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Brexit: the UK has left the European Union

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The chancellor has told businesses there will not be alignment with EU rules after Brexit and urged them to "adjust" to the new reality.

Sajid Javid delivered a tough message to businesses, saying: "There will be an impact on business one way or the other; some will benefit, some won't."

In an interview with the Financial Times he also said that manufacturers seeking to stay in step with EU regulations would not receive support from the treasury.

Mr Javid told the newspaper: "There will not be alignment, we will not be a ruletaker, we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union - and we will do this by the end of the year."

The chancellor aims to boost Britain's annual economic growth rate to 2.7%-2.8% after Britain leaves the EU - around twice its current underlying rate.

But Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, urged him not to take a hardline approach. She said: "There are areas where the UK can benefit from its future right to diverge from EU regulation. However we urge government not to treat this right as an obligation to diverge.

"For some firms, divergence brings value, but for many others, alignment supports jobs and competitiveness."

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "Tory promises of frictionless trade post Brexit prior to the election have now been exposed as not being worth the paper they were written on.

"There are now real fears about food price increases and threats to jobs in the motor industry and manufacturing. This is right wing ideology overriding common sense."

Mr Javid's message comes as Boris Johnson promises to celebrate Brexit night on 31 January with light shows, Union Jack flags flying and a clock counting down to 11pm - but no Big Ben bongs.

The prime minister will make a special TV address to the nation, the cabinet will meet in the north of England and a commemorative Brexit coin will come into circulation the following day.

But to the dismay of Brexiteer Tory MPs, Downing Street has confirmed that the celebrations will not include the chiming of the Big Ben bell - currently out of service - inside Parliament's Elizabeth Tower.

Despite nearly half the £500,000 cost being donated after the PM called on the public to "bung a bob for a Big Ben bong", the House of Commons authorities have thwarted the crowdfunding campaign.

A Downing Street statement said: "31 January is a significant moment in our history as the United Kingdom leaves the EU and regains its independence.

"The government intends to use this as a moment to heal divisions, re-unite communities and look forward to the country that we want to build over the next decade.

"In the evening, the prime minister is expected to speak to the nation in a special address.

"No 10 is set to mark the hour itself with a light display in Downing Street, including a clock counting down to 11pm projected on to the black bricks of Downing Street. Buildings around Whitehall will also be lit up.

"In response to public calls, the Union Jack will be flown on all of the flag poles in Parliament Square.

"The commemorative Brexit coin will also come into circulation on the day we leave the EU. The prime minister is expected to be one of the first to receive the new coin on the day, which reads 'Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations'."

The announcement came at the end of a week in which critics claimed the handling of the preparations by the government and the commons authorities had descended into a fiasco.

After the PM's "bung a bob" proposal in a TV interview on Tuesday, pro-Brexit MPs and campaigners launched an appeal to raise the £500,000 which Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle claimed the bongs would cost.

Government sources blamed the "intransigence" of the Commons authorities for the deadlock and some pro-Brexit ministers claimed the commission's block on the bongs was a "Remainer plot".

Millionaire Arron Banks and the Leave Means Leave group have donated £50,000 to the Big Ben crowdfunding campaign, which has now raised more than £240,000.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage hit out at the prime minister over his handling of the Big Ben issue and his response to the bongs campaign led by Brexiteer Tory MP Mark Francois.

"Boris Johnson has misled people into donating money into the Mark Francois initiative and I should think people are pretty angry about that," said Mr Farage.

Greg: How people only care about climate change if they're affected.

'Big Ben chiming would be provocative'
"And on a bigger level, why is it the government has no intention of marking or celebrating Brexit at all - when after all, this was the issue that won them the election and gave them a majority?

"And it seems to me they are embarrassed by Brexit and it makes me ask the question how much they really believe in it."

He said the lack of support for the Big Ben campaign was a very worrying sign, adding: "I can see us being mocked all over the world: 'Britain leaves the EU and they can't even get a clock to ring'."

The Brexit Party leader said he did not think ringing Big Ben would be seen as triumphalist, but as an "important symbol to mark a big moment in our history".


https://news.sky.com/story/pm-to-gi...hancellor-tells-businesses-to-adjust-11911290
 
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Plans to stop following European Union rules after Brexit are "deeply flawed", the Welsh Government has said.

Counsel General Jeremy Miles said the UK government's planned approach "could result in lost jobs and lost investment in Wales".

Chancellor Sajid Javid MP has vowed to end alignment with EU rules after Brexit.

Businesses have warned that the UK government's approach could affect jobs and result in higher food prices.

But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Javid said the UK would not be a "rule-taker" after Brexit, urging businesses to "adjust".

He declined to specify which EU rules he wanted to drop, but said some businesses would benefit from Brexit, while others would not.

After the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January, there will be an 11-month transition period in which the UK will continue to follow EU rules and contribute to its budget.

The UK and EU are set to negotiate a new trading relationship during the transition period.

The new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has previously said the "more divergence" from the EU's rule book the "more distant the partnership" with the UK will be.

Following the Welsh Government's own analysis of the UK government's approach to the next phase of the negotiations, Mr Miles said: "The evidence is clear that the further the UK moves away from economic integration with the EU, the greater the economic damage.

"The EU has been and will continue to be our most important trading partner and many businesses depend on integrated supply chains across the EU, which require frictionless trade.

"Given the overwhelming importance of the EU to our economy, the UK must prioritise continued barrier-free access to these markets over trade arrangements with other countries."

'Lost jobs'
The Neath AM said the Welsh Government would continue to challenge the approach that puts the freedom to diverge "above the well-being of the people of Wales".

"Such an approach would be deeply flawed and could result in lost jobs and lost investment in Wales," he added.

On Tuesday, assembly members will vote on whether to give consent to the proposed law put forward by Boris Johnson to enact the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January.

AMs are likely to withhold consent following the Welsh Government's recommendation that AMs should vote down the Brexit bill.

A UK government spokeswoman said: "International trade negotiations are reserved to the UK government, and we will negotiate on behalf of the whole of the UK.

"We will continue to work closely with all of the devolved administrations."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-51169161
 
Boris Johnson has suffered a defeat in the House of Lords as peers backed an amendment to his Brexit legislation.

The upper chamber backed a cross-party amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on the issue of EU citizens' rights, by 270 votes to 229.

It calls for EU citizens lawfully residing in Britain to be allowed physical proof of their status.

Around three million EU citizens live in the UK - and they have until at least July 2021 to make an application for settled status.

The scheme aims to help EU citizens and their families live and work in the UK once freedom of movement comes to an end as a result of Brexit.

This is the first defeat for the government in the Lords since December's general election.

The vote means the legislation will have to go back to the Commons.

However, Mr Johnson's large Commons majority of 80 will ensure that the amendment is overturned.

But its passage does indicate the strength of feeling among peers on the issue.

It came on the same day that the Northern Ireland's assembly rejected the government's EU withdrawal bill - although the decision will not actually affect Britain's exit from the EU on 31 January.

Lord Oates, a Liberal Democrat peer, warned that a lack of physical documentation would leave EU citizens "severely disadvantaged" in dealings with landlords, airlines, employers and other officials.

He rejected claims that the amendment was an attempt to challenge Brexit or "frustrate" the bill.

Lord Oates said EU citizens who have settled status should be able to obtain physical proof of their status, rather than the digital-only proof they currently receive.

Those who have successfully claimed settled status have received confirmation by email - but the letter specified it was not legal proof of their status.

In some cases, citizens have been told to use a screenshot of their confirmation on their phone as proof.

Labour peer Lord McNichol said the party was "far from convinced" about the government's handling of the issue and would vote against them unless concessions were granted.

But Home Office minister Baroness Williams claimed the amendment could lead to "ID card creep" - and said the current system was robust and reliable.

She also warned that physical documents could be lost, stolen or tampered with.

"The government is adamant that we must avoid the situation where years down the line EU citizens who have built their lives here find themselves struggling to prove their rights and entitlements in the UK," she said.

https://news.sky.com/story/boris-jo...s-first-defeat-in-the-house-of-lords-11913687
 
Members of the European Parliament are bidding farewell to UK colleagues ahead of a final vote on the Brexit deal.

The withdrawal agreement is expected to be signed off in Brussels later.

Some MEPs have marked the occasion with songs - others wore "always united" scarves. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the UK: "We will always love you."

But Eurosceptics, including the Brexit Party's Nigel Farage, used their speeches to tear into the EU.

The UK is due to leave the bloc at 23:00 GMT on Friday.

Ratification of the withdrawal agreement, agreed by the UK and EU in October, is not in doubt after it easily cleared its committee stage last week.

Departing British members are expected to be serenaded by their colleagues in a special ceremony after the vote, which is due at 17.00 GMT.

The session sees those on either side of the Brexit debate, including the UK's 73 MEPs, celebrate or lament the end of British EU membership.

The Parliament's Brexit spokesman, Guy Verhofstadt, said it was "sad to see a country leaving that has twice given its blood to liberate Europe".

He added that British MEPs had brought "wit, charm, and intelligence" as well as "stubbornness", and would be missed.

Mrs von der Leyen says ratification of the withdrawal deal was "only a first step" towards a new partnership between the EU and the UK.

She says the two should "join forces" in areas such as climate change, and seek a close partnership following the UK's exit on Friday.

The EU president finished her speech by saying: "We will always love you, and we will not be far. Long live Europe."

Conservative MEP and prominent Eurosceptic Daniel Hannan said opinion in Britain turned against the bloc when it became clear "the aspiration was to have the EU as a quasi-state".

"If at any stage Britain had been able to have a trade-only relationship that would have been enough," he went on, but added: "You are losing a bad tenant and gaining a good neighbour."

Mr Farage used his final speech to excoriate the EU, branding it "anti-democratic".

He has been campaigning for the UK's exit since before he was first elected to the Brussels Parliament in 1999.

"I want Brexit to start a debate right across Europe - what do we want from Europe?" Mr Farage said, arguing that "trade, friendship, co-operation and reciprocity" between nations could be achieved without "all of these institutions and all of this power".

He and his fellow Brexit Party MEPs waved Union flags before walking out of the chamber en masse.

A tearful Molly Scott Cato was applauded and hugged by her colleagues after she spoke of her "grief and regret" at Brexit and the hope she would return to the European Parliament "one day".

"While now is not the time to campaign to rejoin the EU, we must keep the dream alive," the Green Party MEP said.

Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts said the EU must learn lessons from the UK's decision to leave.

He said the bloc had to "regain the hearts and minds of European citizens" by focusing on what it could do for the many, not the few.

Earlier, the S&D coalition, which houses Labour's 10 MEPs, displayed a sign aimed at departing British members, which read: "It's not goodbye, it's au revoir."

European Parliament President David Sassoli, also a member of the group, joined the group in a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

On Tuesday evening, several MEPs in the Green group also held a ceremony to mark the UK's departure.

While Brexit Party MEPs spoke of their joy and relief at leaving, others shared messages of sadness on social media as they prepared to vote for the last time.

Liberal Democrats shared pictures of gifts from the pro-European Renew Europe group.

The Green Party's Alexandra Phillips tweeted: "I'm devastated to be leaving the best job in the world. I get to make real change every day while being surrounded by 27 different languages and cultures."

The EU's negotiators have kept the European Parliament on board throughout the Brexit process.

Its main committees have given their approval. So it's inevitable that the deal will be endorsed. Instead of a moment of jeopardy, this is likely to be the highest profile event in the EU's distinctly low-key goodbye to the UK.

