$-bloc: Growing divergence

G10 commodity currencies are showing some diverging dynamics on the back of domestic factors. The New Zealand dollarcontinues tolagits peers, the Australian and Canadian dollars, as investors appear to be gradually pricing in a move by the Reserve Bank of New Zealandinto negative rates, and a fresh lockdown in Auckland is also weighing on the currency. Still, we expect NZD to find a floor soon as some investors may doubt thatthe RBNZ will effectively cut again. AUD, instead, is benefiting from some fresh hopes of re-opening in Victoria, while the Reserve Bank of Australia'sdownbeat tone on the economic recovery shown in the minutes overnight had already been priced in after Governor Philip Lowes speech last week, and left little markon AUD. CAD is retaining good momentum largely thanks to lingering good resilience in oil prices despite the resignationof Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau yesterday.

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FX Daily: Over-complacent GBP at risk as Brexit talks resume - ING Think

A youthful Benjamin Disraeli, failing once more to become a Member of Parliament, told a gathering of Conservative supporters that he was neither disheartened nor felt like a beaten man. He was used to it and, waxing philosophical, told them he was like the Italian general who, enjoying victories in old age, explained it was because he had always been beaten in his youth.

Brexiteers can empathize. Despite winning the 2016 referendum on the question of leaving the European Union, the last four years have been exasperating: Dissembling from then prime minister Theresa May. Obstruction from a Europhilic bureaucracy. And willful defiance from MPs, who prefer to side with the EU rather than the British electorate.

The Brexit cause is positioned much like the young Disraeli. Is it fated to experience another defeat on the road to independence? Or, after years of disappointment, is the promised land of liberty in sight?

A number of factors caution favor. First among them is the character of the UK chief negotiator, David Frost. He is a steadfast advocate of a meaningful Brexit and is more than a match for his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier. Earlier this summer Mr. Frost fired an unmistakable broadside against EU pretensions: UK sovereignty, over our laws, our courts, or our fishing waters, is of course not up for discussion.

Fortunately for Mr. Frost and Brexit, EU officials are their own worst enemy. Their intransigence in the face of Britains adamant insistence for independence is proving counter-productive. Respecting territorial fishing waters, EU trawlers take half their catch from British jurisdiction, taking three times as much fish as the UK industry does in EU waters. Without a deal, this discrepancy ends.

EU demands for regulatory alignment mock the principles of UK self-government. Brexit was fought on the issue of economic sovereignty, based on competitive tax policy and legislative flexibility in aid of domestic industry. The stated goal of a level playing field nullifies parliamentary responsibility. Just as galling are proposals to have the European Court of Justice take the place of a neutral arbiter of any trade disputes in a future UK-EU trade deal.

Nor should the effects of Covid on the continent be ignored. With productivity falling precipitously in major countries like Germany (10.1%), France (18.9 %), and Spain (22.7%), EU leaders are desperate to reboot their economies. Britain, though, is no less vulnerable, with its decline comparable to its European competitors, at 20.4%.

Fortunately, the UK is not wanting for commercial partners. Britain is on course to agreeing multiple trade agreements with at least four countries Australia, New Zealand, Japan and, more significantly, America focused on free trade and lower tariffs. Only EU obligations, that expire in December, stand in the way.

And unlike the repeated failures to get a flawed Withdrawal Agreement passed by Parliament in the early months of 2019, a deadline inserted in the eventual agreement for a transition extension by June 30, has passed. Brexit or Bust.

Yet this is a double-edged sword. With no possibility of an extension to ease deadlocked negotiations, Britain may feel pressure to agree to humiliating terms in order to seal a deal. This despite repeated claims that absent a draft agreement by summers end, the UK would switch its focus from the EU to the global trading market. There are other hurdles, too.

Principally, Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The bravura of lets get Brexit done, based on his putative libertarian leanings, has been replaced by vacillating policy toward more government intervention and nanny-state oversight.

Conflicting government policy on EU defense is a case in point. The UK defense industry is encouraged to apply for European military funding, while government spokesmen deny any dissimulation and continue to stand for NATO and against a stand-alone EU defensive bloc.

The deep state remains alive and kicking. The power of civil servants, unabashedly in favor of the EU and inimical to Conservative policy to break UK subservience, has yet to be broken.

Fortunately for Brexiteeers, a game changer exists in the person of Tory MP Michael Gove, who is proving a thorn in the side of Mr. Johnson. If Gove is planning to do a Kingslayer job on Boris, James Delingpole reports for Breitbart London, then I wish him all the very best.

Like young Disraelis political future, the cause of British sovereignty stays in flux. Will Brexit be beaten once more? Or does victory for independence lie ahead?

________

Mr. MacLean writes the Brexit Diary for the New York Sun.

Read more here:

Could Brexit Be Confounded at the 11th Hour? - New York Sun

China and the EU have been locked in talks since 2013, when efforts began to produce an investment agreement which would deliver predictable, long-term mutual access to both markets. There have so far been 31 negotiating rounds, including one earlier this month. The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) - the EU being treated in China the way Chinese businesses are treated in the EU - is currently one of the core topics of discussion. Beijing also wants to agree a 2025 Cooperation Agenda with the EU, which could reset Sino-European relations in areas ranging from climate control and energy security to science and technology.

But both the 2025 Cooperation Agenda and the CAI are dependent on the satisfaction of a set of issues which include level playing field considerations - one of the major elements which has proved to be a huge stumbling block in trade talks between the EU and UK.

Naomi Smith is chief executive of non-partisan advocacy group Best for Britain, who are campaigning for a comprehensive UK-EU trade deal, told Politics.co.uk: The EU has made it clear that level playing field considerations, as well as other areas of contention such as fisheries policy, must be addressed as a matter of priority in any trade negotiations.

"If it's not prepared to budge for mighty China, it's not likely to roll over for the UK, given that would create a low-cost competitor on its doorstep and undercut EU businesses.

"But the Chinese deal also reveals something more deep-seated about the UK-EU negotiations. There is, right now, a historic opportunity to build on our proximity to Europe, if we seize the same advantages that the Chinese are seeking.

"This is why business leaders and organisations such as Best for Britain have been pushing the government to agree a comprehensive trade deal with the EU. With economies reeling from the impact of covid, it has never been more important to maximise mutual economic benefits.

"If China is prepared to contemplate significant change to its business practices in pursuit of closer EU links and a lucrative FTA, why on Earth is Britain threatening to chuck any chance of a comprehensive trade deal in the Channel?

"Brexit has been delivered. We're shuffling out of the EU. But we have links, knowledge and allies in Europe that China can only dream of. They provide an opportunity to take Brexit and turn it into a showcase of how trade with the EU can best be done, starting with the level playing field.

"Far from being something to fear, we should see it for what it is a chance for British businesses to fight fairly in that massive market on our doorstep.

"If we turn down that chance, we're going to get to 2025 and find that our businesses are lumbered with crippling costs to enter the single market and competing for European business with the EU's newest FTA partner: Beijing.

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8.55pm update: Next round of Brexit talks will be nothing but 'shadow boxing'

Sources in the EU have said next week's post-Brexit trade talks in Brussels will be a round of "shadow boxing".

A source told the Telegraph: Both sides have moved closer together but we see this round as laying the foundations for future breakthroughs.

Imagine two fencers sizing each other out or two fighters shadow-boxing before the real engagement begins.

7.28pm update: Farmers call for reassurances from Government as December 31 looms

British potato farmers say they need reassurance from the Government as the Brexit transition period deadline looms.

Growers are hoping to avoid a third bad year but so far have been hit with a heatwave and a nationwide lockdown.

Potato farmer of North Yorkshire said there needs to be a shift in the agricultural industry or prices of potatoes will hike.

He told the Guardian: If you want to eat good wholesome food at the standards that British agriculture has achieved in the last 20 years, someone needs to pay for it.

If youre not prepared to pay money for higher British standards, British agriculture will change dramatically, and probably for the worse.

Fellow farmer Nigel Adams, who usually produces 7,500 tonnes of potatoes a year in the West Midlands, said he had almost forgotten about Brexit.

He said: "We had forgotten about it, there have been so many other things to think about."

6.21pm update:Scotland brutally lashes out at Boris Johnsons Brexit plan - Needs a consensus!

Scottish politicians have warned Boris Johnson against imposing a post-Brexit internal market between the devolved nations and the UK Government without their consent.

The Westminster Government wants to establish a new internal market between the four nations after December 31, when the Brexit transition period comes to a close. MSPs have warned every devolved power could be undermined by the proposals.

Giving evidence about the proposals on Wednesday, Scotlands Constitution Secretary Mike Russell accused the Prime Minister of running a clear and deliberate anti-devolution policy.

5.18pm update: NI farmers call on Government to offer assurances on meat exports

Farmers in Northern Ireland are demanding assurances from the Government that meat exports shipped from the province through Dublin Port to customers in Britain will qualify for "unfettered access".

The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) said up to half of red meat heading for the British market goies through this route.

The UK Government has said that goods from Northern Ireland will not face any barriers when entering the market in Britain.

But the UFU said the assurance does not extend to produce shipped via the Republic of Ireland.

UFU president Victor Chestnutt said: "Produce is shipped through Dublin as it's the only route that is feasible for meeting just-in-time requirements.

"There are important outstanding questions as to how unfettered access to the UK internal market can be delivered via Dublin."

4.12pm update: 'Sad and pathetic' to allow Brexit views to taint relationships - Daubney

Former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney has said he finds it "sad and borderline pathetic" when people allow their personal relationships to be tainted by the Leave/Remain debate.

He made the comments on Twitter in response to a poll which asked: "Could you date someone who voted differently to you in the EU referendum?

He tweeted: "My missus is a Remainer and I was a Brexit Party MEP.

"Its just so sad, borderline pathetic, that people would allow politics to taint their private lives like this."

3.04pm update: EU must stop 'pampering' Greece, says Turkey

The EU should stop "pampering" Greece, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said.

Mr Cavusoglu's comments came ahead of an EU foreignministers meeting to discuss a collision between Greek and Turkish vessels.

The warships were involved in a mild collision on Wednesday during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, in what a Greek defence source called an accident but Ankara described as a provocation.

A source said: "It was an accident."

2.15pm update: EU should reassess ties with Turkey - Austrian foreign minister

TheEuropeanUnionshould reassess its relations with Turkey in light of a series of recent events, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Friday, citing special concern about the situation in the eastern Mediterranean.

Mr Schallenberg said: "I have to say that Austria is very concerned about the dangerous and alarming situation which we believe could escalate.

"Actions taken by certain states in the eastern Mediterranean ... should lead theEuropeanUnionto re-evaluate its relations with Turkey."

He was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

1.12pm update: Scottish ministers in warning over post-Brexit internal market

MSPs have warned plans for a post-Brexit internal market must not be imposed without consensus and agreement between the devolved nations and the UK Government.

