Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Tory government 'looking at' granting Australians freedom of movement denied to EU citizens after Brexit, cabinet minister Liz Truss says Liz Truss says she wants 'fully comprehensive trade deal' reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each others' countries
In all the papers this morning there's condemnation and revulsion at the behaviour of Bulgarian fans during the England game last night. "Disgusting" is the headline on the back page of the Daily Telegraph. The Guardian calls the supporters' antics "sickening". The Daily Mirror puts the story on its front page - calling what happened "Football's night of shame". The paper praises England players for taking a stand by threatening to walk off the pitch. The paper's columnist, Darren Lewis, says football has had decades to address the cancer of racism. He thinks countries guilty of racist behaviour should be thrown out of competitions. The Daily Express says "vile racists" may spout their hatred but England's 6-0 victory shows them they will never win. The Daily Mail's headline is "England - six. Racism - nil."
The Queen is pictured in all her finery on many of the front pages - as the papers report yesterday's Queen's Speech. The Daily Express calls the programme of legislation a "bold vision for Britain" and says it's time to start looking at the UK's bright future post-Brexit. The Sun believes Boris Johnson's message - "Get Brexit done and we can focus on on crime, the NHS and the environment " - will strike a chord with millions of voters. But the Daily Mirror damns the Speech as "a Conservative Party election broadcast proposing a series of incoherent ideas". The Financial Times believes the speech's timing was at best eccentric and at worst a ploy to tie up parliamentary time and prevent scrutiny of the government's Brexit strategy. The Telegraph maintains that there's "cautious optimism" from the UK and the EU that a Brexit deal appears to be taking shape. But, the paper says, the talks remain "on a knife edge". According to the Times, "an end is in sight" and the talks are likely to go to the wire.
The Guardian claims "welfare robots" could one day decide benefit claims and drive vulnerable people further into debt. The paper says it's discovered that the Department of Work and Pensions is building a "virtual workforce" to take over some of the jobs of humans using artificial intelligence. It quotes claimants as saying that civil servants are already in thrall to computer algorithms and unable to contradict the machine's verdicts. The DWP says automation is speeding up services and giving staff more time to offer support to those who need it. The National Farmer's Union has accused Tesco of "demonising meat" in an advert for vegan sausages, according to the Times. In the TV advertisement a girl tells her father that she wants to stop eating animals. He cooks her meat-free Tesco sausages and talks about his love for his daughter. The NFU says the ad could undermine efforts to encourage children to eat a balanced diet and has caused significant distress to British farmers. The Mirror, the Times and the Daily Express all tell the story of Margaret Ford who has just published her first novel at the age of 93. "A Daughter's Choice" is inspired by 633 wartime love letters from her late husband, Jim, and is based on her early life in Lancashire. Mr Ford wrote her three letters a day while serving with the Border Regiment. She has more letters and hopes to write a sequel.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Conservatives’ ‘crackdown on foreign criminals’ would affect 10 people a year, figures show Proposed law would give harsher punishments to foreign citizens who violate deportation orders, but few are convicted of crime
A new law the home secretary claimed would crack down on foreign criminals and “make our country safer” currently applies to an average of 10 people a year, figures reveal. Priti Patel said the government would increase the punishment for breaching deportation orders to “deter foreign criminals from returning to the UK”.
But official statistics analysed by The Independent show that only a handful of people have been convicted of the crime in recent years.
Only four people were prosecuted for entering the UK in breach of a deportation order in 2013, with the figure rising to 28 last year. The annual average is 10 prosecutions a year.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Tory government 'looking at' granting Australians freedom of movement denied to EU citizens after Brexit, cabinet minister Liz Truss says Liz Truss says she wants 'fully comprehensive trade deal' reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each others' countries
I can’t believe a minister would say this, it’s astonishing- “ Reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each other’s Countries” whilst simultaneously riding on the “ End freedom of movement for EU nationals” boat . I think I may puke.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Tory government 'looking at' granting Australians freedom of movement denied to EU citizens after Brexit, cabinet minister Liz Truss says Liz Truss says she wants 'fully comprehensive trade deal' reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each others' countries
I can’t believe a minister would say this, it’s astonishing- “ Reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each other’s Countries” whilst simultaneously riding on the “ End freedom of movement for EU nationals” boat . I think I may puke.
India are also demanding an increase in visas to be included in any trade deal.