Expect speeches that praise EU unity and describe the UK's departure as a regrettable mistake. A German MEP is planning a sing-a-long to Auld Lang Syne. The SNP group have arranged for a piper to play them out of the building.

In the meantime, the 73 British members are packing their belongings into their regulation-issue 15 cardboard boxes.

The main send-off will happen on Friday, when the president of the European Parliament will deliver a joint statement alongside the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

The British flag that flutters outside the parliamentary premises will be lowered in the early hours of Saturday morning, before it's displayed in a museum.

After the UK leaves, there will be an 11-month transition period in which the two sides hope to negotiate their future economic relationship.

Trade talks are expected to begin in earnest in early March. The European Parliament will also get a say in ratifying any future trade deal.

The UK has insisted talks should not extend beyond 31 December 2020 when a transition period - which will see the UK follow EU rules - comes to an end.

President Sassoli told CNN on Tuesday that the timetable for a deal was tight.

He said the UK's exit would be "painful" for the bloc but building a new partnership based upon friendly co-operation and mutual interests was now essential.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51287430
 
We have a 19 year old student interning from Brussels.

I feel more then a little embarrassed when the topic of Brexit comes up...
 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hail the "dawn of a new era" later, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union after 47 years.

In a speech to be shown at 22:00 GMT - an hour before the official departure time - he will say Brexit is "not an end but a beginning".

He will describe severing ties with the other 27 EU nations as "a moment of real national renewal and change".

Little will change immediately, as the UK begins a "transition period".

Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until the end of December, by which time the UK aims to have reached a permanent free trade agreement with the EU.

In a statement, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the country not to "turn inwards" and instead "build a truly internationalist, diverse and outward-looking Britain".

Brexit was originally scheduled for 31 March last year but was repeatedly delayed when MPs rejected a previous withdrawal agreement reached by the EU and former Prime Minister Theresa May.

Mr Johnson was able to get his own deal through Parliament after winning December's general election with a House of Commons majority of 80, on a pledge to "get Brexit done".

This brought to an end more than three years of political wrangling, following the referendum of 2016, in which 52% of voters backed leaving the EU.

To mark Brexit, Mr Johnson will hold a cabinet meeting in Sunderland - the city that was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum - on Friday morning.

The prime minister - who led the 2016 campaign to get the UK out of the EU - will attempt to strike an optimistic, non-triumphalist note in his speech, stressing the need to bring all sides together.

"The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning," he will say.

"This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. It is a moment of real national renewal and change."

In his address, filmed in Downing Street, Mr Johnson will also say: "This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances - your family's life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.

"This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up."

Supporters of the EU are expected to take part in a procession through Whitehall at 15:00 GMT to "bid a fond farewell" to the union.

Later, Brexiteers will gather in Parliament Square for a celebration, and a clock counting down to the moment the UK leaves the EU will be projected on to Downing Street.

Buildings along Whitehall will be lit up and Union flags will be flown from all the poles in Parliament Square.

A new commemorative 50p coin will also come into circulation to mark the UK's withdrawal.

However, Big Ben will not chime at 23:00 GMT due to ongoing renovation works - despite a fundraising effort led by Conservative MP Mark Francois.

In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum.

The Belgian capital has already dressed its famous Mannekin Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume, in a Union flag waistcoat.

The city's Grande Place was illuminated in red, white and blue, in what organisers called a tribute to the ongoing friendship between the UK and EU countries.

In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned.

The Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations, and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland.

And in a speech in Edinburgh later, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to say Scotland has been "taken out of the European Union against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland".

She will argue that Scotland has "the prospect of a brighter, better future as an equal, independent European nation".

'Crossroads'
Ahead of the historic moment, Mr Corbyn, who is due to stand down as Labour leader in April, said the UK was "at a crossroads".

"Britain's place in the world will change - the question is what direction we now take," he said.

"We can build a truly internationalist, diverse and outward-looking Britain. Or we can turn inwards, and trade our principles, rights and standards to secure hastily arranged, one-sided, race-to-the-bottom trade deals with Donald Trump and others."

He promised Labour would "hold the government to account every step of the way: to ensure jobs and living standards, rights at work, and consumer and environmental standards are protected as part of whatever is negotiated with the EU, the US or any other country".

Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey vowed his pro-EU party would "never stop fighting" to have the "closest possible relationship" with Europe.

He said it would be on a "damage-limitation exercise to stop a hard Brexit hurting British people".

One long-standing pro-Brexit campaigner Conservative MP Steve Baker said he would "celebrate discreetly… in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51315772
 
Dawn of a new era. All very exciting!

People need to realise we are leaving a political union, not European geography!

:)
 
A sad day and will accelerate Britian’s demise.

Empire is no longer there, people should have realised that 70 years ago.
 
Britain is preparing to leave the European Union at 23:00 GMT with a mixture of celebration and regret.

Pro and anti-Brexit protesters have been making their voices heard at events across the country.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who led the 2016 Leave campaign - will call for the nation to come together in a video message at 22:00 GMT.

He will hail a "new dawn" for the UK, as European leaders warn of a tough battle ahead in trade talks.

Anti-Brexit campaigners earlier staged a march past Downing Street, to "bid a fond farewell" to the union.

Hundreds of pro-Brexit campaigners are holding a celebration rally in nearby Parliament Square, which is lined with Union flags.

A music system was set up on the back of a lorry, with people dancing in a closed-off section of the road, while others gathered around the statue of Sir Winston Churchill.

The event will see speeches by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who successfully campaigned for the 2016 referendum, among others.

A clock counting down to the moment the UK leaves the EU will be projected on to Downing Street.

But Big Ben will not chime at 23:00 GMT due to ongoing renovation works, despite a campaign by Brexiteers for the famous "bongs" to be sounded.

In Scotland, which voted to remain in the UK, rallies and candlelit vigils are taking place, with protesters outside the Scottish Parliament, in Edinburgh, chanting: "We don't want your Brexit".

UK citizens will notice few immediate changes as the country officially leaves the EU, after 47 years of membership.

Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end.

The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU - along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada - by that deadline.

Mr Johnson earlier held a Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, in north-east England - the city that was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the referendum.

In Brussels, the British flag has been removed from its pole outside the European Parliament and replaced with the flag of the European Union.

Officials remove the British flag at European Union Council in Brussels

Britain voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but wrangling over how to implement the result, or whether there should be another referendum, brought Parliament to a standstill.

Mr Johnson managed to secure an early general election in December last year, which he won with an 80 seat majority, on a promise to "get Brexit done".

But opinion polls suggest the UK public remains deeply divided over the issue.

In his video message, an hour before Britain's official departure, Mr Johnson will say: "The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning.

"This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. It is a moment of real national renewal and change."

Emmanuel Macron has delivered his own address to the nation in France, describing Brexit as an "alarm signal" which should be heard across the EU.

The French president said: "At midnight, for the first time in 70 years, a country will leave the European Union.

"It is a historic alarm signal that must be heard in each of our countries."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid tribute to UK citizens who had "contributed to the European Union and made it stronger".

Upcoming trade negotiations would be "fair" but each side would fight for its interests, she added.

But European Council President Charles Michel warned: "The more the UK will diverge from the EU standards, the less access to the single market it will have."

Washington's ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, said Brexit had been "long supported" by President Donald Trump.

America's "special relationship" with the UK "will endure, flourish and grow even stronger in this exciting new era which Britain is now beginning," said Mr Johnson in a statement.

He acknowledged there will be occasional "disagreements", but added: "Now that the UK is back in control of its own trade policy, we look forward to achieving a broad free trade agreement that will increase prosperity and create jobs in both our countries."

Anti-Brexit campaigners have, meanwhile, demanded Northern Ireland - where a majority voted to remain in the EU - continues to have a voice in the EU after the UK leaves. at a series of protests at the border.

In a speech in Edinburgh, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland was being "taken out of the European Union against the wishes of the overwhelming majority" of its people.

Speaking in Cardiff, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales, which voted to leave the EU, remained a "European nation".

Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey vowed his pro-EU party would "never stop fighting" to have the "closest possible relationship" with Europe and try to prevent a "hard Brexit hurting British people".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51333314
 
The best slogan I saw today, I believe from one of the Scottish rallies: "Migrants in! Tories out!" must admit, that made me chuckle.
 
The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum.

The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests.

Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square.

Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and "take us forward".

In a message released on social media an hour before the UK's departure, the prime minister said: "For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come.

"And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss.

"And then of course there is a third group - perhaps the biggest - who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end.

"I understand all those feelings and our job as the government - my job - is to bring this country together now and take us forward."

He said that "for all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this country".

"The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning," he said, and "a moment of real national renewal and change".

Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs across the UK as the country counted down to its official departure.

Hundreds gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit, singing patriotic songs and cheering speeches from leading Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage.

The Brexit Party leader said: "Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before.

"This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation."

Pro-EU demonstrators earlier staged a march in Whitehall to bid a "fond farewell" to the union - and anti-Brexit rallies and candlelit vigils were held in Scotland.

Other symbolic moments on a day of mixed emotions included:

The Union flag being removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels
The Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced
A light show illuminating 10 Downing Street and Union flags lining The Mall
A 50p coin to mark the occasion entering circulation
Image copyrightPA MEDIA
Image caption
A pro-EU group earlier projected a message onto the White Cliffs of Dover
In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Irish Republic.

At 2300 GMT, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a picture of the EU flag, adding: "Scotland will return to the heart of Europe as an independent country - #LeaveALightOnForScotland"

Speaking in Cardiff, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales, which voted to leave the EU, remained a "European nation".

What now? It's happened.

A dreary night didn't discourage those celebrating in Parliament Square. We wake this morning out of the European Union. But we follow their rules until the end of the year, without a say.

We are separate after more than 40 years, but remember much of the status quo will hold for now - the UK and the EU, the awkward couple, finally divorced - but still sharing a house and the bills.

But what the prime minister hails as a new era, a bright new dawn, starts months of hard bargaining with our neighbours across the Channel.

The UK's requests: a free trade agreement, cooperation on security, and new arrangements for fishing are just some of the vital arguments that lie ahead.

What happens now?
UK citizens will notice few immediate changes now that the country is no longer in the European Union.

Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end.

The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada.

But European leaders have warned that the UK faces a tough battle to get a deal by that deadline.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said Britain and Brussels will fight for their interests in trade talks.

She paid tribute to UK citizens who had "contributed to the European Union and made it stronger" and said the UK's final day in the EU was "emotional".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51333314
 
Boris Johnson is to say he won't accept alignment with EU rules when Britain negotiates a trade deal with Brussels.

The prime minister will use a speech on Monday to toughen his stance ahead of trade talks following the UK's formal withdrawal from the bloc.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will also set out his approach to the talks, which are due to start next month.

It comes as European leaders expressed sadness at the UK's official departure from the EU on Friday.

In what is being described as a comprehensive speech, Mr Johnson will tell the European Union he is prepared to accept customs checks at Britain's borders if he cannot secure the sort of trade deal he wants.

One option the PM could support would be a Canada-style free-trade deal which allows tariff-free trade for the majority of goods, but not include the UK's dominant service industry.

Reports in recent days have suggested EU chiefs want the UK to continue to follow Brussels-made rules on standards and state subsidies - while accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in any trade disputes.

