Daily Archives: October 3, 2021

A majority of British people think Brexit is going badly, a poll has suggested, after a summer of supply-chain issues making life difficult for many in the UK.

The YouGov poll, conducted and published on Wednesday, is the first to suggest a majority of Brits believe Brexit is going badly since the polling company started asking in January, the end of a transition period after the UK left the EU.

Its backdrop was rolling supply-chain issues that have seen empty shelves in some supermarkets and widespread shortages at gas stations.

Some commentators have blamed the issues on Brexit, but the rest of Europe is also facing a shortage in truck drivers, the BBC noted.

YouGov surveyed 6,546 adults from Great Britain. It found that 18% of those polled thought Brexit has been going well since the start of the year.

The previous poll, conducted on June 21, suggested only 38% of British people thought Brexit is going badly.

The intervening months have seen supply chain issues exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, as supermarkets and fuel suppliers struggle with a shortage of truck drivers, often called heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers in the UK.

The shortage of HGV drivers has not been helped by Brexit making it harder for European drivers to transport goods in the UK.

But the shortage is mainly driven by the pandemic limiting HGV driver training, changes to tax rules, and shifts in the economy as former drivers find new jobs, the BBC reported.

None of the YouGov polls survey people from Northern Ireland, which is suffering from serious supply-chain failures in supermarkets as a result of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Northern Ireland continues to follow EU rules on product standards to avoid checks on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, but this has led to customs checks on some products from England, Scotland, and Wales.

Unionist parties, which support the relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, have called for the reform of the Northern Ireland protocol.

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53% of Brits think Brexit going badly, poll says, amid shortages - Business Insider

A Labour government would fix Boris Johnsons Brexit deal, a member of Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet has said raising the prospect of more talks with the EU.

The announcement, which came hours before Sir Keir's speech to Labour conference in Brighton, represents a change in approach from the party and is the first time the new leadership has suggested there could be more negotiations.

Sir Keir said emphatically in January that there was "no case" for renegotiating the accord struck between Mr Johnson and the EU in an effort to put the Brexit issue to bed.

But speaking to the BBC on Wednesday morning, shadow justice secretary David Lammy blamed the agreement for economic problems hitting the UK and said Labour would have to "fix" it in government.

"There are challenges for hauliers, of course, right across Europe. But let's be clear: there are no queues in Spain, in Germany or France.

"So what's the difference? The difference is that we exited the European Union on Boris's deal we're out of a customs union, the cabotage system that were set up that allowed drivers to come here and go back with goods and the tariffs that we now have mean the drivers aren't coming."

Pressed on what a Labour government would do to to change the agreement, which would require renegotiation with the EU, Mr Lammy said: "This is his deal. When we come to government, we'll have to look at how we fix his deal."

He added: "Let's be clear, shortages right across the country, shortages of fruit pickers, shortages of builders, shortages in terms of lorry drivers: all of that is down to Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab and the promises they made to the British people."

In January Sir Keir said an incoming Labour government would have to make the existing treaty "work".

But the U-turn comes after he last night told broadcasters that he was ready to break policy pledges if he thought it would help his electoral chances.

The most important pledge I made was that I would turn [Labour] into a party that would be fit for government, capable of winning a general election, Im not going to be deflected from that," he said.

Boris Johnson's government has been pushing hard for changes to the EU withdrawal agreement but the EU has said it is not open for renegotiation.

The bloc has however in the past been more open to closer economic integration through membership of the customs union or single market, though the issue of Brexit is largely considered settled in European capitals.

It comes as amid a separate post-Brexit row over fishing licences which could see the vast majority of French boats locked out of UK waters.

The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher

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A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London

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Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London

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Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton

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Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland

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Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London

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Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran

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A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London

EPA

Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent

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Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London

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Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium

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Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester,

Reuters

Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September

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Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson

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Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London

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Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk

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Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral

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Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity

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British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York

AP

People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria

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Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard

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Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London

Reuters

A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London

EPA

Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic

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People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole

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Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London.

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South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

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A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season.

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Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire

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Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium

Reuters

Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London

EPA

A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London

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Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire

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Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit

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An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London

Reuters

Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold

Reuters

A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London

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Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London

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Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest

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People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London

Reuters

People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach.

