Inside Politics: EU to axe more checks on GB goods arriving in Northern Ireland

Reports say up to 50 per cent of checks could be scrapped as Brussels and London seek to solve Brexit impasse, writes Matt Mathers

Wednesday 13 October 2021 08:20 BST

(PA)

Boris Johnson got elected in 2019 on a pledge to “get Brexit done”– a goal he has since been widely credited with achieving. Yet here we are in October 2021 still talking about the UK’s departure from Europe and the Northern Ireland protocol. Reports this morning say Brussels will offer to scrap a majority of checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain. Elsewhere, there are fresh fears about empty shelves at Christmas and continuing energy industry woes. Meanwhile, Labour is calling on the PM to get serious about the upcoming Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Inside the bubble

The European Commission will unveil its response to the UK’s demands to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol, triggering a(nother) period of intense negotiations before Boris Johnson decides whether to suspend all or part of the agreement.

In the House of Lords, Tory peer Philippa Stroud will try to amend the Social Security (Uprating of Benefits) Bill to force a vote by MPs on the decision to end the £20-a-week uplift to universal credit. But the government will argue that the Lords should not interfere on tax and spending issues.

The Commons is not sitting this week, but its environmental audit committee will quiz the bosses of five big water companies about river quality and pollution.

Coming up:

– Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband on Sky News at 8.05am

– Tory Party chair Oliver Dowden on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.30am

Daily Briefing

BREXIT’S BACK: Brexit dominates the agenda today as the EU prepares to unveil new proposals aimed at solving trade problems surrounding the Northern Ireland protocol. According to a report in The Guardian, Brussels will offer to scrap a majority of checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of GB as it seeks to reset relations with a frosty London. Maros Šefčovič, the EU Commission chief, has previously said today’s changes will be “very far-reaching” and cover agri-food, medicines and the role of Northern Ireland politicians. Last night’s report said the bloc will offer to axe up to 50 per cent of customs checks on goods and more than half of checks on meat and plants as part of the new deal. It came after Lord Forst, the UK’s de-facto Brexit minister, delivered a speech on the protocol on a visit to Portugal, where he tore into the very deal he negotiated and signed. He said it would be a “historic misjudgement” for the bloc not to rewrite key parts of the agreement.

SHIP HITS THE FAN: In not entirely unrelated news, government ministers are waking up this morning to fresh warnings about empty shelves at Christmas after shipping containers carrying toys and electrical goods were diverted from the country’s largest port in Felixstowe because it is full. Retailers are now having to search for alternative ways to bring goods into Britain after Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, said that it was directing big vessels away from Felixstowe because there is no capacity there. The congestion is down to a lack of HGV drivers available to move the unloaded containers to free up space. Port officials have this morning said the congestion is improving. Labour leader Keir Starmer sought to capitalise on the ongoing supply chain crisis on a visit to a HGV training centre near Oldham in Greater Manchester yesterday. “We knew when we left the EU that we would need to have a plan B in relation to drivers, we knew because of the pandemic there would be an impact, and here we are in the middle of a crisis and we’ve got, what? A prime minister who’s missing in action,” he told reporters.

RUNNING ON EMPTY: There is no end in sight to the UK’s energy crisis with reports suggesting that Ofgem, the regulator, is preparing for a slew of suppliers to go bust today. Up to four companies could collapse amid soaring prices, Sky News reports. The government is still working through the details of a plan to provide state-backed loans to businesses struggling through the crisis. And those paying large bonuses or dividends may not be eligible for the funds, a minister has signalled. Steve Barclay, the chief secretary to the cabinet office, told broadcasters yesterday that the government would need to examine “what is value for money and what is proportionate” (full quote below) when considering taxpayer support for the sector. It came after a very public feud between Rishi Sunak, the chancellor and Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, who appears to have won support from Downing Street for the bailouts. Sunak’s people have briefed today’s Times, saying he feels he was “bounced” into supporting CO2 producers and does not want to “nationalise” more businesses’ losses.

COP ON, BORIS: The PM is on holiday – that much is known, although Downing Street has been dodging questions on where he is staying and who paid for the flights to get him there. Now Labour has called on Johnson to “get off the sun lounger and start being a statesman” to prevent the crucial Cop26 climate talks from turning into a failure. The party has accused the government of not taking the upcoming summit “seriously. In a speech later today Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, will say the UK and other nations are “miles away” from where they need to be ahead of the talks.

SLAP ON THE WRISTS: The Conservative MP who mixed up cabinet ministers Sajid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi and allegedly claimed “they all look the same to me” has been let off with a warning by his party. James Gray became embroiled in a race row after he was reported to have made the derogatory remark at an event for St John’s Ambulance, where both ministers were guests. The 66-year-old MP denied the quote attributed to him that “they all look the same to me” – but admitted saying he thought the ministers look alike. Condemning his remarks, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “These comments were misjudged. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.”

On the record

“There’ll be different issues within specific sectors, and it’s right from a taxpayer point of view, mindful of the huge amount of support that has already been given to businesses, that we look at that in terms of what is value for money and what is proportionate. Have they recently paid dividends? Are they paying big bonuses? We’ll need to understand the detail rather than just knee-jerk to a taxpayer response. It’s about balance and engagement.”

Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay hints firms paying bonuses and dividends may not qualify for energy crisis bailouts.

From the Twitterati

“The absolute state of David Frost trashing the deal he negotiated + hailed as a triumph - despite many, yours truly included, warning it was a dud - *and worse* now using it to further undermine our relationship with some of our closest friends in an increasingly dangerous world”.