Boris Johnson's clear victory in the first round of the Conservative leadership contest is the main story for most of the papers. "One Foot in Number 10" is the Daily Mail's headline. "Who Can Stop Boris Now?" the Express asks. The Daily Telegraph says his supporters have called on the weakest four candidates to pull out of the race so the field can be whittled down to the final two during the second vote next Tuesday. According to the Financial Times, Sajid Javid in particular is under pressure to drop out and support the frontrunner, with Mr Johnson's allies hinting he "might make a good chancellor". The Independent website says the other contenders are now vying to claim the mantle of the "stop Boris" candidate. The Guardian reports they are in talks about joining forces to provide the strongest challenge to the former foreign secretary - what the Sun calls the "plot to put Boris back in his box".
The next few days of the contest - the Times suggests - will be dominated by the race to take him on. But the Spectator website says with Mr Johnson looking increasingly unassailable among both MPs and the wider Tory membership, the second place candidate will come under pressure to step aside before the grassroots get a say. This would give Mr Johnson more time in Number 10 to work on his Brexit strategy and speak to EU leaders before they go on their summer holidays
The race for the Tory leadership gets plenty of coverage in Saturday's papers. The i weekend has a warning from Sajid Javid's team that the contest could "turn toxic" - and that the party should avoid what is described as the "psychodrama" of a Michael Gove versus Boris Johnson run-off. The Daily Telegraph reports on what it calls a "secret plan" to ensure that only Mr Johnson's name is put to the party membership - to avoid damaging party in-fighting. It says the idea was hatched in the whips' office by senior cabinet members not linked to any of the campaigns. Under the proposal, the remaining contenders would bow out late next week - but the article says the biggest hurdle will be to convince the party chairman, Brandon Lewis. He is said to be determined for the candidates to be grilled by Tory members in every region of the UK over a four-week period.
The Independent online says Boris Johnson is coming under fire from Brussels after claiming he could force a Brexit deal - with one senior figure telling the paper "no-one is scared of him". The news site also says the European Parliament's deputy chief negotiator, Sophie in 't Veld, condemned what she called his "populist lies". On a similar theme, the Daily Mail says Eurocrats are convinced there will be no Brexit this year, and that Mr Johnson will do a U-turn on his pledge to leave by the end of October.
The Times links the leadership race to its campaign for a Clean Air Act, saying three of the candidates - Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Rory Stewart - have pledged to back new legislation if they become prime minister.
Boris Johnson under fire over unworkable Brexit plan and for being ‘hostage to Nigel Farage’ Exclusive: Would-be prime minister criticised for claiming ‘fear of Farage’ will force Brussels into climbdown – and for backing Irish border technology that does not exist
Boris Johnson has come under fire at home and abroad after breaking cover to reveal his Brexit plan, while admitting he will duck a live TV debate. The overwhelming favourite to be prime minister next month was ridiculed for claiming a fear of Nigel Farage would force Brussels to grant him a better deal – with one senior EU figure saying: “No one is scared of him.”
“The Conservative Party may be being held hostage to Nigel Farage, but the EU never will be,” Sophie in ’t Veld, deputy to the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, told The Independent before condemning Mr Johnson’s “populist lies”.
Who cares if Boris is incompetent – at least he’s ‘plain-speaking’, right? It’s the same with builders: you don’t want them bamboozling you with terms like ‘making good’ and ‘dovetail joint’ – it’s much better to have a plain-speaking one that says, ‘I’ve accidentally smashed your wall down’
Maybe this is a joyful way to hold the competition to be prime minister – by copying The X Factor and for the first few weeks showing all the hopeless idiots. Where the producers have slipped up, though, is in that the most hilariously embarrassing knobheads are being put through to the next round. One contestant, who’s always been adamant there should be no forgiveness for anyone who ever took drugs, had to confess he spent a chunk of his youth enjoying drugs. He dismissed this as it was a while ago, which is fair enough as long as it was so long ago it came outside the time of “ever”.
