Category Archives: Brexit

The EU told Britain it cannot gain associated member status for Horizon Europe until it resolves its dispute with the bloc over the Northern Ireland Protocol. This is despite the UKs involvement being a feature of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). It was planned that the UK would contribute 15billion over seven years so British researchers could access EU grants and collaborate with European partners.

Now, Universities UK is pleading with European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic to urgently resolve the row to rescue the UKs access to the programme.

The group wrote in the letter that the delay is being "keenly felt" by both the EU and UK with the situation "deteriorating every day that the uncertainty drags on".

The letter added: "Failure to secure UK association to Horizon Europe would be a lose-lose for health, wealth and wellbeing and would do a disservice to future generations in Europe and beyond.

Universities UK also warned that the situation is "close to the precipice.

The letter requests a meeting between Mr Sefcovic and UK vice-chancellors.

But this comes as negotiations with the EU continue to sour, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss threatening to tear up the Protocol in recent weeks.

Following a phone call between Ms Truss and her EU counterpart in May, Mr Sefcovic warned that scrapping the protocol would be unacceptable.

He said in a statement: "It continues to be of serious concern that the UK government intends to embark on the path of unilateral action."

Mr Sefocivc added: "We have made clear that there is still potential to be explored in our proposals. We are still awaiting the response from the UK side."

But the back-and-forth is continuing to spark fears for British researchers.

READ MORE:Spains 'alternative plan' to cause 'substantial damage' to Putin

I can tell you today that the window for association is closing, and closing fast.

But while much of the science community will be hoping the negotiators can strike a deal, Science Minister George Freeman has come up with a backup plan in case Britain is permanently excluded.

It looks like it will involve teaming up with science and innovation powerhouses like our Five Eyes (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US) partners, as well as countries like Japan.

The Science Minister has also been meeting counterparts in Switzerland, Sweden and Israel to explore striking partnerships with these powerhouses.

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EU's Brexit chief warned of 'lose-lose' situation as he moves to TEAR UP 15bn TCA deal - Express

The Brexit argument will protect UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson from being ousted, Richard Tice claims, reporting on the prime minister's supporters view. Speculations go that the number of letters required to trigger a no-confidence motion could hit the threshold of 54 letters as soon as early next week. Even if he faces a no-confidence vote, Mr Tice argues, chances are he will remain in power.

Speaking to Talk TV presenter Jeremy Kyle, Mr Tice speculated: "All the indications Ive got are that the threshold is likely to be met probably 50/50 to be met early next week.

"And in that scenario, and as you say, there must be a vote of no confidence.

"And in that scenario, I think the reason that he will win a vote of no confidence is twofold, Jeremy.

"Firstly, what we call the payroll vote.

"Theres over 100 people who are essentially ministers, assistants or deputy ministers or parliamentary under-secretaries - theres all that stuff."

"And if theres a change of leader, many of those will lose their jobs", Mr Tice added.

"The other reason is that Boris supporters are going around saying that if he goes, then Brexit will be undermined and potentially fakie undermined.

"And for many Brexiteers in the Conservative Party in Westminster, that is absolutely fundamental.

Mr Tice then admitted: "I actually dont buy that.

"There are plenty of other potential candidates who I think would completely respect the direction of travel of the prime ministers take on Brexit."

READ MORE:Kick out Boris and you'll get Corbynistas in No10 warns CAROLE MALONE

Mr Tice continued: "Lets try and be fair and nice on this Jubilee weekend, he has a very interesting relationship with the truth.

"But heres the real thing that I think many people forget: hes stood in the House of Commons on a number of occasions and misled the House."

Unnamed Tory MPs told Insider they believe the threshold for a leadership vote may have been reached.

According to the same sources, Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee who collects the letters, is holding off until after the Queens Jubilee.