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Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire

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Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families

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Labour now says it would reopen Brexit talks if in power - The Independent

For 16 years, Germanys role in the EU has been shaped by Chancellor Angela Merkel. She has helped steer the bloc through several tough periods, including the financial crash and Europes refugee crisis. However, Mrs Merkel announced several years ago that she would not seek a fifth successive term in office at the 2021 federal election. The public vote, held last Sunday, saw her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) slip to become the second largest parliamentary party.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) emerged with the most seats in the Bundestag after a successful campaign by Olaf Scholz.

His party took 25.7 percent of the vote compared to the CDU-CSU blocs 24.1 percent.

Mr Scholz has now launched coalition talks with the environmentalist Greens alliance and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP).

The third and fourth biggest parties are the potential kingmakers to an SPD or CDU-led government.

Armin Laschet, the leader of the CDU, had also expressed interest in forming a coalition.

JUST IN:Brexit LIVE: Lord Sugar erupts - claims petrol crisis 'tip of iceberg' after leaving EU

However, Mrs Merkels hopeful successor has since reportedly congratulated Mr Scholz on his election win, paving the way for the SPD leader to become Chancellor.

Like the outgoing Chancellor, Mr Scholz is a staunch advocate of the EU and has urged greater unity within the bloc as the world recovers from the pandemic.

According to political expert John Callahan, Germany under Mr Scholz will not diverge far from Mrs Merkel in its approach to Brussels.

Mr Callahan is the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at New England College in the US and has worked for the US State Department and in intelligence.

Those four parties are all pro-Europe, theyre all strong believers in Germanys place in Europe.

Mr Callahan said he would guess that nothing would change for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Mr Scholz at the helm.

He said: Thats how the tea leaves look to me, and Im thinking the same for [US President] Joe Biden.

Although I think that the American opportunities after Merkel are actually significantly different from the British ones.

I think Merkel was put up as sort of the anti-American polar opposite leader for Europe and that may change.

This began right before Merkels arrival under Gerhard Schrder when the Gulf War broke out and the great rift between Germany and the US occurred over the invasion of Iraq.

He said the outgoing Chancellor had inherited Germanys frosty transatlantic relationship from her predecessor.

He added: But over the years as the UK went back to a Conservative government with [David] Cameron, Germany sort of became the rallying point for Europeans who were not pleased with American policy.

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Brexit hastened Germanys grip on EU: Headed that way for a long time - Daily Express

The twin spectres haunting the UK economy Covid and Brexit have combined to push up demand for bridging refinancing in 2021, according to industry leaders.

Bridging Refinancing Boosted by Covid and Brexit

London, United Kingdom, Oct. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Were already seeing increased demand for re-bridging, with the majority of cases relating to the pandemic, says Vic Jannels, CEO of the Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL). During lockdown, the fact that valuers, lenders and solicitors were working from home meant that there was a major slowdown, with many projects unable to complete on time.

Demand for bridging finance in general soared in the UK between July and September 2020, with a record number of applications, the ASTL reported.

Although most lenders were sympathetic to borrowers predicaments, so long as clients were open and communicative, the incidence of re-bridging also rose markedly from mid-2020 and remains a feature of the market.

Were seeing demand for bridging refinance for people who are downsizing, adds Jennels. This is mainly in the large conurbations like London, Manchester and Birmingham, where the pandemic has meant people can work from home and theyre selling their high-priced properties for somewhere with more space and a garden, out of town. This movement is a seedbed for re-bridging where theyre unable to sell as quickly as they hoped.

Covid-19 is by far the biggest challenge facing the bridging finance market, according to the latest market study by Ernst & Young, published early in 2021. It found that 48 per cent of respondents - all professionals in the bridging sector - saw the pandemic as the most important challenge impacting the UK bridging finance market. Like Vic Jennels at the ASTL, the study reports difficulties to advance loans during thepandemic and the challenges associated with the movement to a remote working environment.Just as working from home and months of lockdown prompted the adoption of new technologies such as Zoom calls, the EY report found that technology looms large in the bridging sector, as pressure grows for lenders to adopt new digital platforms and open banking standards, enabling easier access to remote expertise and transactions.