The government is understood to be angry about perceived attempts by Brussels to go back on an agreement struck in October as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Sunday Telegraph first reported.

The PM is expected to tell the EU in the speech that he will accept no alignment, no jurisdiction of the European courts, and no concessions to any Brussels' demands when talks start in March.

He is also preparing to rule out relaxing rules on workers' rights, food hygiene standards and environmental protections.

The government also wants to make progress in striking free trade agreements with countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The EU's own approach to the negotiations needs to be agreed by all 27 member states - which would be unlikely to happen before the end of February.

While the UK officially left the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday, it will remain wedded to EU rules during a transition period which ends in December this year.

The UK can request an extension to this transition period, but Mr Johnson has previously said he will not do so.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday that everyone would be a winner in the end - and that a trade deal with the EU was possible by the end of 2020.

"It can be done," he said.

'Deeply sad'
Meanwhile French President Emmanuel Macron has said in an open letter he was "deeply sad" by Britain's official departure from the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday.

Mr Macron wrote that the UK was leaving the EU, not Europe.

"Nor are you becoming detached from France or the friendship of its people," he said.

"The Channel has never managed to separate our destinies; Brexit will not do so, either."

And the EU Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt responded to a message which had been projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover by a pro-EU group.

"We will look after your star and work to ensure the EU is a project you'll want to be a part of again soon," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51345776
 
HEYY said:
Its finally happened! Happy Independence day to everyone in UK.
Click to expand...

I don’t feel Independent, I feel disconnected and bereft of my rights as a European citizen.
 
And now this....


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A poster pinned on doors of a tower block telling residents to only speak English is being treated as a "racially aggravated public order incident" by police.

The signs, carrying the title "Happy Brexit Day", were found stuck on fire doors across all floors of Winchester Tower in Norwich on Friday morning.

It told residents of the flats that "we do not tolerate" people speaking languages other than English in the building.

Norfolk Police confirmed they were investigating the incident after officers visited the block on Saturday night after all the posters had been taken down.

In a statement, the force said: "Those posters kept by residents have since been seized for forensic inquiries and we will be working with the council to examine any available CCTV.

"There is no place in society for hatred and intolerance. Nobody should have to face intimidation because of who they are and it is more important than ever that we stand together in the face of hostility.

"We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure as they go about their lives.

"The matter is being dealt with as a racially aggravated public order incident and anyone with information which could help officers with enquiries should contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting crime reference 36/7964/20."

The posters, images of which were shared on social media, were first spotted on the day the UK officially left the EU and said: "We finally have our great country back".

Police said no arrests had been made.

It added: "We do not tolerate people speaking other languages than English in the flats.

"We are now our own country again and the the Queens (sic) English is the spoken tongue here.

"If you do want to speak whatever is the mother tongue of the country you came from then we suggest you return to that place and return your flat to the council."

Writing on Twitter on Saturday, Norwich City Council said: “You may have seen a photo of a poster that has appeared in one of our properties.

“Norwich has a proud history of being a welcoming city, and we will not tolerate this behaviour.

“As soon as we became aware of this incident, we reported it to @NorfolkPolice and they are investigating.

“We take this very seriously and encourage residents to contact us or the police if they have any concerns.”

According to the BBC, which spoke to a resident, the signs were left on fire doors across all 15 floors of the block of flats before being removed by the caretaker.

Mike Stonard, a cabinet member on Norwich City Council, told the Eastern Daily Press: “I absolutely condemn this abhorrent poster. Whoever put it there has committed a hate crime, it is as simple as that.

“Many people voted for Brexit for a range of different reasons, however I am sure not many of them will condone this kind of thing.”

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-02-02...k-residents-speak-english-reported-to-police/
 
I live in the States so take my opinions with a grain of salt but I would think that a organization as controlling as EU this should be a welcome change, don't really know what's the big deal
 
Brexit provides chance to deepen Pak-UK trade ties

Brexit – the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) – that took place last Friday has provided an opportunity to further strengthen and widen trade and investment ties between Pakistan and Britain.

“Brexit and our departure from the European Union provides a catalyst…to boost trade both ways. It is an excellent opportunity for the UK and Pakistan to deepen trade ties,” Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan Simon Penney said while talking to a group of journalists at the British Deputy High Commission, Karachi on Monday.

“It (Islamabad) is already a very, very important trading relationship…we believe it (trade and investment relationship) has a significant potential to grow further,” he said. He said bilateral trade between the two countries grew to £3.1 billion, which was in favour of Islamabad as its exports to London stood at £1.9 billion in the year ended December 2018. “Bilateral trade volume can easily be doubled,” he stressed.
Trade volume between the two countries also grew during the year ended December 2019. The UK department concerned is yet to publish the updated numbers.

Two-way trade has been growing at 6% per annum. “The UK is Pakistan’s third largest export market globally just behind the US and China,” he said.

He pointed out that the EU had not necessarily prevented the UK from doing trade and business. “But now Brexit allows the UK to focus more on…countries outside the EU. The IMF has forecast 90% economic growth will occur outside the EU over the next 10 years,” he said.

British Deputy Commissioner Trade Director for Pakistan Mike Nithavrianakis, who accompanied Penney, said there was a significant positive change in Pakistan, which was well acknowledged by the countries around the globe.

“Members of the British royal family recently paid a visit to Pakistan. International cricket is resuming here; Sri Lanka (came to play) first of all and now Bangladesh. British Airways restarted flights to Pakistan after almost a decade…These all are very positive aspects happening on the ground,” Nithavrianakis said.

He acknowledged that the security situation had improved a lot in Pakistan, especially in the city of ports – Karachi. “There is 80% reduction in terrorism and other associated political violence. Something positive is happening on the ground,” he said.

GSP Plus status

Speaking about the GSP Plus status which the EU member countries granted to Pakistan a few years ago, Penney said Brexit had changed nothing about the GSP Plus status for Pakistan. “Our ambitions remain the same as they were before Friday (when Brexit happened). During the transition period (from now till the end of December 2020), we will continue to trade on the same basis as we did before Friday,” he said.

Islamabad has been exporting a number of products at almost zero duty under the special trade status to EU member countries and the UK for the past several years. Textile remains the largest export product for the European countries.

UK investment

Nithavrianakis said several big British firms were already operating in Pakistan. Unilever Pakistan has recently concluded investment worth $120 million to expand its volumetric production in the country.

GSK in the pharmaceutical sector has also made fresh investment to expand its manufacturing line. Shell Pakistan is looking to enter the LNG sector here, he said.

British Airways (BA) may consider beginning commercial flights from Karachi and Lahore after Islamabad in June last year as there was growing keenness among people to fly with BA from other cities of the country, he said.

“Existing companies are here for decades and decades to come,” he said. Penney acknowledged that Pakistan had gained 28 places in the World Bank’s (WB) Ease of Doing Business Index as all reforms were positive.

He, however, stressed that Islamabad needed to bring consistency in the regulatory environment. “Inconsistency in regulation has remained a big concern for several other UK firms while deciding whether to invest in Pakistan or not,” he said.

Penney revealed that there were only 135 UK-based companies operating in Pakistan compared to around 5,000 in the UAE. He acknowledged that there was a huge potential for Pakistan to attract more UK firms not only from Britain, but the UK-based firms operating in the UAE.

More UK-based companies may invest in manufacturing, pharmaceutical and education sectors in Pakistan, he said.

Unutilised UK funds

Penney pointed out that the UK increased financing from 400 million pounds to one billion pounds for the Pakistani companies involved in importing goods and services from Britain last year. However, the utilisation has remained zero. “We need to do more awareness,” Penney said.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2149697/1-brexit-provides-chance-deepen-pak-uk-trade-ties/
 
Bigboii said:
I live in the States so take my opinions with a grain of salt but I would think that a organization as controlling as EU this should be a welcome change, don't really know what's the big deal
Click to expand...

As controlling? In what way?

The big deal is that we have gone from being a mayor player in a major trade bloc that could stand up to USA and China to a little nation which is unable to stand up to USA, China or the EU.

The big deal is that we will be forced to accept a bad trade deal from Trump and in effect become the 51st state, but without representation in Washington DC.

The big deal is that the Japanese car giants are going to move out of UK and relocate to the EU
causing massive job losses and Northern cities falling into long-term decline.

The big deal is that we are no longer part of Europol (a Briton was the head of it) so terrorism and international crime will be harder for us to detect and interdict.

The big deal is that Scotland will eventually leave the 315-year United Kingdom and join the EU, and they we will have passport control within our own island of Great Britain.

The big deal is that we risk breaking the Good Friday Agreement with Ireland. Break an international peace treaty. With much increased terrorism as a result.

Basically our economy will suffer a slow puncture, and our influence in the world decline.

I feel sick and I don't feel proud to be British any more.
 
Being part of a bloc gives a country numerous advantages. There is a reason Turkey wants to form an islamic bloc with Pakistan and Malaysia. It alleviates all the problems such as unemployment etc.
 
I am waiting to see what this does to my shopping bill, since UK import alot of their agro products from Europe.

Not sure if I have observed correctly or not, but I dont see as many Eastern European people as I used to before.
 
imrankhannsu said:
I am waiting to see what this does to my shopping bill, since UK import alot of their agro products from Europe.

Not sure if I have observed correctly or not, but I dont see as many Eastern European people as I used to before.
Click to expand...

It depends if tariffs go on. Of course, it would mean tariffs with 66% of our import/export market when you consider how many nations we dealt with via the EU.

Out here where I am in the sticks, crops rot in the fields as the fruit and veg pickers have gone home.
 
Abdullah719 said:
Brexit provides chance to deepen Pak-UK trade ties

Brexit – the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) – that took place last Friday has provided an opportunity to further strengthen and widen trade and investment ties between Pakistan and Britain.

“Brexit and our departure from the European Union provides a catalyst…to boost trade both ways. It is an excellent opportunity for the UK and Pakistan to deepen trade ties,” Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan Simon Penney said while talking to a group of journalists at the British Deputy High Commission, Karachi on Monday.

“It (Islamabad) is already a very, very important trading relationship…we believe it (trade and investment relationship) has a significant potential to grow further,” he said. He said bilateral trade between the two countries grew to £3.1 billion, which was in favour of Islamabad as its exports to London stood at £1.9 billion in the year ended December 2018. “Bilateral trade volume can easily be doubled,” he stressed.
Trade volume between the two countries also grew during the year ended December 2019. The UK department concerned is yet to publish the updated numbers.

Two-way trade has been growing at 6% per annum. “The UK is Pakistan’s third largest export market globally just behind the US and China,” he said.

He pointed out that the EU had not necessarily prevented the UK from doing trade and business. “But now Brexit allows the UK to focus more on…countries outside the EU. The IMF has forecast 90% economic growth will occur outside the EU over the next 10 years,” he said.

British Deputy Commissioner Trade Director for Pakistan Mike Nithavrianakis, who accompanied Penney, said there was a significant positive change in Pakistan, which was well acknowledged by the countries around the globe.

“Members of the British royal family recently paid a visit to Pakistan. International cricket is resuming here; Sri Lanka (came to play) first of all and now Bangladesh. British Airways restarted flights to Pakistan after almost a decade…These all are very positive aspects happening on the ground,” Nithavrianakis said.

He acknowledged that the security situation had improved a lot in Pakistan, especially in the city of ports – Karachi. “There is 80% reduction in terrorism and other associated political violence. Something positive is happening on the ground,” he said.

