Category Archives: Brexit

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has put Brexit plans on hold by dropping the Article 16 threat due to the Ukraine invasion, in a move that could signal the start of a Brexit U-turn.

Russian PresidentVladimir Putinsinvasion of Ukraine has forced MsTrussto rethink her negotiations with the bloc.

The Foreign Secretary has written to the Prime Minister outlining plans that will help prevent a rift with the EU at a time when international unity is paramount due to the ongoing war inUkraine.

Article 16, one of the key clauses of the UKs Brexit agreement, allows either side to take unilateral action if the protocol is causing serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties.

Dropping this threat is reportedly seen by Ms Truss as a way to avoid a confrontation with the EU.

But it could also pave the way for the UK to be admitted to the EU's Horizon Europe programme a move that will cost 15billion over seven years.

The bloc previously told Britain it could not participate until it resolves the Brexit disputes with the EU.

Researchers and institutions who were promised they could access the huge 80billion pool of funding and collaborate with European partners were left furious by the decision.

Ms Truss's letter to Mr Johnson is understood to have set out two possible options.

The first option is bringing an abrupt end to ongoing negotiations and triggering Article 16 now.

The other is holding off enacting it and instead deploying an economic stimulus package to help firms that lose out due to the NI Protocol.

BBC Science Correspondent Jonathan Amos shared how the allocation would be handled on Twitter.

He said: The Government has now confirmed how the 39.8bn R&D budget for 2022-25 will be allocated.

Most of this budget was allocated to the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is the Government body that directs research and innovation funding.

UKRI will receive 25.1 billion during this period, and the body is funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

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Brexit LIVE: Red tape capital of Europe! Verhofstadt mocks 'terrified' UK in bitter swipe - Express

First it was Brexit, followed by a spurt of very successful campaigning to ensure that Britain left Europe on the most stringent and self-harming terms. For a while, Nigel Farage then opposed Covid restrictions. Now, he is reviving his old hostility to action on the climate emergency, with a new vehicle called Britain Means Business, which has spawned a campaign called Vote Power Not Poverty. Both were recently launched by an article in the Mail on Sunday. Net zero is net stupid, wrote Farage, who drew a line from the governments green targets to the rising cost of living and made the case not just for a referendum on the issue, but also the return of fracking and coal-mining.

Later this month, alongside his close ally Richard Tice and the local Tory MP, Farage was meant to be the star of an anti-net zero rally at Whites Hotel in Bolton, Greater Manchester, built into the home ground of Bolton Wanderers FC. Their putative hosts soon announced that the event was not something the club and business wishes to be associated with, and pulled the plug: a Moscow-style rebuke to free speech, said the organisers. But, as it turned out, this was an irrelevant blip. The event is now happening at another venue, and besides, Boris Johnson is reportedly set to review the current moratorium on fracking the first victory for common sense, says Farage as part of plans to increase the UKs production of oil and gas. Johnsons pretext is Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, and what it means for the UK and Europes energy security but he is clearly responding to months of pressure on net zero from the political right, both inside and outside the Conservative party. Brexit was its defining big win; now it has its eyes on another.

In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, there is a comfy and complacent view around that the links between rightwing populists and Putin will hasten their downfall. Its an idea symbolised by the Italian politician Matteo Salvinis public shaming on a visit to the Polish-Ukrainian border for his pro-Putin posturing, and Marine Le Pens shredding of leaflets featuring an image of her alongside the Russian president. These people do indeed look suddenly wrongfooted and nervous but Farage and his allies play by a different set of rules, partly because they do not have to worry about parliamentary representation and any aspiration to power (and, therefore, responsibility). Because they have been shut out by our electoral system, they long ago developed a much craftier and more light-footed way of operating: making as much noise as possible outside the normal structures of power and politics while encouraging rebellious Tories, and thereby putting continual pressure on the Conservative party via its right flank.

