Category Archives: Brexit

It is time to take a break from writing articles about why Boris Johnson should resign. I have written several of those in recent weeks and he still has not done so. Maybe one more denunciation would do the trick, but I might give it a week.

Instead, let us have another look at Brexit.

Monday 31 January marked the second anniversary of our departure from the EU. The government took the opportunity to publish a paper, The Benefits of Brexit, which sets out how the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU. Wherever you stand on the wisdom of Brexit, the response has been much the same: is that it?

It is no surprise that those of us who were sceptical about the case for leaving the EU are underwhelmed by the benefits set out. Reintroducing our iconic blue passports, reviewing the EU ban on imperial markings and sales and enabling businesses to use a crown stamp symbol on pint glasses were among the highlights. I doubt many Remainers will reconsider their positions on the basis of these achievements.

Of more interest has been the response of those who supported Brexit. My old friend Daniel Hannan was a central figure in the Eurosceptic movement and in Vote Leave. Having read the governments paper, he asked on the ConservativeHome website: Two years after Brexit, and a year after the end of the transition, how are we doing? He is not encouraged. Overall, Im afraid, the document is thin, watery, tasteless gruel.

Hannans argument is that the government is too cautious, too beholden to vested interests, too frightened of the hard work and short-term unpopularity that change involves. Officials get much of the blame but Hannan also says that ministers must accept collective responsibility here.

He points out that he favoured a softer, Swiss-style Brexit to avoid the high price of the rows we went on to face over Northern Ireland but that he was content to go along with absolute regulatory freedom.His difficulty, however, is that it is idiotic to pay that price and then not use the freedoms it bought.

Hannan is not alone. The former Brexit minister David Frost has been making similar noises and there are many Conservatives MPs who, to use the shorthand, favoured the Singapore model for the UK who are disappointed. If many of them conclude that the fault lies with the Prime Minister this may have significant implications for his future. But the responsibility for failing to pursue Brexit as the second act of Thatcherism does not fall on Johnsons shoulders but on the political and practical realities.

Neither the 2016 referendum nor the 2019 general election was fought on the basis that Brexit would usher in a brave new world of deregulation. Ever since Margaret Thatchers 1989 Bruges speech, Conservative Euroscepticism has viewed the EU as a soggy, corporatist, social-democratic project. But that was not the argument that were put before the British people. Instead, both the 2016 and 2019 campaigns reassured the public that employment and environmental protections would be maintained. To the extent that deregulation was mentioned, it was generally in the abstract and not the specific.

The coalition of support that backed Brexit in 2016 and Boris in 2019 was not formed on the basis of a unified view on economic matters but on cultural issues such as immigration. The consequence is that it is now harder for the Conservatives to pursue the free-market economic policies that Hannan demands. Hannan complains (rightly, in my view) that the Prime Minister overruled the Trade Remedies Authority recommendation to repeal some EU steel tariffs seemingly at the behest of some MPs in steel-producing constituencies. Well yes, that was always more likely to happen once the Conservatives focused on winning industrial seats by appealing to nationalist voters.

As for the practical issues, regulatory divergence comes at a cost. Let us take data protection, for example. It is perfectly reasonable to argue that the EU system can be improved upon but if our system diverges, the EU may conclude that our protections no longer provide the equivalent of theirs at which point British businesses will face additional administrative burdens.Absolute regulatory freedom in reality is inevitably constrained by the fact that businesses operate across borders.

Hannan highlights financial services as a potential area of reform and, to be fair, there are few equivalence arrangements to lose. There may be useful reforms that could be undertaken but very few in the sector think such reforms will be transformative. It turns out that most EU regulations (often heavily influenced by the UK when we had a seat at the table) are really not that bad.

The lesson of the last two years is that for all the grand talk of deregulatory opportunities in the abstract, pursuing such an agenda in the specific usually comes with significant risks but with a very limited upside.

This point will be of particular relevance if we have a Conservative leadership contest. No doubt there will be candidates promising a bold deregulatory agenda.This time sceptics and enthusiasts alike should demand that such promises are clear and specific and face proper scrutiny.

In the meantime the country pays a high price for regulatory freedom as events in Northern Ireland continue to demonstrate but the benefits continue to disappoint even the most ardent of Brexiteers.