This will presumably make those of the Brexit voters that are racist, sick.
Controlling our borders would seem to mean swapping EU immigrants for those from elsewhere, or in the case of Ireland not having one.
It is really hard to see any gains from Brexit, but the losses are obvious.
No wonder it seems impossible to get a leave voter to point to a single tangible way in which they expect their life to improve, post Brexit.
India to demand MORE immigration as part of post-Brexit trade deal INDIA will demand that the UK opens its doors to more Indian workers in exchange for a lucrative trade deal.
Politicians and business leaders have said the number of Visas handed out to Indian nationals will be top of the agenda for the talks as Theresa May tries to secure a post-Brexit agreement.
Chandrajit Banerjee, head of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said: “It is very important for business that people have more access to work in Britain, and this will be a key demand in any trade talks.”
The Indian government is already involved in complex negotiations with the EU over trade which have dragged out for a decade, with the bloc refusing to grant India 50,000 working visas in exchange for trade.
The Brexit negotiations over the last two and half years have led to many more questions than answers.
I think that the opinion that "everyone knew what they were voting for" has been proven to have been completely bogus.
As are the will of the people, and democracy, claims.
Did everyone, particularly the people of NI, understand the border implications?
If they did then how could any of them at all, vote to leave?
Some of the products that are manufactured in NI, cross the border 8 times during the course of production.
Tariffs will make it impossible for many of these businesses to survive.
They will surely face a choice of relocating across the border, or closing down.
How many jobs will move across the border?
How many businesses will have to relocate before a United Ireland becomes preferable?
There is a growing momentum for Scottish Independence according to the polls.
I clearly recall the UK Government vociferously arguing that a "Yes" vote in their last referendum would lead to them being kicked out of the EU.
This may have swayed many voters.
It seems that many voters in Scotland see remaining part of the EU, as preferable to remaining part of the UK.
Both Scotland and NI, voted in favour of remaining, and polls in Wales show that the majority are now in agreement.
Did the racist leave voters think that the ending of Freedom of Movement, would mean just as many immigrants coming in from elsewhere, or did they think that immigration would be stopped?
Were they aware that they were voting to break up the UK?
Did they realise that they were voting to damage the economy?
What about voting to lose good jobs?
A vote to decimate UK manufacturing, in the longer term?
How many manufacturers will choose to relocate to Europe to avoid tariffs, and the end of frictionless trade?
There was a survey conducted after the referendum that gave many leave voters the hump, the conclusion of this was that the majority of the leave voters were poorly educated, in comparison to remain voters.
I think that everything that has transpired since, backs this survey.
The biggest problem is that the referendum was so heated, and divisive, very few of them will admit they were wrong and back down.
It would seem foolish to cause the economic self harm, just because a small majority of the electorate voted for it, rather than have a rethink.
The so called will of the people is sending us over a cliff.
Those that it is likely to hurt the most, will be those that voted for it.
The Guardian says Boris Johnson has made "major concessions" in Brexit talks and that "negotiating teams have agreed in principle that there will be a customs border down the Irish Sea". It quotes senior EU and British sources as saying that a draft text of the agreement could be published on Wednesday, if Downing Street gives the final green light. The Financial Times reports that the prime minister has been haggling with the DUP's leader, Arlene Foster, about a big cash payment for Northern Ireland to secure her support. The Daily Telegraph says Mr Johnson is increasingly optimistic that a deal could be agreed by both the EU and Parliament before the end of the week. The paper's cartoonist, Matt, sums it all up, showing a baffled woman confronted with a billboard reading: "Only 70 Brexit crunch days to Christmas".
Several papers report that the British Legion's red poppy will this year, for the first time, be used to remember civilian victims of war and of acts of terrorism. A spokesman for the Legion says the organisation wants to make sure people know it reflects the views and values of modern Britain. The Guardian says the change is a sensitive issue for the charity. It's been criticised by the pacifist campaign group, the Peace Pledge Union, which sells white poppies and opposes military marches at remembrance ceremonies. The Times reports research suggesting that living in an area with high pollution could worsen the memory as much as ageing 10 years. The study of 34,000 people across England measured levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate pollution from exhaust fumes and other sources. The scientists didn't prove that air quality caused affected memory but believe they ruled out other factors. An academic from Warwick University tells the paper: "When it comes to remembering a string of words, a 50-year-old in polluted Chelsea performs like a 60-year-old who lives in relatively unpolluted Plymouth." The Guardian reports on the latest efforts to repatriate the remains of James Joyce and his wife from Zurich to Dublin, more than 70 years after the author's death.