To his credit, this behaviour represents an almost artistic level of hypocrisy, as if it turned out David Attenborough builds a house every day out of plastic and then pushes it into the sea.
No hope of avoiding tariffs in 'no deal' Brexit - EU's Malmstrom
GENEVA (Reuters) - Supporters of Brexit are "completely wrong" if they think recourse to an obscure trade rule will stop tariffs springing up overnight if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday. Some British politicians have suggested that in the event of a "no deal Brexit", Article 24 of the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade can be invoked to keep Britain and the EU trading without tariffs. "It is completely wrong," Malmstrom told Reuters. "They will have to trade with us and other countries, until there are trade agreements - and we hope that will be a trade agreement - on the 'most favoured nation' basis. And that will mean new tariffs." The "most favoured nation" basis is a misnomer because it means no special treatment. Trade experts have repeatedly poured cold water on the idea that Article 24 could soften the economic blow of a "no deal" Brexit, but they say the claim keeps resurfacing. Article 24 is a clause in the WTO rules that countries can use if they agree to a trade deal and want to declare an interim trade agreement, along with a plan and a timeframe for the full deal to take shape. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage wrote in February in the pro-Brexit Daily Telegraph that "if we apply to the WTO, and Article 24 of the GATT Treaty is used with both the consent of us and the EU, we would have a minimum of two years with no tariffs and quotas during which a trade deal could be concluded". On Monday, a former leader of Britain's governing Conservative party, Iain Duncan Smith, explained in the same paper why he was backing Boris Johnson to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May. "Boris... believes that we should offer a trade deal and, while that is being negotiated, we should seek an implementation agreement with the EU under which we will both go to the WTO and invoke Article 24, which allows us to continue tariff free trade until the final deal is agreed," he wrote. Trade lawyers are exasperated that the Article 24 idea keeps resurfacing, calling it a "misrepresentation" and "utter nonsense", while May has said it is "perhaps not quite as simple as some may have understood it to be".
Our current position, as EU members is that we conduct trade on a tariff free, frictionless basis with the other members. The EU also has in place trade deals with around 70 countries, that we access through our membership.
In addition we are able to trade with the rest of the world on WTO terms, which involves tariffs.
A WTO Brexit would mean trading with the whole world on WTO terms. How could this be a plan?
If we did this we would be the only country in the world in this position.
Tim Martin the Wetherspoons resident Brexit genius has mentioned many times that on leaving the EU we could negotiate a trade deal with New Zealand and remove the current tariffs. He seems to see this as a massive benefit.
Just to get this into perspective this would mean a saving of 13p per litre by removing the tariff, He claims that this would be a benefit to the UK consumer, but would UK businesses really pass this saving on to the consumer, or just make additional profits?
If they did pass the saving on, would the consumer notice that they had saved around 2p per glass?
When you take into account that there is already a charge of £3 per litre excise duty, and 20% vat, which wouldnt change, his whole argument becomes nonsense.
In addition to this, if our proposed trade deal with New Zealand included tariff free lamb, then our sheep farmers go out of business. Hardly a sensible plan.
Fishing has come up as a topic on this thread a number of times.
Always brought up by Brexit supporters pointing out that leaving the common fisheries means we disallow EU vessels from fishing in our waters, and always failing to acknowledge that we also fish in their waters.
Well I listened to a debate the other night where it was pointed out that one of our fleets sells 80% of its catch to France.
The tariffs on fish post a WTO Brexit would be 20%
So two things happen, firstly our fish become less competitively priced because of the tariff, and secondly the French gain more capacity through our inability to fish in their waters. So they can catch the fish that we would usually catch.
You would have to suspect that French businesses, in the longer term would increase their own capacity, and seek to source the same fish elsewhere in Europe to avoid the tariffs. Meaning we lose a market.
Being able to catch more fish, but being unable to sell them is not necessarily progress.
Tariffs undoubtedly increase costs to consumers.