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Why Brexit is disappointing even its supporters - The New Statesman

A piece in the Swiss German-language paper heralds Brexit Britain flexing its muscles against Russia as tension around the Ukrainian border mounts - while bemoaning the hesitation and mixed messaging of EU states. The paper states Boris Johnson is now positioning the UK as a forceful international player.

Journalist Niklaus Nuspliger argued Mr Johnsons trip to Kiev on Tuesday to visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was part of a broad initiative with which Brexit-Britain is trying to position itself as a bold international player in the Ukraine crisis.

This ran contrary to many critics interpretations of the trip as little more than an effort to distraction from the scandal surrounding alleged Downing Street parties.

Partygate also took Mr Johnson away from engaging with Ukraine last Monday, reports Mr Nuspliger.

He argues the Prime Minister would have wanted to call Russian President Vladimir Putin, but was instead stuck in a debate" about alleged lockdown parties.

Brexit Britain has stood contrary to many EU states in the firmness of its military signals to Putin.

Even as early as mid-January, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace castigated Putin's "ethno-nationalist ambitions".

The UK then sent around 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, along with specialised soldiers to guide their Ukrainian counterparts.

While these troops will not fight alongside the Ukrainians in the event of war with Russia, Britain remains one of the few countries who have sent defensive arms.

READ MORE:'Blood everywhere' ISIS boss killed in US strike - six children dead[BREAKING]

Mr Nuspliger argues that, unlike EU counterparts, Boris Johnson is seeking to be closer to Washington and is shaping an image of Brexit Britain that strives for open trade routes worldwide, but also resolutely advocates democratic values.

On Monday, Liz Truss expanded the British sanctions policy.

The expanded policy will allow the Government to use measures such as blocking visas or accounts not only to punish people who are directly involved in the Ukraine crisis, but also "all individuals or companies with economic or strategic importance for the Kremlin".

Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg

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'Brexit Britain flexing its muscles!' European papers celebrated tough UK while EU dithers - Daily Express

The Prime Minister is under pressure after a rough ride in the Commons on Monday after the publication of an update related to civil servant Sue Grays report into various lockdown-busting Government events - including at least one which he attended. However, he is seeking to get back on the front foot with the publication of the document, which sets out a series of wide-ranging national "missions" - from improving public transport to ensuring access to 5G broadband - to be enshrined in law.

Ministers are also vowing to provide more power to Britains regions in a "devolution revolution" with the offer of a London-style deal for any area of England that wants one.

Matt Vickers, who was elected to the traditionally safe Labour seat of Stockton South in 2019, said the White Paper was evidence of Mr Johnson making good on the promises he made prior to the general election in which he won an 81-seat majority.

He said: On Teesside we are experiencing Levelling Up first-hand. Whether it be the largest freeport in the country or reaping the rewards of being the epicentre of the green energy revolution, business on Teesside is booming like never before and we are fast becoming the glowing advertisement of this Governments Levelling Up agenda.

This Conservative government was elected in 2019 to break the deadlock and get Brexit done in order to deliver a radical shakeup of our entire economy and spread equal opportunity and prosperity to every region of the UK.

The aforementioned freeport was a perfect example of the way in which the nation was taking advantage of the opportunities available to it as a result of quitting the bloc, Mr Vickers stressed.

He added: We are opening up to the world and making ourselves more competitive globally. Teesside is now open for business."

This White Paper is an important and concrete step to delivering that pledge.

Gone were the days when what he called "London-centric government policy ruled the roost, claimed Mr Vickers.

READ MORE:Brexit LIVE - Border row solved? Breakthrough

He explained: The levelling up agenda is the only and best way to enrich every region of the country through higher employment, productivity and pay and a focus on infrastructure and welfare in our most left-behind communities.

I am extremely pleased to see the rollout of even more powers away from Westminster and to local leaders.

Referring to the Tory Mayor of Tees Valley, Mr Vickers said: Ben Houchen and other Metro Mayors around the country have proven to be successful champions of their region, attracting jobs, growth and investment. Replicating this winning model everywhere can only be a good thing.

Under Labour, our economy would still be reeling from their pandemic policy and their attempts to drag us back into the EU.

Thanks to this Conservative government, the UK is witnessing a stunning recovery and a solid plan to boost every region of this country as we emerge from the pandemic.

Introducing his blueprint, Mr Johnson hailed it as the "most comprehensive, ambitious plan" of its kind that the country had ever seen.