Westminster is hoping to establish a new internal market between the four nations at the end of the transition period.

But the Scottish Government has warned "every devolved power could be undermined" by the proposals.

Holyrood's Finance and Constitution Committee has been hearing evidence on the plans, and have written to UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma urging "mutual trust and respect for the existing constitutional arrangements".

Responding to the Government's white paper consultation, committee convener Bruce Crawford said new structures must not be imposed without devolved Governments' agreement because "trade-offs and balances are involved in making an internal market".

A UK Government spokeswoman previously said the proposed internal market "will ensure the free flow of goods and services across every part of the UK, while upholding the devolution settlement".

12.15pm update:EU fisheries row - French fishermen warn 'were coming for your fish' post-Brexit

The EU is trying to keep its access to UK waters as stalling Brexit trade talks suggest a no deal scenario is likely - but some French fishermen sent a threat to the UK that they will come for British waters.

Before the UK left the bloc on January 31, EU member states were allowed to dip into Britain's marine wealth under the Common Fisheries Policy, angering many fishermen north of the English Channel.

France is one of many nations dependent on British fishing grounds.

Between 2012-2016 for example, France caught 120,000 tonnes of fish worth 171million, according to Marine Management Organisation figures. In February, French President Emmanuel Macron promised he would "fight" for his country's fishermen during Brexit trade talks.

But after the UK accused the EU of causing "paralysis" in Brexit trade talks, Europe's fishermen could be facing a no deal Brexit, in which they will almost certainly lose access to UK fishing grounds.

In a remarkable interview, one French fisherman warned they would flout the post-Brexit laws and come for UK waters.

11.18am update: Pound flat against US dollar and euro ahead of crunch Brexit talks

Sterling is holding firm against the US dollar and euro at the moment.

The British currency was last flat $1.3067 and at 90.35 pence against the euro.

It has jumped nearly seven percent over the last three months against the US dollar, almost exclusively on the back of the greenback weakening.

10.10am update:We're in trouble! Expert admits Ireland RIPPED OFF by EU with fishing deal 'WORSE than UK'

Ireland gets to keep an even smaller percentage of the fish caught in its waters than the UK does and must quit the EU before it finds itself on the margins of the continent, a former top diplomat has said.

Ray Bassett, former Irish ambassador to Canada, Jamaica and the Bahamas, issued his stark warning in his new book, Ireland and the EU post Brexit.

Mr Bassett believes the time has come for a serious discussion about whether Ireland belongs in the European Union at all, questioning the benefits membership brings.

To illustrate his point, he wrote: "The UK under current arrangements only takes around 40 percent of the total fish catches in its waters, a disappointing figure from a British point of view.

9.22am update: Boris Johnson to put Union flag on UK-funded Scottish projects after Brexit - row ERUPTS

Boris Johnson is set to stamp key schemes in Scotland which are paid for by the UK Government with a Union flag from next year after the country exits the Brexit transition period.

The European Union symbol has been used to indicate whether a road or bridge has been directly funded by Brussels but will be replaced with a Union flag.

The new Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, has backed the idea.

He said Tories in Scotland need to be unashamed of our investment in Scotland.

Senior SNP politicians accused Mr Johnsons Government of posturing of the worst order and is trying to force the union flag down peoples throats.

The Union flag is set to be used to symbolise when the UK central Government money has been spent on Scottish projects.

Although a portion of Scotlands government money derives from an annual grant from London, the Union flag will not be used for Scottish government spending.

8.33am update:Here we go! Brexit deal ready in WEEKS vows Frost as pressure heaped on Barnier

Britain's chief Brexit negotiator David Frost has issued EU counterpart Michel Barnier a tough timeline on trade talks, saying he wants a deal between the UK and the bloc to be reached by next month.

Mr Frost's warning that the UK's patience is running out will serve as a major wake-up call to Mr Barnier who has so far remained stubborn on key issues.

It remains to be seen if he will relent during next week's round of post-Brexit trade meetings in Brussels.

Despite the lack of progress, Mr Frost insisted he was "looking forward" to the seventh round of talks with his European counterpart.

Mr Frost tweeted: "As always, we go in good faith to talk constructively about all the issues.

"Our assessment is that agreement can be reached in September and we will work to achieve this if we can."

He went on to repeat Britain's assertion that it is not seeking an unfair trade pact with the bloc.

8.21am update: Trade border down Irish Sea 'over my dead body' - Boris Johnson

The Prime Minister has warned there will be a trade border down the Irish Sea "over my dead body" following Brexit.

Northern Irish business leaders are worried red tape on goods crossing from Great Britain could make some trade unviable.

But during his visit to the country on Thursday, Mr Johnson reiterated his promise that businesses in the region would enjoy unfettered access to markets in England, Scotland and Wales.

He said: "There will be no border down the Irish Sea - over my dead body."

The Prime Minister agreed to "intensify" partnership arrangements with the Republic of Ireland, adding more work could be done on bilateral deals.

Original post:

Brexit LIVE: Expert exposes secret reason Brussels so tough on UK in talks - EU panicking - Daily Express

The event saw dozens of people gather who want to ensure the future of the car plant is secured in the North East. People taking part in the vigil included A-Level students, retail workers, retired people, health professionals, teachers and an engineer - all of whom are concerned about the impact a no deal Brexit might have on the local and UK economy. The latest plea made by locals towards the UK Government on Friday night, following a demonstration outside the same Nissan car plant in June.

That came a week after Nissans Global Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta warned without tariff-free EU access, the car manufacturing giant may have to leave and close the huge plant in Sunderland.

Louise Brown, who lives locally and was among the group holding the late-night vigil, warned time is running out for the UK to agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

She told the Sunderland Echo: It went really well with lots of honks of support from workers coming in and out of the factory with some stopping to chat to ask us more about why we were there.

"Workers appear to feel very worried about the situation as we now don't have long to strike a deal.

Holding a vigil outside the Nissan plant allowed us to express our sadness that this much-needed factory may close in the event of a no-deal Brexit as their CEO announced in June.

Ms Brown insisted although time is running out to strike a deal, this can still be achieved over the coming weeks, which could save hundreds of jobs at Nissan in the North East city.

She continued: "We all know how much the area depends on Nissan for employment.

"We did it at night to also show solidarity with the late shift workers.

READ MORE:Brexit LIVE: Boris Johnson facing ANOTHER legal fight at deal with EU

The vigil also highlighted that the Government can rectify this by striking a deal: they only have until October, however, to do this.

"There is also the outcome of the currently stalled UK-Japan trade negotiations to take into account."

Ms Brown said the group had also consulted with Northumbria Police before the vigil, while those involved followed coronavirus social distancing rules at all times.

The UK left the EU on January 31 but under the 11-month transition period until December 31, remains bound to Brussels' rules on the single market and customs union.

DON'T MISSMicheal Martin defended UK during Brexit negotiations[INSIGHT]EU's Brexit fishing plot exposed as Brussels attempts to repeat tactic[COMMENT]Nicola Sturgeon's EU dreams exposed as 'complete madness'[INTERVIEW]

Boris Johnson, as well as senior Cabinet ministers, including Michael Gove, have insisted a free trade agreement must be struck before the end of the transition period.

This is a deadline the Government and UK negotiators have refused to extend.

Trade talks between the UK and EU began in March but several rounds of talks have ended in stalemate and five months on, little progress has been made.

Both sides have lashed out at each other during talks and are so far refusing to give any ground on crucial red lines such as fishing access, the level playing field and state aid.

The latest round of talks begins in Brussels on Monday.

The UK and EU want a deal agreed by next month, so it can go through a lengthy ratification process in the European Parliament in October.

See the rest here:

Brexit candle-lit vigil held as campaigners 'mourn' quitting the EU without a deal - Express

The Brexit Party leader warned Leave voters the UK will not truly be free if Britain and Brussels finally agree to a deal by the end of this year. Writing for the Daily Express, he warned Brexiteers Brexit would not be the true freedom that they have fought for decades. He warned the UK would still have financial liabilities through the European Investment Bank and would never be free in areas such as state aid. Mr Farage said: My own guess is that a deal will be reached in the coming months but one in which we have continued financial liabilities through the European Investment Bank and one in which we will not truly be free in areas such as state aid.

THIS BLOG HAS CLOSED. CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S LIVE UPDATES.

The year 2020 will be remembered in history as the year we finally left the European Union, but the final shape of our withdrawal looks unlikely to be the true freedom that many of us had fought for decades.

Speaking about Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Brexit deal in October, he said it was no better than the agreement reached by his predecessor Theresa May.

He added: I sat for hours that morning with my lawyer in Brussels and went through the document line-by-line, even memorising some of the articles.

READ:NIGEL FARAGE'S FULL COMMENT HERE

It was clear that this deal was little better than Mrs Mays.Not only was Northern Ireland to become a different entity, but the European Court of Justice would have a continued say in British public life.

"There were also clever legal wordings that would keep us within the common fisheries policy and commitments to continued regulatory alignment. In short, I felt it was not Brexit."

THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED - FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS CLICK HERE

READ MORE:Fishing fury: MP urges ban on supertrawlers plundering UK waters

5.30am update: Europeanchallenger bank leaves UK

Finnish challengerHolviannounced plans to exitthe UK market on 31 October 2020, mirroringUKsinitialdeparturedatefrom the EU.

Speaking to Finance Forward,Antti-Jussi Suominen,CEO ofHolvi said:Great Britain is a challenging market - and we were ready to rise to this challenge."

However, the speed with which market conditions are rewritten has changed.We are reacting to the new realities by strengthening our core business in Europe, investing in our product and leaving the UK market. "

2.30am update:New Zealand's Deputy PM says British negotiators are 'not match fit' for negotiations

New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister,Winston Peters,said Britain is not 'match fit' to thrash outinternational agreements.

According to the Telegraph, Mr PetersblamedBoris Johnsonand his team for the slow advance towards post-Brexit deals.

0.30am update:Taoiseach to meet Boris Johnson today

Michel Martin will have his first in-person meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson since becoming Taoiseach during a visit to Northern Ireland today.

They are expected to discuss theUK's post-Brexit trade talks with the EU and the pandemic crisis, as well as developing a sustainable economic recovery strategy.

In a statement, the Department of the Taoiseach said:"Today's meeting will be an opportunity to discussa number ofissues of mutual concern.

"Covid-19 will top the agenda and the two leaders are expected to discuss their respective experiences of managing the virus and dealing with its economic and societal impact.

"They will also discuss Brexit, including the continuing negotiations between the UK and the EU, with less than six months to the end of the transition period."

10.34pm update: Theresa May criticised for lack of progress on UK-New Zealand deal

Speaking today, the country's Deputy Prime Minister stated Mrs May's Government had allowed "inertia" to set in while focusing on Brexit.

Winston Peters said: Where you have a decision to leave the EU and you dont have leading the exiting party, a prime minister committed to the departure its somewhat predictable that inertia would set in.