There is an argument put forward by Farage, the ERG, and others that we could remove all tariffs, and therefore reduce prices for consumers.
Tariffs are usually removed by negotiating free trade deals, which normally take years to finalise.
One advantage of tariffs is that they can be used to protect particular industries. So by removing tariffs we would put some industries at risk.
The removal of all tariffs could therefore protect consumers, but lose jobs.
Advantages are clearly gained by countries where poor working conditions, and low wages are the norm.
For example it is much cheaper to make a pair of trousers in Bangladesh, than the UK.
If we just removed tariffs full stop, WTO rules don't allow differentiation, so we would have to remove the same tariffs, for every country.
If we did this there would be no obligation for other countries to reciprocate.
If we didn't our prices have to increase.
The majority of UK based foreign manufacturers have set up in the UK, to access the EU market, and avoid tariffs.
What happens when circumstances change?
So to recap, WTO means tariffs, tariffs mean higher prices, trade deals take years, just removing tariffs puts our trade at a disadvantage, some industries and jobs at risk.
More wool is being pulled over the eyes of the general public than during the referendum campaign.
To swap what we have now for a WTO Brexit seems idiotic?
Varadkar: Removing backstop 'is effectively no deal'
The taoiseach (Irish prime minister) has said removing the backstop from the Withdrawal Agreement, would be "effectively the same as no deal". Leo Varadkar was responding to comments from some candidates seeking to replace Theresa May as prime minister. "The difficulties we have with a time limit, is effectively you are saying there will or could be a hard border once that time limit expires - that isn't a backstop," he said.
"The fact that the failure of the House Of Commons to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement somehow means they are going to get a better deal, that is just not how the European Union works," he said.
The Sunday Times says Boris Johnson's progress towards Downing Street appears inexorable as his most senior rivals begin circling for jobs in his cabinet. It says three of Mr Johnson's rivals have used interviews with the paper to issue coded job applications. Michael Gove has - we are told - offered himself as a potential communities secretary by outlining a plan to solve Britain's housing crisis. Sajid Javid has auditioned to be chancellor - detailing plans for an emergency budget to stimulate the economy in the event of a no-deal Brexit. And Dominic Raab has set out his stall as a possible home secretary, unveiling proposals for an Australian-style points system for immigration.
A number of papers report that Tories backing Mr Johnson's leadership bid have warned him that he must deliver Brexit by the Halloween deadline - or they will defect to the Brexit Party. According to the Sun, he has been told patience is thin among the European Research Group of hardline Brexiteer MPs. An unnamed former minister tells the Sunday Express that if the UK doesn't leave the EU on time, "the donors will be gone, the members will be gone and MPs will go". According to the Sunday Telegraph's front page, Theresa May is attempting to ram through a £27bn cash boost for education before she leaves office, prompting a row with senior ministers who believe it is an attempt to bind Boris Johnson's hands. It says government sources insist she's "still prime minister". But, the paper adds, Treasury officials believe the spending would be "immoral", as it could limit the ability of Mrs May's successor to deliver on their own pledges. The Observer leads with a survey that, it says, suggests Britain is a more polarised and pessimistic nation than it has been for decades - torn apart by social class, geography and Brexit. It adds that the survey - by the consultants BritainThinks - reveals an astonishing lack of faith in the political system, with less than 6% believing their politicians understand them. BritainThinks polled more than 2,000 people and hosted several focus groups in London and Leicester to gauge the national mood.
Brexit: Labour members handed chance to force Jeremy Corbyn to commit to Final Say vote Exclusive: Grassroots consultation will be launched next month – with ‘overwhelming response in favour of a second referendum’ expected
Boris Johnson admits no-deal Brexit will hurt UK while dodging journalists’ questions during rambling campaign launch ‘I’m not going to pretend to you now that everything will be plain sailing, there will be difficulties’
Comments
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/business/uk-shop-prices-rise-at-fastest-rate-in-six-years-british-retail-consortium/ar-BBVyheV?ocid=spartanntp
Boris Johnson's clear victory in the first round of the Conservative leadership contest is the main story for most of the papers.