He said: "From day one, the defining mission of this Government has been to level up this country, to break the link between geography and destiny so that no matter where you live you have access to the same opportunities.

"The challenges we face have been embedded over generations and cannot be dug out overnight, but this White Paper is the next crucial step."

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Brexit victory: Boris' plans hailed as 'concrete' proof of benefits of quitting bloc - Daily Express

Political Commentator Dr John Coulter warned the risk of invasion in Ukraine could spark the Northern Ireland protocol being dropped by the European Union due to priorities in their agenda. Speaking to GB News, Dr Coulter said: "I think that Lord Frost and Liz Truss, you could say there were having a full-frontal assault on the Northern Ireland protocol.

"What we're seeing here with Edwin Poots is a stab in the back to the protocol.

"He claims that he has legal go ahead to do this here and this has major implications.

"I think what we've really got to take into consideration is how this all plays out with the Ukrainian situation.

"Basically, four member states border Ukraine and if President Putin decides to invade Ukraine then Ukraine moves to the top of the EU's agenda.

READ MORE:Huge row erupts after Truss rocked by move on hated Brexit deal

"The EU isn't really known for multitasking in terms of political crises.

"It will have one at a time, that means that the protocol moves to the bottom of the agenda and ironically, this could be to Northern Ireland's advantage.

"If the protocol moves to the bottom agenda, this is a way of getting rid of the protocol via the backdoor.

"The whole of Ireland and the UK must keep an eye on what is happening in Ukraine because Ukraine could have a major implication for the future of the protocol."

The source said Mr Givan's resignation would be effective from Thursday.

The latest twists in the protocol controversy are playing out as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic are due to meet on Thursday to discuss progress in their ongoing negotiations aimed at reducing the Brexit barriers on Irish Sea trade.

The resignation of the First Minister would automatically remove Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill from office.

In those circumstances, other ministers in the administration could still remain in place. However, the Executive could not meet or make any significant decisions.

That would prevent the coalition from agreeing a three-year budget - a spending plan that is currently out for public consultation.

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'Get rid of protocol via backdoor!' EU multitasking failure to help deliver better Brexit - Daily Express

Published: Thu 3 Feb 2022, 3:28 PM

Last updated: Thu 3 Feb 2022, 3:29 PM

Climate targets, the CAP, Brexit, rising input costs and work permits were the topics the IFA president Tim Cullinan and An Tnaiste Leo Varadkar discussed when they met yesterday. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Martin Heydon, also attended the meeting.

Afterwards, Mr Cullinan said everyone understands the need to work towards achieving thsector emissions ceiling of between 16 to 18 mega tonnes of carbon, which is a reduction of between 22% and 30% however, that should be achieved by continued research work to reduce methane output per animal not by using a blunt instrument to limit output, he said.

The IFA oppose any imposed limits on production, he said.

The Tnaiste was clear that there has been no discussion at government level about restricting output at farm level in any sector, he said.

As set out in Food Vision 2030, we must strike the right balance between the three pillars of sustainability - environmental, economic and social.

The emphasis must be on reducing methane output per animal. We need to allow time for what are promising scientific solutions to take effect. We cannot use a blunt instrument to address our environmental challenges, which would have significant economic and social consequences, Mr Cullinan added.

Pointing out that costs have surged on farms this year and farmers cannot afford to have further restrictions placed on them, he said: On CAP, we made it clear that a cohort of our most productive farmers are going to have their incomes decimated. The Government must come up with additional funding to support the beef, sheep and tillage sectors.

On Brexit, we reminded the Tnaiste that there were still serious threats to Irish farming and that some sectors are already suffering the consequences. The Brexit Adjustment Reserve must be available for our sector.

There are also labour shortages in farms and in the processing sector. While there has been an allocation of work permits for the sector, there are significant backlogs in the processing of permits which is causing great frustration, he said.

Published: Thu 3 Feb 2022, 3:28 PM

Last updated: Thu 3 Feb 2022, 3:29 PM

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IFA discuss Brexit and work permits with Varadkar - Westmeath Examiner

Two years after Brexit formally took effect on 31 January 2020, and a year since the UKs exit from the single market and customs union, we can attempt a provisional economic stocktake for both sides.

Nearly 52% of UK voters supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum. Nearly 100% of citizens elsewhere in the bloc were shocked by the result, and the first concern was that Brexit could mark the unravelling of the whole European project. That did not happen: indeed, quite the opposite. Even in the most Eurosceptic countries there was an increase in support for the European Union, a sort of closing of the ranks. There was a clear risk that the EU would become disunited in the buildup to Brexit. But again, it did not happen. All countries gave a strong mandate to the European Commission, and stood united.

Today, British politics appears increasingly folded in on itself, and the British economy is arguably less outward-looking than before the referendum. Countless questions remain unresolved with the commission, and mutual trust between London and Brussels has long since collapsed.

From the EU, the drama of the Brexit negotiations was watched with mixed feelings. Initial regret shifted to a desire to limit the damage. Some economic opportunities to fill the gaps left by the UK opened up. Brexit was clearly going to be a loss for everyone, but far greater for the UK than for any continental European economy.

The negative impact on trade, so far, is substantial for the UK. The Centre for European Reform recently estimated that there has been an 11.2% negative impact on trade as a result of Brexit. The UK share of world trade has fallen by a further 15% compared to pre-referendum projections.

Assessing the impact of Brexit on the EU presents a challenge, as macro-economic data is contaminated by the pandemic shock. However, digging into the details of trade flows, there has been a noticeable negative effect on some countries, sectors and firms. This has been especially sizeable for small producers who used to have unbounded single market access to the UK. Now, the extra paperwork puts off firms that lack the critical mass to absorb the extra fixed costs of handling non-EU trade procedures. Over time, the situation may well improve, but some companies have already given up. British consumers have paid the price, EU consumers far less.

A more precise picture of the geographical and sectoral composition will emerge once EU funds to compensate countries for the impact of Brexit are distributed.

Since 2016, the flow of EU workers to the UK has been in decline. That process accelerated last year, causing major imbalances in hospitality, agriculture, transport and healthcare, but also in some highly qualified jobs. The corresponding impact in the EU is a greater pool of labour in some countries and less of a brain drain, which increases unemployment but over time becomes a positive supply-side phenomenon. Again, while the impact is sizeable for the UK, it is very much diluted in continental Europe.

Although the impact of Brexit on the City of London is not yet significant, the possibility of maintaining an undisputed dominant position in increasingly integrated European financial markets has been jeopardised. On the margins, London financial job openings have moved to continental Europe, and some firms have relocated.

The historically Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative party wanted Brexit to deliver more freedom from what was perceived as the unnecessary constraints and bureaucratic burdens imposed by Brussels. A minority ultra-liberal wing naively dreamt of an even more open, deregulated, low-tax environment to increase economic dynamism and transform the UK into a Singapore-like haven. That raised fears in the EU of unfair competition through access to the single market, especially given the uncooperative approach to negotiations chosen by the UK government. Again though, these risks have by and large not materialised and concerns are dissipating.

The illusion of giving a boost to the UK economy with a reduction in taxation has clashed with the new needs for public spending for healthcare, the fight against the climate crisis, infrastructure investments, and the various electoral promises to the point of forcing the government to raise taxes. Instead of diverging, policies in the UK and the EU look increasingly alike.

Finally, there are non-tangible effects. In the past, the UK government has been obstructive on various initiatives aimed at strengthening the EUs architecture and achieving stronger economic and political integration. It opted out of schemes developed to alleviate the impact of the financial and economic crisis on Greece and other economies. Would the ambitious 800bn (665bn) pandemic recovery plan have even been possible with the UK government still around the table? Some in Brussels would say it would have been inconceivable.

The economic effects of the pandemic inevitably blur into those of Brexit, and therefore only once the dust settles can the damage be properly assessed. Of the many problems the EU is currently facing, Brexit has happily receded from the foreground.

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The EU is facing many difficulties, but Brexit isnt one of them - The Guardian

Brexit Freedoms Bill will allow Britain to change or scrap outdated EU regulations to cut red tape for its businesses.

The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said to mark two years since Brexit.

The new Brexit Freedoms Bill, which was announced on Monday, will make it easier to amend or remove what he called outdated EU laws that London has kept on its statute books as a bridging measure after leaving the bloc.

It will be part of what the UK leader dubbed a major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace the European laws retained and cut red tape for businesses.

The plans we have set out today will further unleash the benefits of Brexit and ensure that businesses can spend more of their money investing, innovating and creating jobs, Johnson said in a statement.