The Brexit negotiations over the last two and half years have led to many more questions than answers.
I think that the opinion that "everyone knew what they were voting for" has been proven to have been completely bogus.
As are the will of the people, and democracy, claims.
Did everyone, particularly the people of NI, understand the border implications?
If they did then how could any of them at all, vote to leave?
Some of the products that are manufactured in NI, cross the border 8 times during the course of production.
Tariffs will make it impossible for many of these businesses to survive.
They will surely face a choice of relocating across the border, or closing down.
How many jobs will move across the border?
How many businesses will have to relocate before a United Ireland becomes preferable?
There is a growing momentum for Scottish Independence according to the polls.
I clearly recall the UK Government vociferously arguing that a "Yes" vote in their last referendum would lead to them being kicked out of the EU.
This may have swayed many voters.
It seems that many voters in Scotland see remaining part of the EU, as preferable to remaining part of the UK.
Both Scotland and NI, voted in favour of remaining, and polls in Wales show that the majority are now in agreement.
Did the racist leave voters think that the ending of Freedom of Movement, would mean just as many immigrants coming in from elsewhere, or did they think that immigration would be stopped?
Were they aware that they were voting to break up the UK?
Did they realise that they were voting to damage the economy?
What about voting to lose good jobs?
A vote to decimate UK manufacturing, in the longer term?
How many manufacturers will choose to relocate to Europe to avoid tariffs, and the end of frictionless trade?
There was a survey conducted after the referendum that gave many leave voters the hump, the conclusion of this was that the majority of the leave voters were poorly educated, in comparison to remain voters.
I think that everything that has transpired since, backs this survey.
The biggest problem is that the referendum was so heated, and divisive, very few of them will admit they were wrong and back down.
It would seem foolish to cause the economic self harm, just because a small majority of the electorate voted for it, rather than have a rethink.
The so called will of the people is sending us over a cliff.
Those that it is likely to hurt the most, will be those that voted for it.
Brexit raises spectre of dearer Guinness and Baileys Extra costs and complexity of trade highlighted by Diageo drinks crossing Irish border many times during production process
Each year the company makes 13,000 beer-related border crossings in Ireland and Guinness contingency plans estimate the delays could amount to €1.3m in additional costs a year.
Diageo would either be forced to absorb that cost or pass it on to the consumer by raising the cost of a pint. All Guinness consumed in Britain has been produced in Dublin since Diageo closed the Park Royal operation in north-west London 12 years ago.
Another brand owned by Diageo, Baileys liqueur, is also of concern in Ireland as some of its ingredients cross the border with Northern Ireland three times before its journey to Britain.
The majority of cream from dairy milk in Baileys is produced in the Republic but Diageo confirmed that some comes from farms in Northern Ireland. The finished product is then sent to Belfast for bottling before returning to Dublin for export.
All-island Irish businesses that have flourished since the disappearance of the border when the single market came into being in 1993 are now facing up to the cost of Brexit.
The Northern Ireland director for Dairy UK told the Northern Ireland affairs committee this year that farms would “go out of business” if barriers to trade on the island were introduced.
About 25% of Northern Irish milk goes south of the border to be processed, with cheese from the Republic going north to be packaged and exported again through Dublin Port. If tariffs are introduced those journeys may no longer be viable with margins so tight in the food sector.
The Freight Transport Association in Belfast says nearly all food exports in Northern Ireland will impacted because so much of the produce from the six counties is exported through Dublin Port to Holyhead, the gateway for Britain and beyond. It is favoured by fresh food producers across Northern Ireland because it offers the quickest route to food processors in Wales and the midlands or supermarket shelves in Manchester, Birmingham and London. “We have suppliers here who have meat which leaves here at 6.30pm and is in south east England at 6.30am the next day,” said Seamus Leheny, head of policy for Northern Ireland for the FTA. “Some of these suppliers are now having to consider whether they can continue withe meat processing here or whether they move it to the UK.” Kegs of draft Guinness being exported to the UK will also be impacted with customs expected to be reintroduced at Holyhead.
