to cross the floor to join the new Independent Group of MPs it emerged today. The bombshell could come as early as tomorrow morning the day of Tory leader Theresa Mays weekly Prime Ministers Questions appearance. Chuka Umunna one of the seven MPs who quit Labour to form the new centreground group yesterday issued a rallying cry to Tories demoralised by the Ukipisation if you like of the Conservative Party. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/up-to-three-tories-could-join-new-independent-group-of-mps-a4070431.html 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Economic uncertainties after Brexit could make the UK more vulnerable to Chinese interference with Beijing using a variety of means to infiltrate Britains power structures a leading thinktank has warned. There has been little focus in Britain on how China preys on targeted countries and there is a need for a cohesive programme to counter it according to a report by the Royal United Services Institute which charts the tactics used by the ruling Chinese Communist Party CCP to achieve its aims. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-china-interference-counter-intelligence-security-service-brexit-eu-asia-africa-tech-huawei-a8786876.html 20th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News The shadow chancellor called for dialogue with the newlyformed independent group as questions abound of more Labour MPs jumping ship over the partys Brexit policy and antisemitism https://news.sky.com/story/labour-split-john-mcdonnell-denies-further-defections-could-be-as-high-as-30-11641781 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian The director of BBC Scotland Donalda MacKinnon has said she wants to convince critics the corporation has no agenda as a row about prounion bias on Question Time escalated. Speaking before the launch of a 32m dedicated television channel in Scotland the cornerstone of the BBCs efforts to address complaints from SNP politicians TV companies and viewers that it has neglected Scottish audiences MacKinnon acknowledged that despite high consumption of BBC content in Scotland higher than anywhere else in the UK perceptions remain lower https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/18/bbc-scotland-director-donalda-mackinnon-question-time 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC The Conservative Party is being manipulated by Brexit zealots and the mainstream majority of MPs must reassert itself to stop a damaging EU exit Sir John Major is to argue. In a lecture in Glasgow the former prime minister will urge Parliament to dig deep into its soul and act before the scheduled departure on 29 March. Brexit will cost billions and risk the breakup of the UK he will say. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47296593 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Evening Standard Theresa Mays de facto deputy warned today that a nodeal Brexit could encourage the breakup of the UK piling pressure on Rightwingers to back the Prime Ministers plans if Brussels makes a concession on the Northern Ireland border backstop. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington raised expectations that Tory MPs will be urged to support Mrs Mays Brexit blueprint if the European Union offers limited legal assurances on the backstop. A codicil or addendum to the withdrawal agreement might enable Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to argue that the threat of the UK being indefinitely subject to EU rules has been curtailed. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nodeal-could-break-up-uk-deputy-pm-tells-hard-brexiteers-a4069701.html 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The New European Beginning the feature on Brexit he explained Its now been twoandahalf years since the UK voted to leave the EU. The long story short of is there was a bus with a lie on it people made a massively consequential decision by a narrow margin and the subject of the impending Brexit has dominated every waking moment in British life. People in Britain are completely exhausted by Brexit talk and the crazy thing is it hasnt even happened yet. Although it has had big effects on the British economy. In the wake of the Brexit vote the UK has become one of the worst performing economies in the G7 major companies like Nissan and Dyson are moving operations out of Britain and the pound has dropped by almost by 14. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/hbos-john-oliver-takes-down-brexit-1-5897828 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News A Conservative minister has warned Tory eurosceptics they are tarnishing the party amid reports a trio of MPs could quit and join a new independent grouping in parliament. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood attacked the European Research Group ERG of Conservative Brexiteers for their actions which he claimed were threatening to poison the party. He also added to speculation Tory MPs could join a group of seven former Labour MPs who this week walked out of their party and formed a new group in the House of Commons. https://news.sky.com/story/tory-minister-blasts-brexiteers-for-tarnishing-party-amid-claims-conservative-mps-could-quit-11642101 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Times A Labour MP has come under attack after suggesting that the seven MPs who quit the party might be secretly funded by Israel. The group including Luciana Berger the MP for Liverpool Wavertree who is Jewish announced yesterday that they were resigning over Jeremy Corbyns handling of antisemitism in the party as well as Brexit. Ruth George the MP for High Peak today posted on social media that support from the State of Israel which supports both Conservative and Labour Friends of Israel of which Luciana was chair is possible. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-split-antisemitism-row-over-mp-ruth-george-s-israel-funding-comments-mrk8cr5hd?utm_medium=Social&amputm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1550596557 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Jeremy Hunt has seized on Labours split claiming to European foreign ministers it proved that only concessions to win round Conservative rightwingers will get the Brexit deal through the Commons. During a frenetic day of lobbying in Brussels the foreign secretary privately counselled his EU counterparts that the opposition could not be relied upon even if the government pivoted to backing a customs union. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/brexit-labour-jeremy-hunt-eu 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Scotsman A nodeal Brexit would seriously harm the UKs farmers Michael Gove has admitted. The Environment Secretary told the National Farmers Union NFU conference that there was no absolute guarantee that British farmers could export any of their produce to the EU in a nodeal scenario and would face punishing tariffs even if they could. Mr Gove also dismissed speculation that the UK Government could slash tariffs on food imports after Brexit an idea hinted at by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/brexit-michael-gove-admits-farmers-may-never-recover-from-no-deal-1-4875463 19th Feb 2019

Political Setbacks

The Star One of Sheffields MPs has been forced to apologise after sparking a racism row on the day she left the Labour party. Angela Smith who represents Penistone and Stocksbridge quit Labour along with six more of the partys members of parliament in a major blow for leader Jeremy Corbyn. https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-mp-apologises-after-comments-on-skin-colour-spark-racism-row-1-9602268 18th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

BBC The UK has so far only agreed six deals. These include relaxing certain rules reducing taxes tariffs on imports and exports or granting easier market access. The government estimates that about 11 of UK trade relies on the EUs agreements with 70 countries. The continuity agreements the UK has struck are Israel 18 February Palestinian Authority 18 February Switzerland signed 11 February The Faroe Islands 1 February Eastern and Southern Africa 31 January Chile 30 January https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47213842 19th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Financial Times The UK will struggle to conclude the same high quality free trade deals as the European Union due to its small size and continuing uncertainty over Brexit the EUs agriculture commissioner has said. Phil Hogan who was visiting Australia for talks on an EUAustralia free trade agreement also warned that a nodeal Brexit would result in a big jump in food prices in the UK a move that would cause the public to punish those responsible at the ballot box. Size matters in trade Phil Hogan told the FT in an interview. Five hundred million customers will always resonate more with a third country when they want to do a trade deal with the EU rather than 65m. This is what Mr Liam Fox is finding out as he travels around the world. Japan recently told him Come back to us when we see the implementation of the EU deal. https://www.ft.com/content/1f8cbbf2-334b-11e9-bd3a-8b2a211d90d5?segmentId=92536be1-65e9-397d-a4d5-a385d985496e 19th Feb 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

@LiamFox Our trade continuity agreement with the Palestinian Authority will help give UK and Palestinian businesses exporters and consumers the certainty they need to continue trading freely as the UK prepares to leave the EU. @AbeerOdeh11 https://twitter.com/LiamFox/status/1097919464245465089 19th Feb 2019