And thats what weve been witnessing from our part of the world until Boris turned up.

9.26pm update: 60 percent of Britons fear rise in grocery prices

Boris Johnson is under more pressure to secure a free trade agreement, as a new poll has shown 60 percent of Britons believe the cost of shopping goods will rise if no deal is agreed between the UK and EU.

A YouGov poll commissioned by pro-EU group Best for Britain, stated 59 percent believe grocery prices will rise.

Just three percent said prices will drop.

This comes amid concern the new Global Tariff system in place after the transition period would put taxes on EU imports if there is a no deal Brexit.

7.52pm update: Using Royal Nay in the Channel "an act of war"

The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart told France 3 that the use of the Royal Navy in the Channel to deal with migrant crossings, was "an act of war".

She also called on Priti Patel's French counterpart, to press the issue with the UK.

The Navy has been used as migrants crossed the Channel for the ninth day in a row.

5.50pm update: Express reader comment

Express.co.uk has launched its own reader comment section.

Christopher Smithers has written one of the first pieces.

Read it here - JUST IN:'Liberal elite become what they claim to hate, they just want power

5.21pm update:Nicola Sturgeons attempts to keep Scotland linked to Brussels post-Brexit in tatters

An SNP bid to keep Scotland linked with the EU after Brexit will not work, the Holyrood Government has admitted.

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell MSP said the new Bill will mean, on devolved matters, Scottish law can keep in line with those in Europe "when appropriate and practicable to do so".

But the Scottish Governments Chief Constitution Manager admitted she could struggle to see how the published legislation would work.

Emma Lopinska, the Scottish Governments Constitutional Policy Manager at Holyroods Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee said: "The power to align is a discretionary power so its not about maintaining absolute alignment with the EU on every subject.

We couldnt really do that because some of the legislation that comes out of the EU is in reserved areas so the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate.

We have to recognise theres a lot of EU legislation that only makes sense if you are an EU member state.

4.39pm update:80% of UK fishing taken by EU, we need to RECLAIM it to beat recession says JUNE MUMMERY

Former Brexit Party MEP, June Mummery has written a common piece for Express.co.uk on the UK's need to reclaim our waters.

You can read it here.

4.28pm update: Ireland heading for worst recesssion in history due to Brexit and COVID-19

TheIrish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned Ireland's economy may have contracted by 21 percent in April.

Due to the impact of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, the council has warned the contraction could be worse than the UK's 20 percent.

3.06pm update: UK confirms US trade deal talks suffer fresh delay

Follwoing the postponement of trade talks between the UK and US, the Department for International Trade (DIT) has confirmed talks in Boston will be delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Negotiations had been delayed due to tariffs on whisky while both sides have now also agreed to postpone talks until next year amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement from the DIT has insisted the UK's position on whisky is clear while also pledging to continue talks throughout the autumn.

It read: "She was clear that the UK considers these tariffs to be unacceptable and continued to push for their immediate removal.

In terms of the timeline of negotiations, it was agreed that they should continue at pace throughout the Autumn.

"We hope to rearrange in Spring 2021."

Bill McLoughlin takes over from Rebecca Perring.

2.44pm update:Brexit sparks surge in support for collapse of UK says Sinn Fin

Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU are exacerbating demands for a United Ireland in Northern Ireland, claimed deputy first minister Sinn Fin's Michelle O'Neill.

Speaking to The Guardian's Politics Weekly series with Jonathan Freedland, the Northern Ireland deputy first minister claimed both Brexit and coronavirus are pushing people from all sides of the political spectrum to have healthy conversations about the collapse of the UK and the possibility of a United Ireland. The Sinn Fin chief argued that even those who identify as unionists are now engaging in such conversations.

She warned: "Brexit is the clearest demonstration of the blatant disregard that the British Government have for the people here.

"There isn't anything good for us here in terms of Brexit. We voted to reject Brexit.

2.23pm update:MP urges ban on supertrawlers plundering UK waters

Supertrawlers which enter British waters to plunder the UK's fish stocks have been branded "hoovers" by an MP who has backed a comprehensive ban to stop them from entering designated Marine Protected Areas aimed at protecting the marine environment.

Sir Roger Gale, Tory MP for North Thanet, has signed a letter coordinated by environmental pressure group Greenpeace, calling for a comprehensive ban which would prevent the massive ships from fishing in any of the conservation areas which surround the UK.

He told Express.co.uk: "We have this absurd situation where we have these protected zones around our coast but we are not protecting them from the predations of supertrawlers.

"It's as simple as that - there is no point having protected zones if you don't protect them.

"These things are huge, massive - they are hoovers.

"I thing we need to start taking a firm grip on this now, irrespective of any agreement which might be reached on fishing.

1.52pm update: New Zealand 'frustrated' at slow pace of Brexit talks

New Zealand has complained about the lack of progress in trade talks with the UK, claiming the Government was not "match fit" for the negotiations.

Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister, said he was "very frustrated" with the progress made on a post-Brexit deal.

He said the UK's membership of the European Union - which dealt with trade policy - meant it was not ready to engage properly in negotiations once it was able to pursue independent agreements.

He said: "We've had to look offshore for a long time and so we are seriously match fit when it comes to that, in a way that I don't believe that the UK is, because the UK has been locked up in the EU all these years.

"And in terms of their trading skills and finesse and their firepower - without being critical - they've never had an outing lately.

"They've never had a test, so to speak. It's like coming into an Ashes contest when you haven't played for 30 years - it's the same thing in the UK when it comes to this."

12.40pm update:Britian must take back waters and not capitulate to EU bullying

Jane Mummery, former Brexit Party MEP, wrote for Express.co.uk: "Taking back full control of our waters has never been so important than today, with the announcement of the deepest recession on record.

"Not only is fish a valuable and healthy food source, the industry is a lifeline for coastal communities that are deprived and in desperate need of employment. Today's announcement of the arrival of Britain's deepest recession on record only deepens the need fordramatic and far-reaching action in our fishing industrywhich will help rejuvenate the nation. The fishing industry has the potential to create 100,000 skilled coastal community jobs - worth up to 6.6billion to the exchequer annually.

"This is why we must re-establish the economic link between the fishing industry and coastal communities."

11.55am update:Sturgeons attempts to keep Scotland linked to Brussels post-Brexit in tatters

An SNP bid to keep Scotland linked with the EU after Brexit will not work, the Holyrood Government has admitted.

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell MSP said the new Bill will mean, on devolved matters, Scottish law can keep in line with those in Europe "when appropriate and practicable to do so". But the Scottish Governments Chief Constitution Manager admitted she could struggle to see how the published legislation would work.

11.28am update: EU poll says Brexiteer tribes are fracturing

The Brexit voter tribes that were created during the 2016 EU referendum, and that culminated in Boris Johnsons general election victory last December, are already fading, according toa new poll.

Research by the European Council on Foreign Relations saidthe coronavirus has changed Britons attitudes to the world, Europe, and the state.

Go here to read the rest:

Brexit: Farage predicts what Brexit will look like on Jan 1 will anger Leave voters - Daily Express

When the result of the Brexit referendum came through it was welcomed as a great thing by Donald Trump, who was visiting his Turnberry golf club in Ayrshire.

Joe Biden, then vice-president, was just 180 miles away giving a speech at Dublin Castle, which he noted was so long the symbolic centre of British occupation and oppression of Ireland, as part of a trip to receive an honorary doctorate from Trinity College.

Wed have preferred a different outcome, Mr Biden told Trinity scholars after receiving an honorary degree, as he warned about reactionary politicians and demagogues peddling xenophobia, nationalism and isolationism in Europe and the US.

Kamala Harris, Mr Bidens running-mate for the November election, at a Covid briefing in Delaware last week

MANDEL NGAN/AFP

Nor did Mr Biden, 77, mince his words last December when the man hailed by the American president

Read more:

What would a Biden presidency mean for Brexit, trade and the UK? - The Times

The Canary tomato sector has managed to overcome the pandemic with rather acceptable figures. The campaign came to a close at Easter, a month earlier than normal due to a reduction in the harvest, with exports reduced by 18%. A total of 33,682 tons were sold abroad, compared to 41,331 a year earlier.

However, as of January 1, 2021, the UK will definitely leave the EU, and the Canary Islands will say goodbye to all the aid it has been receiving for the production and export of its crops to the United Kingdom.

Given the challenging scenario that the tomato sector is facing and its intention to reduce the production so as not to be left with unsold tomatoes next season, which starts in October and ends in May, the Government of the Canary Islands has announced that it will protect tomato growers, its crops and the employment the sector generates, which is key in some municipalities of the islands. Therefore, in the event that Brexit means the end of Canary tomato exports to the United Kingdom, the Government of the Canary Islands will cover the value of the productions intended for that market between January 1 and May. A total of 3 million Euro will be allocated to this end.

For its part, the Spanish Ministry of Public Works has decided to transform the compensations for transport allocated annually into "aid for market adaptation".

The subsidy will amount to 0.15 Euro per kilo exported over the next 4 years, which is estimated at around 3 million Euro. The sector will have to use that money to find solutions, such as cheaper transport arrangements or the search for new markets.

The Government of the Canary Islands has also asked Brussels for an increase in the amount of aid received by the sector per hectare and for the crop's marketing in the framework of the POSEI, following a study that revealed a sharp increase in costs because of the rise in the Minimum Interprofessional Wage. The goal is for the aid per hectare to go from 15,000 to 24,000 Euro, and for the aid for the crop's marketing to increase by 15% so that the sector can remain competitive.

Source: canarias7.es

See the article here:

Canary tomato growers increasingly concerned about Brexit - hortidaily.com

Meanwhile,Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill has said a united Ireland would offer Northern Ireland a "way back in" to the European Union, Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill said. Mr Frost also suggested a deal could be done next month - and insisted the UK had no intention of threatening the integrity of the EU's Single Market. Tweeting in advance of next week's meeting with EU opposite number Michel Barnier, Mr Frost said: "Our assessment is that agreement can be reached in September and we will work to achieve this if we can."

THIS BLOG HAS CLOSED. CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S LIVE UPDATES.

"As we keep saying, we are not looking for a special or unique agreement. We want a deal with, at its core, an FTA like those the EU has agreed with other friendly countries, like Canada."

Nevertheless, he warned: "The UK's sovereignty, over our laws, our courts, or our fishing waters, is of course not up for discussion and we will not accept anything which compromises it - just as we aren't looking for anything which threatens the integrity of the EUs single market."

Speaking prior to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to Northern Ireland today, Ms O'Neill, whose party is unequivocally committed to Irish unity, said planning needed to begin immediately - and claimed the UK Government's "reckless" approach to Brexit meant more people were likely to vote for it.

She said: "Now is the time to plan for unity and to start to put the facts on the table. "Let people understand what does an all-Ireland health service look like, what does an all-Ireland education system look like."