The result is a transformation of Tory politics that is still too little understood. A loose but hugely influential hard-right coalition has cohered, buoyed up by our exit from the EU, and now determined to use questions about living costs and energy security to destroy any meaningful prospect of climate action. In parliament, some of its key voices congregate around such Conservative MPs as Steve Baker and Mark Harper, who are responsible for an ever-evolving list of bodies including the European Research Group and the Net Zero Scrutiny Group (and, like Farage, well aware that you can wield power without having to worry about accountability). In the cabinet, their ideological torch is carried by such ministers as Priti Patel, Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

But the new rights key element is a political faction outside the party walls, with a very modern grasp of how 21st-century politics works. Farage remains this elements unchallenged leader and figurehead: its clout is based on agile organising skills and handsome funds, a constant platform in the rightwing press, a big presence on social media and now, the TV channel GB News. (The channels viewing figures belie its significance: it exists chiefly as a source of endless clips that are spread on social media, in which dubious and toxic opinions not least about Russia and Ukraine are presented in the same context as mainstream news, and thereby normalised.)

Faced with a prime minister as weak and biddable as Boris Johnson, all these people know that their key task is a kind of elevated trolling. In byelections, the latest Farage vehicle need only get a relative handful of votes to jangle Tory nerves: back in December, when Tice and the new Reform party got a mere 6.6% of the vote at Bexley and Old Sidcup, the Spectators Katy Balls wrote in the Guardian that his performance highlighted fears among ministers that a party will emerge that will outflank them on the right. Those anxieties inform a huge chunk of policy. Farages return to politics, let us not forget, was presaged by all the noise he made about people crossing the Channel: now, even as he tells his GB News viewers that he is open-minded and open-hearted about people fleeing Ukraine, the governments cruel treatment of Ukrainian refugees is partly based on fear of how much noise the post-Brexit right would make if Britain did the correct thing and followed the open-door lead set by the EU.

In keeping with the old rules of politics, a lumbering, hidebound Labour party still focuses just about all its energies on attacking the Conservative leadership. But Johnson and his allies are actually downstream of the new right, much as the traditional US Republican party is now subservient to a political movement that began well outside the political mainstream. Indeed, by the time the government announces its latest policy shift, it is usually too late: the work has been done elsewhere, by people and forces that Labour barely acknowledges. Worse still, there is a constant sense that Farage and his allies portrayal of kind of Brexit-supporting voters concentrated in so-called red wall seats also exerts a strong pull on Keir Starmer and his colleagues.

Who does Farage actually speak for? Even in England, his base probably amounts to no more than five to 10% of the population. To some extent, his career represents a rearguard action against the fact that social conservatism and belligerent nationalism along with climate scepticism find increasingly little echo among younger people, and, for reasons that have more to do with demography than politics, their appeal will, sooner or later, start to wane. I have been to enough Farage events to know his people by sight: a passionate and fearful crowd, disproportionately male, and often well-versed in the vocabulary of conspiracy theories. Even if their views blur into a much bigger mess of fear, insecurity and prejudice, that should not blind anyone to how out-there they are, and how straightforwardly Farages transparent opportunism could be taken down. But seemingly for fear of giving him even more publicity, even as Brexits failures and lies pile up, he is largely left alone.

In that sense, his success says as much about his opponents as it does about him. Indeed, those of us who would like a kinder, better country than the one he claims to speak for perhaps have a lot to learn from his methods, as last weeks events prove. If net zero is to happen, its complexities and challenges will have to be explained to a lot more people than the comparative few who have so far bought into the idea. And in that sense, even if Farages rally ran into trouble, it highlighted a very telling question: for all their zeal and righteousness, when was the last time that people who support net zero organised a big event in Bolton?

John Harris is a Guardian columnist. To listen to Johns podcast Politics Weekly UK, search Politics Weekly UK on Apple, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.

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Nigel Farages hard-right faction won Brexit. Now net zero is in its sights - The Guardian

Dear Editors

The COVID-19 health crisis, later a pandemic, came at a time when the UK was having a transition of national devolution and ultimately withdrawal from the European common market over 12 months in 2020, the current government having won the Dec 2019 election on their proposed version of the Brexit platform (except someone forgot to ask the EU if they agreed to it).

The UK's uncoupling from the EU has been expected to significantly (and negatively) impact many local businesses despite claims of better conditions for local markets having wrestled the bureaucratic control off Brussels; some predictions suggest requiring subsidies or monetary support for businesses to retain employment in various sectors. Many economists expected the UK's per capita income to be reduced in the long term as a result of Brexit, but the uncertainty of the protracted negotiation between London and Brussels over the actual terms of the divorce (including the threat of a "no deal" outcome) during the transition made the UK even less attractive to foreign investors.

All these during the first wave of the pandemic in Europe and the UK.