Like all big name exporters, however, they are expected to continue with “trusted trader” status which will rule out random customs checks.
The Brexit negotiations over the last two and half years have led to many more questions than answers.
I think that the opinion that "everyone knew what they were voting for" has been proven to have been completely bogus.
As are the will of the people, and democracy, claims.
Did everyone, particularly the people of NI, understand the border implications?
If they did then how could any of them at all, vote to leave?
Some of the products that are manufactured in NI, cross the border 8 times during the course of production.
Tariffs will make it impossible for many of these businesses to survive.
They will surely face a choice of relocating across the border, or closing down.
How many jobs will move across the border?
How many businesses will have to relocate before a United Ireland becomes preferable?
There is a growing momentum for Scottish Independence according to the polls.
I clearly recall the UK Government vociferously arguing that a "Yes" vote in their last referendum would lead to them being kicked out of the EU.
This may have swayed many voters.
It seems that many voters in Scotland see remaining part of the EU, as preferable to remaining part of the UK.
Both Scotland and NI, voted in favour of remaining, and polls in Wales show that the majority are now in agreement.
Did the racist leave voters think that the ending of Freedom of Movement, would mean just as many immigrants coming in from elsewhere, or did they think that immigration would be stopped?
Were they aware that they were voting to break up the UK?
Did they realise that they were voting to damage the economy?
What about voting to lose good jobs?
A vote to decimate UK manufacturing, in the longer term?
How many manufacturers will choose to relocate to Europe to avoid tariffs, and the end of frictionless trade?
There was a survey conducted after the referendum that gave many leave voters the hump, the conclusion of this was that the majority of the leave voters were poorly educated, in comparison to remain voters.
I think that everything that has transpired since, backs this survey.
The biggest problem is that the referendum was so heated, and divisive, very few of them will admit they were wrong and back down.
It would seem foolish to cause the economic self harm, just because a small majority of the electorate voted for it, rather than have a rethink.
The so called will of the people is sending us over a cliff.
Those that it is likely to hurt the most, will be those that voted for it.
Brexit: A day in the life of an Irish Border crossing
The Brexit negotiations over the last two and half years have led to many more questions than answers.
I think that the opinion that "everyone knew what they were voting for" has been proven to have been completely bogus.
As are the will of the people, and democracy, claims.
Did everyone, particularly the people of NI, understand the border implications?
If they did then how could any of them at all, vote to leave?
Some of the products that are manufactured in NI, cross the border 8 times during the course of production.
Tariffs will make it impossible for many of these businesses to survive.
They will surely face a choice of relocating across the border, or closing down.
How many jobs will move across the border?
How many businesses will have to relocate before a United Ireland becomes preferable?
There is a growing momentum for Scottish Independence according to the polls.
I clearly recall the UK Government vociferously arguing that a "Yes" vote in their last referendum would lead to them being kicked out of the EU.
This may have swayed many voters.
It seems that many voters in Scotland see remaining part of the EU, as preferable to remaining part of the UK.
Both Scotland and NI, voted in favour of remaining, and polls in Wales show that the majority are now in agreement.
Did the racist leave voters think that the ending of Freedom of Movement, would mean just as many immigrants coming in from elsewhere, or did they think that immigration would be stopped?
Were they aware that they were voting to break up the UK?
Did they realise that they were voting to damage the economy?
What about voting to lose good jobs?
A vote to decimate UK manufacturing, in the longer term?
How many manufacturers will choose to relocate to Europe to avoid tariffs, and the end of frictionless trade?
There was a survey conducted after the referendum that gave many leave voters the hump, the conclusion of this was that the majority of the leave voters were poorly educated, in comparison to remain voters.
I think that everything that has transpired since, backs this survey.
The biggest problem is that the referendum was so heated, and divisive, very few of them will admit they were wrong and back down.
It would seem foolish to cause the economic self harm, just because a small majority of the electorate voted for it, rather than have a rethink.
The so called will of the people is sending us over a cliff.
Those that it is likely to hurt the most, will be those that voted for it.