Large numbers of people in a border poll would vote for a united Ireland, Ms O'Neill said.

She added: "So for a lot of people in this decade we have in front of us, they're going to be considering which union they wish to be part of and the EU have offered us a route back in.

"So for some people it may not be about Britishness versus Irishness, it may be about do they value their European citizenship.

"I think that's going to be a very interesting debate."

Mr Johnson will outline the first stage of plans to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland's foundation during his visit.

Speaking in advance of his trip, he said: "Together, we will make sure Northern Ireland is ready to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead and that no part of Northern Ireland is left behind."

(THIS IS A LIVE BLOG - SCROLL DOWN FOR REGULAR UPDATES)

6:07am update: 2 million EU citizens granted right to stay in the UK after Brexit

TWO million EU citizens have been granted the right to remain in the UK after Brexit, the BBC has reported.

The two million EU citizens were already residing in the UK though an additional 1.5 million people who have lived in the country for under five years were granted pre-settled status.

Both statuses give holders the right to live, work, and use the NHS in the UK.

Under the Home Offices settlement scheme, EU citizens have until June 30 next year to apply for the status.

The government has said anyone living in the UK who fails to apply before the deadline will not be automatically deported.

However, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine blasted the fact the scheme does not provide settled status holders with any physical documentation proving their status.

She said: They must not become the victims of a new Windrush-style scandal.

4:03am update: US-UK trade talks hit 'deeply disappointing' whisky roadblock

Post-Brexit trade negotiations have taken a hit this week after the US said it would uphold 25 percent tariffs on Scottish and Irish single-malt whisky which have cost the UK 300 million in lost sales.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said she had previously warned against new tariffs on the UK, that fresh levies on blended whisky and gin had been avoided, and that tariffs on shortbread had been lifted.

However, existing tariffs on single malt whisky remain, which Scotch Whisky Association CEO Karen Betts said is deeply disappointing and inflicts huge damage.

Ms Truss said she is stepping up talks with the US to remove them as soon as possible.

1:48am update: FTSE drops over 'double whammy' Brexit and Furlough fears

The UKs FTSE 100 stock index fell 1.5 percent at close yesterday amid Brexit worries, analysts said.

The FTSE 100 represents the value of the 100 largest companies is the UK.

Joshua Mahony, an analyst from finance group IG, said the drop was because of a double whammy of concerns over Brexit and the end of the furlough scheme.

The next round of UK-EU Brexit talks are due to commence on Monday next week.

Edward Browne takes over live reporting from Steven Brown

5.45pm update: Boris Johnson rules outtrade border down the Irish Sea

Boris Johnson has said there will be a trade border down the Irish Sea "over my dead body" following Brexit.

During a visit to Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister reiterated his promise that businesses in the region would enjoy unfettered access to markets in England, Scotland and Wales.

He has also agreed to "intensify" partnership arrangements with the Republic of Ireland and said more work could be done on bilateral deals.

"There will be no border down the Irish Sea - over my dead body."

The next round of Brexit talks will begin on August 18 between the Prime Minister's adviser David Frost and the European Union's Michel Barnier in Brussels.

4.30pm update:Ireland panic: Brexit and COVID-19 blamed as Dublin faces devastating recession

Ireland has been warned the country could be heading for a devastating recession with both the outbreak of coronavirus and consequences of Brexit blamed.

According to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the economy may have shrunk by 21 percent in April after businesses were forced to close following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Experts claim the crisis has been worsened by Brexit.

Last week, latest figures from the Exchequer found a deficit of 7.4 billion in public finances in July compared to a surplus of 896 million which was recorded in the same month last year.

The deterioration of 8.3 billion was reportedly due to increases in expenditure following the outbreak of the deadly virus.

3.35pm update: Irish Prime Minister sees 'landing zone' for Brexit deal

Ireland's Prime MinisterMichel Martin met with Boris Johnson today to discussthe UK's post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU.

It seems to me that there is a landing zone if that will is there on both sides, and I think it is, said Martin, who became prime minister in June.

My own gut instinct is that there is a shared understanding that we dont need another shock to the economic system that a sub-optimal trade agreement would give alongside of the enormous shock of COVID, he told reporters in Belfast.

3pm update: Steven Brown takes over fromCiaran McGrath

2.46pm update: Johnson vows to develop UK's relationship with Ireland

The Prime Minister has promised to develop Britain's relationship with Ireland after meeting the new Taoiseach.

Boris Johnson greeted Micheal Martin with an elbow bump outside Hillsborough Castle in Co Down.

It was Mr Johnson's first visit to Northern Ireland since Stormont powersharing was restored in January, and his first face-to-face meeting with his Irish opposite number since a new Government was formed in Dublin.

Mr Johnson said: "I had the honour of meeting the Taoiseach several years ago. I am very pleased to develop our friendship and relationship now."

It was his first visit since the coronavirus pandemic struck and there have been calls for closer collaboration between Ireland and Britain to tackle the threat.

Mr Johnson added: "It's great to see you Taoiseach, it's great to be here in Northern Ireland, and we look forward to developing our relationship in all sorts of ways - east-west, north-south, you name it."

2pm update:Supertrawler plot - Brexit free-for-all as fisherman warns ships STAKING CLAIM in UK waters

With Britain due to sever ties with the European Union - and leave the Common Fisheries Policy - at the end of the year, a fisherman has warned foreign supertrawlers who regularly plunder UK waters may be seizing the current uncertainty to stake their claim in the meantime.

Jeremy Percy, director of the New Under Tens Fishing Association (NUTFA) was speaking after a study by Greenpeace revealed the massive vessels - none of which is UK-owned - have already doubled the amount of time they have spent fishing in specially designated Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) in 2020 compared with last year.

Greenpeace is calling for the Government to crack down on ships which operate in MPAs at the end of the transition period - but Mr Percy is concerned supertrawlers are increasing the time they spend in UK waters as part of a long-term strategy.

Mr Percy, whose organisation represents boats which are under ten metres in length, said he had become curious after seeing supertrawlers in action recently.

He added: "When we observed the vessels fishing off the Sussex coast, they didn't seem to be catching much.

"I explained this to a good friend of mine who is an expert in this sort of fishing and he didn't think they would be making any money there so the idea that they were continuing to build up a track record to strengthen their arguments post Brexit seemed sensible."

1.46pm update: Martin offers warm words to Johnson

Ireland's recently installed Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the relationship between him and Boris Johnson would work "very warmly".

He said: "We look forward to a very warm engagement.

"It is important for us both in terms of the British-Irish relationship which has been the cornerstone of much progress on the island of Ireland and between our two countries for well over two to three decades, and we want to maintain that.

"It is challenging times ahead with Covid, Brexit, all of that."

Mr Martin said it was particularly fitting the engagement was taking place so soon after the death of former SDLP leader John Hume.

He said: "We remember John at moments like this because he did so much to facilitate these kind of meetings and make them much more regular in the normal course of events."

Mr Johnson agreed that the meeting provided an appropriate moment to remember Mr Hume's legacy.

Shortly after arriving at the castle, the Taoiseach joined the Prime Minister for a walk in the grounds.

12.44pm update: Barnier retweets agenda

Michel Barnier has responded to David Frost's earlier announcement by retweeting a post by EU spokesman Daniel Ferrie in which he share the timetable for next week's meetings.

Mr Ferrie commented: "The agenda for next weeks round of EU-UK negotiations with @MichelBarnier & @DavidGHFrost is now available online. Talks will take place @EU_Commission in Brussels."

Mr Barnier added: "Within 5 months the transitional period #Brexit ends: United Kingdom leaves European Union single market & customs union.

"Changes are inevitable, with or without agreement on the new association."

12.35pm update: Brexit on the agenda for Boris during Northern Ireland visit

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has started a series of meetings with political leaders on a visit to Northern Ireland.

He is meeting with the region's First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill at Hillsborough Castle, where he will later have his first face-to-face meeting with Ireland's premier Micheal Martin.

Mr Johnson is visiting Northern Ireland for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

He is expected to outline the first stage of plans to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland's foundation.

Discussions are also expected to take place around the response to Covid-19, rebuilding the economy and Brexit.

12.09pm update:As US talks hit barrier, who should UK prioritise trade deal with? POLL

Brexit trade talks between the UK and US have been halted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Which country do you think Britain should prioritise a trade deal with?

After unshackling from the EU earlier this year Britain is trying to tie up swift trade deals with major partners like the US and capitalise on its new freedom to strike bilateral deals rather than EU-wide ones.

But talks hit a major stumbling block when both sides agreed to postpone negotiations until next spring due to ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 crisis.

As well as the US, the UK is also eyeing up trade deals with the EU, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in the coming months as it makes the most of its new found Brexit freedom.

11.44am update: 'We won't compromise,' warns David Frost

UK Chief Negotiator David Frost has said UK sovereignty over its laws, courts and fishing waters was "not up for discussion", adding that he would not accept anything which compromises any of that.

Mr Frost also suggested a deal could be done next month.

11.25am update: Trade talks agenda puts fishing centre stage

The importance of fishing rights has been highlighted after the publication of a timetable for trade talks due to get underway next week.

The agenda includes four two-hour sessions devoted to the issue on Wednesday and Thursday.

11.04am update: Theresa May's 'loathing' of ex-Irish leader derailed Brexit talks - shock claim

Original post:

Brexit: This is NOT up for discussion! EU sent ferocious warning on UK fishing waters - Daily Express

The organisation has urged that the EU internal dairy market is preserved and protected, while both parties acknowledge that the UK needs its room to manoeuvre.

In light of the upcoming negotiation rounds on the EU-UK future relationship, the European Dairy Association (EDA) has called for an unprecedented level of pragmatism to the EU-UK negotiations.

EU dairy exports currently amount to around 99 percent (by volume) of the UK dairy imports while around 92 percent (by volume) of the UK exports are destined for the EU, which EDA claimed have a high value for both parties.

Lets make sure that consumers on both sides can still enjoy a great variety of dairy products of high standards at reasonable prices; ideally by securing close cooperation with zero tariffs on dairy trade and as little border administration/costs as possible, EDA said in a statement.

According to EDA, failure to reach an agreement runs the risk of significantly disrupting dairy trade flows in both directions. The group warned that more than 1.2 million tonnes of EU dairy products might have to find new markets, or UK consumers will have to absorb the increased tariff cost.

We stand ready to discuss this pragmatism in order to secure a deal, as it is clear that the current impasse will be extremely damaging for consumers, farmers and companies in the EU and UK, the statement continued.

It speaks for itself that the level playing field provisions signed up to by the UK in the Withdrawal agreement as well as the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland included in the Withdrawal Agreement are honoured in negotiations.

Rest assured the dairy industry is not resting on their laurels our industries on both sides continues to prepare for the scenario of a hard Brexit and the economic and administrative consequences it will inevitably lead to during these times of COVID-19 and economic instability.