I am impressed that the National Audit Office can actually differentiate the impact of COVID-19 measures and uncertainty from those of the Brexit transition and the spectre of a no-deal withdrawal on UK businesses. Considering a large proportion (40%) of the estimated 260 billion spend so far is spent to prop up employment retention and payment, I cannot but help wonder about how the NAO managed to draw a line in the sand to attribute the risks to UK jobs as purely a healthcare/pandemic one, rather than Brexit.

Frankly we might never know what would have been the true effect of Brexit if the pandemic didn't come around at the same time, and I have certainly not addressed the other surprise in the report, that direct healthcare costs in the UK pandemic response only accounts for 20% of the spend, and worse, that the much criticised (ref 1) test and trace program alone accounts for 32% of the healthcare spend (or 7% of the overall COVID-19 costs).

If this reflects the expectations and standard of any new agency established under the Boris government, perhaps we have more to worry about than the COVID-19 pandemic itself.

Reference1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00714-3/fulltext

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Teasing out the effects of Brexit from the spend on 2020-21: we may have more to worry about than COVID-19 itself - The BMJ

The Rejoiner criticised the former Brexit Minister after he announced he would be delivering this year's Churchill Lecture. The lecture, taking place later today, is entitled "What is Seen and What is Not Seen: the UK, Europe, and beyond". But Lord Adonis hit out at Lord Frost, saying that "Churchill would never have done Brexit".

Furious Brexiteers slammed the former Labour transport minister on social media, with one Twitter user calling his comment "utterly ridiculous".

Steven Parsons wrote: "What an utterly ridiculous thing to say even though it was entirely predictable.

"I wonder who else in history will have words put in their mouth by the Noble Lord."

David Meek agreed, questioning: "How do you know Churchill would never have done Brexit, can you communicate with the dead?? Idiot"

A third user, called Nicky P, said: "Oh really, told you did he?"

Meanwhile, Drew Zinski told Lord Adonis that it is "time to stop crying about Brexit".

Francis A Shailes added: "He was in favour of a United States of Europe to prevent Germany going for the hat trick, but he didn't want the UK to be a member of it."

However, many other users backed Lord Adonis, agreeing that Churchill was "pro-Europe".

READ MORE:Adonis looks to spark bitter war of words with Frost

"Churchill would have been proud of the EEC leading to the EU.

"If you trade with nations you don't go to war with them.

"EU no wars for 70 years."

Mr Churchill proposed a complete union between Great Britain and France in 1940, and in 1947 the former UK Prime Minister founded the European Movement.

In a speech given to The Hague in the same year, Mr Churchill called for "closer political unity" with Europe.

He said: "Mutual aid in the economic field and joint military defence must inevitably be accompanied step by step with a parallel policy of closer political unity."

Mr Churchill added: "Britain is an integral part of Europe, and we mean to play our part in the revival of her prosperity and greatness."

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'Churchill would never have done Brexit!' Adonis sparks fury with 'ridiculous' Frost swipe - Express

Brexit red tape is preventing small charities and members of the public from bringing supplies to the Ukrainian border to help ease the deepening humanitarian crisis, it has emerged.

A Polish charity in Lewisham, south London, said three of its vans were blocked from getting on a ferry because they didnt have the paperwork needed for their cargo.

Since Brexit anyone taking commercial quantities of goods to the EU must document all items on their trucks along with other export certification.

The process is complicated and extensive, requiring exporters to know the individual commodity code for each of their products, as well as the origin and destination of their goods, something that individuals acting spontaneously in response to the refugee crisis are unlikely to know.

Agnieszka Lokaj from the Lewisham Polish Centre charity told the Press Association: The guys had cover letters from us that this is humanitarian aid with all the information that this is going to be distributed for the refugees, its not for reselling; we listed all the items.

Ciaran Donovan, a courier who has charted the Brexit challenges facing drivers on social media over the past five years, came to their aid and they were able to board.

Donovan said he knew of 13 other vans transporting medical equipment on behalf of charities that still havent left the UK after four days of trying to get customs paperwork.

The vans sent by the Lewisham Polish Centre have now arrived in Przemyl, a Polish city on the border with Ukraine.

Eurotunnel said it was working with the big recognised charities to get aid across and urged the smaller charities to work with them to get access to the cross-channel services.

A spokesperson for HMRC said the government advice remained that the best way to help was to donate money through the Disasters Emergency Committee or other trusted charities.