Staying in EU still best solution by far for Irish border
A specific area of trade where leaving the EU seems particularly pointless is the agri-food industry, in which products typically cross the border several times during manufacture. Here the government is proposing “regulatory equivalence on agri-food measures” between the UK and EU. In reality this means the UK will largely follow Brussels’ lead, since the EU is the bigger player and, as a current member of the single market, the UK is already adhering to EU standards anyway. This necessity to follow EU standards to prevent border checks could potentially spill into other industries in future – a blow for Brexiters hoping to unshackle themselves from European regulations. But the most futile aspect of these new Irish border plans is the consequences for the UK’s fight against terrorism. A recurrent argument made by Brexiters during the referendum campaign was that Islamist terrorists who may have slipped into the EU’s borderless Schengen area during the migrant crisis could lie low, gain EU citizenship after a few years and then travel unhindered to the UK and commit atrocities on British streets. The UK, Brexiters cried, must take back control of its borders.
The front pages are dominated by the ongoing negotiations in Brussels. "Brexit on a knife edge" is the headline for both the Times and the Daily Mirror, which reports that Boris Johnson's plans for a new deal are "hanging in the balance". The Guardian says the prime minister is engaged in a "last-minute scramble" as he tries to secure the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party. Other papers choose similar language to reflect the scale of the challenge facing Mr Johnson. The Daily Telegraph has an unusual headline: "Brexit is like the Shawshank Redemption... but now we can see the light". It is a quote from comments Boris Johnson made to his cabinet yesterday - where he compared the process of leaving the EU to a film about a prisoner who escapes jail by crawling through a sewer.
For the Financial Times, he's fighting "an uphill battle" as he tries to win support not just from the DUP but also from hardline Brexiteers in his own party. Boris Johnson "would prefer to govern in poetry" says the FT, but yesterday he was given a stark reminder that he had "no alternative but to govern in prose". The i newspaper says there's "deadlock" - just hours before a crucial EU summit. The Daily Mail agrees that the DUP "could still scupper" his chances - but after "1,210 days of dithering, delay and doom" the paper thinks Mr Johnson is now "tantalisingly close" to getting an agreement. For the Daily Express he's closing in on a deal "against all the odds" But according to the Sun, the DUP have indicated that they could hold out for months. A party source has told the paper that "they're ready to play the long game" with the real deadline set for next summer when the EU will sign off its next budget. The headline: "Stuck in the muddle with EU."
The Daily Express says former prime minister Theresa May used a speech in the Commons yesterday to take a "thinly veiled swipe" at her successor. Giving her reaction to Monday's Queen's Speech, Mrs May said it was important to recognise that being a good leader wasn't only about getting the best headlines. The i says her intervention was widely seen as a "coded warning" to the prime minister not to "put style over substance". Brexit bubbly Meanwhile, the i reports on a small French business, looking to capitalise on Brexit by selling limited-edition bottles of sparkling wine. The fizz, available in both a white and rose variety, contains flakes of real gold, and is available online for £138. The specially-engraved label reads "Brexit - We Made History". The owner of the company tells the paper that a French businessman has bought several bottles to present to his British clients - to help "inject some humour" into the UKs exit from the EU.
A number of the papers reflect comments made by the Culture Secretary, Nicky Morgan, about the future of the licence fee. Mrs Morgan said yesterday that she was "open-minded" about the possibility of scrapping the charge and replacing it with a Netflix-style subscription scheme. The Guardian points out that while funding is fixed for the next eight years, Mrs Morgan's remarks go further than those of any of her predecessors.
Finally, the Welsh steel town of Port Talbot is famous for its high concentration of Hollywood megastars - with both Richard Burton and Sir Antony Hopkins calling it home. Now, according to the Daily Mail, another of its celebrated actors thinks there's a new reason to put the town on the map... Michael Sheen is convinced it's a hotspot for UFOs. The paper says the actor told an audience in London that he's seen strange lights over the steelworks - and on separate occasions so have his dad and his next door neighbour. Sheen says he's sure Port Talbot must be a stop off on the way to other more renowned alien hotspots - likening the town to a layby, or "the Little Chef of the Galaxy"
So Boris and Junker saying a WA is done and agreed .. not sure how … I will be very surprised if it gets thru parliament he's already got the DUP saying NO the lib dems will vote it down in fact they will vote any deal down no matter what .. labour will only vote for it if there's a peoples vote attached to it... after booting out his own MPs and then some quitting cannot see him getting the majority he needs .. I still believe which ever way it pans out the UK is dammed if it does and dammed if it does not .. as for those saying the Brexit party will wipe the floor in a election there only policy as far as I can see is leave no deal and nothing else cannot run a country based on that I'm afraid...…… GL UK we are going to need it
"Knife-edge", "cliff-hanger" and "historic" are just some of the words used to describe the vote on the Brexit deal which will take place in the Commons on Saturday. "He's done his duty", declares the Daily Mail alongside a picture of Boris Johnson pointing directly at the camera, before adding: "Now MPs must do theirs." In a similar vein, the Sun's front page reads: "Get Real... Take the Deal." The paper says that, against all the odds and in defiance of his sneering critics, BoJo has pulled off a "miracle" Brexit deal. But it concedes that he has a mountain to climb in the Commons. "Just Do it!" is the headline in the Daily Express, which says its own online poll suggests a majority of voters want MPs to pass the deal.
