Brexit news - live: ‘No major breakthrough’ on trade deal this week, Irish foreign minister predicts
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Your support makes all the difference.Britain and the EU are unlikely to agree a Brexit deal by this week’s European Council meeting the Irish foriegn minister, Simon Coveney, has said. Boris Johnson had set Thursday as his deadline for securing an agreement.
Mr Coveney told reporters in Luxembourg: "There are a number of weeks left in this negotiation, not a number of days, so when the European Council meets at the end of this week there will be a detailed stocktake on where we are in these negotiations. But certainly I don't see that there will be any major breakthrough this week."
Meanwhile, Ireland’s government announced its 2021 budget was based on the assumption of there will be no bilateral trade deal between the UK and EU, further hinting at the lack of progress.
For his part, Mr Johnson insisted Britain had “no fear” of a no-deal exit in a cabinet meeting, while acknowledging that time was running out. His spokesperson called for “urgency and realism” on the part of the EU.
But Germany’s Europe minister, Michael Roth, urged the PM not to play down the potential fallout from no deal. He said: "This would be very bad news for everyone, for the EU and even more so for the United Kingdom. In the midst of the most serious economic downturn in decades, it would inflict [on] our citizens yet another serious economic setback.
At home, UK businesses were accused of taking a “head-in-the-sand approach” to the end of the Brexit transition period by Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew. Outrage predictably ensued with Tim Rycroft, of the Food and Drink Federation, saying Lord Agnew’s claim was neither helpful nor accurate.
On Tuesday evening, Keir Starmer shattered the consensus on coronavirus lockdown restrictions by calling for a three-week nationwide “circuit-break” in England, to include half-term, in order to drive down infections.
“The government has not got a credible plan to slow infections. It has lost control of the virus. And it is no longer following scientific advice," Sir Keir told a press conference.
EU’s door ‘will remain open until last day’
The EU will keep trying to negotiate a Brexit deal with Britain for as long as possible, a senior figure has said.
European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic told reporters in Luxembourg that the summit on Thursday would be "an important moment to take stock'' of the Brext trade negotiations.
"We continue to work for a deal, it's very difficult but it's still possible and our door will remain open until the last useful day,'' he said.
Don’t play down damage of no-deal, says Germany in ‘message to our British friends’
The potential damage that would be caused by no-deal Brexit should not be played down, Germany’s Europe minister has said.
Michael Roth told reporters in Luxembourg that negotiations were “at a very, very critical stage”, adding: "We will see in the next few days whether a positive outcome can be achieved, or whether we have to intensify our preparations for a scenario without an agreement.
"And let me be very clear - and this is also a message to our British friends - no-one should play down the risks of a no deal. This would be very bad news for everyone, for the EU and even more so for the United Kingdom. In the midst of the most serious economic downturn in decades, it would inflict [on] our citizens yet another serious economic setback.
"The European Union continues to negotiate constructively and with full intensity to prevent this scenario. We have consistently worked in this direction on the basis of the political declaration that the UK and the EU agreed last year.
"It is now up to the UK to make the decisive steps in key areas - in particular in the level playing field, governance and fisheries."
PM to talk with Von der Leyen
Boris Johnson will speak with Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, tomorrow, Downing Street has said. The day after tomorrow is the deadline which the PM has set out for striking a Brexit deal.
Under-fire test and trace system is envy of the world, Matt Hancock claims
England’s test-and-trace system is the envy of the world, Matt Hancock has claimed – a day after government scientists warned it is failing badly, writes Rob Merrick.
The health secretary provoked heckles in the Commons, as he rejected MPs’ criticism that the centralised system he set up is unable to halt coronavirus transmission.
“We don’t get it when I talk to my international colleagues,” he insisted, adding: ‘They ask the question ‘how did you manage to build this capacity so fast’ and that is the truth of it.”
Under-fire test and trace system is envy of the world, Matt Hancock claims
It is ‘working so effectively’ health secretary says - and admiring countries ask ‘how did you manage to build this capacity so fast?’
Starmer calls for circuit-break lockdown in England at press conference
Keir Starmer has called for a two-to-three-week “circuit-break” lockdown in England, at his first coronavirus press conference.
The Labour leader said “we are at a decisive moment” and that the “figures are stark and heading in the wrong direction”. Boris Johnson’s actions are not controlling coronavirus, he said.
Sir Keir added: “The government has not got a credible plan to slow infections. It has lost control of the virus. And it is no longer following scientific advice.”
The burden will fall on vulnerable people and those in ethnic minority groups, he said, if nothing is done to bring down the R rate.
“There’s no longer time to give this prime minister the benefit of the doubt,” he added.
Starmer admits ‘circuit-break’ lockdown would require huge sacrifice
Sir Keir Starmer, after attacking Boris Johnson’s handling of coronavirus and and calling for an England-wide “circuit-break" lockdown, has admitted it will require huge sacrifices.
“It would mean that only essential workers can travel. It will mean that everyone who can work from home should do so. Non-essential offices should be closed. Household mixing should be restricted to one household except for those in support bubbles.”
Here is our full breaking story:
Keir Starmer calls for ‘circuit break’ lockdown as coronavirus cases rise sharply
The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.
Deal unlikely at European Council summit, says Coveney
Ireland’s foreign minister says he doesn’t believe a Brexit deal will be struck this week - more likely, by the end of the month.
Simon Coveney also warned that Boris Johnson's controversial plan to break international law contained in the UK Internal Market Bill would have to be abandoned if a deal is to command support among the EU's leaders.
He told reporters in Luxembourg: "There are a number of weeks left in this negotiation, not a number of days, so when the European Council meets at the end of this week there will be a detailed stocktake on where we are in these negotiations.
"But certainly I don't see that there will be any major breakthrough this week."
Mr Coveney suggested the end of the month was a more realistic deadline for a deal in order to allow time to ratify it.
Chris Green resigns as PPS over severity of government’s lockdown strategy
Conservative MP Chris Green has stepped down from his role as Parliamentary Private Secretary for the department of education.
Mr Green wrote in his resignation letter that he believed the “cure was worse than the disease” and that local lockdowns in his constituency had not work.
It is the second time he has resigned as a PPS - the first being in 2018 over the government's Brexit position - which he deemed too soft.
You’re a PPS Chris
Chris Green’s resignation is not his first step away from government. It’s not even his first step away from his role as a PPS.
But what made his first resignation from the role way back in 2018 all the more memorable was this strongly worded exchange with Simon Hart - now the Secretary of State for Wales - on Twitter
Chris Green’s awkward resignation timing
As Simon Hart once noted (see below) the resignation of a PPS itself is unlikely to rock the halls of Westminster on its own.
However publishing his letter as the PM meets with the 1922 committee - the grouping of backbench Tory MPs who have been critical of the government’s virus approach for its severity and lack of scrutiny - will not have gone unnoticed in Number 10.
It also marks one of the most vocal shows of opposition to the government’s coronavirus plan from within Mr Johnson’s own party. While some - the likes of Sir Desmond Swayne for example - have typified the government’s handling of the virus as needlessly authoritarian, so far that has amounted to a few stern words in the Commons and little more.
And with the government hoping some dissent had been muted by agreements between Downing Street and the 1922’s leader Sir Graham Brady on allowing scrutiny for future legislation, Mr Green’s decision to step down shows there’s still anger brewing among the PM’s Tory critics.
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