It also said people could consult the Export Support Service or call the helpline 0300 303 8955 to get advice on the paperwork.

The Polish British Social Integration Club Wawel, a London-based community organisation, confirmed it had closed its donation point and stopped shipments due to the border issues.

Its chair, Kasia Zimna, said: We just want to deliver the stuff, people are dying from hunger.

Its quite heartbreaking for us because we have resources, but the law isnt helping.

The organisations have urged the governments of the UK, France and the Netherlands to urgently clarify guidance for trucks carrying humanitarian goods across their borders.

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Brexit red tape stopping small charities getting supplies to Ukraine - The Guardian

A bed manufacturer has overcome obstacles ranging from a warehouse fire, Brexit shortages and Covid-19 to pass its 10 year anniversary with sales expected to grow 30 per cent this year.

Get Laid Beds was founded by co-owners Jonny Haskins and Jean Lombard after they became friends at De Montfort University in Leicester.

They started out designing and creating wooden beds from their garage as students for their own use.

From there they created a company employing a team of carpenters making handmade beds to order, and today they ship them out across the UK and worldwide.

The business faced a huge setback in 2019 when a warehouse fire left them with nothing but a hard-drive.

The customer service team spent a month working from Jeans living room until a new temporary location was found.

Since then, the business has returned to full capacity, with 105 staff and a modern warehouse in Glen Parva, on the outskirts of Leicester. They said even Brexit and Covid-19 hadnt held them back.

Jean said: The impact of the fire on March 6, 2019 (Ash Wednesday no joke) was profound.

We lost everything but luckily no one was injured. We recovered a hard drive with our accounts data on it and a USB stick in a safety box with some machinery cutting data on it. That was it.

So we had to build the factory from the ground up and start again. We lost no staff, everyone was incredibly supportive, and we became closer as a team.

Customers were also very understanding and we only lost 4 per cent of customer orders. Due to us actively moving quickly on getting a temporary factory setup within four weeks.

It took four months to see the first insurance pay-out so we took on a big risk financially to get it back online ASAP and make beds before all customers wanted refunding.

The insurers and loss adjusters said we were the fastest recovery they'd seen in 30 years as usually it takes up to two years to rebuild.

Jonny said on top of 25 per cent year on year growth the for past three years they expected to hit 30 per cent growth this year and were investing heavily in employees and equipment.

In January they broke their monthly sales record selling several thousand beds, he said, and international expansion is the next goal and is already doing well.

He said: We are so proud to be where we are today.

When we look back at our journey leading up to our 10-year anniversary and considering the hurdles weve had to overcome, it makes us even more ambitious and more motivated to continue growing and seeing where we can take the company.

Its our story as well as the beds we produce that makes us so unique.

It would have been all too easy to start making lower quality beds, but the fact that we havent compromised what we set out to do all those years ago, I think really shines through, and is one of the reasons why we are experiencing the success we are right now.

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Bed manufacturer overcomes fire, Brexit shortages and Covid-19 to pass 10 year anniversary with 25% growth - Business Live

The government is to launch a study of the economic benefits of reintroducing imperial units of measurement, to quantify a supposed advantage of Brexit.

Ministers provoked mockery from opposition politicians with the ludicrous move, which will be overseen by the business department this year.

In 2019, Boris Johnson pledged to usher in a new era of generosity and tolerance towards traditional measurements and suggested that measuring in pounds and ounces was ancient liberty.

This month he appointed Jacob Rees-Mogg as minister for Brexit opportunities in order to examine how Britain can benefit from leaving the EU.

Imperial-only labelling fell out of business use when Britain joined the European common market in the early 1970s, but some people who remember the esoteric counting system remain attached to it.

Imperials alternative system of measuring weights and volume of products was used more or less exclusively in Britain though the US maintains a parallel system with similar names but different measurements.

As opposed to the metric system of weight, in which 1,000 grams are equivalent to one kilogram, the imperial system says there are 14 pounds in a stone and 16 ounces in a pound.

For liquid, there are 20 fluid ounces in a pint and 160 fluid ounces in a gallon, instead of metrics 1,000 millilitres in a litre.

While the measurements have largely been out of use for some 60 years, they are believed by politicians to be beloved of some older voters, and so occasionally become a political issue. In reality, Britain operates a mixed system, with businesses using metric weights and measures, while imperial miles are used on roadsigns and pints used in pubs.