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Brexit to save Johnson ahead of 'likely' no-confidence vote as EU exit would be undermined - Express

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will put legislation before the House of Commons next month which would see Britain rip up and override large parts of the hated Northern Ireland Protocol. But the EUhas warned the UK will face fierce retaliation if it follows through with the plans - sparking fears of a potentially damaging post-Brexit trade war. Earlier this month, Joe Biden's spokesman issued a slap down to Boris Johnson over any move to amend the protocol, insisting he should instead show "leadership" and keep talking to EU envoys about the argument.

Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, has insisted the protocol is needed to maintain the peace agreement in Northern Ireland and warned any move from the UK to change it could endanger a trade deal with the US.

The intervention from Pelosi was followed by a warning from Derek Chollet, a senior adviser to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who urged Britain to avoid a big fight with the EU.

But Nile Gardiner, a Washington-based foreign policy expert and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, wants Mr Johnson to warn Mr Biden to stay firmly out of the row with the EU.

He told Express.co.uk: "Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi need to mind their own business as they are interfering in British internal matters.

"It is not the role of the US House or Speaker of the House of Representatives to lecture the British people on their own laws and policies.

"This is exactly what Biden and Pelosi are doing.

"It is a demonstration of a complete lack of respect for the UK and British people."

He added: "The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are stirring the pot and creating a far more volatile situation.

READ MORE:Jubilee fury explodes as ex-Labour MP fumes at 'gross' celebrations

He used an appearance at a conservative think tank in Washington to attack the US President and warn the UK doesn't need "lectures" from outsiders.

Asked about the interventions from the Biden administration on the issue, Lord Frost said in a speech to the Heritage Foundation: "I know the administration is looking at this very closely. I'm not convinced the niceties are well understood.

"I get slightly frustrated when we are told by a third party, albeit a very important one in this context, how to manage these issues.

"It is our country that faced terrorism, faced the Troubles.

"I am old enough to remember having to check under my car every morning, as a diplomat, before I went to work. Most people were very affected in one way or another by this.

"So we don't need lectures from others about the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. We are well aware of this and nobody wants to go back to it.

"In the end it has got to be our judgement about what is needed to preserve that agreement and preserve the unity of the country and the consent of everybody in Northern Ireland for these arrangements."

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'Slapping Britain in the face!' Boris urged to warn Biden to 'back off' over Brexit row - Express

Amid mass flight cancellations, long queues and delays at airports largely attributed to a shortage of staff the aviation industry made a plea to the UK Government to allow them to recruit more workers from overseas. It has reportedly been rejected.

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Had the UK still been in the European Union, there would have been no need to ask for special permission. Companies could have simply recruited the necessary staff.

But, as Steve Heapy, chief executive of holiday firm Jet2, told the BBC, Brexit has taken hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people out of the employment market and that undoubtedly is having an impact.

Transport is far from the only sector crying out for staff.

Last month, for the first time since records began, labour market figures revealed there were more vacancies, 1.3 million, than unemployed people.

In an article for the Conversation website, experts Professor Donald Houston and Professor Paul Sissons warned: Places across the UK where job vacancies are concentrated are likely to experience sharp economic contractions if they are unable to attract more workers soon.

There are now about 100,000 fewer EU citizens working in the UK than at the start of the pandemic, they noted, while adding this had been more than offset by continued long-term growth in the number of non-EU foreign-born workers in the UK, with 170,000 more since March 2020.

The myth that cutting off the supply of EU workers would necessarily mean higher wages for UK-born people convinced many to vote for Brexit.

However, the inability to fill jobs that could have otherwise gone to EU nationals is about to cause not just disruption to our holiday plans, but serious problems for the economy.

And, with fears of a stagflation recession amid soaring global energy prices, the UK will need all the help it can get. There may be no going back to the EU anytime soon, but Brexiteer ideology, which may well be behind the UK Governments refusal to help the aviation industry, should be ditched forthwith.

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Brexit effect: Shortage of airport staff is just the tip of an iceberg set to hit UK economy Scotsman comment - The Scotsman

The governments plan to reintroduce imperial measures is a clear attempt to win a few cheers from the readers of the Daily Telegraph. This is no crime governments must please their bases, after all. If you are the sort of stout-hearted Brexiteer whose heart still aches for Metric Martyrs, this triumph over Brussels pernicious efforts at standardisation is a welcome benefit of our exit from the European Union. For those of us of a more cynical bent, however, this is a tedious attempt to piggyback on the Jubilee by a government enduring a sticky patch.

