Brexit news: No 10 rejects EU offer to ‘intensify’ talks and demands ‘change of approach’ from Brussels

Follow all the latest developments in UK politics

Michael Gove welcomes Michel Barnier's offer to 'intensify' talks

Downing Street has rejected an offer from the EU to “intensify” Brexit negotiations – just minutes after Michael Gove welcomed it as a “constructive” move.

The offer from Michel Barnier saw Mr Gove thinking on his feet in the Commons after the Cabinet Office minister had told  colleagues the EU was refusing to negotiate on a string of key points. 

Despite Mr Gove’s positive reaction, however, No 10 later insisted there was still no basis to resume talks.

Mr Gove also clashed with former prime minister Theresa May, who said the UK’s security will be damaged if police lose access to key databases and partnerships in the event of no deal.

The minister responded by claiming that the UK will be able to cooperate more effectively while outside the EU - before reminding Ms May of her own statement that “no deal is better than a bad deal”.

Elsewhere, business secretary Alok Sharma admitted that when Boris Johnson talks about an “Australia-style” deal with the EU, he effectively means a no-deal Brexit. Questioned about the phrase, Mr Sharma said: “Well … it’s a question semantics at the end of the day, sure.”

Semantics or not, the prospect of no deal prompted Britain’s pharmaceutical industry appealed to Mr Johnson to strike a “side-deal” with Brussels to avoid shortages of medicines if the UK crashes out. 

Meanwhile ministers are said to be “carefully considering next steps” after the government failed to reach agreement with local leaders in Greater Manchester over a move to Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.

Key Points

• Gove welcomes EU offer to ‘intensify’ talks after Barnier wrongfoots him with tweet
• EU must be ready to discuss ‘detailed legal treaty’, says No 10
• Johnson ‘is in two minds on whether he wants a deal’
• Michel Barnier ‘frustrated with EU states on fishing rights’
• Australia-style Brexit effectively no-deal, admits minister
• Drugs industry urges No 10 to get ‘side deal’ to avoid shortages

[19 October 2020 18:06 · Jon Sharman]

Frost says ‘fundamental change of approach’ still needed from EU

Michel Barnier’s offer to “intensify” talks was still not enough to melt UK hearts, it seems.

Although, that may depend on how you translate “we will keep in close touch”. Hard to do that without talking.

[19 October 2020 18:27 · Jon Sharman]

Boris Johnson rejects EU olive branch over Brexit talks

Boris Johnson has rejected an olive branch from Brussels designed to restart failing Brexit talks in time to prevent a no-deal, writes Jon Stone.

Michel Barnier had tried to assuage some of the prime minister's concerns about the state of negotiations in a telephone conversation with his counterpart Lord Frost on Monday afternoon.  

[19 October 2020 18:45 · Jon Sharman]

Small child among migrants who crossed Channel today

A young child is among dozens more people who have crossed to the UK on Monday.

The girl was carried ashore by a Border Force official after being brought into Dover harbour.

She was among several groups of people who were seen arriving at the Kent port after crossing to the UK on small boats.

It comes as the Children's Commissioner has raised concerns that children who arrive on migrant boats can end up waiting almost 72 hours at in a holding unit without access to showers or beds.

French authorities believe a migrant found dead on a beach near Calais yesterday had tried to cross to Britain.

[19 October 2020 19:06 · Jon Sharman]

Coronavirus: Breakdown of talks brings imposition of tier 3 restrictions in Manchester a step closer

Talks over tougher coronavirus restrictions for Greater Manchester have ended without agreement, raising the prospect that Boris Johnson will now enforce measures including the closure of pubs against the will of local leaders, writes Andrew Woodcock.

A meeting of Greater Manchester leaders with local government secretary Robert Jenrick is understood to have ended “very abruptly” as the government resisted mayor Andy Burnham’s demand for more financial support for businesses and workers.