Paul Scully, a Tory business minister, said reintroducing imperial labelling would be an important step in taking back control and that a planned assessment of the economic impact on business will be carried out in due course.

But the Liberal Democrat business spokesperson Sarah Olney accused the government of wasting taxpayer money and said there were more important things to worry about.

The fact the government is undertaking a study into this shows just how out of touch they are, she told The Independent.

Its ludicrous that they think this will help businesses after they hit them with a national insurance rise and have done nothing to help with their soaring energy bills.

Ministers must explain how reverting to a system not used in nearly 60 years will help businesses attract new customers, and how imperial units will be of any help to companies looking to trade with the rest of the world when the vast majority of countries use the metric system.

A woman walks miniature poodles into the first day of the Crufts Dog Show at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre

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A visitor looks at the piece of art called "Myth Explored, explained and exploded" dated of 1993, during a press visit of the exhibition "Natural History" dedicated to British artist Damien Hirst and his formaldehyde sculptures at the Gagosian Kings Cross gallery, in London

AFP via Getty Images

MPs giving a standing ovation to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky after he speaks to them by live video-link in the House of Commons, in London

UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Images

A mural of Ringo Starr, commissioned by Liverpool artist John Culshaw, is unveiled on the gable end of the Empress Pub on Admiral Street in Toxteth, Liverpool

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Cars make their way along the flooded A1101 in Welney in Norfolk

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People hold placards as they take part in a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Trafalgar Square, London

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Volunteers help sort through fresh donations after more than 500 boxes of essential supplies were gathered by Parenting Network at Portsmouth Guildhall

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Commuters wait to get on a bus near Liverpool Street Station as all London Underground lines are suspended after thousands of workers began strike action in London

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Rend Platings and her husband Michael outside their home in Cambridge, which they have painted in the colours of the Ukraine flag in a show of support for friends in the country

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Players take part in the Royal Shrovetide Football Match in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, which has been played in the town since the 12th century

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Donations at the Klub Orla Bialego (White Eagle Club) in Balham, south London, made by members of the public, prior to their aid convoy setting off to Ukraine in aid of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion

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People protest in front of the National Gallery in London against Russias massive military operation in Ukraine

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George in the stands during the Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham Stadium, London

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People head to St Marys Cathedral to light candles after a demonstration outside the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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People protest against the Russian invasion on Ukraine outside Downing Street in London

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Swimmers from Hampstead Ponds cross the road in their swimming costumes outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, as they await the result of a judicial review brought by Christina Efthimiou over whether the charges for bathing at the ponds in Hampstead Heath unlawfully discriminate against disabled people

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Runners line up for the start of The Anshin Security Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at Taunton Racecourse

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Shoes on display at the ROKER AW22 presentation at London Fashion Week, in London

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The waters of the River Severn in edge towards homes in Ironbridge, Shropshire, as more wet and windy weather is set to sweep the UK. Storm Franklin is set to strike the UK just days after Storm Eunice destroyed buildings and left 1.4 million homes without power

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Damaged caused to home of Dominic Good, in Stondon Massey, near Brentwood, Essex, after a 400-year-old oak tree in his garden was uprooted by Storm Eunice.

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Activists from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protest against the use of feathers in clothing, ahead of London Fashion Week

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Waves crashing on the seafront at Blackpool before Storm Dudley hits the north of England

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Hailey Duff, left, Vicky Wright, centre and Jennifer Dodds in action for Great Britsin during their womens curling round robin match against Japan at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Team GB sealed a 10-4 victory

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Members of the Household Cavalry walk past Wellington Arch and a large inflatable heart, on Valentine's Day in London

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People in costume attend the Whitby Steampunk Weekend in Yorkshire

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People in Parliament Square, London, take part in the People's Assembly nationwide protest about cost of living crisis

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Romney sheep graze the grass around the dormant vines at Nyetimber's Manor Vineyard at West Chiltington in West Sussex. The herd from a local farm form part of Nyetimber's sustainability program and are utilised for vineyard maintenance, keeping the grass low, reducing the risk of frost, maintaining grass leys on the estate and saving the cost of fuel for mowing

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Alice Wyllie looks at projections featuring details of some of the illustration plates during the press view for Audubon's Birds of America exhibition at the National Museum Of Scotland, Edinburgh

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New arrival Upendi and mother Cheka in the bonobo enclosure at Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire

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Workers move a crate containing Season's Greetings by street artist Banksy from a retail unit at Ty'r Orsaf, Port Talbot, prior to its journey to a temporary storage unit at an undisclosed location

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Dog walkers enjoy the early morning sunrise at Tynemouth Beach in North Tyneside, on the north east coast of England

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A Leicester City invades the pitch as Nottingham Forest celebrate scoring their sides third goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at the City Ground, Nottingham

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Stadium staff remove a flare from the pitch during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Selhurst Park

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"The Nuba Survival" is a five-metre-tall statue of two skeletons locked in an embrace in Checkendon, Oxfordshire. The statue was created by local artist John Buckley

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Kew horticulturists attending to the Rising sun display at the Kew Orchid Festival: Costa Rica, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London

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Protesters campaign against corruption in London

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Lorries queue for the Port of Dover in Kent, as the Dover TAP is enforced due to the high volume of lorries waiting to cross the Channel

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Nelson Beaumont-Laurencia applies finishing touches to a sculpture of a tiger, commissioned byManchester Business Improvement District to celebrate the Chinese New Year, is unveiled in St Anns Square

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A house on Overhill terrace in Gateshead, lost its roof on 29 January after strong winds from Storm Malik battered northern parts of the UK

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A newly painted bicycle sign is seen on the middle of the road at Westminster Bridge, as the new Highway Code rules start today together with giving pedestrians priority at junctions

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School children take part in a rally in support of British Sign Language becoming a recognised language in the UK, outside the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, as the British Sign Language Private Members Bill, introduced by Rosie Cooper MP, reaches its second reading in the House

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A rare six-week-old southern white rhino calf called Zawadi, explores her paddock for the first time at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson jogs with his dog Dilyn, in London

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Government to launch study on economic benefits of reintroducing imperial units - The Independent

As a result of Brexit, there is a large contingent of EU migrants heading to North America, which will be exacerbated by price increases and fluctuating operational costs as well. For January 2021, staff in the UK must be able to practice and offer services.

In regards to governing law, Brexit has little effect as the applicable regulations are of universal application the law as it is is chooses is generally the same regardless of whether that governing law comes from an EU Member State or a so called Third State.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the UK had 828,000 fewer workers in February-December 2020. A 0 percent increase in the unemployment rate was recorded for the last quarter. An additional 202,000 jobs were lost between the previous quarter and the current quarter, or a 6% decline.

There will be a reduction in the British workforce employed by the EU as a result of Brexit. Nearly two-thirds of them are located in Alaska. Currently, the UK is home to around 2 million EU citizens. UK citizens with international citizenship cannot apply for a visa to work or live in the country unless they meet the current requirement.

According to UK law, there are some EU provisions affecting workers. Due to the UKs new Brexit deal, it is no longer bound to adhere to EU employment law as of 31 December 2020. Since Parliament now has full discretion over adjusting legislation and reversing EU court rulings, changes may be made now.

From 1 January 2019 to 1 January 2020, the EU experienced a net population decrease of 13% due to Brexit. In any case, Eurostat data indicate that the same period would have seen a net increase.

The UK provides many rights under its own law which are based on EU principles. Consequently, due to the dissolution of the UKs referral power to the ECJ (European Court of Justice) over cases, UK courts and tribunals no longer have the resources necessary for applying and implementing EU law consistent with UK law principles.

A short answer is yes, EU citizens can work in the UK after Brexit, but they must apply for a Skilled Worker Visa or EU Settlement Scheme (ESS).

A transfer to a new employer is governed by TUPE regulations. As of 2006 they have been updated (and originally introduced in 2006). In the UK, these regulations still apply.

No longer a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom is leaving. After the UK applied to the EU on 31 December 2020, EU legislation also became an amendment to domestic legislation in the UK, through its Parliaments and Assemblies. It is published under UK domestic legislation. You can find this information on the Government of Great Britain site.

As the UKs hospitality sector is experiencing a severe shortage of staff, more than 90,000 EU citizens have fled to the UK in the last year. Tony Goodger, a representative for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, explained that the issue is so acute that there are currently 14,000 vacancies across the nation.

Number of EU jobs relocating from the UK to Europe has declined by about a hundred from 7,600 in December 2020, as reported by EY. That figure compares to PwCs estimate in April 2016 before the referendum that there could be as many as 100,000 financial job losses if Britain voted to leave the

If Brexit further damages the UKs economy following the Covid pandemic, it will make it harder for companies to hire. By this, we would see even fewer job openings, which would raise the cost of hiring.