Our new Brexit Freedoms Bill will end the special status of EU law in our legal framework and ensure that we can more easily amend or remove outdated EU law in future.

The move is part of a flurry of announcements expected imminently from the government in key policy areas, as it also grapples with the growing international crisis over Russias military build-up near Ukraine.

However, critics have accused Johnson of rushing out half-baked plans and so-called red meat policies to shore up support among his own increasingly disgruntled Conservative MPs.

That follows persistent calls for him to resign over claims of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and several other recent scandals.

Britain left the EU on January 31, 2020, but continued to abide by most of its rules and regulations until the start of 2021 under the terms of its withdrawal deal.

Although it then left the 27-member blocs single market and customs union, it kept many European laws on the books, pledging to change or repeal them individually post-Brexit.

Meanwhile, the government insists it has made huge strides outside the EU, striking some trade deals with countries and forging a new independent foreign policy built around a global Britain mantra.

But it has also been beset by issues blamed on Brexit, with the increased paperwork needed causing delays and even shortages of products while some industries complain of growing labour shortages.

Meanwhile, special arrangements agreed for Northern Ireland, aiming to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, have proved highly contentious there and led to increased political instability.

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UK to introduce new bill to scrap EU laws two years since Brexit - Al Jazeera English

Demands by French customs officials over the type of signature they will accept on post-Brexit paperwork have been blamed by UK business leaders for causing long queues of lorries on approach roads to Dover.

Two years after Boris Johnson smiled for the cameras, fountain pen in hand hovering over the EU withdrawal agreement, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said a minor disagreement over signatures on customs paperwork had arisen between Britain and France.

William Bain, the head of trade policy at the BCC, said the trade body had heard from UK exporters that French customs officials were requesting a wet signature on border documents for shipments of animals and plant products from the UK.

However, he said much of the documentation is produced digitally, creating unexpected holdups on deliveries from Dover to Calais.

One of the issues at Dover currently appears to be linked to the export of food products across the Channel, Bain said. Like many of the problems this looks to be down to a differing interpretation of how the trade arrangements work after leaving the EU.

It is the latest in a string of issues with the trade deal that speaks to the wider problems of interpretation, inconsistent application and glaring gaps in its coverage.

Documents with a wet signature from an official veterinarian have been required by the EU for imports of food and animal feed from the UK since the end of the Brexit transition on 31 December 2020. While electronic certification would have been possible using an EU computer system, the UK turned down an offer from Brussels to use the platform and built its own system instead.

A UK government spokesperson said that a shortage of vessels due to ship-refitting was the primary cause of delays at Dover rather than new customs processes, although they also urged the EU to take a pragmatic approach as the new rules come into effect.

Weve always been clear that being outside the single market and the customs union would mean changes and that businesses would need to adapt to new processes, the spokesperson said.

The dispute over wet signatures is reminiscent of delays in the 1980s when France ordered that all foreign-made video recorders entering the country be cleared by a nine-person customs depot in Poitiers, hundreds of miles from northern ports where goods shipped from Japan docked.

In the two years since Brexit, UK exports to the EU have fallen sharply. Although economists say there are difficulties disentangling the impact from the fallout of Covid-19, which has caused severe disruption to global trade, Britain appears to have been hit harder than comparable advanced economies.

According to the consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics, UK exports in November were 12.9% below their 2018 average level. By contrast, data for October from the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis in the Netherlands showed real goods exports from advanced economies were 1% above their 2018 average.

The BCC said that on the second anniversary of Brexit, and with huge lorry queues reported at Dover last week, urgent action to improve trade with Europe was required.

It said three-fifths of UK exporters (60%) it surveyed in November reported difficulties in trading with the EU, up from 49% in January 2021. The UK government introduced full customs controls on EU imports from 1 January 2022, ending a grace period designed to smooth the transition from Brexit.

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Gareth Thomas, the shadow minister for international trade, said ministers needed to prioritise reducing red tape and delays. If ministers wont act on the chambers ideas they need to explain quickly what they are going to do to keep trade flowing.

Bain said it was possible for the UK and the EU to take pragmatic steps towards reaching new understandings on the consistent interpretation of the post-Brexit trade and cooperation agreement.