I say all this despite being a true blue Tory and Telegraph devotee, who would have chosen to Leave had I been old enough to vote in 2016. It thus pains my heart to admit it, but this is an example of the government trying to distract people from its own troubled performance. As inflation roars past 10 per cent, families face surging energy and food bills, and Putins war machine grinds into Ukraine, this policy shows a worrying lack of good priorities in No 10.

I am not opposed to the use of imperial measures. Pounds and ounces sound far more satisfying than kilograms and grams. I will forever prefer miles to kilometres, and I have never been averse to pints. Brussels efforts to harmonise measurements across the continent is exactly the sort of pettifogging micromanagement that I loathe.

But crucially, contrary to the apparent beliefs in certain Brexiteer quarters, it is not the case that using imperial measurements has been illegal since the EU push for harmonisation two decades ago. So long as the greengrocers of Britain choose to display their wares weight in kilograms and grams as well as pounds and ounces, they have always been free to do so.

It is ultimately a great disservice to the public that battier elements of the Eurosceptic movement have been allowed to elevate the imperial push into a cause clbre. Many of us hoped that leaving the EU would enable policy innovation; this sort of tedious headline-grabbing is a painful parody of what Brexit should be. Like the blue passports of a few years ago, it feeds the delusion among the pro-EU world that the 2016 referendum was some huge nostalgia trip, rather than a legitimate and necessary defence by British voters of the sovereignty fundamental to our democracy.

I dont regret backing Brexit, but I am willing to say that the government has largely failed to take proper advantage of the freedoms that leaving the EU provides. It is fair enough that for these past two years it has been rather distracted, but Covid is even more reason to stop messing around with measurement systems and to get back to addressing the genuine challenges facing voters today.

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Imperial measures are a painful parody of the Brexit I supported - The New Statesman

Brexit could lead to a significant shortage of potatoes for Irish consumers by 2023, experts have warned.

Prior to the UKs departure from the EU, the majority of potato seed used by Irish farmers for varieties such as Kerr Pinks, Golden Wonders and British Queens had been imported from Scotland.

But under post-Brexit rules and following the UKs departure from the single market, exports of seed potatoes those not consumed but used to plant other potatoes from Scotland to Ireland are no longer allowed.

While many in Ireland are hopeful that the changes will spark a revival of home-grown Irish seed potatoes, experts warned this week that there is likely to be some disruption in the years ahead.

Its a bit of a conundrum to be honest; weve limited seed crops growing here and UK potato seed imports arent approved, Shay Phelan, a potato specialist at Irelands Agriculture and Food Development Authority, told the Irish Times.

A derogation was sought to import seed but it wasnt successful and that will have a big impact on some farmers. If we got access to a derogation for seed growers we could fill the gaps but even that would take a year or two.

Most growers should have enough seed for this year following a strong crop yield, meaning that consumers are unlikely to see a significant impact until 2023, Mr Shay said.

John Carroll, a grower in County Louth, warned that it will be a big issue unless something is done with the seed industry, telling the paper: We dont save seed because its completely different, thats why theres so few seed growers in Ireland because its hard to get right.

Irelands agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue has pledged to help revive Irelands own seed potato industry, with these efforts heavily reliant on production at the research farm, Tops Farm. But Mr Carroll warned it will take several years to fill the gap left by Brexit.

We need to get foundation stock and I dont know when Tops Farm will have tonnes of seed to give out and sell. This thing takes years to get right, he said.

Similarly, the Irish Farmers Associations (IFA) former national potato chairman Thomas McKeown told the Irish Times that Brexit provides a great opportunity here for seed growers, but it will take about three years and its going to be a bit of a pain, adding: Theres no quick fix.

While exports of seed potatoes from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have also been banned, the DUP has previously cited potatoes as a food whose strong domestic production means it should be safe from shortages.

Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) warned that the loss of the European market was significant north of the border.

The immediate seed potato export ban caused by Brexit disproportionately affected Scotland, because a significant portion of Scottish potatoes are grown as seed potatoes and are exported worldwide, NFUS spokesperson Bob Carruth told The Independent.

Sir Sean Connery's Aston Martin DB5 which is expected to fetch up to 1.4 million at auction. The family of the James Bond actor, who died in October 2020 aged 90, is selling the 1964 classic car to raise money for a philanthropy fund set up in his name

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Corgi Charles and friends enjoy a spot of tea during The Jubilee Tea Pawty at award winning doggy day care, Bruces

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Nottingham Forests Cafu celebrates after winning the Championship Play-Off Final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley

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Balloons light up as they are tethered to the ground during the night glow at the Isle of Wight Balloon Festival at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight

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A crow chases an urban fox, who has dug up a bird carcass, outside the Old Bailey, central London

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Pedestrians walk past a 'Living Wall' art project, produced in collaboration with The National Portrait Galler and the Earls Court Development Company, in west London

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Guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London

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People walk past the Liverpool Street station sign along the Elizabeth Line on its first day of service as it joins the London Underground network in London, Britain

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A young child amongst group of people thought to be migrants is carried by a member of the military as they are brought in to Dover, Kent

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Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League trophy after their side finished the season as Premier League champions during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa

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France's Thibault Laly during day one of the Mercedes-Benz UCI MTB World Cup event in Fort William

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Chef Jamie Oliver takes part in the What an Eton Mess demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to reconsider his U-turn on the Governments anti-obesity strategy

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Sculpture conservator Marisa Prandelli adjusts a display of heads of Cybermen in the monster vault at the Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder exhibition which opens at the World Museum later this month in Liverpool

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People cross Regent Street, decorated with flags to mark the upcoming platinum jubilee , to mark the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on a Elizabeth Line train at Paddington station in London

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Protesters from Border Communities Against Brexit outside Hillsborough Castle during a visit by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Northern Ireland for talks with Stormont parties

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Queen Elizabeth II departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle

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Heat haze softens the scene as a paraglider takes to the sky over the cliffs above Boscombe beach in Dorset

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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella as they leave 10 Downing Street, after a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson

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Rebekah Vardy leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice, London, during high-profile libel battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney

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A Goldeneye swims in the rain at Slimbridge wetlands, Gloucestershire

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Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales appears on a screen next to a painting of Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Gallery as he delivers the Queen's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament, in London

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Linda Bainbridge (left) and Miyuki Griffin putting the finishing touches to The Crown, Orb and Sceptre exhibit as part of A Festival of Flowers' at Salisbury Cathedral. Hundreds of flower arrangers will be mounting 127 individual exhibits throughout the cathedral in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

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Durham Cathedral which stands on The Bailey, a peninsula formed by the River Wear looping around the historic centre of Durham

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Girls from Grace and Poise, the worlds first Muslim ballet school, perform during the Eid in the Square festival in Trafalgar Square, London

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Ballots are emptied from a ballot box to be counted, during local elections, at Wandsworth Town Hall, London

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at a polling station with his dog Dilyn to vote during local elections in Westminster, London

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Rob Munday, creator of the first officially commissioned 3D/holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2004, unveils a previously unseen portrait of the monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, in London. The new portrait is named Platinum Queen: Felicity and is dedicated to the 20 years of friendship between The Queen and her personal assistant and close friend Miss Angela Kelly

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Alex Kelly from Eden Architectural Conservation cleans a gargoyle on the north doorway at Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin, Midlothian, as part of conservation maintenance

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People enjoy theme park rides at a funfair at Small Heath Park in Birmingham, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end and Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr

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Englands Ronnie OSullivan in action against Englands Judd Trump during day sixteen of the Betfred World Snooker Championship at The Crucible, Sheffield

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Visitors record images amongst azalea and rhododendron blossom in Richmond Park, London