According to UK law, workers in the EU are entitled to certain rights. According to the UKs new Brexit deal, which came into effect on 31 December 2020, it is no longer a legal requirement for the UK to adhere to EU employment law.

This year and last year, numerous reports indicated a decline in EU migration resulted in a staff shortage as well as wage increases of about 10% or more in the hospitality sector. In Paul Emberys words, these figures indicate lower wages as a result of free movement.

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How Will Brexit Affect Payroll And Hr In Uk Business? ictsd.org - ICTSD Bridges News

Forget Brexit. People in two areas of West Yorkshire are calling for a referendum of their own and have backed plans to form a brand new council.

Residents in Keighley say they feel ignored by Bradford Council and are supporting proposals by Robbie Moore MP to form a breakaway local authority.

"Bradford Council is too concerned about what the city centre looks like and what it attracts into Bradford," says Marcus Stanford, who runs Rossi's cafe on Cavendish Street.

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"Little places like Keighley do get overlooked.

"We need somebody to take charge and say: Im working for Keighley."

Mr Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley, has teamed up with neighbouring Shipley MP Philip Davies to put forward plans to form a brand new council covering the two areas. He says towns such as Keighley, Ilkley, Bingley and Shipley are being used as a "cash cow" by Bradford Council for very little in return.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, the leader of Bradford Council, has hit back at Mr Moore, saying he is "attacking the place he is meant to represent". She also said his plans are merely "a political motion" with "no real prospect of success".

But many residents are growing increasingly concerned about what is happening to Keighley.

"I just don't think there's enough input from the people we elect into generating more for the town centre," adds Marcus.

"I dont think the council has done enough to help this place. I think more could have been done.

"I know theyre going for City of Culture in Bradford and a lot of money has been funnelled into that, but it's a waste. They need to need to put some money into the town centres.

"If they channel some of the money that they spend on vanity projects into Keighley, I think they could generate a lot more interest in people coming to town."

Just around the corner from Rossi's Cafe, Geoffrey Travers is helping out in his wife's wedding cake shop on North Street. He says the business, which has operated from the council-owned store for more than 10 years, has had practically "no help" from Bradford Council ever since it opened.

"Its totally, totally true," he says. "Bradford Council is absolutely useless.

"The council is so big that its got too many problems itself in the centre. Here on the outskirts, they just do whatever is necessary.

"We get very little out of it. I dont see how, with the size of Bradford Council and the way that its spread out, that Keighley will ever get much out of Bradford."

While he says Mr Moore's proposal for a new council is "a great idea", he thinks it would be incredibly difficult to implement.

"How they would afford it, I really have no idea. If you start setting up your own education, social services, as well as all the bureaucracy that goes with councils, youre talking about a colossal sum of money."

Bradford Council covers a large area stretching from Silsden in the north all the way down to Wyke in the south. Keighley lies towards the western-most extremities of the district.

While Bradford is by no means the largest council area in the country - ranking 109th out of 304 local authorities by size - Mr Moore claims the Keighley and Shipley constituencies "generate the highest revenue of tax to Bradford Council through our council tax and business rates payments", but claimed local public services were not distributed fairly.

Speaking in the House of Commons last month, he said: "Council tax, business rates are all sent from my constituency to Bradford City Hall with nowhere near the equivalent of those funds coming back to be reinvested in our area."

Josh Mitchell, 24, has lived in Keighley all his life, but told YorkshireLive he is concerned for the future of the town.

"Bradford Council doesnt treat Keighley as well as other places," he says.

"We need a lot more advertising. One example, the Christmas lights - we dont get anything here. Its a minor thing, but it does change a lot.

"A lot of people feel the same who live in Keighley. I dont know what it is, but we dont seem to be thought about as much as Bradford."

Margaret Coleman and her daughter Claire speak to YorkshireLive on a rare shopping trip in the town centre. They are growing increasingly concerned with the number of empty units.

"There used to be markets and late-night shopping on a Thursday," says Margaret. "You couldnt move in town for people.

"On the green, we used to have stuff for the kids.

"They need to get the shops opened up again to get people out. It is depressing. They dont care about Keighley. They never did."

"I dont think its that they dont care," adds Claire, "but I think they just don't want to spend the money in Keighley."