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European dairy industry calls for "pragmatism" in Brexit negotiations - New Food

I personally challenged Mrs May about the problems in both the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration when I met her in February 2019, but she denied any problems even existed. With limited time and the need to actually Leave the political institutions of the European Union Boris Johnson managed to get some limited improvements over the line last October. However, the EU had no interest in changing the major details of an agreement which simply gave them what they wanted. One area which seems significant however is the issue of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The UK is now being held to ransom, obliged to support EU projects during the Transition Period and we are expected to do so for at least the next 20 years.

As always, the devil really is in the detail.

Just last month the UK was jointly liable for new EU loans - including 125 million to Greece to help build a power plant and 2 billion to Italy in the form of a COVID-19 investment into their healthcare system.

This is money which was insured by the UK money which should be focussed on our own financial problems due to this virus, or on our own NHS.

So, the UK has jointly financed these projects (though there is no way of telling how successful these so-called investments will be) but we have

sacrificed any possible return of profits as a result of the Withdrawal Agreement.

We are well and truly in a lose-lose situation.

Way back in 1973 when the UK joined the EU, we also joined the EIB and put in an original investment of 3.5 billion to help fund growth across the EU.

Now we are Leaving the EU and its institutions in full, surely this money should be returned and adjusted for inflation that would make it around 37 billion.

However, the EU is only returning the UKs original stake of 3.5 billion.

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To make matters worse, the EU is only returning this 3.5 billion over 12 years.

If the boot was on the other foot its hard not to imagine the EU would be demanding immediate payment so why arent we?

I have regularly called for the Government to answer questions like this and have frequently written to MPs, Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister to ask why no action is being taken to correct these categoric failings of negotiation.

It is not even as if changes are not possible.

As the director of Get Britain Out I have clearly identified the loopholes built into the Withdrawal Agreement which give powers directly to the UK-EU Joint Committee - co-chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove MP on the UKs side, and the Vice-President of the European Commission for Inter-Institutional Relations and Foresight, Maro efovi on the EUs side.

These powers are clearly stated in Articles 164 and 166 of the Withdrawal Agreement, detailing how this Committee has the ability to change the Withdrawal Agreement.

While mutual consent would be required, decisions do not have to be approved by both sides parliaments, meaning change is far more possible without party politics interfering.

Interestingly, Maro efovi has often voiced his opposition to EU federalisation, meaning he may be more receptive to the UKs cause than other EU bureaucrats.

While this might not be a silver bullet to resolve all the problems in the Withdrawal Agreement, it is a valid option for the UK Government.

I implore Boris Johnson and Michael Gove to understand they have a duty to use the tools they have at their disposal to try and make the vital changes needed to free the UK from the EU and not leave us trapped in a permanent state of purgatory.

There is a legal obligation for this UK-EU Joint Committee to reconvene at least on an annual basis indefinitely.

This Government can still make changes up to the end of this year and they also have the capability to push for changes for years to come.

Negotiations may be hard, but changes must be made and fast.

These possibilities for change are, however, available to both sides. I fear, if this Government - fortified with Brexiteers - doesnt use this chance to change the Withdrawal Agreement the EU will simply wait them out until a more receptive politician sits at the table in Downing Street.

Expect the EU to take full advantage - if and when this happens - to claw back powers from the UK which have so far been lost to Brexit.

It is not too late for this country to free itself from the death sentence lurking within the Withdrawal Agreement, but firstly the Government must accept problems exist.

Actions must be taken to resolve this quickly. A lack of awareness is never an excuse.

Jayne Adye is the Director of grassroots, cross-Party Eurosceptic campaign Get Britain Out

More:

Britain will be EU's patsy for 20 years unless we rip-up Brexit Agreement - JAYNE ADYE - Express

PUBLISHED: 17:16 18 August 2020 | UPDATED: 17:56 18 August 2020

Adrian Zorzut

Independent MS Caroline Jones; Seneed.tv

Archant

A Welsh politician has left the Brexit Party because of its desire to see the Senedd abolished.

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Caroline Jones, a former UKIP leader for Wales, said the Brexit Partys stance against devolution ran contrary to her own.

Jones, who lent her support to the party after becoming an independent Members of the Senedd (MS) in 2018, said the outfit had become irrelevant now the UK has left the EU.

She said: As a Brexiteer, there was no reason not to lend my support to the Brexit Party Group but this was under the understanding that the Brexit Party shared my view that devolved government should be reformed so that it works better for the people I represent in South Wales West.

Now that Brexit has been achieved, and the Brexit Party have indicated that they are anti-devolution and want to see the Senedd abolished, I have taken the decision to leave the Brexit Party Group in the Senedd and sit as a non-aligned Independent Member for the rest of this Senedd term until the next Welsh Parliament Election.

She added: Their current stance is one of an Anti-Devolution Party which is against my principles.

My belief is that Westminster doesnt provide all the answers and while devolution in Wales has a long way to go before it is truly representative of the people of Wales, it is something which the majority of people in our country voted for on numerous occasions.

I therefore honour that democratic decision and want to make devolution work for the people of Wales rather than undermine it.

Jones stood for UKIP in the European Election in 2014 and the general election in 2015 before becoming the lead candidate for the party in the South Wales West Assembly region and leader briefly in 2018.

A Brexit Party spokesman said: Caroline Jones has today informed Mark Reckless and the group that she will be leaving the Brexit Party group in the Senedd.

We would like to thank her for all the work that she has done while a part of the group and we wish her all the best in the future.

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

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Politician leaves Brexit Party over anti-devolution stance - The New European

Treasury data published by the House of Commons Library showed the annual gross contribution to Brussels coffers was one of the highest in the UKs 47 years as a member of the European bloc. The huge sum from taxpayers - nearly a billion pounds more than the previous year - was equivalent to more than 500 for every household in the UK.

It would have been around 4.5billion higher without the rebate won by the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher during budget negotiations in the 1980s.

Figures showed around 5billion was returned to the UK under EU spending schemes last year, giving a total net contribution for 2019 of 9.4billion.

Tory MP Peter Bone, a leading figure in the Brexit campaign, said: This is a huge sum of money. It shows why this country was right to leave the EU.

Our contribution was set to rise even higher if we stayed in the EU. We have basically been subsidising other European countries.

"My constituents did not consider that a fair and reasonable deal.

Britain, which formally quit the EU at the end of this year, is expected to pay a similar amount to Brussels this year for continuing EU single market and customs union membership during the transition out of the blocs rules.

Britains obligation to contribute to the EU budget is set to end once the transition expires at the end of this year.

READ MORE: 'Fake British' super-trawlers from EU must be BANNED forever

But under the departure deals, the UK could still have to pay money to Brussels for many years.

The House of Commons Library research paper said: The UK and EU have some outstanding financial obligations to each other that they are settling through a financial settlement.

The obligations arise out of the UKs participation in the EU budget and broader aspects of its EU membership.

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The Office for Budget Responsibility, Whitehalls financial watchdog, has estimated that the settlement may cost the UK around 33 billion once the final payment is made, possibly in the 2060s.

Britains contribution has varied year to year based on economic performance and other Brussels criteria.

The biggest annual sum, a gross contribution of 16billion and net of 11.5billion, was paid in 2013.

Read the original:

Brexit Britain gave EU eye-watering 14.4bn in final year of membership -Right to leave! - Daily Express

A large number of British citizens live elsewhere in Europe and many have the right to vote in UK elections. Yet little is known about their political preferences given there are nodesignated overseas constituencies for expatriate representation. Drawing on new survey evidence,Paul Webb andSusan Collardwrite that while expatriate voters have traditionally been assumed to vote more often for the Conservative Party, this no longer seems to apply for those living in EU countries following Brexit.

New research shows a dramatic increase in the number of Britons who are choosing to quit the UK for countries in the European Union. Overall, the rate of migration has jumped by30%since the Brexit referendum of 2016, and there has been a five-fold increase in the number of Brits adopting dual citizenship in these countries (notably in Spain and France).

Even so, they retain the legal right to register and vote in UK elections at least, they do until they have been based abroad for more than 15 years. But what are the political preferences of British migrants who vote in the UK? And, more particularly, what impact if any has Brexit had on these preferences? We are able to shed some light on these questions in a new paper.

Time-limited voting rights for expatriates were introduced by the Conservative Party in 1985 after the creation of British citizenship (as opposed to Citizenship of the UK and Colonies) by the1981 British Nationality Act. Overseas electors are assimilated into the system of 650 parliamentary constituencies through registration in their last place of residence. The time-limit on the overseas franchise was increased under the Conservatives in 1989 from five to twenty years after leaving the UK, but reduced by Labour in 2000 to the current 15-year rule.

Historically, the issue of expatriate enfranchisement has polarised the two main parties, whose attitudes are predominantly informed by their respective expectations of electoral gains or losses: cultural stereotypes of expats as either wealthy or retired (or both) fuel widely shared assumptions that the majority would support the Conservative Party. Not surprisingly, therefore, Labour has traditionally opposed extension of expatriate voting rights.

This has been increasingly contested by expatriate campaigners claiming that this time limit is arbitrary and anachronistic in the internet era, but legal challenges in theEuropean Court of Human Rightsand the UK courts have been unsuccessful. Although the Conservatives Abroad expatriate organisation was instrumental in persuading the party leadership to include a 2015 manifesto pledge to deliver Votes For Life (VFL),the promise was not fulfilledand most British migrants supporting VFL lost faith in the partys will or capacity to deliver it. Recent developments make the introduction of VFL even less likely.

We can demonstrate this through a new survey of Britons living in the EU that we conducted in early 2020; while this reveals that the issue of VFL itself did not impact significantly on their voting behaviour in 2019, Conservative policy on Brexit mattered hugely and clearly turned them against the party. Only 17% of those who voted for the party in 2015 and then to Remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum (that is, some 95% of all 2015 EU-based Tories) still supported the Conservatives in 2019; by contrast, 90% of Leave-voting Tories stuck with the party in 2019.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats benefitted from this anti-Brexit backlash among expatriates in the general election. Even so, this backlash did little or nothing to diminish the Conservatives resounding victory in December 2019, because of the dispersion of overseas voters across 650 constituencies.

The creation of designated overseas constituencies for expatriate representation (as practised by countries such as France, Italy and Romania, and advocated for the UK by the Liberal Democrats since 2017), would address this question of representation. However, the absence of accurate data on the size and geographical distribution of the expatriate population, not to mention other administrative obstacles, renders implementation problematic, though certainly not impossible.

In any case, if Boris Johnsons government was to implement its 2019 election manifesto pledge to legislate for VFL, the enfranchisement of a further three million UK citizens would be consistent with its Global Britain agenda. But despite its parliamentary majority, the Brexit-induced antipathy of EU-based Britons towards the Tories revealed by our research would seem to make this scenario unlikely. More plausibly, in the post-Brexit era, the issue of expatriate representation seems destined to return to the margins of political debate.

