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

Follow Westminster’s events as they happened

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 10:40 · Samuel Osborne]

Northern mayors’ prominence in coronavirus lockdown debates ‘a fantastic success story’, former chancellor says

Former chancellor George Osborne has said the prominence of metro mayors like Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham in the ongoing debate over regional lockdowns "is a fantastic success story".

Mr Osborne said mayors across the North of England and the Midlands are now part of the "national conversation", and called for further devolution as part of the post-Covid recovery.

He told the Great Northern Conference 2020: "What I can see is real representation in the North - devolution delivering leaders of Greater Manchester, of Liverpool, of different parts of Yorkshire, of Teesside, of Tyneside, and so on, and, indeed, further south in the Midlands.

"And we now have a national political conversation where representatives of the North of England are heard on our national news. And that is a fantastic success story."

[22 October 2020 10:53 · Adam Forrest]

Lorry drivers will be fined £300 for entering Kent without a permit

The government has announced a series of measures to minimise trade disruption after the Brexit transition period ends - including £300 fines for lorry drivers entering Kent without a permit.

Legislation to enable the enforcement of Operation Brock - the traffic management strategy in Kent - has been brought forward.

This confirms it will be mandatory for lorries crossing to France from the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone to obtain a permit before they enter Kent or face a £300 fine.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: "By putting in place these plans we are ensuring Kent keeps moving, our fantastic haulage industry is supported and trade continues to flow as we embark on our future as a fully independent state."

[22 October 2020 11:18 · Samuel Osborne]

Nigel Farage criticises government for voting against free school meals

Angry reactions to MPs voting against providing poorer children with free school meals over the holidays have poured in from across the political spectrum, with Nigel Farage joining in condemnation of the decision as “mean and wrong”.

My colleague Clea Skopeliti has the story:

[22 October 2020 11:40 · Adam Forrest]

Rees-Mogg rules out return to remote voting in Commons

Jacob Rees-Mogg has ruled out a return to remote voting in the Commons, adding that divisions are "working well and efficiently".

The Commons Leader told MPs: "It is important that MPs are here. MPs have a right to be here, they are essential workers and all the advice the government has given, whether it be in tier 1, 2 or 3, is that people who have essential work to do must carry on doing it.

"We are in that category, we are expecting people to teach school children, we are expecting other people in other categories to go to work, we should do the same."

Reiterating Labour's calls for a return to remove voting, shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said: "We want remote voting because it is safest both for members, honourable members, but most importantly for staff … So please, could he reconsider remote voting. It is just for the pandemic, not for life."

[22 October 2020 11:44 · Adam Forrest]

Andy Burnham ‘playing party politics of the cheapest and most disagreeable kind,' Rees-Mogg says

Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of "playing party politics of the cheapest and most disagreeable kind".

Rees-Mogg told MPs: "As regards to the Manchester issue, the government has provided £60m of taxpayers' money, not £22m.

"It was as if he was trying to go on the stage. A most ridiculous, prancing performance that one could imagine when he should have been seriously trying to help the people of Manchester.

"I'm afraid he was playing party politics of the cheapest and most disagreeable kind, whereas other people, including the mayor of Liverpool - who was very clear of his political opinions when he was in this House - was able to work with the government and to put aside party political differences, and I think has showed himself a model of how to behave."

Jacob Rees-Mogg (UK Parliament)

[22 October 2020 11:51 · Adam Forrest]

Businesses in tier 2 eligible for £2,100-a-month, Sunak announces

Firms in tier 2 coronavirus alert areas which have been hit by the restrictions will be eligible for cash grants of up to £2,100 a month, a move which will primarily benefit the hospitality, accommodation and leisure sectors, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

The coronavirus Job Support Scheme will also be made more generous, with employer contributions reduced and the minimum hours requirement also cut, Sunak added. 

In a move which could be worth more than £1bn, these grants will also be available retrospectively for areas which have already been subject to restrictions. Around 150,000 business in England could be eligible, the Treasury said.

Sunak said: “I’ve always said that we must be ready to adapt our financial support as the situation evolves, and that is what we are doing today.”

Rishi Sunak visits a bar to launch new scheme (PA)

[22 October 2020 11:55 · Adam Forrest]

Sunak promises to protect jobs

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said there are difficult days and weeks ahead. He told the Commons he understood the “frustration” of people living under tier 2 and 3 restrictions.

"There are difficult days and weeks ahead, but we will get through this together. People are not on their own. We have an economic plan that will protect the jobs and livelihoods of the British people wherever they live and whatever their situation."

Here are more details on Sunak’s grant scheme for businesses under tier 2 lockdown, from political editor Andrew Woodcock.

[22 October 2020 12:06 · Adam Forrest]

Sunak sets out extra help for self-employed

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said his plan would mean "jobs will be protected" as he also outlined a boost for the self-employed.

He added: "I'm increasing our contribution to the incomes of the self-employed as well. Today we are doubling the next round of the self-employed income support from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of people's incomes, increasing the maximum grant to £3,750."

He concluded: "This is our plan. A plan for jobs, for businesses, for the regions, for the economy, for the country. A plan to support the British people."

[22 October 2020 12:09 · Adam Forrest]

Sunak’s plan ‘patchwork of poor ideas’, says Labour

Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds told the Commons Sunak’s plan amounted to a “patchwork of poor ideas rushed out at the last minute.”

Dodds asked how many jobs have been lost as a result of the chancellor's “inaction" and pressed him to explain what has changed which means “this is the right thing to do now, but wasn't when parts of the north and midlands” entered tier 2-style restrictions several weeks ago.

She said: “The chancellor has only caught up and listened to the anxieties of workers and businesses when it looks like these restrictions will be affecting London and the West Midlands.

“Will he apologise to those who have already lost their jobs, seen their businesses slip through their fingers in those areas which have not had that support until now?”

[22 October 2020 12:20 · Samuel Osborne]

Andy Burnham ‘open-mouthed’ after government unveils tier 2 support ‘to help London’

The North of England is being "dictated to from 200 miles away" and "pushed around" by Westminster, Andy Burnham has said.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, who faced down the government this week seeking extra coronavirus support for his region, accused the government of "dividing and ruling" and taking "one approach for one and one for the other".

Policy correspondent Jon Stone has the story: