Brexit news: EU pours scorn on UK ‘spin’, as Boris Johnson told now is 'moment of truth'
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EU officials have urged scepticism about British “spin” over the rising chances of a Brexit trade deal, claiming Boris Johnson’s government was “pushing a sense of positivism and momentum – but we just don’t see it”.
Charles Michel, the European Council president, with whom the PM spoke yesterday, warned that the UK needed to take “significant steps” to secure a deal, adding: “The coming days are crucial, this is the moment of truth."
Meanwhile, trade secretary Liz Truss rebuffed fresh calls to guarantee food standards in law after Brexit and avoid chlorinated chicken from the US.
Elsewhere, two Tory select committee chairs, Greg Clark and Jeremy Hunt, have launched an inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was another difficult day for the government regarding Covid-19 as northern leaders raged at Boris Johnson’s failure to keep them in the loop about impending lockdown restrictions.
Finally, Thursday saw the appointment of Allegra Stratton as Downing Street’s White House-style spokesperson. The former ITV journalist, who had been working as Rishi Sunak’s communications chief, will front televised briefings for the government.
‘Recklessly irresponsible’ to brief pub closure plan, northern leaders complain
Boris Johnson is facing a big backlash from leaders in the north of England this morning, after No 10 proposals to shut pubs and restaurants in virus hotspots from Monday were leaked ahead of any official announcement.
The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said “No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat. It is proving impossible to deal with this government.”
Dan Jarvis, the mayor of Sheffield City Region, added: “Recklessly irresponsible to brief the papers but not leaders in the North who’ll somehow have to make this work. Get a grip Boris Johnson.”
Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen also said he was concerned waiting to reveal new restrictions until Monday could encourage individuals to “get out and party” in their last chance before Christmas.
Northern leaders tear into government plans over pub closures
‘No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat’
Liam Fox set to miss out on WTO leadership
The UK’s former trade secretary Liam Fox looks to have missed out on his bid to become leader of the World Trade Organisation.
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee are through to the final round of selection to become the next director-general of the WTO, several sources have told Reuters.
The former Tory minister had pledged to restore “credibility” to the WTO, but it seems the organisation is quite happy to move on without him.
Britain’s most popular politician? Rishi Sunak
There have been a few polls over the past month showing Keir Starmer leading Boris Johnson on favourability as prime minister. But the latest Ipsos Mori survey shows the chancellor Rishi Sunak is more popular than both of them.
The poll also shows 53 per cent of Britons think things are headed in the “wrong direction” – up 8 points from August. It’s the first time since the Covid crisis began that the pollster has found a majority believe the UK is going “wrong”.
Liam Fox ‘naturally disappointed’ to lose out of WTO job
The former trade secretary Liam Fox said he is “proud” of representing the UK in the WTO leadership contest – but he has confirmed he will not be getting the job.
2.1 million EU citizens granted ‘settled status’ in UK
More than four million applications have been made to the EU settlement scheme since the scheme opened in March 2019, the latest figures suggest (though it’s not known how many people have made duplicate applications).
EU citizens and their families are asked to apply to the Home Office scheme by June next year, in order to carrying on living in the UK when the transition period ends.
Just over 2.1 million have been granted “settled status”, allowing them permanent leave to remain. More than 1.6 million have been granted “pre-settled status”, where they would need to reapply again after living in the country for five years, to gain permanent residence.
The3Million group, campaigning for the government to provide EU citizens with paperwork proving status, has asked people to write to their MP to ask for physical backup to digital status.
‘You are in a dictatorship, you are in a tyranny,’ warns top judge
So how significant is the Brexit intervention by Lord Neuberger, who presided over the Supreme Court from 2012 to 2017?
He said the government’s Internal Market Bill – which the government has admitted will break key parts of the existing Brexit withdrawal agreement – sought to do away with “one of the most important aspects of any democratic society”.
Speaking at a virtual meeting of eminent lawyers on Wednesday night, he said: “This country has a remarkable, unbroken history of 350 years of observing the rule of law, and has an enviable reputation for that.”
He added: “Once you deprive individuals, people, of the right to go to court, to challenge the government, you are in a dictatorship, you are in a tyranny.”
And yet, for the time being, Brexit trade deal negotiations have moved on from the row over the bill. European Commission president is in Dublin today to discuss talks, while informal discussions continue between UK and EU diplomats continue in London.
MPs who want remote voting ‘pretty wet’, says Rees-Mogg
Jacob Rees-Mogg has told MPs it is important they vote in person. “I think it’s pretty wet to expect doctors, nurses, police officers, people working in supermarkets, cleaners in the House of Commons, to do their job and to say we have to stay at home ...we have a duty to be here.”
As our deputy political editor Rob Merrick point out, Rees-Mogg wasn’t too bothered about MPs’ “duty to be here” during the prorogation debacle last year.
Contact-tracing hits lowest ebb
Fresh questions for the government and Dido Harding, the Tory peer in charge of NHS Test and Trace. The latest figures show the contact-tracing programme failed to reach more than 30 per cent of the close contacts of those testing positive in England – the lowest weekly rate since NHS Test and Trace began.
Test and Trace reaches lowest ever proportion of close Covid contacts
Only two-thirds of positive Covid-19 cases transferred to system, once dubbed ‘world-beating’ by prime minister Boris Johnson
Will Barnier change EU member state stance on fishing rights?
Fishing remains one of main stumbling blocks to a Brexit trade deal. A French politician who chairs the European Parliament’s fisheries committee has said there could be no annual fishing quota negotiation in a trade deal with Britain.
MEP Pierre Karleskind said avoiding annual negotiations over access and quotas was one of “our red lines” – sticking to a tough line from Paris that could make an agreement more difficult.
But in a private meeting of EU27 ambassadors earlier this week, Michel Barnier reportedly said member states had to show more flexibility. “Maintaining the status quo in UK waters will not be feasible,” the chief negotiator is said to have told them.
Minister deflects concerns about chlorinated chicken – by talking about Kenya
Liz Truss has rebuffed fresh calls to guarantee post-Brexit farming standards in law – claiming it would disrupt trade with developing nations. Labour has again raised concerns about food standards, and the possibility of US chlorinated chicken could end up on supermarket shelves.
But the Tory trade secretary told MPs Labour’s approach could result in a “blanket ban” on any food products which do not comply exactly with British farming regulations.
Truss asked Labour counterpart Emily Thornberry: “So is she saying she wants to ban Kenyans from exporting their products to us if they don’t follow exactly the same farm standards as here in Britain?”
Thornberry said Truss should “listen to reason and write into the law the protection of all UK farming standards against imports that don’t meet them”.
Truss also accidentally said the government would make sure British are “undermined”.
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