Inside Politics: UK and EU commit to finding ‘workable solutions’ on protocol

Michael Gove and his Brussels counterpart have agreed to work together on ‘proper implementation’ of agreements for Northern Ireland, writes Adam Forrest

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove (REUTERS)

Never too late to say sorry. Much of the world’s media is apologising to Britney Spears, having done some soul-searching over the squalid things said a decade ago. What are the chances of anyone apologising over the squalid things said over Brexit a decade from now? Neither the UK nor the EU is in the mood for soul-searching or sorries right now – but the two sides have agreed to work on their differences. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is keen not to look back and regret lifting lockdown too soon – despite more angst from Tory MPs about Covid curbs.

Inside the bubble

Deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for today:

Boris Johnson will chair the Covid Operations (CO) committee, where ministers are expected to discuss the possibility of a vaccine “passport” to ease post-lockdown travel. With parliament packed up for a 10-day recess, chancellor Rishi Sunak will chair a meeting of G7 finance ministers – among them the new US treasury secretary Janet Yellen.

Daily briefing

FOLLOWING PROTOCOL: Michael Gove and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic have pledged their full commitment to “proper implementation” of the protocol in Northern Ireland. It seems their meeting went as well as could be expected – a “frank but constructive” discussion – and they’re expected to hold a virtual meeting with NI business leaders next week to find “workable solutions”. Sefcovic ruled out major changes to the protocol, and Ireland’s premier Micheál Martin said any pause in grace period deadlines could only be “months”. But No 10 appears happy with the EU’s recognition of practical problems to sort out. There was more evidence of those practical problems when food industry bosses appeared at the trade select committee. The Food and Drink Administration’s Ian Wright warned that we could be “50,000 customs agents” short of what is needed when full regulations are enforced. Fisheries chief Terri Portmann said Brexit had been an “unmitigated disaster”.

DISASTER CAPITALISM: Some more evidence for Brexit as “unmitigated disaster”. The UK will suffer an economic hit four times greater than the EU, according to a forecast from Brussels. The European Commission predicted Britain’s GDP loss by the end of 2022 will be 2.25 per cent. In contrast, the hit taken by the EU will only be 0.5 per cent. As Amsterdam surpasses London as Europe’s largest financial trading centre, fears are growing that the EU will attempt to wrestle lucrative financial business away from the UK with a hard line on “equivalence” agreements. No 10 claimed post-Brexit “fragmentation” of share trading away from London is in no one’s interests (trying telling that to the Dutch). Keir Starmer said it was time for Rishi Sunak to step up and protect the City. The Labour leader said he is “very worried” that the Brexit deal has almost no provision for financial services. Bank of England governor Andy Haldane is worried about it too. But Haldane described the UK economy as a “coiled spring” set to surge back this spring.

LONELINESS OF THE SOCIAL-DISTANCE RUNNERS: Boris Johnson and his ministers are discussing long-term plans for social distancing to remain in place until at least the autumn, according to The Times. “The thinking is that social distancing will need to be in place for a long time to come,” said an official. Tory MPs are not happy at the latest comments from government advisors. Sage member Sir Jeremy Farrar said it was “not sensible” for ministers to set an “arbitrary” date in March or April to lift restrictions. Sage’s Prof John Edmunds said social distancing is likely to remain throughout 2021, while face mask wearing in public could be in place “forever”. He also told ITV’s Peston: “If we opened schools I think the reproduction number would get close to 1 and possibly exceed 1.” Mark Harper, head of the lockdown-sceptic group of 70 Conservative MPs, said the PM must not “blackslide” on the promise to get pupils back by 8 March. Tory MP Robert Halfon said the date should be “signed in blood”.

HOLIDAY? IT WOULD BE SO NICE: Ministers are today expected to discuss plans for Covid vaccine and negative test certificates to help make international travel easier when lockdown is lifted. Details of a Cabinet Office document shared by Sky News revealed ministers are advised against “even speculative timelines” for the plan’s introduction. But if approved at a meeting of Covid Operations (CO) committee chaired by Boris Johnson today, preparations for a potential certification scheme can begin across Whitehall. Summer holiday plans remain subject to intense scrutiny. Matt Hancock confirmed his own booking in Cornwall – but denied claims he had sowed confusion over whether people can expect to get away in 2021. “People are yearning for certainty,” said Hancock – but said he could not give any. Downing Street revealed that the PM has not yet booked a family holiday. Keir Starmer said he had booked for Devon for August, adding: “It’s subject to the restrictions and that’s the best anybody can do.”

LOONY TUNE: Jacob Rees-Mogg is standing up for the statues he loves. The Commons leader branded the taskforce set up by London mayor to look at statues and street names in the capital a “loony, left-wing wheeze”. Rees-Mogg also rather nastily called Sadiq Khan “Red Khan”. The PM’s press secretary Allegra Stratton insisted his comments had not been “unkind”, but merely “colourful language”. The mayor’s office said he made no apology for the taskforce. Elsewhere, Labour’s Stella Creasy is threatening legal action after the government failed to include all MPs in changes to maternity cover. Prompted by attorney general Suella Braverman, due to give birth next month, the government recently passed a new law so ministers don’t have to step down if they have a baby. But Creasy said lawyers had advised her the changes were discriminatory since they only applied to ministers. “I think every woman should be able to have paid maternity cover, proper cover,” she said.

WE REST OUR CASE: The Democrats have finished up their arguments in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump – warning “he can do this again” if the Senate does not convict him of inciting a siege. The party’s prosecuting team reminded Republicans that Trump had shown no remorse at all. “It’s making sure that no future official, no future president does the same exact thing,” said congressman Ted Lieu, while his colleague Joaquin Castro added: “The world is watching and wondering whether we are who we say we are.” It’s now over to the demagogue’s defence team to start their argument today.They are prepared to wrap up a “short, tight and direct” defence in as little as three hours – with videos of their own expected to show comments from Democrats using similar language in their free speech defence. What about the man at the centre of the storm? Trump played golf during the Democrats closing arguments and was said to be “very upbeat”.

On the record

“Many of these [Brexit] consequences have not been correctly explained, they have been generally underestimated.”

Michel Barnier with a pointed message to Downing Street.

From the Twitterati

“This is astonishing … the idea that Amsterdam’s stock market would eclipse London never felt remotely plausible. Till we chose to leave the EU.”

Robert Peston is astonished by Brexit losses in the City…

“How long will we have to deal with Brexit consequences being described as astonishing when they were entirely predictable ... There really is nothing astonishing about any of this.”

…but former civil servant Sydney Nash is astonished that Peston is astonished.

Essential reading

John Rentoul, The Independent: Nigel Farage’s natural supporters won’t buy his lockdown sceptic party

Mark Steel, The Independent: Does anyone know if the Labour party is still going?

Helen Thompson, New Statesman: Europe’s vaccine crisis has revealed the true nature of the EU

Jonathan Allen, NBC: The impeachment trial is a clarifying moment for the Republicans

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