GSP Plus status

Speaking about the GSP Plus status which the EU member countries granted to Pakistan a few years ago, Penney said Brexit had changed nothing about the GSP Plus status for Pakistan. “Our ambitions remain the same as they were before Friday (when Brexit happened). During the transition period (from now till the end of December 2020), we will continue to trade on the same basis as we did before Friday,” he said.

Islamabad has been exporting a number of products at almost zero duty under the special trade status to EU member countries and the UK for the past several years. Textile remains the largest export product for the European countries.

UK investment

Nithavrianakis said several big British firms were already operating in Pakistan. Unilever Pakistan has recently concluded investment worth $120 million to expand its volumetric production in the country.

GSK in the pharmaceutical sector has also made fresh investment to expand its manufacturing line. Shell Pakistan is looking to enter the LNG sector here, he said.

British Airways (BA) may consider beginning commercial flights from Karachi and Lahore after Islamabad in June last year as there was growing keenness among people to fly with BA from other cities of the country, he said.

“Existing companies are here for decades and decades to come,” he said. Penney acknowledged that Pakistan had gained 28 places in the World Bank’s (WB) Ease of Doing Business Index as all reforms were positive.

He, however, stressed that Islamabad needed to bring consistency in the regulatory environment. “Inconsistency in regulation has remained a big concern for several other UK firms while deciding whether to invest in Pakistan or not,” he said.

Penney revealed that there were only 135 UK-based companies operating in Pakistan compared to around 5,000 in the UAE. He acknowledged that there was a huge potential for Pakistan to attract more UK firms not only from Britain, but the UK-based firms operating in the UAE.

More UK-based companies may invest in manufacturing, pharmaceutical and education sectors in Pakistan, he said.

Unutilised UK funds

Penney pointed out that the UK increased financing from 400 million pounds to one billion pounds for the Pakistani companies involved in importing goods and services from Britain last year. However, the utilisation has remained zero. “We need to do more awareness,” Penney said.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2149697/1-brexit-provides-chance-deepen-pak-uk-trade-ties/
Click to expand...

This sounds really good, especially for Pakistan. Hopefully this works out. Would do well for Pakistan’s economy and the people of Islamabad increases footfall, productivity and reduce unemployment. Assuming their is no corruption, increase the middle class.
 
Robert said:
It depends if tariffs go on. Of course, it would mean tariffs with 66% of our import/export market when you consider how many nations we dealt with via the EU.

Out here where I am in the sticks, crops rot in the fields as the fruit and veg pickers have gone home.
Click to expand...

I hope no tariffs tbh and trade stays as is. Atleast for now no roaming charges not that it affects me alot and for 1 year we can travel without visas. Also EHIC card valid for a year too.

I saw some old racist ladies celebrating the eve of the Brexit saying that we will get more fish.
 
Not sure why so happy.
Were you expecting some kind of Zombie apocalypse on the Brexit day?
 
CricketDon said:
This sounds really good, especially for Pakistan. Hopefully this works out. Would do well for Pakistan’s economy and the people of Islamabad increases footfall, productivity and reduce unemployment. Assuming their is no corruption, increase the middle class.
Click to expand...

So you think those racists who have opted to leave EU because of too much migration, will be welcoming people for South asia with open arms?
 
Robert said:
As controlling? In what way?

The big deal is that we have gone from being a mayor player in a major trade bloc that could stand up to USA and China to a little nation which is unable to stand up to USA, China or the EU.

The big deal is that we will be forced to accept a bad trade deal from Trump and in effect become the 51st state, but without representation in Washington DC.

The big deal is that the Japanese car giants are going to move out of UK and relocate to the EU
causing massive job losses and Northern cities falling into long-term decline.

The big deal is that we are no longer part of Europol (a Briton was the head of it) so terrorism and international crime will be harder for us to detect and interdict.

The big deal is that Scotland will eventually leave the 315-year United Kingdom and join the EU, and they we will have passport control within our own island of Great Britain.

The big deal is that we risk breaking the Good Friday Agreement with Ireland. Break an international peace treaty. With much increased terrorism as a result.

Basically our economy will suffer a slow puncture, and our influence in the world decline.

I feel sick and I don't feel proud to be British any more.
Click to expand...

A nice little summary - not just for the yank you replied to but also a number of our own brexshit supporting PPers. You may have neglected to mention a couple of other relevant issues -

First, my principal concern is of course the NHS. The slide towards increasing privatisation of various parts will only gather pace following a new trade deal with Trump. Just wait for the prices of pharmaceuticals to skyrocket as & when the US big pharmas manages to stop collective negotiations for drug supplies by NHS UK and instead is mandated to negotiate with individual trusts. And if they get to block imports of generic copies under extended patenting times then some drugs will explode in price by 10 - 100 fold!
Next, it's not just japanese car manufacturers that will vanish across the channel. Many british firms are likely to follow; Including my favorite - Jaguar, who have already said that a number of future models will be shifted to their plant in Slovenia. However that wont stop me buying an iPace when I next change my car.

As for the Union - we have already sold up in London & moved to Edinburgh. We are avidly looking forward to the next Scottish independence referendum and will be voting for Scexit. Then rejoin EU.
Perhaps a pipe-dream just now. And it will mean that my wife & I will have to relinquish our life-long labour memberships in order to campaign with the Scots Nats. But everything is worth doing if it results in increasing the life-choices for the next generation; if only in Scotland.

I share your despair at the current state of Britain - as does my wife; who isn't even British.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Nissan plans to double down in the UK on hard Brexit.

https://www.ft.com/content/c4f0d1e2-4442-11ea-a43a-c4b328d9061c

Project fear by the remainers once again proven to be smoke and mirrors.

1 week since Brexit, and there good news already! 😆
Click to expand...

Wonderful - if true. Perhaps you might have read the full article before posting. I cannot access the full FT article from the link you posted which only has your headline so I checked elsewhere. The same story was in the Daily Express and was TOTALLY DENIED by the official Nissan spokesman - see below

Nissan’s popular Micra model would move its production from France to the UK with the Sunderland plant potentially building some of their larger X-Trail designs.

The claims were first reported in the Financial Times and were attributed to two people said to be involved in discussions ahead of a Brexit contingency plan.

Nissan’s sales have fallen in Europe with a 17 percent reduction last year due to a decline in the demand for diesel products.

The contingency plans were rubbished by an official Nissan spokesperson who denied a contingency plan even existed.

On the other hand Honda are definitely closing in Swindon in 2021 (confirmed last year) and JLR have moved production of Discovery to Slovakia. Seems like more to follow.
My pound buys just $1.28 ($1.60 prior to brexit referendum) or 1.12 euro (if I'm lucky).
But of course it's all smoke and mirrors and I am imagining it all.
 
Bosanquet said:
Wonderful - if true. Perhaps you might have read the full article before posting. I cannot access the full FT article from the link you posted which only has your headline so I checked elsewhere. The same story was in the Daily Express and was TOTALLY DENIED by the official Nissan spokesman - see below

Nissan’s popular Micra model would move its production from France to the UK with the Sunderland plant potentially building some of their larger X-Trail designs.

The claims were first reported in the Financial Times and were attributed to two people said to be involved in discussions ahead of a Brexit contingency plan.

Nissan’s sales have fallen in Europe with a 17 percent reduction last year due to a decline in the demand for diesel products.

The contingency plans were rubbished by an official Nissan spokesperson who denied a contingency plan even existed.

On the other hand Honda are definitely closing in Swindon in 2021 (confirmed last year) and JLR have moved production of Discovery to Slovakia. Seems like more to follow.
My pound buys just $1.28 ($1.60 prior to brexit referendum) or 1.12 euro (if I'm lucky).
But of course it's all smoke and mirrors and I am imagining it all.
Click to expand...

So you put your faith in the Daily Express which has a reputation of spewing lies, paying compensation etc, supporting the Nazis, compared to FT news which is an institution of financial news worldwide?

Then you wonder what is wrong with country.

By the way, your Pound Sterling dropped more after the crash of 2008 (from 2.11 to 1.35 GBP/USD) than it did after Brexit. I would link you up on the data, but you rather prefer tabloid news.
 
Last edited:
Technics 1210 said:
So you put your faith in the Daily Express which has a reputation of spewing lies, paying compensation etc, supporting the Nazis, compared to FT news which is an institution of financial news worldwide?

Then you wonder what is wrong with country.

By the way, your Pound Sterling dropped more after the crash of 2008 (from 2.11 to 1.35 GBP/USD) than it did after Brexit. I would link you up on the data, but you rather prefer tabloid news.
Click to expand...

You really should try reading entire articles before posting you know. Because I have and here's a segment from your precious FT - below



The scenario is one of several that the carmaker developed to plan for post-Brexit tariffs. People familiar with the discussions cautioned that the contingency plan was drawn up before Makoto Uchida was installed as the new chief executive in December.

Both the EU and the UK are expected to lay out tough negotiating positions today ahead of trade talks next month. Brussels will insist that market access be directly linked to Britain’s willingness to align with the bloc’s regulations when it unveils its proposals, while the UK will reject the idea of accepting EU rules.

Nissan’s public position is that the UK plant would be threatened along with its European business if the UK fails to maintain tariff-free access to the EU.

“We deny such a contingency plan exists,” said a spokesman for Nissan Europe. “We’ve modelled every possible ramification of Brexit and the fact remains that our entire business both in the UK and in Europe is not sustainable in the event of WTO tariffs . . . We continue to urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade.”


The fact that sterling dropped more during the global financial crash is typical straw man argument and has no relevance to the act of national self-harm that was, is and will continue to be brexit. We have inflicted this on ourselves and have nobody else to blame. Fact remains that the economy has already been harmed and will sink further, especially if we get a "hard" brexit next January.
I don't usually read the Express (it was the 2nd most pro-brexit rag during the referendum) but it was what came up first when I researched your (misleading) news item. Being a card carrying leftie I actually buy the Guardian & subscribe to the NYT online.
 
Bosanquet said:
You really should try reading entire articles before posting you know. Because I have and here's a segment from your precious FT - below



The scenario is one of several that the carmaker developed to plan for post-Brexit tariffs. People familiar with the discussions cautioned that the contingency plan was drawn up before Makoto Uchida was installed as the new chief executive in December.

Both the EU and the UK are expected to lay out tough negotiating positions today ahead of trade talks next month. Brussels will insist that market access be directly linked to Britain’s willingness to align with the bloc’s regulations when it unveils its proposals, while the UK will reject the idea of accepting EU rules.

Nissan’s public position is that the UK plant would be threatened along with its European business if the UK fails to maintain tariff-free access to the EU.

“We deny such a contingency plan exists,” said a spokesman for Nissan Europe. “We’ve modelled every possible ramification of Brexit and the fact remains that our entire business both in the UK and in Europe is not sustainable in the event of WTO tariffs . . . We continue to urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade.”


The fact that sterling dropped more during the global financial crash is typical straw man argument and has no relevance to the act of national self-harm that was, is and will continue to be brexit. We have inflicted this on ourselves and have nobody else to blame. Fact remains that the economy has already been harmed and will sink further, especially if we get a "hard" brexit next January.
I don't usually read the Express (it was the 2nd most pro-brexit rag during the referendum) but it was what came up first when I researched your (misleading) news item. Being a card carrying leftie I actually buy the Guardian & subscribe to the NYT online.
Click to expand...

