Brexit news: Boris Johnson prepared to walk away from free trade deal, as Barnier insists UK must keep EU regulations
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Boris Johnson has set out his stall on post-Brexit talks with Brussels – demanding a “Canada-style” free trade deal and vowing that Britain will not accept any EU rules on social protections and the environment.
The PM has said he would be willing to accept trade arrangements “more like Australia’s” if the EU does not agree. Acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey claimed Mr Johnson was simply re-branding a no-deal crash out scenario, attacking it as “no deal in all but name”.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Brussels was prepared to make an “exceptional offer” for a wide-ranging free trade agreement – but said that it was conditional on retaining EU rules across a whole set of areas to uphold a “level playing field”.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
Johnson wants Australia-style trade deal – if he can’t get one similar to Canada
Boris Johnson is setting out his stall on post-Brexit trade talks today, and will vow that Britain will resist accepting any EU rules on social protections and the environment.
The PM will demand a “Canada-style” deal (almost no tariffs on goods), and accept no alignment with EU standards and no role for the European Court of Justice as arbiter. And if Johnson can’t get that, he wants a deal “more like Australia’s” (a much looser arrangement with widespread tariffs).
Speaking on Monday, the prime minister will say: “The choice is emphatically not ‘deal or no deal’.
“The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada’s – or more like Australia’s.”
Critics hit out at the suggestion that Britain could have a relationship akin to Australia with its biggest trading partner, with acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey calling it “no deal in all but name”.
Priti Patel to set out measures on prisoner release after Streatham attack
Home secretary Priti Patel is expected to address the Commons and set out further changes to the way the government wants to deal with those convicted of terrorism offences.
It has emerged that Sudesh Amman, the 20-year-old shot dead by police after he stabbed passers-by in Streatham, was automatically released from jail halfway through a sentence of three years and four months for possession of a bomb-making manual.
Boris Johnson has been pushing for changes to keep terror offenders in prison for longer, but Patel said the government would be announcing new plans on Monday.
Michel Barnier urges UK to sign up to EU standards because of ‘proximity’
The EU’s chief negotiator will also make a speech today – setting out the bloc’s demands ahead of trade talks with the UK.
According to a leak seen by The Telegraph, Barnier will demand that Britain signs-up to Brussels benchmarks on standards because of its “geographic proximity and economic interdependence”, as well as the threat of “unfair competition by undercutting”.
His speech is expected to demand access to UK fishing waters – a red line for Brexiteers – and potentially include a proposal, first mooted in the Observer, to back Spain’s claim to Gibraltar by giving Madrid powers to exclude the overseas territory from any trade deal.
But Boris Johnson will try to slap down any suggestion Britain will make concessions in order to ratify a free trade pact similar to one agreed between the EU and Canada.
“There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy, subsidies, social protection, the environment, or anything similar, any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules,” he is expected to say in his speech laying out his post-Brexit vision.
“The UK will maintain the highest standards in these areas - better, in many respects, than those of the EU - without the compulsion of a treaty and it is vital to stress this now.”
The PM will tell an audience of business figures and global ambassadors this morning that his government has “made our choice” in wanting to set its own rules and regulations after 31 December.
EU negotiating chief Michel Barnier (Reuters)
Emily Thornberry pleads for nominations
The labour leadership contender has told party members to “get on with it” and nominate her so she can secure a position in the final round of the contest.
Thornberry has only nine of the required 33 nominations she needs from Constituency Labour Party (CLP) groups across the country to get on the ballot before the Valentine’s Day deadline.
She used a Cardiff hustings event to plead: “Why don’t we give me a chance to be involved in this debate? So please, would you just get on with it … Get on and nominate me.”
Streatham attack ‘preventable’, claims Sadiq Khan
The mayor of London has expressed anger at Boris Johnson’s government over its failure to stop a “foreseeable and preventable” terror attack in Streatham.
Police killed 20-year-old Isis supporter Sudesh Amman after he mounted a knife attack on passers-by in south London on Sunday.
The London mayor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What makes me angry is we were speaking probably three months ago about the London Bridge attack. In my view, both these attacks were both foreseeable and preventable.
“These were men convicted of terrorist related offences and I have been frustrated for some time about changes to the law in 2012 which took away from judges the power they used to have to give a sentence to protect the public - an indeterminate sentence - and to make sure people weren't released unless we knew they were no longer a danger.”
Labour urges PM to guarantee no chlorinated chicken
The opposition will today demand Boris Johnson guarantees future trade deals won’t see animal welfare standards diminished as MPs prepare to vote on the Agriculture Bill.
It follows fears a US-UK deal could see the market flooded with cheaper produce – including controversial products like chlorinated chicken and hormone-loaded beef.
Labour’s shadow secretary for the environment Luke Pollard said: “British farmers must not be undercut by cheap US food produced to lower animal welfare and environmental standards after Brexit.
“This is what Labour MPs will be arguing in the Commons today over the Agriculture Bill.”
Boris Johnson inspecting chicken products in Deeside during election campaign (AFP)
Is ‘Australia-style’ deal a no-deal Brexit?
Plenty of scepticism about the idea of the government obtaining an “Australian-style” deal if it can’t strike a full Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU.
As Sky News’ Beth Rigby points out, Australia doesn’t actually have a free trade deal with the EU.
The Financial Times’ political editor George Parker said it would be similar to moving onto World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules – something we heard a lot about when the threat of no-deal Brexit was on the horizon.
Packer said No 10 was engaged in a “rebranding of a “no trade deal” Brexit – ie WTO with tariffs, serious friction and a bit of mitigation – as an “Australia-style” deal.”
UK doesn’t need trade deal with EU, says Treasury minister
The chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak has been speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, and claimed the UK did not actually need to do a trade deal with the EU.
“We don’t need to. We have left ... There are lots of different ways that countries trade with each other. We trade with lots of countries around the world, the EU trades with lots of countries around the world.
“They trade with some countries as part of the customs union. They trade with other countries, like Canada, through a free trade agreement. And they trade with countries like Australia with specific little agreements here and there for sectors. So there are a range of options we can pursue.”
Asked by Burley if “no deal” was still on the table, he replied: “No. We have a deal, and we have now left the EU. So that is now just off the table.”
No such thing as free access, says EU Commission chief
European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen has been speaking ahead of a speech by the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
After “a very good continental breakfast” with British EU staff, she sent a warning to Boris Johnson about asking for too much.
“There is no such thing as the right to free access to the single market. It will always be a mix of rights and obligations,” she said.
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