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A giant puppet, controlled by four people, called Gnomus, the Caretaker of the Earth, performs at Stonehenge, near Amesbury, Wiltshire

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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in a TV studio during a visit to the BBC World Service at BBC Broadcasting House, London, to mark it's 90th year and to thank staff and learn how they are continuing their operations across Ukraine, Russia and Afghanistan

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Trafalgar Square in central London is covered in plants and flowers at the launch of an initiative to rewild and protect 2 million hectares of land. The temporary installation, which is made up of over 6000 plants, flowers, and trees, aims to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity in urban spaces, with visitors to the site invited to pick up and rehome one of the plants

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One of the Liverbirds that sits atop of the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, is illuminated just before the sun rises over the city

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson paints over the white line of the centre circle during a visit to Bury FC at their Gigg Lane ground in Bury, Greater Manchester

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Killy Cavendish during St George's Day celebrations in London's Trafalgar Square

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A demonstrator holds a pink smoke flare billowing over members of Extinction Rebellion staging a protest against the use of and investment in fossil fuel, outside offices of Vanguard Asset Management on Earth Day in the City of London

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The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), the City of London's Reserve Army Regiment, fire a 62 Gun Royal Salute at the Tower of London to mark the 96th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

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Stella Morris the wife of Julian Assange talks to the media outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was formally issued with an order for extradition to the US to face espionage charges

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Sunrise behind the Bass Rock off the East Lothian coast near North Berwick

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Theres no quick fix: Brexit could spark potato shortage in Ireland, experts warn - The Independent

June 2021 was the first full month of that year in which anything beyond a skeleton aviation industry could operate to, from and within the UK.

Travellers had only just been released from the 19-week international travel ban; Portugal was the only major country on the quarantine-free green list (a status it would lose just days later).

The UK aviation industry was crushed, and every time it tried to rise from the wreckage of hopes, dreams and profits the government would come up with another nonsensical rule to discourage travel. Who could forget amber plus, the category invented just before the main summer holidays started in July 2021 that had no rational basis whatsoever yet served as an effective ban on travel to France?

As June 2022 begins, all the UK travel restrictions are long forgotten (and the government has vowed that any future such measures would be light-touch). And while we seek to make up for lost sunshine, airlines and holiday companies are desperate to start earning proper money again.

Unfortunately, easyJet at Gatwick and Tui at Manchester airport have been found wanting with both businesses cutting flights by the dozen as they seek enough staff to run the planned operation.

As The Independent has pointed out, foreign airlines are having similar rebirth pangs, with the giant US airline Delta pre-emptively grounding flights in July and August. But last-minute cancellations are especially savage, and that is what travellers have been suffering over the past few days and weeks.

The government and some commentators are blaming airports and airlines for being unready. But I think we need to talk about Brexit.

Suggesting that leaving the European Union is to some extent responsible for the current problems the UK is experiencing triggers plenty of online heckling such as a tweet saying: This sh**e happens every half term or bank holiday weekends. This is not a new disease.

Yet in no previous half term have we seen a major airline cancelling 10 per cent of its Gatwick schedule because of staff shortage, as easyJet has, nor a giant holiday company (Tui) axing 30,000 holidays due to insufficient ground handling at Manchester.

Talking off the record to airlines and recruiting consultants point to two specific consequences of Brexit. Plenty of European staff left both the British aviation industry and the UK during the Covid pandemic. They have not returned, some no doubt taking up roles in aviation within the EU where they feel more wanted.

The other effect is more subtle but arguably even more significant. Far more Europeans worked in hospitality here than in aviation. A large proportion of them also left the UK. And that created a vast array of vacancies. Many excellent British aviation professionals, furloughed for many months and uncertain if their jobs would ever return, backfilled those roles. They are unlikely to be lured back to a high-stress role with unsocial hours.