You need to read the article again. Slowley. I understand you are trying to home in on any negative news, but you lost, get over it. We have left the EU.

The drop in GBP/USD is not a strawman argument, it was a factual piece of evidence which falsifies your hollow cries of the GBP drop post Brexit. Were you weeping when the GBP dropped at a much bigger rate after the crash of 2008? No. This was my point. So stop this nonsense about the GBP drop after Brexit.

Come back to me when the GBP/USD is below parity, because that is when you and remainers, can claim a truth.
 
Its done now, who cares.

A man makes money and does what he needs to without relying on some politicians.

However there must be some people in the UK who are shocked to see brown/black faces still walking around.
 
The Guardian is anti Brexit but lets discard the FT.

Speaking of which, privatisation of the NHS was on the agenda long before Brexit. Blame capitalism, not Brexit.

Also the lower the Gbp drops the higher your pension pots. After all, its about money.
 
Last edited:
Technics 1210 said:
You need to read the article again. Slowley. I understand you are trying to home in on any negative news, but you lost, get over it. We have left the EU.

The drop in GBP/USD is not a strawman argument, it was a factual piece of evidence which falsifies your hollow cries of the GBP drop post Brexit. Were you weeping when the GBP dropped at a much bigger rate after the crash of 2008? No. This was my point. So stop this nonsense about the GBP drop after Brexit.

Come back to me when the GBP/USD is below parity, because that is when you and remainers, can claim a truth.
Click to expand...

1. Sterling dropped massively post brexit vote, still has not recovered - undeniable, not nonsense.
2. We voted for & caused brexit. We did not vote for the crash.
3. No connection whatsoever between INTERNATIONAL economic crash of 2008 & the self-destruction of 2016 - hence strawman argument attempting a laughable link between the two.
4. "The truth" does not obey your artificial attempt at defining it on the basis of just an absolute exchange rate value and it certainly does not depend on just one item.
5. You are the one trying to spin the FT speculation (DENIED by NISSAN) as good news.
6. You are ignoring actual closures at Honda and JLR.
7. I don't need to weep. I have sold off properties in London, liquidated substantial investments here and bought in Asian/Oz/USA investments, moved out to Edinburgh (and also outside UK for the winters) and will be watching you brexitters in little britain - especially after Scotland leaves and rejoins EU.
8. I have no need to come back to you just as I have no wish to come back to brexit England.
 
Well folks, the cries of Remainers who have just this moment realised the economy was in worse shape post 2008 crash compared to post Brexit, yet we still survived!

You couldnt make it up.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Well folks, the cries of Remainers who have just this moment realised the economy was in worse shape post 2008 crash compared to post Brexit, yet we still survived!

You couldnt make it up.
Click to expand...

Oh you will survive all right. Poorer, possibly much poorer, but survive? Yes.
Of course, the oldies who mostly voted to leave will not survive as long as the youth who largely voted to remain. It's these I feel really sorry for - they will face the consequences of what their parents and grandparents have done to them.
My wife & I will continue to do what little we can in Edinburgh to try to take the Scots out ofthe union and back to EU.
 
Technics 1210 said:
The Guardian is anti Brexit but lets discard the FT.
Click to expand...

[MENTION=143303]Bosanquet[/MENTION] has printed a section of the FT stating that Nissan’s position in the UK would be compromised if there is no FT deal.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Its done now, who cares.

A man makes money and does what he needs to without relying on some politicians.

However there must be some people in the UK who are shocked to see brown/black faces still walking around.
Click to expand...

The government’s job is to make sure that all the men (and women) have the opportunity to do what is necessary look after their families.

The people you refer to will be even more shocked when the NHS and HMPS have to import even more black and brown faces to make up for the shortfall from the EU.
 
Bosanquet said:
Oh you will survive all right. Poorer, possibly much poorer, but survive? Yes.
Of course, the oldies who mostly voted to leave will not survive as long as the youth who largely voted to remain. It's these I feel really sorry for - they will face the consequences of what their parents and grandparents have done to them.
My wife & I will continue to do what little we can in Edinburgh to try to take the Scots out ofthe union and back to EU.
Click to expand...

Look. Im old enough to realise now that life is too short to be worrying about politics. Frankly speaking I have never found politics more entertaining since the 80s.

The oldies you refer to voted to join the EEC in 75, not the EU.

My suggestion to you is this, enjoy the show, life is too short, because lets face it, you do not give a monkey about the country being poorer, aslong as you have a roof over your head, food on the table, and an internet connection which provides you with anonymity to air your views, you're all good. 👍
 
Robert said:
[MENTION=143303]Bosanquet[/MENTION] has printed a section of the FT stating that Nissan’s position in the UK would be compromised if there is no FT deal.
Click to expand...

Wrong.

Read the article again. It clearly says Nissans 'public' position is to deny the plans because of the on going case with its former disgraced CEO.

FT is not a mickey mouse publication. Every word printed, every headline printed, every comment on the FT can have impact on the markets. FT is one of the most regulated publications in the world due to its influence on the markets.

To think the Guardian, or the Daily Express know more that the FT is desperation within itself.

Fact is, remainers never paid attention to the detail.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Wrong.

Read the article again. It clearly says Nissans 'public' position is to deny the plans because of the on going case with its former disgraced CEO.

FT is not a mickey mouse publication. Every word printed, every headline printed, every comment on the FT can have impact on the markets. FT is one of the most regulated publications in the world due to its influence on the markets.

To think the Guardian, or the Daily Express know more that the FT is desperation within itself.
Click to expand...

I can’t read it, as there is a paywall. I am reading from Bosie’s FT quote which states that Nissan say their business is unsustainable under WTO and they urge the UK and EU to agree a free trade deal. Which is what the Guardian said too.

In other news, Norton Motorcycles goes into administration - a firm that the Brexit Sec said would thrive in the ‘sunlit uplands’.
 
An independent Scotland would currently find it difficult to qualify for EU membership due to the size of its economic deficit, which is actually forecast to continue rising as a percentage of GDP.

Polling numbers indicate that there is also considerable distrust and dislike of the Euro in Scotland, and that’s amongst all voting demographics including independence voters. Now the UK has left the EU then an independent Scotland would not be able to keep the Pound as its currency - it would have to instantaneously adopt the Euro upon achievement of EU membership. This is another glaring circle that would have to somehow be squared by the Scottish government.

This is also due to be a difficult year for the Scottish National Party in other ways, which could see a dent made in their credibility and support. Criticism appears to be growing of their record in the present government - particularly on healthcare - and the personal scandals aren’t looking great either: they’ve just had a Minister resign on the spot after being caught sending suggestive texts to a 16 year-old boy, and the Alex Salmond sexual assault trial is due to start in a few weeks. (Some cynics believe this is the main reason why the Scots Nats backed a December 2019 election - namely to win a bunch of seats before Salmond enters the dock.)
 
James said:
An independent Scotland would currently find it difficult to qualify for EU membership due to the size of its economic deficit, which is actually forecast to continue rising as a percentage of GDP.

Polling numbers indicate that there is also considerable distrust and dislike of the Euro in Scotland, and that’s amongst all voting demographics including independence voters. Now the UK has left the EU then an independent Scotland would not be able to keep the Pound as its currency - it would have to instantaneously adopt the Euro upon achievement of EU membership. This is another glaring circle that would have to somehow be squared by the Scottish government.

This is also due to be a difficult year for the Scottish National Party in other ways, which could see a dent made in their credibility and support. Criticism appears to be growing of their record in the present government - particularly on healthcare - and the personal scandals aren’t looking great either: they’ve just had a Minister resign on the spot after being caught sending suggestive texts to a 16 year-old boy, and the Alex Salmond sexual assault trial is due to start in a few weeks. (Some cynics believe this is the main reason why the Scots Nats backed a December 2019 election - namely to win a bunch of seats before Salmond enters the dock.)
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Interesting, i am wondering why Scotland has economic deficit despite having oil reserves and a relatively smaller population?

Also if poor countries like Romania and Bulgaria were accepted into EU, then why not Scotland?
 
First Alex Salmond and now this new joker Finance Minister. Why do these kind of perverts end up in SNP? -or- Is it more that the SNP perverts get found out easily because of the general vendetta against SNP?

Nobody in England is much talking abt the Prince Pervert of Pizza Express.
 
James said:
An independent Scotland would currently find it difficult to qualify for EU membership due to the size of its economic deficit, which is actually forecast to continue rising as a percentage of GDP.

Polling numbers indicate that there is also considerable distrust and dislike of the Euro in Scotland, and that’s amongst all voting demographics including independence voters. Now the UK has left the EU then an independent Scotland would not be able to keep the Pound as its currency - it would have to instantaneously adopt the Euro upon achievement of EU membership. This is another glaring circle that would have to somehow be squared by the Scottish government.

This is also due to be a difficult year for the Scottish National Party in other ways, which could see a dent made in their credibility and support. Criticism appears to be growing of their record in the present government - particularly on healthcare - and the personal scandals aren’t looking great either: they’ve just had a Minister resign on the spot after being caught sending suggestive texts to a 16 year-old boy, and the Alex Salmond sexual assault trial is due to start in a few weeks. (Some cynics believe this is the main reason why the Scots Nats backed a December 2019 election - namely to win a bunch of seats before Salmond enters the dock.)
Click to expand...

Hang on, do we mean debt to GDP or deficit to GDP? I though the latter had been zeroed.

An independent Scotland would be oil rich and perhaps could use oil revenue to set up a national annuity like Norway, given their low population.
 
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Robert said:
Hang on, do we mean debt to GDP or deficit to GDP? I though the latter had been zeroed.
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In a UK context, the rate of deficit to GDP is less than 3%, which satisfies the EU criteria - the problem for Scotland though is that an Independent Scotland would no longer be part of the UK. Scotland on its own has a current deficit of 7.2%, which could rise further after Independence. The EU would be unlikely to grant accession to Scotland with such a large deficit.

Whether they achieve their Independence objective or not, the above summary is just one of the reasons why the SNP are on a bit of a hiding to nothing with their long-term strategy.

It seems as if Scotland will either be outside the EU and inside the UK, but with an SNP Scottish Government; or, outside the UK, but unable to get back into the EU because the SNP may lead them into a domestic mess. Either way their raison d’etre would be at least partially unfulfilled. It’s only now that people are starting to gradually wake up to this. (Add this to the constant personal scandals, and also the deep public unpopularity of prominent figures like the horrendous and vacuous windbag Ian Blackford.)
 
UK 'will refuse extension to EU trade talks'

Despite the global pandemic, the UK is still in negotiations with the EU over their future trading relationship - and one side is refusing to extend the timetable.

After the UK left the bloc in January, it entered a so-called "transition period" - meaning the UK would continue to follow certain EU rules until the end of the year while the details were hammered out.

Boris Johnson said he would refuse to extend the period past December 2020 - but now figures on both sides of the channel have suggested it should be longer owing to the havoc caused by Covid-19.

The UK government isn't keen, however. The PM's official spokesman said: "If the EU asks, we will say no," adding that it would "prolong the delay and uncertainty".
 
Fruit-pickers have been flown in from Romania to bring in the harvest.

You couldn't make it up.
 
London, United Kingdom – For three and a half years, Brexit seemed to eclipse almost every other talking point in the United Kingdom.

Then coronavirus took over.

The global pandemic has upended life nationwide; killing tens of thousands of people and prompting a strict social lockdown that has triggered a major economic slump.