The Times thinks the final hurdle is in sight but says the prime minister will spend the next 24 hours frantically trying to sell the deal to MPs. It believes the prime minister's chances depend in large part on how far he can win over Brexiteers who opposed Theresa May on three occasions. The paper urges MPs to bring a swift end to a four-year drama with those same words "Just Do It". But the Daily Mirror argues that just because there's an appetite to get Brexit sorted, it doesn't mean it should be done at any price. The paper argues that the deal is worse than Theresa May's and worse than what the UK has at the moment. The Telegraph believes MPs are being given a "my deal or no deal" ultimatum as Mr Johnson returns to London to take charge of what it describes as "an intense whipping operation". The paper warns Parliament not to scupper this chance, saying if MPs reject the deal it will officially be a case of Parliament versus the people.
The Guardian sums it up as "a numbers game" where the arithmetic looks daunting for the prime minister. The paper reports that Boris Johnson is hoping to frame tomorrow's House of Commons clash as a dramatic "new deal or no deal" moment - but EU leaders declined to come to his aid in Brussels, refusing to rule out any further delay to Brexit. "Johnson gets his deal" says the i - "now for the tricky part". The Financial Times thinks the deal is hanging in the balance without the support of the DUP. The paper warns against "Brexit fatigue" and suggests that voters have the final say on the new Brexit deal.
Terrible burns penetrating deep into the flesh of a 13-year-old boy add to a growing body of evidence that Turkey has used white phosphorus against Kurdish civilians, according to the Times. The paper admits that it is difficult to identify what caused such frightful burns, but one leading British expert, who was shown photographs taken by the paper, believes phosphorus could have been the cause. The Times says the effect of the chemical is so terrible that it is banned for use on civilian targets by the Geneva and Chemical Weapons conventions.
"Johnson edges towards victory", says the headline in the Daily Telegraph, which believes the prime minister is "within touching distance" of getting Parliament to support his Brexit deal today. It estimates Boris Johnson has secured 319 of the 320 Commons votes he needs for his new withdrawal agreement - with 312 MPs against and around eight undecided. The paper reckons 11 Labour MPs have now indicated they will back the deal, cancelling out the 10 DUP MPs set to reject it. In a warning to those Labour MPs, Matthew Parris in the Times writes that they risk becoming "Brexit's useful idiots". He argues "getting the deal over the line will allow Tory ideologists to create their vision of a stripped-down and deregulated state" - with fewer impediments to what he says Brexiteers see as "the animal spirits of a free-market economy". The Sun, however, says Labour moderates in Leave seats will be "heroes to their constituents if they make the right call". It says "all MPs must put aside self-interest now", and that Mr Johnson's deal is a "clever compromise" around which they can unite.
The Daily Mail features an opinion poll that suggests 50% of the public believe MPs should vote for the deal, compared with 38% who say they shouldn't. The poll was carried out by Survation, which interviewed more than 1,000 people online. The Financial Times focuses on what it calls the "fresh hurdle" before Mr Johnson - the amendment tabled by MP Sir Oliver Letwin, calling for a further Brexit extension. The FT says his amendment, to withhold parliamentary approval until all the legislation to implement Brexit has been approved, threatens to derail the PM's deal. The Guardian says it's likely to pass, with Labour and rebel Conservatives, including Philip Hammond and David Gauke, expected to back it. Sir Oliver insists his amendment, which the Mail terms "The Letwin Plot", is simply an "insurance policy" against no-deal by accident.