"One Foot in Number 10" is the Daily Mail's headline. "Who Can Stop Boris Now?" the Express asks.
The Daily Telegraph says his supporters have called on the weakest four candidates to pull out of the race so the field can be whittled down to the final two during the second vote next Tuesday.
According to the Financial Times, Sajid Javid in particular is under pressure to drop out and support the frontrunner, with Mr Johnson's allies hinting he "might make a good chancellor".
The Independent website says the other contenders are now vying to claim the mantle of the "stop Boris" candidate.
The Guardian reports they are in talks about joining forces to provide the strongest challenge to the former foreign secretary - what the Sun calls the "plot to put Boris back in his box".
The next few days of the contest - the Times suggests - will be dominated by the race to take him on.
But the Spectator website says with Mr Johnson looking increasingly unassailable among both MPs and the wider Tory membership, the second place candidate will come under pressure to step aside before the grassroots get a say.
This would give Mr Johnson more time in Number 10 to work on his Brexit strategy and speak to EU leaders before they go on their summer holidays
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-48631732
It definitely seemed like an advert?
The race for the Tory leadership gets plenty of coverage in Saturday's papers.
The i weekend has a warning from Sajid Javid's team that the contest could "turn toxic" - and that the party should avoid what is described as the "psychodrama" of a Michael Gove versus Boris Johnson run-off.
The Daily Telegraph reports on what it calls a "secret plan" to ensure that only Mr Johnson's name is put to the party membership - to avoid damaging party in-fighting.
It says the idea was hatched in the whips' office by senior cabinet members not linked to any of the campaigns.
Under the proposal, the remaining contenders would bow out late next week - but the article says the biggest hurdle will be to convince the party chairman, Brandon Lewis.
He is said to be determined for the candidates to be grilled by Tory members in every region of the UK over a four-week period.
The Independent online says Boris Johnson is coming under fire from Brussels after claiming he could force a Brexit deal - with one senior figure telling the paper "no-one is scared of him".
The news site also says the European Parliament's deputy chief negotiator, Sophie in 't Veld, condemned what she called his "populist lies".
On a similar theme, the Daily Mail says Eurocrats are convinced there will be no Brexit this year, and that Mr Johnson will do a U-turn on his pledge to leave by the end of October.
The Times links the leadership race to its campaign for a Clean Air Act, saying three of the candidates - Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Rory Stewart - have pledged to back new legislation if they become prime minister.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-48644756
Exclusive: Would-be prime minister criticised for claiming ‘fear of Farage’ will force Brussels into climbdown – and for backing Irish border technology that does not exist
Boris Johnson has come under fire at home and abroad after breaking cover to reveal his Brexit plan, while admitting he will duck a live TV debate.
The overwhelming favourite to be prime minister next month was ridiculed for claiming a fear of Nigel Farage would force Brussels to grant him a better deal – with one senior EU figure saying: “No one is scared of him.”
“The Conservative Party may be being held hostage to Nigel Farage, but the EU never will be,” Sophie in ’t Veld, deputy to the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, told The Independent before condemning Mr Johnson’s “populist lies”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-plan-eu-deal-nigel-farage-tory-leadership-contest-a8959506.html
It’s the same with builders: you don’t want them bamboozling you with terms like ‘making good’ and ‘dovetail joint’ – it’s much better to have a plain-speaking one that says, ‘I’ve accidentally smashed your wall down’
Maybe this is a joyful way to hold the competition to be prime minister – by copying The X Factor and for the first few weeks showing all the hopeless idiots. Where the producers have slipped up, though, is in that the most hilariously embarrassing knobheads are being put through to the next round.
One contestant, who’s always been adamant there should be no forgiveness for anyone who ever took drugs, had to confess he spent a chunk of his youth enjoying drugs. He dismissed this as it was a while ago, which is fair enough as long as it was so long ago it came outside the time of “ever”.