In its wake, the UK's move to detach itself from the European Union has drifted to the sidelines of public focus and political debate.

But its complications and consequences have rumbled on in the background and are now coming to a head once more amid mounting concerns that the coronavirus crisis could derail efforts to finally settle the Brexit saga born out of the UK's June 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Calls for delay grow

As it stands, the UK is set to leave the EU's single market and customs union at the end of this year, when the Brexit transition period is scheduled to expire.

The transition period came into effect upon the UK's formal departure from the EU, on January 31, and is aimed at offering negotiators on both sides time to hammer out a trade agreement while Britain remains bound to the bloc's rules in the interim in order to minimise disruption to either party.

It can be extended, if both parties jointly sign off on such a move by the end of June.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, currently absent from front line politics while recovering from a coronavirus infection, wants to broker a comprehensive free trade agreement similar to Canada's deal with the EU, and complete negotiations within the next eight months.

He has repeatedly ruled out prolonging the transition period, and won a landslide election victory in December after running a campaign singularly focused on a pledge to "Get Brexit Done".

But with officials in London and throughout the EU now overwhelmingly focused on the coronavirus pandemic, calls have grown in recent weeks for that option to be activated in order to buy negotiators more time and avert the UK stumbling into a so-called "no-deal" departure at the end of this year - a scenario that threatens damaging economic implications for both sides.

Among those pressing for the government to seek a delay have been former government figures from the UK's ruling Conservative Party, as well as several prominent opposition MPs.

David Liddington, a former cabinet minister and deputy to Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, this week called on the prime minister to delay in order to focus efforts entirely on the coronavirus pandemic.

"There is not enough bandwidth to pay attention to Brexit in Whitehall, the European Commission and other major capitals," he told Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad on Sunday.

A day later, former Conservative chancellor Phillip Hammond warned it would be "unwise" for the government to stick to the December 31 deadline, advising ministers to strike an "interim trade agreement" instead, while the coronavirus crisis continues.

Meanwhile, there has been a litany of pleas from business leaders for the government to buy more negotiating time and reduce uncertainty amid the crisis, including from International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva.

The IMF has warned the global pandemic is likely to cause the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and do lasting damage to the global economy.

"It is tough as it is. Let's not make it any tougher," Georgieva said last week, when urging Britain to ask for an extension to the transition period.

The British public, too, appear sympathetic to the idea of an extension, with nearly twice as many people in favour of the prime minister amending his December 31 deadline than those opposed to such a move, according to YouGov polling.

British officials stick firm to Brexit
However, despite the calls for the government to reconsider its position, Johnson's administration has refused to budge.

His chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, has instead doubled-down in recent days on the prime minister's pledge to execute the UK's departure from the EU by the end of 2020.

"Transition ends on 31 December this year," Frost said in a Twitter post on April 16. "We will not ask to extend it," he added. "[And] If the EU asks, we will say no."

But the government's bullish rhetoric has done little to banish uncertainty over how Brexit will end, with no substantial progress on a deal to date, and both parties distracted by a public health crisis wreaking havoc throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

"Coronavirus just makes everything so much harder," Maddy Thimont Jack, a specialist Brexit researcher at the UK's Institute for Government, told Al Jazeera.

"Obviously the government is prioritising its response to that and using a lot of resources in that area, which absolutely makes sense, but the question is how, then, are they planning to still do everything they were planning to on Brexit.

"There's a practical limit on how much energy the government can focus on it [at the moment] … that's the nub of the issue."

Responding, a government spokesperson from the prime minister's office told Al Jazeera that officials' "top priority" was to "slow the spread of the coronavirus, protect the NHS and keep people safe".

"While we have ensured that civil service resources are correctly allocated to best deal with the coronavirus crisis, negotiations with the EU are continuing and we have a committed, agile team in place to coordinate our exit from the EU," the spokesperson added.

"The transition period ends on 31 December 2020 … and the prime minister has made clear he has no intention of changing it."

Ongoing uncertainty

UK-EU negotiations restarted "virtually" this week, as part of a revised timetable for the next three rounds of talks.

The resumption came after the coronavirus pandemic forced official talks scheduled for last month to be ditched when Frost was required to self-isolate with coronavirus symptoms, and Michel Barnier, his EU counterpart, fell ill after contracting the virus.

The delay has heightened pre-existing concerns voiced by EU officials and opposition UK politicians that the existing transition period does not offer enough time for a settlement on post-Brexit relations to be reached.

Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, said the prospect of a deal had only ever been "50-50 at best" given the "deep divisions" between Brussels and London on a range of issues.

Among the existing points of divergence are each side's stance on fisheries - agreement on which the EU has said is a pre-condition for any overarching free trade deal - and level playing-field conditions concerning the environment, labour, taxation and state aid.

"But there are also very, very deep differences of [each side's] philosophy about this; one of which is that the EU wants everything resolved under a single institutional umbrella … whereas Britain sees this as a series of separate arrangements dealing with different issues in different ways," Menon told Al Jazeera.

"And it is harder to get a deal now than it would have been had it not been for the pandemic, because at a minimum, at least the two sides would have been able to sit together and talk face to face."

Should London and Brussels fail to strike an agreement, Britain will crash out of the bloc at the end of this year in a "no-deal" Brexit.

The UK would then have to follow World Trade Organization rules to do business with the EU, unless and until any deal is struck, ushering in the imposition of financial tariffs, quotas and other regulatory barriers.

The measures could be hugely disruptive for businesses and very costly for the British economy, which is already reeling from the coronavirus fallout with the country now in its fifth week of lockdown.

Moreover, even if a breakthrough in negotiations were achieved, the transition period as it stands is unlikely to allow sufficient time for implementation of any newly agreed trade rules, the Institute for Government's Thimont Jack said.

"The real challenge for business is just this ongoing uncertainty … they don't know what they're planning for," she added.

"Hopefully, when we get closer to June, we're going to get a better sense of what the government's actually going to do."

The EU, for its part, has made no secret of the fact it would be open to prolonging the transition period.

Daniel Ferrie, a spokesperson for the EU Commission, told Al Jazeera the body had "always said" it stood ready to discuss an extension.

But for officials in Brussels, it is up to the UK government to start the discussion.

Securing an extension could deliver practical advantages for Britain - namely giving businesses breathing space and the government time to work on a deal, while protecting existing frictionless trade arrangements under which the UK imports vast quantities of medical supplies, fresh food and other goods from EU member states.

However, any delay also threatens political drawbacks for a prime minister who has repeatedly pledged to deliver his Brexit promise to the British electorate and take the UK out of Brussels' orbit by the end of this year, come what may.

Ultimately, Menon said, the choice he has is clear; keep to a self-imposed political timetable or bend to the economic realities of the current moment.

"It's politics versus economics," he said. "And I think politics is king for now."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...exit-transition-pandemic-200423180049836.html
 
EU negotiator Michel Barnier blasts UK for refusing to 'budge' ahead of 'short' Brexit deadline

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has lambasted the UK for imposing a "short" deadline for trade talks and then refusing to "budge" on key issues.

Speaking at a Brussels news conference following the conclusion of the second round of negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship, Mr Barnier listed areas where there had been "disappointing" progress.

Without an extenstion to the Brexit transition period, during which the UK is continuing with the status quo of EU membership, both sides have until the end of this year to strike a trade deal.

If an agreement is not reached, tariffs and quotas could be imposed on goods travelling between the EU and UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has so far resisted pressure to extend the transition period beyond the end of December, despite calls for him to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic.

After outlining those areas where little progress had been achieved in the latest round of talks, Mr Barnier said: "It's exceptional, never in the history for such important negotiations with any third country, have we been under such time pressure.

"The UK, therefore, cannot impose this short, brief timeline and at the same time not budge, make progress, on some topics that are of importance to the EU."

The next negotiating rounds are scheduled for 11 May and 1 June.

The terms of the UK's withdrawal agreement from the EU, which was ratified in January, allow an extension of up to two years to the transition period.

However, this has to be agreed before 1 July.

Mr Barnier warned that "genuine progress" would need to be made by June if, by the end of the year, a deal is to be struck "commensurate to the level of our economic interdependence and geographical proximity".

He accused the UK - whose negotiating team is led by Mr Johnson's EU adviser David Frost - of not committing "seriously" on a "number of fundamental points" from the political declaration on a future UK-EU relationship, which was previously agreed by both sides.

Mr Barnier said the political declaration needs to be implemented in a "serious, objective, legal way", adding: "This is not the case now yet in a number of areas.

"I regret that and it worries me."

He listed four areas - including justice, fisheries and the so-called "level playing field" on rules and standards - where progress had been "disappointing".

"This week, the UK failed to engage substantially on these topics," Mr Barnier said.

"It argued that our positions are too far apart to reach agreement.

"It also denounced the basic premise that economic inter-connectedness and geographic proximity require robust guarantees.

"Yet again this is what we agreed with Boris Johnson in our joint political declaration."

Mr Barnier also reiterated that the UK would have to pay a "lump-sum" contribution to the EU budget if the transition period is extended beyond 31 December.

https://news.sky.com/story/eu-negot...budge-ahead-of-short-brexit-deadline-11978202
 
No sign Britain wants EU trade talks to succeed: EU trade chief

DUBLIN (Reuters) - There is no real sign that Britain is approaching trade talks with the European Union with a plan to succeed and it appears set to blame any post-Brexit fallout on the economic shock from COVID-19, the EU’s trade chief said on Thursday.

The tortuous talks, now focused on setting new trading terms from 2021 when London’s status-quo transition period after Brexit ends, quickly hit an impasse when they resumed last month, according to EU diplomats and officials.

The two sides have so far been unable to find any compromise on three main areas: the so-called level playing field; guarantees of fair competition and on governance and fisheries policy, lending a new combative air to talks due to resume on Monday.

“Despite the urgency and enormity of the negotiating challenge, I am afraid we are only making very slow progress in the Brexit negotiations,” European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan told Irish national broadcaster RTE.

“There is no real sign that our British friends are approaching the negotiations with a plan to succeed. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think so,” he said.

“I think that the United Kingdom politicians and government have certainly decided that COVID is going to be blamed for all the fallout from Brexit and my perception of it is they don’t want to drag the negotiations out into 2021 because they can effectively blame COVID for everything.”

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected Hogan’s description of London’s position, saying: “We look forward to negotiating constructively in the next round beginning on the 11th of May.

“We are ready to keep talking with the EU, but that will not make us any more likely to agree to the EU’s proposals in certain areas which are unprecedented and do not take account of the fact that we have left the EU as an independent state.”

The two sides are entering a crucial phase of talks, with two rounds scheduled before the end of June, at which point Britain could seek a one or two-year extension, a prospect it has ruled out.

Hogan, a former Irish government minister, said he hoped to see a step change in the negotiations next week and that if that happened, there was no reason why quick progress could not be made. The June talks would be very important, he added.

If not, he warned that the combination of the disruption from both the coronavirus economic shutdown and Brexit will be “an almighty blow” for the British economy this year, and spill over to other countries as well such as Ireland.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-to-succeed-eu-trade-chief-idUSKBN22J27E?il=0
 
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a newspaper interview on Saturday there was a growing risk of a hard Brexit in the midst of the coronavirus crisis as negotiations between Britain and the European Union so far on the future trade relationship had yielded hardly any progress.
 