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A potential consequence of greater digital adoption by bridging finance market is that re-bridging will become more common, as borrowers can more easily and quickly access alternative deals. We see new technology as an important enabler of bridging refinance, says Stephen Clark at Finbri. Speed, which is clearly reliant on our process efficiency, is a prime decision factor when customers seek bridging finance and the adoption of digital technology has helped us achieve that.

In some regards, the effects of Brexit on the UK property market have been minimal. Values are now above the level of January 2020, when the UK formally left the EU, along with mortgage activity and lending. Whereas EYs bridging finance report in 2019 cited Brexit as the single biggest concern and challenge, its threat faded noticeably in 2020 and was yet further diminished in 2021, when just 15 per cent of respondents judged it among the top three challenges.

In December 2019, when the pandemic had not yet bitten, we were looking at a Cold War in front of us, brought on by Brexit, feeling that nobody knew what would happen, says Vic Jennels at the ASTL. But Id say that overall, the mortgage market hasnt really suffered from Brexit. In fact between June 2020 and September 2021 Ive never known such a high level of enquiries: its been the busiest time in the last 20 years.

If anything, Jennels argues that the market has been too busy: We have problems getting staff to deal with the number of mortgage enquiries.

Lack of staff is a common refrain, from hospitality to transport and beyond. It applies equally to the construction sector, where developers have found themselves unable to progress projects thanks to lack of building workers, along with supply chain disruption and the rising cost of materials, exacerbated by Brexit. The delay to materials is a further challenge which could see an increasing number of borrowers running over term, putting pressure on cash liquidity, says Philip Gould at bridging lender Avamore Capital.

Theres high demand for property and very little supply, notes Jennels. So this is one area where development projects slow down and we may see bridging refinance grow.

The recent sharp spike in natural gas prices, which caused CO2 manufacturers to shut down and a slew of energy providers to cease operations in September 2021, could be a harbinger of price volatility to come, some of it Brexit-related, and with potentially high impact on the re-bridging market.

UK-based bridging finance as a whole experienced a jump in demand in 2020 compared with 2019, with applications valued at 25.82 billion, compared with 23.19 billion in 2019. Demand remained vibrant in early 2021, with applications up by 18 per cent in Q1 2021 compared with the same period in 2020. This, says Vic Jennels at the ASTL, reflects the enormous potential the bridging market has to provide customers with funding solutions through these difficult times.

Some in the market believe that bridging finance will enjoy a welcome boost in the coming months, as the property market adjusts to the end of the pandemic, and UK planning laws take into account changed realities. Covid is likely to take a heavy toll on the high street and office-space market, says Colin Sanders, CEO of Tuscan Capital. Given a sensible approach to planning regulations, this could provide a further boost to investors and developers, not to mention much-needed city and town-centre accommodation for private use. They argue that the appointment of Michael Gove as Housing Secretary could herald meaningful change in approach, unlocking new development opportunities, with offices and retails premises converted into residential property, helping to alleviate the housing crisis.

While the UK property market remains so buoyant, the availability of both bridging finance and re-bridging is likely to remain high. We believe that re-bridging offers positive options to the market, to the benefit of lenders and developers, says Stephen Clark at Finbri.

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Bridging Refinancing Boosted by Covid and Brexit - Finbri Limited - Yahoo Finance

Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit party, plans to focus less on culture war issues and instead try to attract disenchanted Conservatives with more weighty policy offerings based on the cost of living and healthcare, its leader has said.

Richard Tice, a property developer and Brexit campaigner who took over from Nigel Farage as leader in March, promised to field at least 600 candidates in the next general election, saying half had already been chosen.

In the 2019 election the then Brexit party stood down in hundreds of Tory-held seats, but under Tice it will very clearly target what he now calls the party of high taxes and high regulation.

Speaking to the Guardian before the partys conference on Sunday, Tice said it would not be unfair even to argue he has more in common with Keir Starmer than Boris Johnson. I dont think it is, actually. Ive never met Keir, but I think you can tell we both care about people. Boris only cares about Boris.

The Reform UK conference, while low in profile, carries potentially significant political resonance for several reasons, not least in shaping the future of a party that won the 2019 European elections but then slipped into near obscurity.

In this years council elections, the party won two seats. Knocking on doors, the majority of people hadnt heard of us, Tice admitted, but polls now put Reform UK at up to 5%.