Please read our comments policy before commenting.

Note: This article originally appeared at UK in a Changing Europe. It gives the views of theauthors, not the position of EUROPP European Politics and Policy or the London School of Economics. Featured image credit: Images Money (CC BY 2.0)

_________________________________

About the authors

Paul Webb University of SussexPaul Webb is a Professor of Politics at the University of Sussex.

Susan Collard University of SussexSusan Collard is a Senior Lecturer in French Politics & Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex.

Originally posted here:

British expatriates and the anti-Brexit backlash - EUROPP - European Politics and Policy

The Brexit process has been characterised by uncertainty it is more than four years since the referendum, and it is still not clear what the future relationship with our largest trading partner will be. But with the clock ticking, there is a growing imperative for businesses to plan and prepare for all eventualities.

A no-deal Brexit is an increasingly likely scenario and has several ramifications for those who trade with the EU. Whether a deal is agreed or our exit occurs on World Trade Organisation terms, there will VAT implications which are substantial and, in many cases, immediate.

There is a breadth of detail to cover, but in the interests of space and clarity, this article will primarily consider the impact of Brexit on the treatment of goods and services, the recovery of VAT and Fiscal Representation.

The treatment of goods moving between Great Britain and the EU will change significantly from 1 January 2021. It should be noted that the reference is to Great Britain and not the UK this is because the Northern Ireland Protocol means Northern Ireland will be treated differently. This will not be explored in this article, but it is essential that businesses that trade with Northern Ireland are fully aware of the implications post Brexit.

The concept of dispatches and acquisitions will no longer apply to GB-EU trade and will be replaced instead by exports and imports. Though zero rating for exports exist if the relevant conditions are met, crucially, imports are liable to import VAT and potentially customs duty. To mitigate the impact of this, some Member States allow for import VAT to be accounted for on VAT returns this is called postponed accounting.

This effectively minimises cash flow but may require an application or licence both of which are conditional, can be revoked, and arent automatic like the current mechanism for accounting for acquisition tax. HMRC is implementing postponed import VAT accounting for goods arriving from the EU this is automatic and will also be available for imports from countries outside the EU.

When it comes to the treatment of services, businesses can breathe a tentative sigh of relief as significant changes are unlikely. The UK looks set to continue to apply VAT place of supply rules in line with VAT Directive, in part to avoid instances of double or no taxation. However, businesses will need to consider the liability to be registered in the EU and the UK on an ongoing basis.

Businesses that engage in UK-EU trade of goods need to ensure that they review their supply chain and are fully aware of the implications post 1 January 2021. It may be possible to make changes to the supply chain to mitigate any negative impact by changing contractual relationships and consider the flow of goods but these will need to be done well in advance of January 2021 in order to be effective.

If and how VAT can be recovered post-Brexit is understandably a concern for many businesses. If a UK company is registered in the EU it can continue to recover VAT via returns, but the appointment of a fiscal representative may be necessary. If a business is not registered and not liable to do so, recovery will be via the 13th Directive. T

he 13th Directive has several drawbacks its a paper-based system with different time limits and potential issues of reciprocity which may prevent UK businesses from making claims in some countries. This will be a particular risk in countries where claims can only be made by businesses from named countries the UK is not on these lists as previously there was no requirement. Its not clear how quickly it will be added.

EU businesses registered for VAT in the UK can continue to recover VAT via the VAT return. However, if a business is not registered and not liable to do so, recovery will be via a paper-based system.

Key to this is that the UK currently applies the reciprocity principle if a UK business would be denied a claim in the country of the claimant. For EU businesses, this means running the risk that they are denied VAT returns if there is no reciprocity between their country and the UK.

Planning is key to ensuring that VAT can be recovered successfully especially when there are changing systems. Claims under the current mechanisms can be made for 2020 but the deadlines will be much shorter than at present. Claims under the new processes will need to be evaluated in order to ensure that no recoverable VAT is lost.

It will continue to be essential to ensure that VAT has been properly charged by the supplier as if it is charged incorrectly, it cannot be recovered from the Tax Authority.

Fiscal Representatives are local entities that act on behalf of non-resident businesses, and in some Member States have joint liability for VAT. From January 1st, UK businesses will have enhanced requirements for Fiscal Representation, although like much related to EU fiscal law, there are no hard and fast rules.

Currently, 19 Member States have a requirement for non-EU businesses to have fiscal representation, but some like France previously signalled that this may not be the case for UK companies. Some countries may relax the requirement for UK businesses in the coming months, if there are appropriate mutual recovery provisions in place between the countries.

Whether exceptions are established or not, there is a lot for UK businesses to do to prepare, including planning for the transfer of existing registrations to Fiscal Representatives.

Each Member State has its own process and some Tax Authorities such as Belgium are contacting businesses now to inform them of the new requirement, in order to continue trading in the nation. It is therefore essential that planning is carried out as soon as possible, to avoid difficulties nearer the end of the transition period.

In conclusion, we find ourselves once again guessing at the likely VAT panorama, with the potential for the all-important future trading relationship details to be agreed at the eleventh hour and a no-deal Brexit looming large. The only way for the status quo to be maintained is an extension to the transition this is, at the current moment, looking very unlikely.

As such, businesses in the UK and the EU need to proactively consider and have plans in place around registrations, supply chains, and Fiscal Representation in good time, to ensure seamless trading in the new year and beyond.

By Andy Spencer, Director of Professional Services at Accordance

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Brexit and VAT - Accountancy Today

Italy would be the most likely of the "Big Four" member states to consider exiting the European Union if Brexit proves to be beneficial to Britain, according to a Euronews-commissioned poll.

Data from the Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey found that nearly half of Italians would be likely to support their country leaving the EU if the UK and its economy are regarded to be in good health in five years.

In the event, France and Spain both showed moderate support for changing its relationship with the bloc, while Germany was the member state least likely of the four major players to consider leaving the Union.

The poll findings come just weeks after the founding of a new anti-EU party in Italy.

Former TV journalist Gianluigi Paragone launched his "Italexit" party on July 23, just two days after Italy secured a considerable tranche of the EU's 750 billion recovery fund to help steady its pandemic-hit economy.

The survey gauged the opinion of 1,500 people in each of the four countries 6,000 people in total between July 17-18.

Of the EU's "Big Four," respondents in Italy were the most in favour of leaving the EU in five years' time if Brexit is seen to be benefiting the UK, with 45 per cent either agreeing or strongly agreeing with the idea of an "Italexit."

France was the next most favourable country but lagged considerably behind its Mediterranean neighbour at 38 per cent, followed closely by Spain with 37 per cent.

Germans were the least likely to consider such a move with just 30 per cent in favour.

Following a similar trend, the participants polled in each country were asked in a separate question whether they thought the UK would benefit from leaving the EU in the long-term, even if there were short-term economic problems.

A significant number of respondents in France (45 per cent) and Italy (43 per cent) all agreed that that the UK would prosper outside of the bloc.

In Spain, 35 per cent believed Brexit would ultimately be a success for the UK, while only 31 per cent of Germans agreed to some extent compared to 43 per cent who disagreed.

In light of the landmark 1.82 trillion EU budget and COVID-19 recovery package, political commentators have questioned the timing of the announcement of a new Eurosceptic party in Italy and its long-term prospects.

Promising to free Italy "from the cage of the European Union and the single currency," the nascent Italexit party has modelled itself on Nigel Farage's Brexit Party in the UK and hopes for similar success.

Originally elected in 2018 as a senator for the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), Italexit's founder and leader Paragone, 48, became an independent in the Senate earlier this year having been expelled from his party after he opposed it joining the pro-EU Democratic Party in government.

"It is too soon to assess the real electoral potential of the new Italexit party," Dr Mattia Zulianello, a political scientist at the University of Birmingham, told Euronews.

"The Italian party system is already overcrowded by the presence of various parties being critical of the EU, in various forms and degrees: Salvinis League, Melonis Brothers of Italy and the Five Star Movement.

"Such parties have considerable electoral support, and the electoral prospects of the new Italexit party will pretty much depend on its capacity to steal voters from these parties."

While a poll conducted in June by the Istituto Piepoli suggested only 7 per cent of Italians would vote for a party campaigning to leave the EU, there has been growing disillusionment with the European project in recent years.

In the Euronews-Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey, when asked whether they thought the EU membership had a positive or negative effect on their country, 32 per cent of Italians agreed that being a member state had a positive or very positive effect. 34 per cent thought being a member of the EU had a somewhat or very negative impact, the highest percentage among participants in the four countries polled.

This is in contrast to Spain, where 57 per cent of those polled believed EU membership had, on balance, a positive effect on the country compared to just 15 per cent who believed the opposite was the case.

47 per cent of Germans and 39 per cent of French people saw the effects of EU membership in a largely positive light compared to 19 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

"Rather than rejecting the very idea of European integration per se, most Italians are unhappy with the concrete functioning of the EU and with the direction it is taking," according to Zulianello.

"In other words, there are many shades of Euroscepticism, meaning that increased discontent with the functioning of the EU does not necessarily imply real support for Italexit," he added. "Euroscepticism is a polyhedric phenomenon: it is not black or white."

"I am afraid that discontent with the EU will further increase in autumn, when the real extent of the economic crisis will become fully evident."

There are some crumbs of good news for the EU in the Euronews poll data. Asked how they would vote in a referendum on their country's membership of the EU held in the near future, all four countries showed favourable leanings toward staying in the bloc.

Germany registered the highest pro-EU sentiment with 67 per cent, followed by Spain with 63 per cent and France with 47 per cent.

The number of Italians who would vote to stay in the EU for the time being was a significant 43 per cent, compared to 31 per cent who would vote to leave.

"Overall, I am broadly negative on Italys long term prospects in the EU," said Dr Eoin Drea, a Senior Research Officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies in Brussels.

"I believe the rising anti-EU sentiment is based on an economic stagnation which began in the early 1990s and has been made worse by the Great Recession starting in 2008 and now the Coronavirus epidemic," he added.

"And this is borne out in how younger Italians are now flocking to the more anti-establishment political parties. It is the Italian millennials which have been truly sacrificed by successive Italian governments in order to preserve the privileges of the older generations."

Similarly, when asked how they would vote in a referendum on being in the Eurozone, most people polled in each country said that they thought they would vote for their country to stay in the monetary union. 70 per cent of Germans said they would stay in the Eurozone compared to 64 per cent in Spain, 47 per cent in France and 41 per cent in Italy.

As well as trends of creeping Euroscepticism in Italy, the responses of those polled in France also presented "a very interesting case," according to Drea.

"I think the data shows that for all his apparent power and 'successes' in Brussels, President Macron is on very shaky ground in France in advance of the next presidential elections," he said.