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Many business owners cite the closure of Marks and Spencer in 2018 as a marker for the town's demise in recent years.

"Keighley was a major shopping town," says Rob Harding, who has worked in Keighley Cartridges on Cavendish Street for 20 years.

"It used to bring people from all over the Dales, but once you lose a big thing like Marks and Spencer, its just been a decline of more and more shops closing.

"Its only takeaways opening now. It seems to be a shop closes down, a takeaway opens. Thats not a reason for people to come to Keighley. Its not going to attract people in for a days shopping."

Mr Moore's proposal was aimed at giving people in Keighley and surrounding towns a greater say in how their council tax is spent.

He proposed a Local Authority Boundaries (Referendums) Bill to MPs, which would allow two or more parliamentary constituencies to group together to create the boundaries of new local authorities if a referendum on the issue gains backing from more than 10 per cent of residents.

The government flatly rejected the Private Members Bill though, saying it had no safeguards to prevent new councils being set up on a party-political basis.

Communities minister Kemi Badenoch said: "It would be very, very sweeping indeed. So we would be concerned by a number of aspects of this approach.

"First, parliamentary constituencies may not be a sound basis for establishing the right level of service delivery, thats got to be a consideration. We also need to make sure the boundaries can be established only where there is a safeguard against anything that might lose the confidence of the local democracy."

While it's unlikely that Keighley will be able to form its own council any time soon, many people feel as though something needs to change.

"Having a local council would probably be a better idea, as long as that council works for the local people," says Marcus.

"Maybe more powers should be devolved into local areas, because if Keighley dies, this cafe dies. Its as simple as that."

In response to Mr Moore's proposal, Cllr Hinchliffe said: "The governments response to this MPs phoney debate in Westminster was quite clear. The Minister viewed it as a political motion, not one with any real prospect of success.

"It is however hugely disappointing that instead of championing the area, we have a Conservative MP who is new to Keighley, and spends his time speaking against us, attacking the place he is meant to represent. I want to assure residents that we, as a Council, will always stand up for the whole district and promote investment and opportunity here.

"Keighley is the focus of much of our high-end manufacturing in the district and were very proud of the growth and innovation that is happening here.

"We want to be one of the governments Levelling Up areas and Id welcome the MPs support for this ambition. We want to join Wolverhampton and Sheffield as one of the 20 areas, thats what Id really like him to focus on.

"Ive spent a lot of time talking to residents in Keighley on the doorstep recently, I can therefore say with complete certainty that residents are sick and tired of the Tory Government which Mr Moore represents. They feel let down and angry and have lost all trust now in the Prime Ministers ability to lead the nation through increasingly difficult times.

"We need a Government who is serious about delivering positive change for Keighley. We want action, not hollow Westminster debate."

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Yorkshire's very own 'Brexit' as towns demand breakaway referendum - Yorkshire Live

There has been repeated criticism levelled at the UK Government for being slower than Brussels in implementing economic measures against Moscow. But away from the rhetoric on social media, in reality, Britain is leading the way.

In total 258.8billion worth of Russian bank assets have been sanctioned by the Government.

In comparison the US has imposed 240billion in measures, with the EU introducing sanctions on 38.8billion of assets.

The figures are a stark contrast to the narrative painted by serial Brexit-bashers who claim the UK is lagging behind our European partners.

Officials say that the devastating impact of sanctions imposed by Britain on Russian banks are hitting the Kremlin harder than measures being imposed on individuals.

READ MORE ON OUR RUSSIA V UKRAINE WAR LIVE BLOG

Tory environment minister Lord Goldsmith said: "Some in the UK seem desperate to see the worst in the UK, frantically tweeting nonsense about UK inaction on Russia.

"It is the opposite of the truth.

"Ukraine knows how solid our support has been and for how long.

"Ive seen that for myself meeting Ukrainian reps at the UN Environment Programme this week."

Lord Goldsmith's assessment is backed up by polling released earlier this week.

A survey conducted jointly by Cygnal, Gradus, and Response: AI, on March 6-7 found Ukrainians has a more positive view of the uK than any other country or international body polled.

Britain had a net popularity of +56, compared to the EU's +42.2, and the US's +33.3.

NATO, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been highly critical of for not implementing a no-fly zone to deter Russian fighter jets, has a net popularity of -16.8.

Read more from the original source:

Brexit Britian leads EU on Ukraine: The graphic that shames Remainers - Express