The conference will hear policy announcements in areas including healthcare, tax and the environment, plus one that Tice promised would have a big, unexpected wow factor.

He said this would mark the end of a period in which his party has often gained attention by focusing on the culture wars and associated issues, including opposition to lockdown and a semi-alliance with Laurence Fox, the outspoken actor turned London mayoral candidate.

Yes, we get irritated by what we call the woke stuff, and I think it does irritate millions of people, Tice said. But what affects peoples daily lives are the policies Ive talked about, and the election will be fought on those things. We are deadly serious about this.

Also significant is Reform UKs resolute opposition to Johnsons Conservatives, to the extent of holding its conference in Manchester on the same day that the Tory conference opens in the same city. That was my idea, to really wind them up, which I think it has successfully done, Tice said. Were starting to get abused by Conservatives, which is always a good sign.

Another notable element of the post-Farage Reform UK is that while critical of Johnsonism, it mimics his pick-and-mix approach to policies from the left and right. Thus, while Tice would propose significant cuts to income and business taxes, these would be aimed only at lower-paid people and smaller firms. Any revenue gap, which Tice argues would be temporary, would be plugged not by spending cuts but by increased borrowing.

Everybodys got their knickers in a twist about the national debt, he said. Theres no reason to be so worried about it.

Similarly, while Tice is critical of the governments net-zero plans, he does not overtly deny the climate science and would like to see the government offer 100% loans for people to fit domestic solar panels.

While Tice is careful to not dismiss Farage, to whom he still regularly speaks, it is clear this is a changed approach from a leader now best known for making videos about refugees landing in Dover. Correct, Tice said when asked if it was a new era for the party. This is Reform UK under my leadership, and these policies are driven by my focus.

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Reform UK tones down culture war rhetoric and targets Tory voters - The Guardian

Reading Christopher Johns account of the working conditions of HGV drivers in the UK (Getting into Europe is a relief every time: an HGV driver reflects on UK crisis, 27 September), I was struck by the fact that I had no idea how bad they are. If we werent in the middle of a Brexit-induced driver shortage, I probably still wouldnt.

The exodus of European workers has created a vacuum in the form of a labour shortage. From that space, a national discussion that foregrounds both the voices and interests of working-class people has emerged. There have been lots of references to this as an unexpected or ironic benefit of Brexit. This is beyond patronising. British HGV drivers were a largely pro-Brexit demographic. Now, their wages are going up and drivers concerns are being represented in a newspaper as staunchly pro-remain as the Guardian. This is not an unexpected consequence. This is them getting what they voted for.

Of course, this could have been achieved without such a damaging act of national sabotage as Brexit. But this is beside the point. The point is that it wouldnt have been. I think lots of leave voters intuited that the chaos caused by Brexit would force a shift in the political landscape, one that ended the chronic underrepresentation of their interests. Those of us who assumed that working-class leave voters didnt understand what they were doing owe them an apology. Jonny Marsh Sutton, London

Amid the labour shortages in haulage and agriculture, food supply and other sectors, its worth noting that Brexiters dont seem to have realised that by cutting off freedom of movement, they have at a stroke cut off a large and flexible reserve pool of workers in many sectors, not forgetting the NHS and care sector.

This was like an overdraft facility, allowing fluctuations in worker availability to be spread across the EU. We now find our cheques for UK haulier and agricultural workers are bouncing, with no overdraft reserve to tide us over the peak demand. By boxing ourselves into a corner with the Conservatives red lines, we now find that we are frequently hitting the limits, and demand cannot be met solely from UK workers. Mike Whittaker Stapleton, Shropshire

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Heeding working-class voices on Brexit and labour shortages - The Guardian

The number is unlikely to increase over coming months as energy prices soar, shelves stay half-empty and there arent enough lorry drivers to deliver the Christmas presents.

While the extent to which Brexit is responsible for these misfortunes is open to debate, public opinion tends to like short-hand explanations. So Brexit will get at least its fair share of blame.

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This does not translate fully into how people would vote if there was a re-run. The Statista site which tracks that question found in mid-September that 47 per cent would vote to stay in the EU, 40 per cent for Brexit with 13 per cent undecided.

