Brexit news: Time now ‘very short’ for deal, says No10 as non-British rough sleepers face deportation

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Barnier calls for 'compromise on both sides' to resolve Brexit deadlock

Time is “very short” for a Brexit deal to be agreed upon, No10 said ahead of talks resuming.

UK and EU Brexit negotiators prepared to embark on an "intensified phase of talks" on Thursday after Brussels said both sides needed to compromise on trade issues following a recent stand-off.

Key issues of contention are fishing rights, the governance of any deal and the “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition.

Meanwhile, new immigration rules set to come into force after the Brexit transition period mean non-British rough sleepers face being deported from the UK.

Campaigners have described the plan as “completely unreasonable” and “cruel”.

Key Points

• Timeframe to agree Brexit deal ‘very short’ - No10
• Foreign rough sleepers to face deportation after Brexit
• Brexit talks to resume in London after Barnier breaks deadlock
• Lorry drivers will be fined £300 for entering Kent without a permit
• Europeans with criminal records ‘to be blocked from UK’
• Food firms tell PM they may have to quit Northern Ireland
• Rishi Sunak unveils £2,100-a-month grants for tier 2 firms

[22 October 2020 08:04 · Samuel Osborne]

Good morning and welcome to the latest updates on the newly-resumed “intensified phase of talks” between UK and EU negotiators.

[22 October 2020 08:13 · Samuel Osborne]

Brexit trade talks to resume

Brexit negotiators will enter an “intensified phase of talks” today after the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, made conciliatory signals to his UK counterpart Lord Frost.

With the deadline for a deal looming, Number 10 acknowledged "significant gaps" remain between the two sides and it was "entirely possible that negotiations will not succeed".

The negotiations had been in limbo after Boris Johnson's previous deadline for a deal passed last week.

Key issues of contention are fishing rights, the governance of any deal and the “level playing field” aimed at preventing unfair competition.

Time is short to reach an agreement, with the Brexit transition period set to end on 31 December 31.

Both sides had previously said a deal would need to be reached by mid-October in order to allow time for ratification.

[22 October 2020 08:18 · Samuel Osborne]

‘Our door remains open’: Michel Barnier offers olive branch to UK

Speaking yesterday, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, told the European Parliament: "Our door remains open.

"It will remain open right up until the last day when we can work together."

But he said "it takes two to make a deal", adding: "We are not sure that's the outcome we will obtain and that's why we need to be ready to deal with the consequences of a possible no-deal scenario."

Extending an olive branch to the UK, Mr Barnier indicated the EU was willing to make compromises - but only if Mr Johnson also agreed to give ground.

"We will seek the necessary compromises on both sides in order to do our utmost to reach an agreement and we will do so right up until the last day which it's possible to do so."

[22 October 2020 08:26 · Samuel Osborne]

UK to end transition period ‘on Australia terms’ if no deal reached

Downing Street said the UK's position had been set out by Mr Johnson and Michael Gove, who had been clear the EU had to be serious about talking intensively, on all issues, and bringing the negotiation to a conclusion, as well as accepting that it was dealing with an "independent and sovereign country".

Yesterday, a Number 10 spokesman said: "We welcome the fact that Mr Barnier acknowledged both points... and additionally that movement would be needed from both sides in the talks if agreement was to be reached.

"As he made clear, 'any future agreement will be made in respect of the decision-making autonomy of the European Union and with respect for British sovereignty'."

If a deal is not possible, the UK will end the transition period "on Australia terms" - without a deal with its largest trading partner.

The spokesman said: "It is clear that significant gaps remain between our positions in the most difficult areas, but we are ready, with the EU, to see if it is possible to bridge them in intensive talks."

[22 October 2020 08:41 · Samuel Osborne]

Plans to bar EU criminals from entering UK

EU criminals could be barred from entering the UK when freedom of movement ends next year, the Home Office has said.

The new rules will come into force on 1 January as part of the government's bid for tougher border restrictions and a "firmer and fairer" immigration system after the Brexit transition period.

The Home Office said current EU laws mean some foreign criminals are permitted to enter the UK but changes to legislation - due to be laid in Parliament today - mean those sentenced to more than a year in jail will not be allowed into the country.

But questions remain as to how the criminal history of travellers will be checked if the UK loses access to EU crime databases at the end of the Brexit transition period, given no agreements have been reached amid the ongoing negotiations.

[22 October 2020 09:01 · Samuel Osborne]

Decision not to extend free school meals ‘a tough one’, minister says

The minister for crime and policing, Kit Malthouse, told BBC Breakfast the decision to not extend free school meals over the holidays was a "tough one". 

He said the government felt it could better help families through the benefits system.

He added: "It has been a great campaign by Marcus Rashford.

"We took a decision early on that the best way to target money to low-income families was through the welfare system that has been carefully built over the last few years."

[22 October 2020 09:17 · Samuel Osborne]

West Midlands mayor calls on chancellor to support businesses under tier 2 restrictions

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said he expects the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to announce additional support for businesses in the hospitality sector in areas in England under tier 2 coronavirus controls.

Mr Street said businesses are losing out because they are unable to claim under the local furlough scheme which is available to those ordered to close under the tougher tier 3 controls.

"The government have given incredible support to businesses, but clearly this particular point was just one that was completely missed in planning the tier 2 restrictions so I am really optimistic that they will respond," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"The government didn't expect us to be in a position through the autumn where we were having a rising level of the virus to this extent, so if you look at the design of the winter economy package at the time that seemed rational but clearly events have moved very quickly."

[22 October 2020 09:38 · Samuel Osborne]

Anti-tier 3 lockdown activist climbs up Big Ben

An activist has climbed up the scaffolding surrounding Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower and unfurled banners to protest about the coronavirus lockdown in the north of England.

Metropolitan Police said officers are on the scene and dealing with the incident after the man scaled the scaffolding at around 7.50am on Thursday.

My colleague Kate Ng has more details:

[22 October 2020 09:59 · Samuel Osborne]

Equalities minister says anti-discrimination drives can ‘create prison for black people’

The government’s equalities minister has said that some efforts to root out racism in British society are “creating a prison for black people” by politicising their skin colour.

Kemi Badenoch, who is herself of Nigerian background, said that some prominent supporters of “critical race theory” like Reni Eddo-Lodge – author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – want to create a “segregated society”.

And she questioned the use of unconscious bias training by the civil service and private companies, saying the courses should be “removed” from government departments if they prove not to work.

Political editor Andrew Woodcock has the story:

[22 October 2020 10:19 · Samuel Osborne]

Labour MP told to repay £1,400 for misuse of Commons stationary

A Labour frontbencher has been told she should repay more than £1,400 after an inquiry found she used prepaid Commons stationery to send out political material to voters in breach of House rules.

The Commons Standards Committee found the shadow health minister, Rosena Allin-Khan, sent out 1,624 copies of her "Brexit Update" letter on House of Commons headed notepaper in prepaid Commons envelopes in the run-up to last year's general election.

Under the Commons rules, MPs can only use House stationery for their work as a Member of Parliament and are banned from using it for campaign material.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, found Dr Allin-Khan's mailshot used "public resources to highlight to a group of voters her position and record on an issue that was one of the key themes of the imminent election".

Ms Stone noted it was the third time in three years that Dr Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, had breached the rules.