"This is ironic because Macron has really succeeded - along with COVID-19 - in pushing Germany much closer to the French vision of a much more integrated and bigger Europe. But back home, I think the perception is that he is really one of the elite.

"I expect to see Marine Le Pen come back strongly onto our radar once normality hopefully returns in 2021."

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How likely are the 'big four' European economies to vote to leave the EU if Brexit works out? - Euronews

Boris Johnson is planning to use Brexit to tear up the UKs international obligations to make it easier to send back migrants to France.

The Prime Minister condemned the Channel crossings as dangerous and criminal amid an escalating war of words between Britain and France over the issue.

Downing Street said the UKs departure from the EU would allow the country to cut loose from the Dublin Regulations which place time limits on returns and, it is claimed, are open to abuse by those without a right to remain.

Immigration minister Chris Philp will hold talks with his counterparts in Paris on Tuesday to discuss tougher measures to stop migrants attempting the crossing of the worlds busiest shipping waters. More than 600 migrants have arrived in the UK by this route since last Thursday.

A French politician pushed back against the suggestions from inside the British government that the Royal Navy could be despatched to patrol the Channel and support Border Force boats, saying it would further endanger lives and was merely a political measure.

Speaking at a primary school in east London, Mr Johnson said: Be in no doubt whats going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels.

We want to stop that, working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isnt a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do.

But then theres a second thing weve got to do and that is to look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly theyve come here illegally.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We are currently bound by the Dublin Regulations for returns and they are inflexible and rigid for example, there is a time limit placed on returns, its something which can be abused by both migrants and their lawyers to frustrate the returns of those who have no right to be here.

At the end of this year we will no longer be bound by the EUs laws so can negotiate our own returns agreement.

The Government would continue to work with French authorities on tougher measures including French interceptions at sea and the direct return of boats, he added.

The Ministry of Defence deployed a surveillance aircraft over the Channel, while Home Secretary Priti Patel met Border Force staff in Dover.

Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont told Radio 4s Today programme: This is a political measure to show some kind of resource to fight against smugglers and illegal crossings in the Channel, but technically speaking that wont change anything.

Lisa Doyle, director of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said: Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so.

Instead of scapegoating people in desperate circumstances, the Prime Minister and his Government could address this by ensuring that people do not have to take these risks.

When immigration minister Chris Philp meets his counterparts in Paris they are expected to discuss demands by the French government for more money to stop migrant crossings.

There have been reports that Paris wants an extra 30m from Boris Johnsons government to fund patrols off the French coast and prevent the boats getting anywhere near the UK.

Two years ago Theresa May agreed to spend nearly 50m on increased security at Calais and other French ports, including fencing and CCTV, to stop a repeat of the Jungle refugee camp.

This was an addition to the 2003 Le Touquet accord between the two nations which allows for UK border checks at Calais. The extra fencing was designed to stop migrants boarding lorries bound for Britain via the Channel Tunnel.

The UK also hopes to use Brexit to free itself of the Dublin Regulations which place time limits on returns for migrants. For the French governments part, they want the extra money to step up patrols of the coastline. One politician said is unsustainable with the resources it currently has.

Pierre-Henri Dumont, the MP for Calais, told Radio 4s Today programme: We are already trying to do whatever we can, but if youve got dozens of crossings a day, thats very difficult for us to stop a boat.

It only takes five minutes to have a small boat at sea full with migrants, with a coast of 300km to monitor.

What is clear is that Paris does not want to see Royal Navy boats entering French waters. Mr Dumont said: I dont know if the British Government would be very happy to see the other way, if French vessels would enter without any ask, before or without any decision before, into British waters.

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Boris Johnson will use Brexit to make it easier to send back migrants to France - iNews

MERSHAM, England The fields around the quiet village of Mersham, just 20 miles from the white cliffs of Dover, are a vision of idyllic English countryside. Lush, green trees sway above rolling acres of golden wheat. The spire of a 13th-century church looms on the horizon.

But soon, something far less charming could mar this pastoral vista: a 27-acre parking lot with hundreds even thousands of idling trucks. If Britains exit from the European Union causes the chaos many fear, up to 2,000 vehicles headed for France could be held at a time here in an asphalt Brexit purgatory.

Four years after Britons voted narrowly to leave the bloc, the implications of that decision are dawning on some of those who live in an area where support for Brexit was strong. The parking area is widely being called the Farage Garage a reference to Nigel Farage, the nationalist politician who was one of the loudest voices for Brexit.

The noise and pollution would be huge, particularly if this is a 24-hour facility, said Liz Wright, an elected council member in the local municipality, Ashford, looking out over the site officially known as MOJO on a recent sunny morning.

This has happened so suddenly and without any consultation, added Ms. Wright, a Green Party member who voted to leave the European Union in 2016 as did six out of 10 people here but said she did not expect this to be the result.

Back then, Leave campaigners dismissed their opponents predictions of more bureaucracy and disruption to trade across the English Channel as project fear. Now, in the southeastern region that calls itself the garden of England, that fear has taken on a very real, tarmac form.

Though it left the bloc on Jan. 31, Britain remains tied to Europes customs system through the end of the year, so freight still enters from the Continent with minimal interruption. In preparation for what comes next, the government is spending 705 million more than $920 million to upgrade customs and border infrastructure.

Brexit supporters have made confident pronouncements that the new system will barely slow the flow of goods. But if it goes wrong, it could do serious damage to Britains economy and to the bucolic life here.

The site near Mersham is designed to check freight traffic arriving on ferries from France. But local politicians have been told that, if post-Brexit rule changes bring chaos to the Channel ports, this could also become a temporary place to park trucks.

People are very anxious about what might happen, said Damian Green, the Conservative Party lawmaker for Ashford and a former senior cabinet minister.

The worse case scenario will be miserable, possibly for a few months, but in the best scenario it wont have to be used at all as an emergency lorry park, he said.

Kent knows all about traffic mayhem around the Channel ports. In 2015, when French ferry workers went on strike, a line of 4,600 trucks stretched back 30 miles on one roadway.

On that occasion, the gridlock combined with a heat wave. Emergency teams handed out more than 18,000 bottles of water to stranded truckers, as perishable cargo went bad.

Delays at the border could cause significant knock-on effects for just-in-time supply chains, potentially precipitating widespread economic disruption while also turning parts of Kent into a lorry park, said a recent report from the Institute for Government, a research organization, on what to expect in January.

Even before the government bought the MOJO site, it was widely expected to become a warehouse. So construction work did not come as a surprise to many people, but the nature of the project did.

Those who think gridlock can be avoided include John Lang, who voted for Brexit and has not changed his mind. He described his home and tranquil garden close to MOJO as a little bit of paradise, and was confident it would stay that way.

Its in everyones interest to make it work, Mr. Lang said.

Local people who wanted to stay in the European Union feel vindicated, even if they are reluctant to crow about it.

I just think its so sad that this is another bit of countryside that we have lost, said Sheila Catt, an administrator in the health service. She worries about air pollution, as well.

The problem for Mersham lies partly in the geography of Dover, a short drive to the east, where one of the worlds busiest ports is crushed into a limited space bounded by the famous white cliffs behind it.

Today, as many as 10,000 trucks can pass through the port daily, rolling on and off ferries in a ceaseless flow of cargo, mostly to and from Calais in France.

With Britain operating under the European common market rules, trucks usually clear the port of Dover in around eight minutes. Only a tiny number of vehicles are stopped.

That arrangement is scheduled to end on December 31, when Britain is expected to chart its own course. The risk of disruption is high adding just two minutes to the time needed to process each truck, the Port of Dover has estimated, could produce a 17-mile backup.

Talks on a post-Brexit trade agreement between Britain and the European Union are deadlocked. But even if they strike a deal that eliminates tariffs, more checks on products will be required than at present, and there is simply no space to perform them at Dover. So trucks will stop in places like Mersham instead.

The chief executive officer of the port, Doug Bannister, said that the Dover-Calais ferry route was so important economically across Europe that any gridlock would likely be resolved fast. If there is disruption, Dover has systems in place to clear bottlenecks relatively quickly, he said, and Britain plans to phase in its rule changes, giving time to adapt.

But he acknowledged some unknowns out there, including, critically, how French authorities will handle freight checks at Calais. Any gridlock on one side of the Channel would spread quickly to the other if trucks cannot roll off ferries, the ferries cannot load other vehicles for the return trip.

Britains new system for electronic customs declarations is still being developed, and surveys suggest that smaller exporters are ill-prepared for the new bureaucracy, and are preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic.

I am very, very confident that there will be no disruption on January 1 primarily because its a bank holiday, said Mr. Bannister, but January 2 may be a different question.

At the MOJO site, Paul Bartlett, a Conservative Party representative on Kent County Council, welcomed the construction of a customs facility, and the jobs it could bring, but opposed its use as a holding pen for delayed trucks. One of the main frustrations is the lack of information, he said.

But sitting in the garden of the Farriers Arms, a country pub in Mersham, Jo Gregory said that the implications of Brexit were only starting to sink in.

I dont think people had thought it through until recently, said Ms. Gregory, a sales assistant who did not vote in the 2016 referendum and still doesnt have a firm view of Brexit.

But she is not staying here to make up her mind.

So worried is she about the MOJO development that she is moving home from one village about four miles from the site to another, Westwell, farther away.

Its going to be busier, its going to be noisier, she said, and its bad enough with the traffic we have at the moment.

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Near U.K.s Busiest Port, Brexit Hopes Are Layered in Asphalt - The New York Times

The government did not quite achieve the Brexit breakthrough it was seeking on Friday, when there was hope that a fast-tracked trade agreement with Japan might be reached. But it seems likely that a deal, essentially replicating one signed by the EU and Japan last year, will be done by the end of the month. Some kind of morale booster for Britains battered and bruised businesses would certainly be welcome.

As the clock runs down to the end of the transition period on 31 December, ministers are no longer bothering to offer the false hope of a relatively frictionless trade agreement with the EU. Even a Canada-style free trade deal will mean a vast infrastructure of compliance and checks: permits for lorry drivers to enter Kent, huge customs clearance centres and tracking apps are all in the mix. The government estimates that, from 2021, there will be over 400m extra customs checks a year on goods going to and from the EU.

As the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has acknowledged, re-litigating Brexit is a pointless exercise. But given the immediate context, the folly of not extending the transition period becomes more apparent with each passing week. The country is heading deep into recession and a possible winter resurgence of Covid-19. The explosion of new bureaucracy and red tape will compound the misery for businesses and add to their costs. From the pharmaceutical industry to the freight trade, alarm bells are now ringing loudly in companies being tested beyond their limits. The governments continuing insouciance is breathtaking.