Even the most committed Remoaner could not blame all the ills of the travel industry at Brexits door; the worst airport queues in Europe this month have not been in the UK, but at Amsterdam and Dublin. And EU labour continues to help us out, in the shape of airlines such as SmartLynx and Avion Express. You may not have heard of these airlines, which are based in Latvia and Lithuania respectively. They are helping to fill gaps in the easyJet schedules at Gatwick as Finnair and Iberia are doing for British Airways at Heathrow.

Bizarrely, UK airlines can charter in fully crewed EU planes to fly domestic routes though the opposite does not apply. Taking back control takes many strange shapes.

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Aviation chaos: We need to talk about Brexit - The Independent

4 min read01 June

With inflation soaring and the cost of living crisis biting, the Chancellors recent 15bn intervention was welcome but more radical thinking is required if we are to energise our economy through these stormy waters and earn another five years of Conservative government.

Given the gargantuan economic challenges ahead, we must dare to assess how Brexit, the biggest geo-political decision in a generation, is faring. So loaded is the B word, many may prefer to steer clear of the subject. But this would be a dereliction of duty.

If an army general, mid-battle, is mature enough to finesse his strategy to secure mission success, then government should do the same. Lets have the courage to dare to make operational amendments as we seek to leverage greater success.

Lets not forget, both Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher endorsed this model

Heres my attempt of how we might adjust the tiller to better maximise our Brexit fortunes.

Political distance from Brussels has been achieved. This is not up for question. However, economically speaking, there is vast room for improvement. The OBR calculates, in its current form, that Brexit is reducing our GDP by four per cent. This compares to around 1.5 per cent caused by Covid.

Put another way: our exports to Europe have shrunk by 20bn. From the fishers who can no longer sell their Scottish salmon, to the farmers undercut by unchecked imports, to Cheshire cheesemakers running into 180 health certificates, even to the City which can no longer sell financial services to Europe, sector after sector is being strangled by the red tape we were supposed to escape from.

Total business investment across the entire United Kingdom economy stalled after 2016 and is 10 per cent down on 2019. European Union workers are turning their backs on the UK, leaving vital gaps in our workforce. Low investment means lower growth. No wonder the IMF forecasts growth for 2023 as half the advanced economy average.

And then theres the unresolved issue of the Irish border. Current plans to bin the Northern Ireland Protocol could trigger a trade war with the EU (causing further economic harm) and is alienating the United States, our closest security ally.

As a recent YouGov poll indicates, this is not the Brexit most people imagined, with the majority believing Brexit has gone badly. There is appetite to make improvements not U-turns but course corrections.

In a nutshell, all these challenges would disappear if we dare to advance our Brexit model by re-joining the EU single market (the Norway model). Leaving this aspect of the EU was not on the ballot paper, nor called for by either the Prime Minister or Nigel Farage during the 2016 referendum. There was, however, much discussion about returning to a common market, which is exactly what I propose.

Any model will have benefits and drawbacks. The single market means the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. It would see 7bn of paperwork and checks go, and boost our economy by restoring free trade to sectors demanding change.

It would require acceptance of some EU regulations. However, UK industry, from food to pharmaceuticals, chemicals to motor manufacturing, says they would be better off working with one common standard rather than having to follow two: both a UK regulatory system and the EU one for most exports.

There remain understandable reservations about the free movement of people in relation to benefit claims which would need addressing, but this is not insurmountable. Lets not forget, both Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher endorsed this model, with the view that the potential economic benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

If joining the single market (with conditions) results in strengthening our economy, easing the cost of living crisis, settling the Irish problem at a stroke and promoting our European credentials as we take an ever greater lead in Ukraine, would it not be churlish to not face this reality?

Tobias Ellwood is the Conservative MP forBournemouth East.

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We can upgrade Brexit and ease the cost of living by going back to the single market - PoliticsHome

On Sunday, the European Commission celebrated 36 years since the raising of the EU flag on Brussels' institutional buildings. Hailing the moment, the official Twitter account of the French Presidency of the EU Council posted: "36 years ago, the European flag was officially raised outside the buildings of the European Commission, before the Commissions President at the time, Jacques Delors."

Mr Beaune took the opportunity to take a swipe at those "who want to leave" the EU, in a thinly-veiled hint at Brexit Britain.