It is a hypothetical exercise since that is not how referendums work. To the victors the spoils and a majority of one, no matter how achieved, means the die is cast for ever and a day. At least, thats what we are encouraged to assume.

I wonder if it will look quite like that in three or four years time? By then, the Brexit report card will be much fuller. The difficulties may have proven to be short-term. Some of the claimed benefits may have emerged. The shelves may be full, with HGV drivers aplenty.

But if none of that happens, the next General Election will not be fought with Brexit as a given. The public mood will demand an alternative and Labour would be crazy not to offer it; probably not a full re-joining but certainly substantial renegotiation a position they are already edging towards.

There are lessons for Scotland in all of this and they are not necessarily the ones nationalists want to hear. Beating an anti-Brexit drum serves them well for the present and, on the surface, it seems logical that the more people turn against it, the more the separatist alternative will prosper. Its not that simple, however.

The reality is that independence inside the EU is not within their gift to offer; nor is it likely to be, in three years time or in 30. Under any scrutiny, the falseness of that enticement becomes transparent. Running as a party that wants to break up the UK in order to join the EU becomes just another con trick.

The promise to resolve one constitutional mess by creating an even bigger one is unlikely to have lasting appeal. By comparison, the prospect of a UK government that seeks a relationship with Europe based on a very different mindset to the one that motivated Brexit might seem an attractive offer.

The bigger lesson with certain relevance to Scotland involves the folly of referendums as a means of determining anything of lasting constitutional importance, particularly where there is absolutely no prior evidence of a consistent majority demanding irrevocable change.

When opinion is divided fairly evenly, the winner takes all nature of referendums makes them natural territory for the most dishonest people in politics, for whom the end will always justify the means, with no possibility of redress. If they lose, they just start all over again.

We rightly recall the lies of the pro-Brexit campaign about billions flowing to the NHS. Equally, let it never be forgotten, we saw it in the 2014 Scottish referendum with the utterly mendacious claim that the likely average price of oil was $112 a barrel a figure not subsequently come anywhere close to, even now.

Just as the public mood is swinging against Brexit with no way back, so if 2014 had gone the other way, there would have been years of bitter recrimination and repenting at leisure as truths about economy, currency, borders and all the rest of it emerged; with no opportunity for collective second thoughts.

A referendum where there is no clear majority demand for one is not a test of democratic opinion so much as a spasm which favours the most unscrupulous forces. That is a truth that does not just apply to Brexit and one from which the fate of Scotland is certainly not exempt.

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Scottish independence or Brexit, the lies of 2014 and 2016 should make us wary of referendums with no way back Brian Wilson - The Scotsman

Those expecting a character assassination of Mrs. Thatcher are in for a surprise; the work is more detached than its playwrights politics might suggest. Though he is an unapologetic Remainer, it is the Euroskeptic Mrs. Thatcher who emerges as not just the dominant figure but, surprisingly perhaps, the nicer one too.

Mr. McManus said he wanted to dissipate some of the polarization provoked by Brexit.But perhaps he is just generous by nature he also has nice things to say about the current prime minister, albeit in a backhanded way. Mr. Johnson has a remarkable skill set, he said, Youve got to admire his techniques; I work in theater now so have an eye for techniques and winning over an audience.

As for Mr. Heath, Mr. McManus puts a similarly positive gloss on things, talking airily about his affection for his former boss until reminded of his own words in the plays program notes.

Mr. Heath was chilly and imperious, solipsistic and unappreciative, a man who nursed grudges and pass ideas, and not someone he ever much liked, the playwright wrote.

Umm, yes, a little waspish by my usual standards, Mr. McManus allowed, sipping his beer and adding with a laugh, its a bit hard to come back from that.

Though Mr. Heath was charm personified while wooing Mr. McManus for the job of political secretary, the frost set in once he accepted. In 2000, after Mr. McManus announced he would run for Parliament in the following years general election, he lost his job with Mr. Heath, promptly and peremptorily. He decided when I was on holiday that he was going to get rid of me, he said.

Mr. McManus fell short in that election and never again managed to be selected as a candidate, the first step to running for office under the British system. But several career paths beckoned; he subsequently worked as a consultant, a journalist and as the director of a media watchdog. He also wrote several books, including one about Mr. Heath. Another, Tory Pride and Prejudice, chronicled a transformation in the Conservative Partys attitude to gay rights.