Before the UK and the EU struck their initial withdrawal deal in October last year, until literally a few days before the terms were formally agreed then the EU voices in the media were all doom, gloom, opacity and obtuseness. It’s just a collective tactic and the way that they negotiate. (Interestingly the UK did not take such a negative tone.)

There’s a very good chance of a new free trade deal being done by December this year, IMO.
 
Britain, EU start penultimate round of talks before key deadline

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain and the European Union start their penultimate scheduled round of trade talks on Monday with little progress on major sticking points before a June deadline to agree on any extension of negotiations.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to prolong the current transition period beyond the end of the year to grant more time for the two sides to agree the scale and scope of their new relationship.

The EU is pushing for progress on a comprehensive deal including fisheries, security and the so-called level playing field guarantees of fair competition. London is more keen on a narrower trade agreement with the bloc from 2021.

Both sides have dug in their heels in and negotiations have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, which is sapping the energy and political attention on both sides of the English Channel.

This week’s round is due to cover trade in goods and services, fisheries, transport and aviation, energy and other matters, and another one is planned for the week of June 1.

The end of that month marks a deadline for both sides to assess progress so far and agree on any extension of talks.

The EU fears London’s refusal to do so raises the risk of another cliff-edge later this year if Britain were to crash out of the current, elaborate relationship with the 27-nation bloc without a network of new rules for cooperation in place.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-b...nd-of-talks-before-key-deadline-idUKKBN22N0VF
 
Britain sets out post-Brexit border plans with Northern Ireland

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday it saw no need for new customs infrastructure with Northern Ireland as it unveiled its proposals for how the border with the province would work next year when a status quo transition period ends with the EU.

Britain left the EU in January and has until the end of this year to negotiate an agreement on future ties or start 2021 without a trade agreement, which some businesses say could cause costly delays and confusion at borders.

Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom but shares a land border with EU member Ireland, hampered any agreement between Britain and the bloc until late last year when Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to a so-called protocol.

The EU says the Northern Ireland protocol requires customs checks and controls on some goods coming from mainland Britain into the province in case they were headed further into Ireland and the bloc’s single market.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove described the proposals as the heart of “a consensual, pragmatic approach”.

“Implementing the protocol in this way will ensure we can support businesses and citizens, and protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory while upholding our commitments to the EU’s Single Market,” he said.

The government acknowedged, however, “there will be some limited additional process on goods arriving in Northern Ireland.”

“There will be no new physical customs infrastructure and we see no need to build any. We will however expand some existing entry points for agrifood goods to provide for proportionate additional controls.”

Johnson has repeatedly said, that while the government will comply with the obligations set out in the protocol, it does not see that entailing new checks on goods, saying it already complies with requirements for live animals and agrifoods.

But officials say there will have to be some additional checkpoints, and the EU has become increasingly critical of London’s refusal to explain how they would deal with the border.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...der-plans-with-northern-ireland-idUSKBN22W1ST
 
UK hopes latest EU talks will keep process on track, says PM's spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain hopes the latest round of trade talks with the European Union starting on Tuesday will keep the process on track before a high-level meeting later this month, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

“We hope this latest round is constructive and we hope that it will keep the process on track ahead of the high-level meeting later this month,” the spokesman told reporters on Monday.

The talks on a free trade deal and future relationship have stalled in recent weeks, with both sides urging the other to find the political will to change their positions.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-...ess-on-track-says-pms-spokesman-idUSKBN2382JY
 
Firebat said:
UK 'will refuse extension to EU trade talks'

Despite the global pandemic, the UK is still in negotiations with the EU over their future trading relationship - and one side is refusing to extend the timetable.

After the UK left the bloc in January, it entered a so-called "transition period" - meaning the UK would continue to follow certain EU rules until the end of the year while the details were hammered out.

Boris Johnson said he would refuse to extend the period past December 2020 - but now figures on both sides of the channel have suggested it should be longer owing to the havoc caused by Covid-19.

The UK government isn't keen, however. The PM's official spokesman said: "If the EU asks, we will say no," adding that it would "prolong the delay and uncertainty".
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Of course. The billionaires won back Johnson have shorted our economy. If we don’t depart on time, they will have to meet the shortfall, bankrupting some of them.
 
Robert said:
Of course. The billionaires won back Johnson have shorted our economy. If we don’t depart on time, they will have to meet the shortfall, bankrupting some of them.
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Do you understanding how shorting the economy works? The shortfall you refer to is a margin call which can also occur if the markets fall as well as rise.

Shorting works by companies lending an x number of shares to shorters, who then SELL the shares, and hope to buy back the number of shares back once the price is lower, thus pocketing the difference.

No more than 10% is ever allocated short trading.

If you think Brexit is about billionaires shorting the uk economy, then you missed 2008, because since then, UK is one the most heavily shorted economies, and this was long before Brexit.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Do you understanding how shorting the economy works? The shortfall you refer to is a margin call which can also occur if the markets fall as well as rise.

Shorting works by companies lending an x number of shares to shorters, who then SELL the shares, and hope to buy back the number of shares back once the price is lower, thus pocketing the difference.

No more than 10% is ever allocated short trading.

If you think Brexit is about billionaires shorting the uk economy, then you missed 2008, because since then, UK is one the most heavily shorted economies, and this was long before Brexit.
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Not well, I was educated as a scientist not an economist. Shorting to me means selling shares when they are worth more in the assumption that the value will decrease and they can be bought again later. This is commonly referred to as disaster capitalism. As the value of shares in many British companies will fall due to Brexit, certain individuals want there to be no delay to the Brexit process in case the markets rally.
 
Robert said:
Not well, I was educated as a scientist not an economist. Shorting to me means selling shares when they are worth more in the assumption that the value will decrease and they can be bought again later. This is commonly referred to as disaster capitalism. As the value of shares in many British companies will fall due to Brexit, certain individuals want there to be no delay to the Brexit process in case the markets rally.
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Only a maximum of 10% shares of a company can be shorted. The other 90% are for going long etc and snapped up by fund managers, pension etc. The downward pressure on a market is not down to short positions, but the sentiment of fear.

Let me put share shorting into some perspective. People who believe shorting is unethical etc fail to realise that they, as a consumer, are continuously searching for better value. How many time have you seen the price of something and thought it should be cheaper? Well if you did, you were shorting consumer price because you felt the price was too high and over valued. The same principle applies to shares.

If someone believes an asset is over valued, and should be cheaper, then this is free-market in operation - not capitalism. Capitalism is more about funding and gain, rather than intent with shorting.

Given we've had 08, Brexit, and now Covid19, all within approx a decade, the market sentiment towards the UK is pretty negative, and why not, when this country relies on debt and imports? But why blame Brexit, lets point the finger at the real cause - austerity coupled with capitalism.

I agree the GBP and the UK economy are under pressure, but to suggest Brexit is to blame is naivety.
 
The latest UK-EU talks on a post-Brexit trade deal are coming to an end, with little sign so far of a breakthrough.

The UK has until the end of June to ask for the "transition period" - keeping it in the single market and customs union - to be extended into next year, but the government has ruled this out.

This week's talks were seen as the last chance to make progress before a crucial summit later this month.

But the two sides have been critical of each other's negotiation stance.

Businesses - hit by the coronavirus pandemic - have raised concerns over a possible "cliff-edge" break to the UK's remaining access to the EU single market at the end of the year with no replacement deal.

And the latest four days of online talks have followed a series of testy exchanges between London and Brussels.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who is due to make a statement in Brussels later, accused the UK of backtracking on previously agreed commitments, warning the EU would not sign up to a deal "at any cost".

Downing Street responded by accusing the EU of making a series of "unbalanced" demands binding the UK to EU laws and standards to an unprecedented degree for a trade deal.

The two sides are also in dispute over fisheries, with the UK resisting EU demands for continued long-term access to British waters.

UK chief negotiator David Frost has said he hopes a meeting later this month, at which both sides are due to review progress, could give "new impetus" to talks.

A date for the summit, expected to feature Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has not yet been fixed.

The UK left the EU on 31 January. The transition period lasts until 31 December and keeps the UK bound to most EU rules.

The sides currently have until then to reach a free-trade deal, needed if they want to do business without tariffs, quotas or other barriers in future.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52934128
 
British PM offers to accept EU tariffs on some goods to win trade deal: Daily Mail

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is willing to accept European Union tariffs on some UK goods in an attempt to win a trade deal and break the deadlock in talks with the EU, the Daily Mail reported.

Britain’s chief negotiator, David Frost, had made a new offer, the newspaper said, citing sources.

According to the offer, the UK would accept tariffs on a small number of goods in return for the European Union dropping its demand that Britain continue to follow EU rules.

EU and British negotiators said on Friday they had made very little progress in their latest round of talks about a Brexit free trade agreement, with just weeks left to extend a year-end deadline to reach a deal.

A threat made earlier to walk away from trade talks this month if no progress were made has been relaxed due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the Daily Mail said.

“We are not up for a long negotiation over the next months well into the autumn where nobody knows what is going to happen. October is too late for us to conclude this”, a UK source was quoted by the paper as saying.

The idea of imposing tariffs was not immediately welcomed by Brussels, according to the Daily Mail.

Britain left the EU in January. Their relationship is now governed by a transition arrangement that keeps previous rules in place while they negotiate new terms.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-b...ds-to-win-trade-deal-daily-mail-idUKKBN23C34A
 
Low expectations as Johnson joins EU leaders to break Brexit deadlock

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will join a video-conference with EU leaders on Monday, keen to make headway in negotiations on a future UK-EU relationship, but officials in Brussels expect no breakthrough in the Brexit deadlock.

Johnson is likely to urge the European Union to try to reach a free trade agreement by the end of the summer in a renewed push to the talks that have all but stalled over issues such as fair-competition guarantees and fishing rights.

However, officials in Brussels said the afternoon discussion with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the heads of the European Council and European Parliament was a long-scheduled stock-taking exercise, not a negotiation.

“No one expects any breakthrough unless Boris Johnson decides to surprise us,” said one senior official. “This meeting was scheduled in the withdrawal agreement, so it is happening, but no one expects much.”

Britain left the EU on Jan. 31 and its relationship with the bloc is now governed by a transition arrangement that keeps previous rules in place while the two sides negotiate new terms.

London confirmed last week that it had no intention of extending the transition period beyond the end of this year, a prospect some fear may lead to a no-deal Brexit that could compound the economic damage caused by the coronavirus crisis.

In talks this month, negotiators made very little progress towards a free trade pact but agreed to intensify negotiations, and the hope was that Monday’s talks with Johnson would open the way for renewed political momentum.

One EU official said the conference would be an opportunity for the bloc’s leaders to emphasise to Johnson that the insistence of their chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on a broad deal that would keep Britain closely aligned with the EU reflected the will of all member states and not what some on the British side have called his intransigence.

Another said that despite plans to speed up negotiations, major progress was unlikely until after the summer when London would “scramble to get something done” in the 11th hour, as it did last year to clinch a deal on its withdrawal agreement.

Johnson’s spokesman said: “You can...expect the prime minister to urge renewed energy and commitment to reach an agreement by the end of the summer.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-...eaders-to-break-brexit-deadlock-idUSKBN23L0UN
 
After splurging on coronavirus, EU seeks state aid compromise with Britain

WARSAW/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union could soften demands in trade talks that Britain follow its state aid rules, diplomats and officials have said, just as the bloc’s own splurge to cushion the hit from the coronavirus has stretched its competition rules.