No one is expecting goods to flow as freely across the Channel now as they did prior to Brexit. But the way the trade agreement is being interpreted in 27 different EU countries is a major headache for UK business especially smaller firms without the cash reserves to set up new EU based arrangements.

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Dover holdups blamed on signature demands of French customs - The Guardian

Brexit is a "disaster" that is leading to less overseas work and a loss of talented workers, according to leading UK architects.

Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects spoke of the "sense of isolation" his studio has felt since the UK left the European Union, while Sarah Wigglesworth of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects said her business is struggling to recruit and tender contracts.

A senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said it is causing "friction and asymmetry", while a Glasgow-based studio claimed pressure on the architecture industry means smaller practices are "struggling to compete with lowball fee offers from direct competitors".

One year onfrom the end of the transition period when the EU's rules ceased to apply in Britain, Dezeen spoke to six UK architects about how Brexit has impacted their work.

While some pointed to the widely reported surges in building material and labour costs, they also acknowledged that it is difficult to separate the role Brexit has played from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Others said the challenge is encouraging innovative and collaborative approaches to designing buildings.

"We would opt to return to how things were before in a heartbeat"Stephen Barrett, partner and head of Paris office, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

"In short, it's still too soon to have a complete and accurate picture.

"Two words do immediately spring to mind, however: friction and asymmetry. Firstly, contrary to the promises being made by those advocating the United Kingdom's departure from the EU, processes that were fluid and straightforward are now more complicated and expensive, requiring significant additional time, energy and administration.

"Secondly, and it's an obvious point, the impacts of Brexit on the UK are much deeper than the corresponding impacts on the UK's EU neighbours. Whilst we eagerly await evidence to the contrary, to date nothing suggests that Brexit isn't anything other than one of history's great own goals.

"Brexit has prompted us to invest in our Paris office, to formalize and expand our presence in Europe. Brexit undermines longstanding arrangements in relation to mutual professional recognition, significantly affecting the ability of UK-based practices to qualify and compete for work across the EU.

"Furthermore, without an EU presence, obtaining the required professional insurance, and notably decennial cover is also more difficult, if not impossible.

"Were we to have a choice, as a practice I suspect we would opt to return to how things were before in a heartbeat."

"The real issue for us is that sense of isolation"Andrew Waugh, director, Waugh Thistleton Architects

"We still have our European flag flying at Waugh Thistleton Architects literally hung on the wall. It's the first thing you see when you enter the studio.

"Pre-Brexit about a third of the office were from the EU. Now we have only two real Europeans left with us in the UK. We do have satellite offices in Venice and Madrid, so that's a small positive. But we still miss them all the diversity, panache and breadth of knowledge that they brought.

"The real issue for us is that sense of isolation that we are supposed to embrace. So while really progressive legislation and research is happening in Europe and an actual effort being made into lowering carbon and promoting timber construction, here it's not really happening.

"And then of course there's the labour shortages, material shortages, inflation, all for what? Singapore-on-Thames? And so one man could obtain power? Party on Johnson!

"Our cunning plan is to move the office back to Europe."

"Brexit is turning into the disaster that many who voted Remain predicted"Sarah Wigglesworth, founder, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

"Brexit is turning into the disaster many who voted Remain predicted. Shortages of staff, higher prices, loss of exports, loss of students in our universities and so forth.

"As a business we are finding it hard to recruit, construction price hikes are making tender difficult and we are finding materials shortages.

"Cancelling large infrastructure projects will not help the building economy. With high inflation, the nation will be poorer but will it make us more humble?"

"It's difficult to isolate the impact of Brexit"Nick Fairham, chief executive,BDP

"At BDP, we have always embraced the inclusive studio environment that the barrier-free EU environment allowed. Some of our projects stalled due to Brexit jitters but with the pandemic affecting the entire sector, it's difficult to isolate the impact of Brexit alone.

"We have adapted our design approach to meet the challenges. The widely reported shortage of materials and labour in the construction market have undoubtedly increased prices and as such, we have invested in digital technology and continue to design to accommodate for off-site manufacture.

"Ultimately, it all points to a more careful post-Brexit approach to design, where off-site manufacture, local sourcing and employment are pre-eminent and the exciting possibilities of re-using rather than throwing away are explored.

"Necessity is the mother of invention -- we hope that through the need to adopt new ways of working, using digital design and manufacture to carefully mitigate environmental impact and promote efficiency and wellbeing, we are entering the era of careful, not careless, design."

