Brexit news – live: UK’s biggest fish market left ‘like ghost town’, as Eurostar under threat
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Boris Johnson’s government has been warned that meat worth hundreds of thousands of pounds is going to waste at EU ports, as British exporters continue to get caught up in post-Brexit red tape problems.
It comes as photos emerged showing UK’s largest fish market in Peterhead largely deserted, as the industry struggles with an export slump caused by customs delays. “What a sad sight – like a ghost town,” said the Scotland Food and Drink group.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis claimed that empty shelves in Northern Ireland were due to coronavirus “challenges” – and not because of Brexit. And the head of Eurostar has sounded alarm over the future of the rail company, saying the situation was “critical”.
‘The PM does not have a nap’, says No 10
Downing Street has attempted to put to bed claims that the PM is partial to a power nap in the middle of the day. The PM's press secretary Allegra Stratton told reporters: "The prime minister does not have a nap. These reports are untrue."
Her comments came after a Downing Street insider told The Times "it would not be entirely uncommon in the diary for him to shut the door and have a kip for half an hour or so - a power executive business nap to get him ready for the rest of the day".
But Stratton said: "He does not have a nap during the day when he is in Downing Street... his day is jam-packed from early in the morning through to late at night."
Tobias Ellwood will vote to back ‘genocide amendment’
Senior Conservative backbencher Tobias Ellwood, the chair of the Commons Defence Committee, said he will back the Lords "genocide amendment" and predicted the Government will be defeated in the vote.
The Government is seeking to reverse key amendments to the Trade Bill passed by the House of Lords when the legislation returns to the Commons on Tuesday - including one which would force the Government to withdraw from any free trade agreement with any country which the High Court rules is committing genocide.
He told the PA news agency: "I would encourage as many MPs as possible to support this. We are just crafting the definition of what global Britain means and this must be front and centre in what we stand for and what we believe."
Labour calls for Gavin Williamson to resign
Labour has called for Gavin Williamson to resign as education secretary after accusing him of “failing children throughout the pandemic”.
Speaking in parliament, Labour’s Wes Streeting slammed the government over free school meals, the handling of schools closures and last year’s exam results controversy.
“If the prime minister had any judgment, he would have sacked the secretary of state, and if the secretary of state had any shame, he would have resigned,” said Streeting.
Labour calls for Gavin Williamson to resign after ‘failing children throughout pandemic’
‘If the prime minister had any judgment, he would have sacked the secretary of state,’ shadow schools minister says
Minister rules out re-think on post-Brexit music tours
A government minister has rejected calls for a rethink to rescue visa-free tours by musicians of the EU – insisting “taking back control” of borders must come first.
Culture minister Caroline Dineage admitted an EU proposal was thrown out because of a fear it clashed with ending free movement. “That is just simply not compatible with our manifesto commitment to taking back control of our borders,” she told MPs.
Under pressure, Ms Dinenage did agree to consider publishing all correspondence to reveal exactly what happened in the failed negotiations.
Ministers reject calls to rescue visa-free tours by musicians post-Brexit
Musicians are 'mere collateral in obsession in ending freedom of movement’, minister told
Brexit has pushed £150bn of assets from UK to France
A big shift in both assets and jobs from the UK to France is already under way and will accelerate this year, according to the governor of the Bank of France.
Francois Villeroy de Galhau revealed around 170bn euros (£150bn) of assets and 2,500 jobs had already been moved out of London by the end of 2020. “It is now or never that we should seize the double opportunity of Brexit and the reconstruction to make a capital markets union,” Villeroy said.
It comes as the largest political group in the European parliament urges EU chiefs to come up with a “master plan” to move key financial services out of London after Brexit.
Cabinet minister compared to ‘emperor with no clothes’
Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister has fired back at Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis – after Boris Johnson’s minster claimed empty supermarket shelves had “nothing to do” with Brexit.
The DUP minister at Stormont Edwin Poots said changes brought by Brexit were clearly having an impact, and compared Lewis’ remarks to the Hans Christian Andersen fable about delusion.
Speaking in the Stormont Assembly, he described Lewis as “the emperor with no clothes – but instead of a small boy pointing out he’s naked, the whole crowd is pointing it out”.
A reminder of what Lewis said earlier:
Businesses need more financial support now, not in March budget - CBI
Rishi Sunak must act quickly to extend the furlough scheme and announce further support for struggling companies, the CBI has said.
In a letter the the chancellor, the CBI called for further business rates holidays and a commitment to reform the tax on companies’ property, as well as a longer deferral on VAT payments.
Ben Chapman reports on the lobby group’s call for Mr Sunak to act quickly:
Businesses need more financial support now, not in the March Budget, CBI tells Sunak
Lobby group calls for announcement on furlough and business rates holiday extension
Business secretary confirms review of UK workers’ rights after Brexit
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has confirmed his department is reviewing how EU employment rights protections could be changed now that Britain has officially left the EU, it has been reported.
It comes after reports last week that the government was looking to overhaul labour rules and potentially scrap the 48-hour work week, but it has denied it would water down labour protections.
No10 is said to have given the go-ahead for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) to draw up a package of deregulatory measures.
According to the Guardian, a consultation on employment rights that was signed off by Alok Sharma, Mr Kwarteng’s predecessor, is ready to launch and has been shared among some business leaders.
Speaking to the business, energy and industrial strategy committee on Tuesday, Mr Kwarteng was asked to outline the review.
He said: “I think the view was that we wanted to look at the whole range of issues relating to our EU membership and examine what we wanted to keep if you like.”
Mr Kwarteng added that the plan was to “maintain a really good high standard for workers in high employment and a high wage economy”.
"That’s what I’m focusing on. And so the idea that we’re trying to whittle down standards, that’s not at all plausible or true,” he said.
What has Boris Johnson said about Trump?
As outgoing US president Donald Trump goes about his last day in the White House, a former head of the UK civil service has suggested that Boris Johnson will be “glad” to see the back of him.
Lord Sedwill said on Monday that those arguing the prime minister would have preferred a second Trump term “are mistaken” - but what has Mr Johnson said about Mr Trump over the last few years to maintain the UK-US “special” relationship?
Matt Mathers takes a closer look:
What has Boris Johnson said about Trump?
PM has attempted to distance himself from the president in recent weeks
Scotland’s Covid lockdown extended until at least mid-February
The coronavirus lockdown in Scotland will continue at least until the middle of February, with schools remaining closed to most pupils.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon said in a statement to Holyrood that restrictions imposed earlier this month will remain in place, following a review by the devolved administration’s cabinet. She said that Covid-19 case numbers remain too high to start easing any measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
Our Political Editor Andrew Woodcock reports:
Scottish Covid lockdown extended until at least mid-February, with schools remaining closed
Coronavirus cases falling, but first minister calls for continued ‘caution’
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