EU sources following Brexit described seeking a compromise as Brussels and Britain, which left the bloc in January, intensify talks on their relationship from 2021, when London’s standstill transition agreement ends.

The negotiations have so far made little progress. Britain wants a trade deal with no tariffs or quotas and few strings, while the EU wants a closer alliance that would also cover security, climate and transport, and to align regulations closely between the world’s largest trading bloc and its fifth biggest economy.

State aid goes to the heart of a particularly key contentious issue: the “level playing field” guarantees of fair competition.

The EU says they are essential to open its cherished single market of 450 million people to British products without the risk of being undercut by laxer standards.

London rejects being bound by EU state aid rules since escaping the bloc’s laws and jurisdiction was a major Brexit promise to voters.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ate-aid-compromise-with-britain-idUSKBN23T1WF
 
UK ready to quit EU on 'Australia terms' if no Brexit deal, PM Johnson says

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will be ready to quit its transitional arrangements with the European Union “on Australia terms” if no deal on their future relationship is reached, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki on Saturday.

Britain left the bloc on Jan. 31. A transition period, during which Britain remains in the European single market and customs union, expires on Dec. 31 and pressure is mounting to agree a free trade deal before then.

With the two sides still far apart, a round of “intensified negotiations” is due to start next week.

“He (Johnson) said the UK would negotiate constructively but equally would be ready to leave the transition period on Australia terms if agreement could not be reached,” Johnson’s Downing Street office said in a statement.

Australia does not have a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU. Much of EU-Australia trade follows default World Trade Organisation rules, though specific agreements are in place for certain goods.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-no-brexit-deal-pm-johnson-says-idUSKBN23Y0J8
 
EU, Britain making 'very limited' progress in talks: Merkel

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain have made “very limited” progress in negotiations about their future relationship, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday, adding there was still a possibility that no deal would be agreed.

“Progress in talks is, to put it cautiously, very limited,” Merkel told parliament during a Q&A session.

“We have agreed with Britain to speed up the talks in order to seal a deal in autumn that must be ratified by the end of the year,” she said but added that Germany and the EU “must be prepared... for the possibility that a deal doesn’t materialise.”

Britain left the bloc on Jan. 31. A transition period, during which Britain remains in the European single market and customs union, expires on Dec. 31 and pressure is mounting to agree a free trade deal before then.

With the two sides still far apart, a round of “intensified negotiations” is scheduled for this week.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...imited-progress-in-talks-merkel-idUSKBN2425NH
 
Britain nears abandoning Brexit trade deal hope: The Telegraph

Britain and the European Union will fail to sign a post-Brexit trade deal, with only a few days left before Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s July deadline, The Telegraph reported.

The UK government’s assumption is that there will not be a deal, though it remains possible that a “basic” agreement could be reached if the EU gives ground in the autumn, the newspaper said, citing government sources.

The government expects it will trade with Europe on World Trade Organisation terms when the transition period ends, the report added.

Britain left the EU on Jan. 31 and its relationship with the bloc is now governed by a transition arrangement that keeps previous rules in place while the two sides negotiate new terms.

Negotiators remain deadlocked on fishing rights, the deal’s governance, the European Court of Justice’s role and so-called level playing field guarantees, the newspaper reported.

Britain is pursuing trade deals with other countries and setting up its own sanctions regime, and has previously insisted it should not have to sign up to the bloc’s standards.

A spokesman for Johnson said on Monday Britain will continue to engage constructively with EU in talks on a future relationship, but that London is not willing to give up its rights as an independent state.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-b...t-trade-deal-hope-the-telegraph-idUKKCN24M2WV
 
Brexit: UK must 'face possibility' of no deal on future relationship with EU by end of transition

The UK must "face the possibility" that it will not agree a deal on its future relationship with the EU by the end of the year.

Chief negotiator David Frost said that with less than six months to go until the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK must "continue preparing for all possible scenarios" for once that deadline passes.

His EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, said an agreement "at this point" is "unlikely".

The assessments came after the conclusion of the latest round of talks in London.

Mr Frost said in a statement that "considerable gaps remain in the most difficult areas" - the so-called level playing field and fisheries.

"We have always been clear that our principles in these areas are not simple negotiating positions but expressions of the reality that we will be a fully independent country at the end of the transition period," he said.

"That is why we continue to look for a deal with, at its core, a free trade agreement similar to the one the EU already has with Canada - that is, an agreement based on existing precedents.

"We remain unclear why this is so difficult for the EU, but we will continue to negotiate with this in mind."

But he said "despite all the difficulties" he still thought a deal could be reached in September.

"We will keep working hard to bridge the gaps and find a way through," Mr Frost added.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier said the UK's current stances on a number of issues mean a deal at this point is "unlikely".

He highlighted in particular London's demands on fisheries, telling a news conference: "The UK is effectively seeking for near-total exclusion of fishing vessels from the UK's water. That is simply unacceptable."

Mr Barnier accused the UK of not displaying a "willingness to break the deadlock" and claimed it has "not shown the same level of engagement and readiness to find solutions respecting the EU fundamental principles and interests".

He said the "time for answers is quickly running out", adding: "If we do not reach an agreement on our future partnership there will be more friction."

Britain left the EU at the end of January after 47 years of membership and is currently in an 11-month transition period, which sees it continue to follow the bloc's rules and regulations.

This time frame is being used to negotiate a free trade agreement and sort out the terms of the future relationship that will govern ties between the UK and the EU in the future.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has formally told the EU that he will not extend the transition period beyond the end of this year, despite warnings that disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic has made striking a deal impossible.

If the transition ends without a deal being struck, the UK will likely have to trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation terms from next year.

Mr Barnier said the two sides had until October "at the latest" to come to a deal or risk the imposition of quotas and tariffs.

"If we want to avoid this additional friction we must come to an agreement in October at the latest so that our new treaty can enter into force on 1 January next year," he said.

"This means that we only a few weeks left and that we should not waste it."
https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-u...ionship-with-eu-by-end-of-transition-12034669
 
UK says it's confident of Brexit trade deal as EU changing tone

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s top minister overseeing Brexit talks said on Friday he was confident a free trade deal would be clinched with the European Union as there had been a distinct change of tone from the bloc in recent weeks allowing progress to be made.

The United Kingdom left the EU on Jan. 31 but the main terms of its membership remain in place - including being in the EU customs union and single market - during a transition period until the end of this year, during which time both sides hope to negotiate a new free trade accord.

“I’m confident that there will be a deal, I think there has been a welcome change in tone over the last few weeks,” Michael Gove told reporters in Portadown in the British province of Northern Ireland.

“The omens are good for a deal. Now of course there is some tough talking to do,” Gove said. “I believe that there will be a successful negotiated outcome.”

While Britain has always said it believed a deal was possible, the tenor of the comments from Gove - one of the most senior Brexit supporters in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government - was distinctly more positive than in recent months.

In late May, for example, Gove was demanding that the EU break the impasse in talks.

Failure to reach a deal would convulse global trade just as the world comes to terms with the economic destruction sown by the novel coronavirus.

The EU is willing to compromise by softening its demand that Britain heed the bloc’s rules on state aid in the future, diplomatic sources told Reuters earlier this month.

They said Brussels could go for a compromise entailing a dispute-settling mechanism on any state aid granted by the UK to its companies in the future, rather than obliging London to follow the bloc’s own fair-competition rules from the outset.

“The relationship that we have with the European Union is constructive, pragmatic and impressive,” Gove said, adding that he thought a deal could be done though there was more work to do.

Britain and the EU have planned more trade negotiations all the way until Oct. 2, less than a fortnight before a summit where the bloc hopes to endorse any agreement with London.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-trade-deal-as-eu-changing-tone-idUSKCN2531S6
 
EU's Barnier says little progress in latest talks with UK

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Negotiations between the European Union and Britain on their future relationship did not move significantly forward in the latest round of talks this week, the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator said on Friday.

“Those who were hoping for negotiations to move swiftly forward this week will have bee disappointed And unfortunately I too am frankly disappointed and concerned, and susprised as well,” Barnier told a news conference after two full days of talks in Brussels.

“The British negotiators have not shown any real willingness to move forward on issues of fundamental importance for the European Union and this despite the flexibility which we have shown over recent months.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rogress-in-latest-talks-with-uk-idUSKBN25H115
 
Brexit: Negotiator David Frost says UK not scared of walking away without a deal

The UK's chief Brexit negotiator has said the government is not "scared" of walking away from talks without a trade deal ready to come into force in 2021.

David Frost told the Mail on Sunday the UK would leave the transition arrangement - which sees it follow many EU rules - "come what may" in December.

And Dominic Raab said the "EU's best moment to strike a deal is now."

But EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said he is "worried and disappointed" by a lack of concessions from the UK.

He was speaking after informal talks between the pair failed to find a breakthrough.

An eighth round of formal negotiations begins on Tuesday.

Both sides want a deal agreed next month in order to have it signed off by politicians on both sides of the Channel by the end of the transition period on 31 December.

Differences remain on issues such as fishing and the level of taxpayer support the UK will be able to provide for businesses, also referred to as state aid rules.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the week ahead was "a wake-up call for the EU", adding "the EU's best moment to strike a deal is now."

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, he said the questions of fishing and state aid were "the only two points holding us back".

On fishing, he accused the EU of wanting to keep UK access to its fishing waters "permanently low". He also said providing state aid is "an absolute critical element of policy making" which UK political representatives should have control over.

The EU has said it wants full access for its boats to fish in UK waters in return for giving the UK fishing industry full access to EU markets.

On state aid, the EU has expressed concern that it could give business in the UK an unfair advantage over their European competitors and Mr Barnier has previously said the EU will require "robust" guarantees in this area if it is to agree a deal.

Lord Frost told the newspaper: "A lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54045653
 
About time.

The EU have been holding the UK hostage for too long now.

No Deal - walk away. No time left for EU games. Go fish else where.

An exciting few months ahead.

2020 was the year of reset, 2021 is the new dawn!
 
Technics 1210 said:
About time.

The EU have been holding the UK hostage for too long now.

No Deal - walk away. No time left for EU games. Go fish else where.

An exciting few months ahead.

2020 was the year of reset, 2021 is the new dawn!
Click to expand...

What's your guess on what will happen to the economy?

Will European migrants return or take up the residence offer?
[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION]
 
msaaim89 said:
What's your guess on what will happen to the economy?

Will European migrants return or take up the residence offer?
[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION]
Click to expand...

Economy will contract no doubt, but a small price to pay to remove the shackles of the EU.

Though I doubt the contraction will be anything less than the contraction experienced under Covid 19.
 
msaaim89 said:
What's your guess on what will happen to the economy?

Will European migrants return or take up the residence offer?
[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION]
Click to expand...

Depends on each individual migrant I guess. A lot of Britons married to EU27 citizens seem to have left this island already.

I don’t understand the UK negotiating tactics. Obviously a free trade deal is less good for the economy than full membership, yet still preferable to WTO terms, which will be ruinous.

We must be the only nation in history to erect trade barriers against itself. I can only conclude that either (1) the government have no idea what they are doing - see also the COVID death toll and A-level fiasco - or (2) are deliberately crashing the economy to please their party donors. Whichever it is, a lot more people will be relying too on food banks next year. And the hard right will get stronger and racial hate crime will rise.

I weep for my country.
 
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