"Despite Brexit, our studio has remained delightfully mixed"Naila Yousuf, partner, Wright & Wright Architects

"Industry-wide materials shortages have been a recurring theme this year, as have extraordinary inflationary costs, though whether those are a product of Covid-19 uncertainty or Brexit is up for debate.

"Material shortages could have hindered the delivery of our projects, particularly the procurement of innovative materials like cross-laminated timber, certified Passivhaus glazing, or specialist mechanical and electrical kit.

"However, the challenge experienced by many did not negatively impact our attitude to design, or the progress of projects on-site, which is a testament to the client, design team and contractors with who we have been working.

"Despite Brexit, our studio has remained delightfully mixed [with] 30 per cent from the EU and further afield, and our studio culture is all the richer for it."

"We have seen the already challenging project budgets we're working to slashed"Marc Cairns, managing director, New Practice

"A key area of focus for New Practice is community-led development delivered in partnership with the public sector, local organisations and community groups.

"As the impacts of our exit from the European Union take hold we have seen the already challenging project budgets we're working to slashed and, unfortunately, in some cases projects have been scrapped completely due to increasing material costs and supply-chain risk.

"Critically, this is resulting in often the most disadvantaged communities missing out on meaningful schemes.

"Similar situations across the industry have also created greater competition between peers vying for these opportunities, with micro-practices struggling to compete with lowball fee offers from direct competitors and much more established practises willing to take a hit on 'loss leader' projects.

"However, there is a glimmer of a silver lining in all this. We've also seen an increase in collaboration between firms of all scales looking to innovate and offer something different in this challenging transition and we hope that this is a trend that continues to build across the industry in years to come."

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Brexit is "one of history's great own goals" say architects - Dezeen

The Decade the Rich Won9pm, BBC Two

The second half of this undersold documentary continues to unpick what has happened to the UK economy since the 2008 financial crisis picking up with a little thing called Brexit. Recalling a not-so-merry-go-round of resignations, risky decisions, shock statistics, tax scandals and billionaires blasted into space while cleaners have their wages capped, talking heads include Philip Hammond, George Osborne, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Margaret Hodge and Jeremy Corbyn. Hollie Richardson

Catty dinner party swipes, meddling matchmaking and a constant parade of beautiful frocks Julian Fellowes period drama continues to be an indulgence (with Christine Baranskis sharp-tongued performance being the icing on the cake). The second episode sees an admirer of Marian (Louisa Jacobson) follow her to New York, while Bertha (Carrie Coon) goes to new lengths to forge her way into the circle. HR

Queen Latifah returns as Robyn McCall, formidable former CIA operative turned freelance NYC vigilante. Season two begins with Robyn contemplating quitting her covert double life, but a lethal bank heist keeps her in the game. Chris Noth co-stars as her old colleague Bishop (but is hastily written out later this run following the news of recent allegations). Graeme Virtue

If you go down to the woods today, youre in for a dose of heartwarming reality TV. In this new series, expert woodworkers craft bespoke furniture for deserving nominees. This week, Alex takes on a toolbox project for a school volunteer while Saf designs a drinks cabinet for a charitable chip shop owner. Henry Wong

Toast signs up to appear in a western, only to end up in a mid-desert crash en route and basically appear in his very own western. A wild-eyed Aidan Turner and a flinty Benedict Wong are among the oddballs he meets on a desert journey that takes in sheriffs, saloons, rattlesnakes and, erm, goldfish. Alexi Duggins

The much-missed channel is back on TV from tonight, and what better way to celebrate than with this new female-led sketch series? Commissioned off the back of Freya Parker and Celeste Drings Edinburgh fringe show, its a short, full-throttle mix of the weird, the observational and the silly. HR

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 2000), IMDb TVEnjoy spotting the references to Homers Odyssey or just revel in the silliest performance of George Clooneys career either way, the Coen brothers Great Depression-era comedy boasts a breadth of entertainment value. Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson play escaped convicts who hit the road to find supposed buried treasure. Chaplinesque comedy scenes vie with dramatic encounters with the likes of bank robber Baby Face Nelson, bluesman Tommy Johnson and the Ku Klux Klan all backed by a cracking folk soundtrack as the inept trio attempt to reach their goal. Simon Wardell

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TV tonight: the truth of Brexits economic nightmare - The Guardian