To his credit, this behaviour represents an almost artistic level of hypocrisy, as if it turned out David Attenborough builds a house every day out of plastic and then pushes it into the sea.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/boris-johnson-prime-minister-tory-leadership-drugs-cocaine-a8957801.html
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/boris-johnson-insists-oct-31-brexit-is-perfectly-realistic-as-hes-quizzed-on-past-gaffes-125209584.html
GENEVA (Reuters) - Supporters of Brexit are "completely wrong" if they think recourse to an obscure trade rule will stop tariffs springing up overnight if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday.
Some British politicians have suggested that in the event of a "no deal Brexit", Article 24 of the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade can be invoked to keep Britain and the EU trading without tariffs.
"It is completely wrong," Malmstrom told Reuters.
"They will have to trade with us and other countries, until there are trade agreements - and we hope that will be a trade agreement - on the 'most favoured nation' basis. And that will mean new tariffs."
The "most favoured nation" basis is a misnomer because it means no special treatment.
Trade experts have repeatedly poured cold water on the idea that Article 24 could soften the economic blow of a "no deal" Brexit, but they say the claim keeps resurfacing.
Article 24 is a clause in the WTO rules that countries can use if they agree to a trade deal and want to declare an interim trade agreement, along with a plan and a timeframe for the full deal to take shape.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage wrote in February in the pro-Brexit Daily Telegraph that "if we apply to the WTO, and Article 24 of the GATT Treaty is used with both the consent of us and the EU, we would have a minimum of two years with no tariffs and quotas during which a trade deal could be concluded".
On Monday, a former leader of Britain's governing Conservative party, Iain Duncan Smith, explained in the same paper why he was backing Boris Johnson to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.
"Boris... believes that we should offer a trade deal and, while that is being negotiated, we should seek an implementation agreement with the EU under which we will both go to the WTO and invoke Article 24, which allows us to continue tariff free trade until the final deal is agreed," he wrote.
Trade lawyers are exasperated that the Article 24 idea keeps resurfacing, calling it a "misrepresentation" and "utter nonsense", while May has said it is "perhaps not quite as simple as some may have understood it to be".
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/no-hope-avoiding-tariffs-no-160644797.html
Our current position, as EU members is that we conduct trade on a tariff free, frictionless basis with the other members. The EU also has in place trade deals with around 70 countries, that we access through our membership.
In addition we are able to trade with the rest of the world on WTO terms, which involves tariffs.
A WTO Brexit would mean trading with the whole world on WTO terms. How could this be a plan?
If we did this we would be the only country in the world in this position.
Tim Martin the Wetherspoons resident Brexit genius has mentioned many times that on leaving the EU we could negotiate a trade deal with New Zealand and remove the current tariffs. He seems to see this as a massive benefit.
Just to get this into perspective this would mean a saving of 13p per litre by removing the tariff, He claims that this would be a benefit to the UK consumer, but would UK businesses really pass this saving on to the consumer, or just make additional profits?
If they did pass the saving on, would the consumer notice that they had saved around 2p per glass?
When you take into account that there is already a charge of £3 per litre excise duty, and 20% vat, which wouldnt change, his whole argument becomes nonsense.
In addition to this, if our proposed trade deal with New Zealand included tariff free lamb, then our sheep farmers go out of business. Hardly a sensible plan.
Fishing has come up as a topic on this thread a number of times.
Always brought up by Brexit supporters pointing out that leaving the common fisheries means we disallow EU vessels from fishing in our waters, and always failing to acknowledge that we also fish in their waters.
Well I listened to a debate the other night where it was pointed out that one of our fleets sells 80% of its catch to France.
The tariffs on fish post a WTO Brexit would be 20%
So two things happen, firstly our fish become less competitively priced because of the tariff, and secondly the French gain more capacity through our inability to fish in their waters. So they can catch the fish that we would usually catch.
You would have to suspect that French businesses, in the longer term would increase their own capacity, and seek to source the same fish elsewhere in Europe to avoid the tariffs. Meaning we lose a market.