[19 October 2020 19:24 · Jon Sharman]

Volunteers set to be armed with speed guns to catch motorists driving dangerously

Police could use volunteers to catch motorists who are speeding under a new national scheme being proposed to curb dangerous driving.

Although “community speedwatch” volunteers already help monitor vehicle speeds for local police, the intelligence they gather is not shared with other forces in different parts of the country.

[19 October 2020 19:45 · Jon Sharman]

Britain accuses Russia of cyber-attacks on Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Britain has accused Russian intelligence of carrying out a series of cyber-attacks on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo with security officials warning that the postponed Games due to take place next year may also be targeted, writes Kim Sengupta.

UK and allied intelligence services discovered that the Russian military intelligence service, GRU, attempted to disguise themselves as Chinese and North Korean hackers in “false-flag” operations to disrupt the Games.

[19 October 2020 20:06 · Jon Sharman]

Coronavirus: Matt Hancock spotted without a face mask in his chauffeur-driven car

Health secretary Matt Hancock received a slap down from Downing Street today after being pictured riding in his ministerial car without a face covering, writes Andrew Woodcock.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said ministers had been told to wear masks in their chauffeur-driven cars, shortly after pictures emerged of Mr Hancock with his face uncovered.

[19 October 2020 20:30 · Jon Sharman]

Sketch: How sobering to think that in less than three months, Michael Gove will be even more shameless than he is now

Michael Gove’s updates to the House of Commons on Brexit are less an “update on Brexit” these days, and more a kind of parlour game, writes Tom Peck.

It’s never made clear whether anyone is meant to believe a word he is saying. It’s certainly never made clear whether he does. It’s not so much that he’s lying. What, after all, is a lie in a post-truth world?

[19 October 2020 20:49 · Jon Sharman]

House of Lords votes on Internal Markets Bill

Peers tonight are debating on the Lords’ second reading of the controversial Internal Markets Bill.

The legislation sets out the way that trade within the UK will work once it is outside the EU's single market and customs union.

But it also contains powers which gives ministers the opportunity to override the Brexit divorce deal, something the government has acknowledged would breach international law.

Former Commons speaker Baroness Boothroyd and Conservative former leader Lord Howard of Lympne are among those who have criticised the proposed new law, which has already cleared the House of Commons.

Lady Boothroyd said she had never in her parliamentary life seen such a collapse of people's trust in a government, which was now "groping for desperate solutions to problems it said would not arise" or be easily resolved.

She told peers: "Future historians won't need a test and trace operation to find those responsible if we end up in a legal battle in the Supreme Court and an economic crisis that rivals the 1930s depression."

Urging colleagues to defend the nation's law and traditions, Lady Boothroyd warned the UK would not regain its self-respect until the world once again knew "our word is our deed and we are committed to the rule of law".

Brexit-backer Lord Howard said: "I want the United Kingdom to be an independent and sovereign state. But I want it to be an independent sovereign state that holds its head up high in the world, that keeps its word, that upholds the rule of law, that honours its treaty obligations.

"I want it to be an independent sovereign state that is a beacon unto the nations. I do not want it to be an independent sovereign state that chooses, as one of the first assertions of that sovereignty, to break its word, to break the law and to renege on a treaty it signed barely a year ago."

However, the Conservative Lord Howard of Rising dismissed most of the adverse comments about the bill as "sour grapes from Remainers" and said he supported it because it would help the UK rid itself of "EU control".

[19 October 2020 21:15 · Jon Sharman]

#icymi

Our top Brexit story tonight: PM rejects EU offer to ‘intensify’ negotiations

Boris Johnson has rejected an olive branch from Brussels designed to restart failing Brexit talks in time to prevent a no deal, writes Jon Stone.

Michel Barnier had tried to assuage some of the prime minister’s concerns about the state of negotiations in a telephone conversation with his counterpart Lord Frost on Monday afternoon.  

The EU’s chief negotiator had said the EU would be happy to hold talks on “all subjects, and based on legal texts” – a demand Mr Johnson had made as a condition for restarting negotiations.