Last week, the Department of Health airily advised medical suppliers to stockpile six weeks worth of drugs to cope with possible disruption at the end of the transition period. The effects of the pandemic on existing stocks and global supply chains make this a near-impossible task. The imposition of new customs and border controls will further destabilise supply chains. About 70% of prescription medicines in the UK come to Britain via the EU. The December departure date coincides with what is generally the busiest time of year for the pharmaceutical industry, even in a normal year. This year, the spectre of a flu outbreak combined with a Covid-19 surge looms. The deputy chair of the British Medical Association has described the situation as incredibly concerning.

The governments new border operating plans, unveiled last month by Michael Gove, were criticised by freight operators for lacking detail and relying on as-yet untested technology. Much will depend on the successful functioning of track and trace style technology to obviate the need for long queues and checks at borders. The smart freight system is not expected to be ready for testing before November, ahead of a January launch. The failure of the contact-tracing app tested on the Isle of Wight does not inspire confidence.

The prospect of fines for drivers who are not border-ready when entering Kent suggests that ministers will not hesitate to blame businesses when things start to go wrong. Given the pressures that employers and employees alike have been under since March, this would be wholly unfair.

As one senior figure in the pharmaceutical industry put it recently, there is a desperate need for a bit of breathing space as companies face an unprecedented set of variables and unknowns. But even at a time of national crisis, the theological demands of Brexit continue to trump all practical considerations. It is an irresponsible and reckless way to govern a country.

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The Guardian view on Brexit bureaucracy: tied up in red tape - The Guardian

LONDON Barely six months after Britain broke away from the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is increasingly consumed with trying to stop the breakaway of restive parts of the United Kingdom.

On Friday, Mr. Johnson sent his popular Treasury chief, Rishi Sunak, to Scotland, to tamp down nationalist sentiment that has surged there in recent months. Another top minister, Michael Gove, went to Northern Ireland with nearly $500 million in aid to help frustrated companies deal with new checks on shipped goods.

Experts have long predicted that Brexit would strengthen centrifugal forces that were pulling apart the union. But in Scotland, in particular, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated those forces, forcing Mr. Johnson to mount an elaborate some say belated charm offensive with the Scottish public.

The situation is less acute in Northern Ireland, where reunification with the Republic of Ireland still seems a distant prospect. Yet businesspeople there, including those loyal to London, worry they will be hurt by a costly, bureaucratic trading system between Northern Ireland and the rest of the union.

Mr. Sunak, who as chancellor of the Exchequer is coordinating the British governments economic rescue effort in response to the coronavirus, noted that 65,000 Scottish firms were getting 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) in loans to survive the lockdown. The pandemic, he said, had reaffirmed the enduring value of the union.

If I look at the last few months, to me that is a good example of the union working really well, Mr. Sunak said, after touring a factory in Glasgow that makes generators. He brushed aside questions about independence, saying, I dont think now is the time to be talking about these constitutional questions.

The problem is: A majority of the Scottish public seems to disagree. In an average of recent polls, 52.5 percent of people say they would vote for Scottish independence. That is a dramatic swing from the 2014 referendum on independence, when Scots voted to stay in the union by 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent.

It is also the first time the polls have consistently shown a majority for breaking away, said John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and Britains leading expert on polling.

The numbers have clearly alarmed the government. Mr. Sunak is the fourth cabinet minister to visit Scotland in the last month a list that has included Mr. Gove and the prime minister himself.

The U.K. government is sufficiently worried that it is sending people north on a regular basis, Professor Curtice said. London may only have woken up to this in the last couple of weeks, but its a long-running story.

Nationalist sentiment was already building last year, Professor Curtice said, as Britain hammered out a withdrawal agreement with the European Union. Scots voted overwhelmingly to stay in the European Union during the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Pro-independence feelings have hardened in Scotland during the pandemic because many people there believe that Scotland has done a better job managing the crisis than the Johnson government in neighboring England. Englands per capita death rate is higher than Scotlands, and it continues to record more cases.

Under the terms of limited self-government in the United Kingdom, Scottish authorities are responsible for matters like public health, while the British government handles immigration, foreign policy and, importantly, Mr. Sunaks rescue packages to protect those who lost their jobs in the lockdown.

Scotlands overall performance during the pandemic is open to debate; it is far smaller and more sparsely populated than England. Some epidemiologists say it ranks in the middle of European countries in dealing with the virus.

Still, Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is far more popular in polls than Mr. Johnson, and her Scottish National Party stands to run up a huge mandate in parliamentary elections next May. That would make it harder for Mr. Johnson to refuse a Scottish demand to hold another referendum.

Political analysts said the Scottish National Partys strategy has long been clear: to appeal to people who voted to remain in the United Kingdom in 2014, but also to stay in the European Union two years later.

To wait until the polls shifted in Scotland was strikingly nave, said Anand Menon, a professor of European politics at Kings College London, referring to Mr. Johnsons effort to woo the Scots. The question is, whether this frantic activity is too little, too late.

Mr. Gove, who holds the title of chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, faced a different dilemma in Northern Ireland. Britains withdrawal agreement from the European Union, analysts said, actually helped ease nationalist tensions because it preserved an open border between north and south on the island of Ireland.

But the deal came with a trade-off. Instead of bisecting Ireland, the border will effectively run up and down the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland, though part of the British customs territory, will adhere to a maze of European Union rules and regulations, which means goods shipped from England, Scotland and Wales will require customs checks.

Mr. Gove said the British government would pay 200 million ($260 million) to defray the cost of this paperwork for companies and 155 million ($202 million) for a new light touch technology system to streamline the process.

I dont accept the argument that theres a border down the Irish Sea because Northern Ireland businesses, Northern Ireland people will continue to have totally unfettered access to the rest of the U.K, Mr. Gove said during a visit on Friday to a carpet factory in Portadown.

His words, analysts said, were designed primarily to soothe unionists, who worry that Brexit will distance Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom and hasten its eventual reunification with the Irish republic. In assuaging the unionists, however, they said he would antagonize nationalists, whose emphasis is on fortifying Northern Irelands connection with the south.

Michael Gove is a smooth talker, but nationalists wouldnt believe a word that would come out of his mouth, said Monica McWilliams, an academic and former politician in Belfast. Those who voted against Brexit wont be convinced by him, even if he is handing out pieces of candy.

In a week shadowed by the death of John Hume, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner and architect of the Northern Irish peace process, the reunification of Ireland is not an immediate concern for Mr. Johnsons Conservative government. But in both countries, the prime minister faces building pressures.

To some analysts, it exposes a contradiction at the heart of Mr. Johnsons unrelenting drive to leave the European Union.

You had a Brexit that took no account of the wishes of people in Scotland or Northern Ireland, said Bobby McDonagh, a former Irish ambassador to Britain. But that exists in parallel with a Conservative Party that celebrates the United Kingdom.

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Brexit Behind Him, Boris Johnson Tries to Quiet Scotlands Calls to Leave U.K. - The New York Times

Photo: Shutterstock

Not only must businesses grapple with the coronavirus pandemic but many will soon have to once again wrestle with the UKs decision to leave the EU, with difficult decisions having to be made over the sourcing of talent, write Gillian McKearney and Pip Hague.

In the midst of Covid-19 and business continuity planning, its important that employers and particularly HR teams do not lose sight of the other pressing issue Brexit and in particular the impact this will have on the workforce.

With fears of further waves of Covid-19, especially as winter draws near, many businesses are struggling to focus on anything else. But, with only four months to go until the UK departs from the EU, how many employers have dropped the ball?

Research released by the CBI has revealed that one in five businesses are less prepared for Brexit now than at the start of the year due to Covid-19. Half of businesses are no more prepared for our departure than they were at the start of the year. Lastly and perhaps causing the most cause for concern, 21% of respondents said that their Brexit preparations had actually derailed since the start of the year.

There are winners and losers when it comes to the impact of Brexit on businesses who need non-native workers. For those who are already sponsor license holders, there will be certain advantages when the UKs new points-based immigration system kicks in: a lower minimum salary level, increase in roles available to sponsor and no advertisement requirement. Industries dependent on a consistent influx of EU workers, such as hospitality, retail, manufacturing and construction etc are likely to be the most impacted.

The UKs departure could raise a lot of questions and doubts over the stability of their workforce. Now while Brexit is a multifaceted complex issue and although we officially Brexited on 31 January 2020, the UK still has no clarity on whether we will exit with or without a deal. The transition period is due to end on 31 December 2020. On the 1 January 2021, the UKs Australian-style points-based immigration system will kick in, marking the most significant developments in UK immigration law in 40 years. This is important as there are certain things that employers who rely on EU workers can and should get in place before this cut-off date.

With not long to go, lets look at the key actions HR can do now to make the transition easier.

The quickest way for employers to safeguard the future of their workforce and keep their trained workers is to direct their EU staff about the EU settlement scheme, the scheme introduced to allow EU, EEA and Swiss citizens to continue living and working in the UK after the cut off period of 30 June 2021. Its the responsibility of the individual to make their application to the scheme, which means employers cannot require them to apply and cannot check that they apply. This makes the jobs of HR teams harder, but they should continue to put a robust process in place to oversee who is and isnt applying and to analyse what roles and which areas of the business are likely to suffer.

The latest stats released from the government showed that at the end of June 2020, there were over 3.7 million applications to the scheme. While this is a positive figure and shows than many of our EU workers are likely to stay post-Brexit, the number of refused applications is increasing. Employees and employers have common goals here, which is to remain in the UK and keep working. Be risk averse and apply sooner rather than later.

Our clients are often surprised to hear about the various opportunities available regarding workplace planning. Now is the time to be alive to and take advantage of the cut off date. The key cut-off date is triggered at 11:59pm on 31 December 2020. Provided an EU citizen enters into the UK by the 31 December 2020, theyre permitted to stay and work and have up to 30 June 2021 to apply to the scheme. This period is a blessing in disguise for some businesses. Its the time to plan recruitment drives and resource work contracts. 1 January to 30 June 2021 is a grant of extra time to allow eligible EU nationals to apply to the scheme.

Businesses need to be particularly cautious about checking the Right to Work documents for those EU nationals recruited during this period. If they arrived after 1 January 2021, they will be subject to the new immigration system and require a visa to work.

We recognise that while the EU settlement scheme will be of great use to many, there will eventually come a time when worker shortages will be an issue again. Therefore, employers may wish to consider whether they should apply for a sponsor licence because recruiting in and outside of the EU will be the same, with some advantages as mentioned above.

There are different types of sponsor licences, requirements and responsibilities for employers. If there is uncertainty around whether a licence is best, employers need to ask themselves the following questions:

Once an employer decides whether a sponsor license would be of value to the business, its best to apply for a licence sooner rather than later to ensure its available to use at the end of the year, minimise delays or disruption to workforce planning.

The changes to the UKs immigration system will herald a new era for the UK and while no business can entirely be prepared for what will happen at the end of the transition period, its important that employers do as much forward planning as possible.

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Immigration and EU workers: Brexit hasn't gone away - Personnel Today