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Profile: Playwright Takes On Margaret Thatcher and Brexit - The New York Times

Hundreds of anti-Brexit protesters rallied together in Manchester this afternoon, demanding to "rejoin the EU". However, scenes of the sparsely-populated pro-European Uniondemonstration were met with ridicule, with one viewer joking that "there must at least a million there". The protest took place against the backdrop of the annual Conservative Party conference, which starts tomorrow.

Speakers at the rally included prominent Remain campaigner Femi Oluwole.

Protestors at the rally blamed the ongoing fuel shortages across the UK on the lack of HGV drivers following Brexit.

Empty fuel pumps have prompted long lines at petrol stations and panic across the country over the last week.

The chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) even suggested fuel shortages are getting worse in some parts of the country, including London and the southeast.

At the same time, negotiations between Downing Street and Brussels remain deadlocked over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

JUST IN:GP erupts at doctors 'fobbing off' Brits with virtual visits

A spokesperson from the Rejoin EU group said: The Tories ruinous Brexit deal is trashing the country.

"Peace in Northern Ireland is threatened, there are shortages in the shops and crops rotting in the fields.

"Small businesses are being crushed by Brexit red tape, whole industries are threatened, some are trashed. Its time to say loud and clear, Brexit is not working.

Supporters of EU membership like user @SteveM0365 tweeted: "Now begins the long, inevitable journey towards realignment with the EU."

However, the rally also provoked bemusement among Brexiteers online, as one @bemusedcentrist tweeted: "Seems like it working perfectly to me.

"How much more pay is being offered to HGV drivers now?"

@TheHangedMan18 joked: "I reckon there must be at least a million people there."

This comes amid a renewed pushback against the decision to leave the EU in the wake of the ongoing shortages.

Earlier today, Labour MP Diane Abbott tweeted that the supply chain crisis and fuel shortages are the "economic consequences of Brexit".

Olaf Scholz, who is favourite to become the next German chancellor, also blamed Brexit for the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK, the fuel crisis and empty supermarket shelves.

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'Rejoin the EU' protest faces ridicule amid footage of sparsely-attended anti-Brexit rally - Express

The UK started the first official round of talks on Tuesday to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, has said Brexit has enabled the UK to tear down trade barriers and strike deals with emerging economies outside the European Union.

The former Treasury official has said the CPTPP will enable Britain to form partnerships with some of the worlds largest economies.

Mr Jessop toldExpress.co.uk: One of the major benefits of Brexit is the opportunity to lower barriers to trade with faster-growing economies outside the EU.

This can be done unilaterally, or by signing new deals with individual countries such as Australia, or by joining existing trade agreements like the Asia-Pacific pact.

All these options will help to boost trade, but the benefits of signing up to the CPTPP could be relatively large, given the number and size of the economies involved.

The CPTPP is made up of 11-nations which had a combined GDP of 9trillion in 2019.

The UK is in the process of entering the pact and would provide a 1.8billion injection to the UK economy, according to Government estimates.

The trade alliance removes 95 percent of tariffs between its members, Japan, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile and Malaysia.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who succeed Liz Truss during the recent Cabinet reshuffle, led the virtual talks this week.

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Ms Trevelyan said: "This is a big milestone on our path to joining CPTPP, which will allow us to forge stronger links both with old friends and some of the world's fastest-growing economies.

"Joining this high-standards partnership will provide real opportunities for UK exporters and service providers and help our innovators open up new, diverse markets.

"Seizing opportunities like this is exactly what Global Britain is about and will help bring high-quality jobs and prosperity to every region of our country."

Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt travelled to South America this week to showcase Global Britain.

On her official visit, she met with Chiles Minister of Agriculture Maria Emilia Undurraga, and her Peruvian counterpart Roberto Snchez.

Ahead of the trip, Ms Mordaunt said: Chile and Peru are important strategic trade partners for the UK, and I will be using the visit to explore deeper trade and investment ties with both countries.

As we kick off negotiations to join CPTPP, there is no better time for British businesses to take advantage of the growing export opportunities in this dynamic part of the world.

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Brexit Britain ready to reap large benefits of 9trillion trading bloc - Daily Express