Being able to catch more fish, but being unable to sell them is not necessarily progress.
Tariffs undoubtedly increase costs to consumers.
There is an argument put forward by Farage, the ERG, and others that we could remove all tariffs, and therefore reduce prices for consumers.
Tariffs are usually removed by negotiating free trade deals, which normally take years to finalise.
One advantage of tariffs is that they can be used to protect particular industries. So by removing tariffs we would put some industries at risk.
The removal of all tariffs could therefore protect consumers, but lose jobs.
Advantages are clearly gained by countries where poor working conditions, and low wages are the norm.
For example it is much cheaper to make a pair of trousers in Bangladesh, than the UK.
If we just removed tariffs full stop, WTO rules don't allow differentiation, so we would have to remove the same tariffs, for every country.
If we did this there would be no obligation for other countries to reciprocate.
If we didn't our prices have to increase.
The majority of UK based foreign manufacturers have set up in the UK, to access the EU market, and avoid tariffs.
What happens when circumstances change?
So to recap, WTO means tariffs, tariffs mean higher prices, trade deals take years, just removing tariffs puts our trade at a disadvantage, some industries and jobs at risk.
More wool is being pulled over the eyes of the general public than during the referendum campaign.
To swap what we have now for a WTO Brexit seems idiotic?
The taoiseach (Irish prime minister) has said removing the backstop from the Withdrawal Agreement, would be "effectively the same as no deal".
Leo Varadkar was responding to comments from some candidates seeking to replace Theresa May as prime minister.
"The difficulties we have with a time limit, is effectively you are saying there will or could be a hard border once that time limit expires - that isn't a backstop," he said.
"The fact that the failure of the House Of Commons to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement somehow means they are going to get a better deal, that is just not how the European Union works," he said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48647656
The Sunday Times says Boris Johnson's progress towards Downing Street appears inexorable as his most senior rivals begin circling for jobs in his cabinet.
It says three of Mr Johnson's rivals have used interviews with the paper to issue coded job applications.
Michael Gove has - we are told - offered himself as a potential communities secretary by outlining a plan to solve Britain's housing crisis.
Sajid Javid has auditioned to be chancellor - detailing plans for an emergency budget to stimulate the economy in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
And Dominic Raab has set out his stall as a possible home secretary, unveiling proposals for an Australian-style points system for immigration.
A number of papers report that Tories backing Mr Johnson's leadership bid have warned him that he must deliver Brexit by the Halloween deadline - or they will defect to the Brexit Party.
According to the Sun, he has been told patience is thin among the European Research Group of hardline Brexiteer MPs.
An unnamed former minister tells the Sunday Express that if the UK doesn't leave the EU on time, "the donors will be gone, the members will be gone and MPs will go".
According to the Sunday Telegraph's front page, Theresa May is attempting to ram through a £27bn cash boost for education before she leaves office, prompting a row with senior ministers who believe it is an attempt to bind Boris Johnson's hands.
It says government sources insist she's "still prime minister". But, the paper adds, Treasury officials believe the spending would be "immoral", as it could limit the ability of Mrs May's successor to deliver on their own pledges.
The Observer leads with a survey that, it says, suggests Britain is a more polarised and pessimistic nation than it has been for decades - torn apart by social class, geography and Brexit.
It adds that the survey - by the consultants BritainThinks - reveals an astonishing lack of faith in the political system, with less than 6% believing their politicians understand them.
BritainThinks polled more than 2,000 people and hosted several focus groups in London and Leicester to gauge the national mood.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-48650858
Exclusive: Grassroots consultation will be launched next month – with ‘overwhelming response in favour of a second referendum’ expected
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-brexit-referendum-party-members-survey-tom-watson-a8959396.html
‘I’m not going to pretend to you now that everything will be plain sailing, there will be difficulties’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-no-deal-brexit-damage-tory-leadership-speech-uk-us-a8955361.html