Re-sharing the original post, he added: "Against those who want to leave or disobey, I am proud of the European flag, which enriches our identity and strengthens our country."

Mr Beaune has given his fair share of criticism to the UK, only last summer saying he was "worried" by Britain's "behaviour" towards the Brexit agreement.

The swipe comes as the UK and the EU are still locking horns over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The protocol is aimed at avoiding a hard border with Ireland but has created a series of economic barriers to Irish Sea trade.

The UK Government last week announced its intention to table legislation at Westminster that would override parts of the protocol without the approval of the EU, amid the ongoing power-sharing impasse at Stormont.

The ongoing row with Brussels has also sparked criticism in Ireland.

Last week, Ireland's foreign affairs minister accused the British Government of pushing a "disingenuous" and "dangerous" claim that the Northern Ireland Protocol is incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement.

Simon Coveney told the Irish parliament it is "deeply disappointing" that the Westminster Government plans to move forward with legislation to unilaterally override parts of the protocol.

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He said that is against the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, which has embedded Northern Ireland's peace process.

The Fine Gael minister said: "The British Government now claim that implementing the protocol, that we agreed together, is incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement.

"This is disingenuous and it's dangerous. I find it deeply disappointing that the British Government has said it intends to table legislation in the coming weeks that will unilaterally disapply elements of the protocol, which is now international law.

"This action is contrary to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, where genuine trust and partnership between both governments have time and time again proved crucial to share progress.

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"As the protocol is an integral part of an international agreement, such action would amount to a serious violation of international law also.

"I've urged the British Government to reconsider, to weigh the risks that would flow from unilateral action, and to step back from this course of action as they have done previously.

"Unilateral action is contrary to the wishes of the majority of people and businesses in Northern Ireland."

In a message to the unionist community, Mr Coveney said the EU has "consistently negotiated" with the British Government to address genuine concerns, and the ball is now in the UK's court.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega

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'I am proud of European flag!' Beaune issues Brexit swipe and fumes at 'disobeying' UK - Express

Brendan Chilton, Leader of the Ashford Labour Group, was left frustrated on social media following reports Boris Johnson will look to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with an imperial measurement announcement. The move was expected to help shore up support for the Prime Minister and Conservative Party among Eurosceptic voters in battleground constituencies. Mr Johnson is under mounting pressure from Tory MPs and voters following the release of Sue Gray's report into partygate.

Express.co.ukeven reported some MPs believe Sir Graham Brady may call a confidence vote in Mr Johnson on Monday after they suggested enough letters were submitted to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee yesterday.

YouGov also suggested the Prime Minister has lost his grip in dozens of seats which helped him win an 80 seat majority in 2019 after an MRP poll claimed the Conservatives would hold on to just three out of 88 battleground seats.

Mr Johnson could even lose his own Uxbridge & South Ruislip seat as YouGov suggested Labour could overturn his 15 percent majority to win by five points.

However, despite growing pressure from the public and his party colleagues, the Prime Minister's reported imperial measurement plan has come under fire from several Brexiteers, including Mr Chilton.

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Mr Chilton, who led the Labour Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum, said on Twitter: "The imperial measurements thing is a gimmick designed to hold the support of a small demographic.

"Where is the real Brexit dividend?

"Removing those regulations that impact 80 percent of British businesses to the tune of billions of pounds.

"Its been over two years. Get on with it!"

Mr Chilton, who finished behind the Tories and UKIP when he stood as the Labour candidate in the Brexit-backing Kent seat of Ashford in 2015, previously worked as a research and policy analyst for the then Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins.

Rutland & Melton MP Alicia Kearns, who was said to be the ringleader of the so-called 'Pork Pie Plot' to oust Mr Johnson, also rebuked the Prime Minister over the plan.

She said: "Not one constituent, ever, has asked for this.

"This isn't a Brexit freedom. It's a nonsense."

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'Get on with it!' Boris urged to find 'real Brexit dividends' following imperial 'gimmick' - Express