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As it happenedended

Brexit news: Boris Johnson prepared to walk away from free trade deal, as Barnier insists UK must keep EU regulations

Follow all the latest developments

Adam Forrest,Lizzy Buchan,Peter Stubley
Monday 03 February 2020 21:46 GMT
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Boris Johnson Says UK Wants A Free Trade Agreement 'Similar To Canada's'

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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”.

Joanna Cherry QC, a barrister and SNP MP, raises concerns about the plan to apply the emergency legislation to serving prisoners.

She also condemns comments by an anonymous Number 10 official criticising the "shocking influence of lawyers on policy".

Mr Buckland says it is an "exceptional situation" and that the measures concern the administration of a sentence rather than the sentence itself - suggesting that he is not concerned about any legal challenges.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 17:35

Mr Buckland says he can't say when the emergency legislation will be introduced "but it will be as soon as possible".

He rejected claims that the Conservative government's budget cuts under austerity put the public at risk.

"There's never been any question, any time of the Conservative government's period in power that we have prioritised resources over the need to protect the public," he told shadow minister Richard Burgon.

"We will continue to put public protection at the centre of our deliberations irrespective of the cost."

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 17:43

Kevan Jones MP makes the obvious point that most terrorist offenders will be released at some point even under the emergency legislation.

"If the government did actually know about this person beforehand, why didn't they intercede?", the former shadow defence minister asks.

Mr Buckland says "these are difficult questions" that will be considered in the weeks ahead.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 17:54

The UK’s ability to track suspected terrorists and major criminals is at risk because of Brexit, Dominic Raab has admitted for the first time.

Full access to vital EU crime-fighting measures – sharing passenger name records, alerts and fingerprint, DNA and vehicle registration data – could be lost, the foreign secretary told MPs.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 17:59

So far legal opinion on Twitter appears to have concluded that the retrospective part of the "emergency legislation" would not breach the Human Rights Act.

Article 7 states that you cannot be given a heavier punishment than was available at the time you committed an offence.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 18:12

Emergency government legislation 'is dangerous', say Liberty

Clare Collier, an advocacy director for campaign group Liberty, said: "The Government's response to recent terror attacks is a cause of increasing concern for our civil liberties.

"From last month's knee-jerk lie detector proposal, to today's threat to break the law by changing people's sentences retrospectively, continuing to introduce measures without review or evidence is dangerous and will create more problems than it solves.

"It's clear the UK's counter-terror system is in chaos and desperately needs proper scrutiny and review."

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 18:13

Journalists should be treated with respect, says deputy speaker

The exclusion of some journalists - including The Independent's Andy Woodcock - from a Downing Street briefing was raised as a point of order in the House of Commons.

Shadow culture secretary Tracy Brabin said: "Press freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy and journalists must be able to hold the Government to account.

"It is concerning that Boris Johnson seems to be resorting to tactics imported from Donald Trump to hide from scrutiny."

Deputy Commons speaker Dame Eleanor Laing replied that lobby journalists should be "treated with respect".

She said: "Of course I agree with her, everyone will agree with her, that accredited lobby journalists are indeed part of our parliamentary community and so, of course, must be, should be, and normally are treated with respect."

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said it was a "very alarming incident".

She said: "As ministers are now regularly refusing to be accountable for their actions by boycotting certain programmes and journalists, this represents another very dangerous step.

"Johnson's government must stop this paranoia and engage with all the press, not just their favourites."

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 18:28

Universal Credit now running seven years late

The completion of the government’s troubled Universal Credit welfare scheme has been put back yet again, at a cost of £500 million.

Slower-than-expected transfers of claimants from existing benefits mean the date of completion of the roll-out has been put back by nine months to 2024.

When first announced by Iain Duncan Smith as a replacement for a range of benefits in 2010, Universal Credit was due to be fully implemented by 2017.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 18:34

Lisa Nandy says Scottish Labour should decide party's stance on independence

Lisa Nandy has promised to "never interfere" in devolved policymaking if she becomes Labour leader, reports Press Association.

During a visit to a McVitie's biscuit factory in Glasgow, the leadership hopeful said she was opposed to independence, but that Labour's decision whether to support another referendum "should be driven by Scottish Labour".

Arguing that the UK party needs to put more trust in Scottish Labour, she said: "If I'm honest, in recent years, we just haven't shown the level of respect to Scottish Labour at a UK level that we ought to.

"We've imposed decisions, whether it's around policies, whether it's around resources, whether it's around candidates, too many of those decisions are made in Westminster.

"There's a very, very strong feeling here that UK Labour needs to be much more respectful.

"Scottish Labour makes policy on devolved issues, I will never interfere with that as the leader of the Labour Party because if we don't show, at a UK-level, that we trust Scottish Labour, why would we expect the Scottish people to do the same?"

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 19:34

New polling suggests Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy would be the best Labour leaders to take on the Tories.

Among Labour voters alone, Keir Starmer is most popular, followed by Rebecca Long-Bailey.

Peter Stubley3 February 2020 20:19

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