The Times is more concerned about the Gunpowder Plot - and continuing to commemorate it. It signals public opinion is turning against fireworks displays on Bonfire Night, amid concerns about the impact of loud bangs on pets, and people with a phobia. It quotes the charity, Combat Stress, which warns fireworks can be a source of anxiety for war veterans, because of the similarity between explosions and gunfire. It says they can learn to tolerate fireworks "by focusing on the differences". And finally, the Sun talks up Saturday night TV. In what it calls "Manbo Number Two", it reveals Strictly Come Dancing is to copy ITV's Dancing On Ice, with the show's first one-on-one same-sex dance next month. Italy's Graziano Di Prima and South African's Johannes Radebe will perform a "romantic one-on-one number, to Emeli Sande's "Shine". The Sun says it will be "a landmark moment", paving the way for a same-sex couple to enter the BBC show next year.
Comments
It was our policy to send a member of staff to Faro, to meet any arriving clients at the airport.
On a particular day in November we had only one couple arriving.
This couple were well known Scottish clients, with an uncanny resemblance to the Krankies.
The chap I sent to meet them was a fairly new sales rep, that turned out to be extremely naive.
I told him to head off to the airport to meet the Krankies, not believing for a minute that he would take this literally.
He actually produced a piece of cardboard on which he wrote "The Krankies", and held it aloft when the flight arrived.
He unbelievably seemed surprised as they exploded on sight of it.
We just about managed to calm them down by the time they left, a week later.
That is if you ignore Jeremy Corbyn.
Or just trying to appeal to Farage voters?
Liz Truss says she wants 'fully comprehensive trade deal' reflecting the fact that Britons and Australians want to live and work in each others' countries
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-freedom-movement-australia-immigration-uk-eu-citizens-boris-johnson-liz-truss-a9110076.html
In all the papers this morning there's condemnation and revulsion at the behaviour of Bulgarian fans during the England game last night.
"Disgusting" is the headline on the back page of the Daily Telegraph. The Guardian calls the supporters' antics "sickening".
The Daily Mirror puts the story on its front page - calling what happened "Football's night of shame". The paper praises England players for taking a stand by threatening to walk off the pitch.
The paper's columnist, Darren Lewis, says football has had decades to address the cancer of racism. He thinks countries guilty of racist behaviour should be thrown out of competitions.
The Daily Express says "vile racists" may spout their hatred but England's 6-0 victory shows them they will never win. The Daily Mail's headline is "England - six. Racism - nil."
The Queen is pictured in all her finery on many of the front pages - as the papers report yesterday's Queen's Speech.
The Daily Express calls the programme of legislation a "bold vision for Britain" and says it's time to start looking at the UK's bright future post-Brexit.
The Sun believes Boris Johnson's message - "Get Brexit done and we can focus on on crime, the NHS and the environment " - will strike a chord with millions of voters.
But the Daily Mirror damns the Speech as "a Conservative Party election broadcast proposing a series of incoherent ideas".
The Financial Times believes the speech's timing was at best eccentric and at worst a ploy to tie up parliamentary time and prevent scrutiny of the government's Brexit strategy.
The Telegraph maintains that there's "cautious optimism" from the UK and the EU that a Brexit deal appears to be taking shape. But, the paper says, the talks remain "on a knife edge".
According to the Times, "an end is in sight" and the talks are likely to go to the wire.
The Guardian claims "welfare robots" could one day decide benefit claims and drive vulnerable people further into debt. The paper says it's discovered that the Department of Work and Pensions is building a "virtual workforce" to take over some of the jobs of humans using artificial intelligence.
It quotes claimants as saying that civil servants are already in thrall to computer algorithms and unable to contradict the machine's verdicts. The DWP says automation is speeding up services and giving staff more time to offer support to those who need it.
The National Farmer's Union has accused Tesco of "demonising meat" in an advert for vegan sausages, according to the Times. In the TV advertisement a girl tells her father that she wants to stop eating animals.
He cooks her meat-free Tesco sausages and talks about his love for his daughter. The NFU says the ad could undermine efforts to encourage children to eat a balanced diet and has caused significant distress to British farmers.
The Mirror, the Times and the Daily Express all tell the story of Margaret Ford who has just published her first novel at the age of 93.
"A Daughter's Choice" is inspired by 633 wartime love letters from her late husband, Jim, and is based on her early life in Lancashire. Mr Ford wrote her three letters a day while serving with the Border Regiment. She has more letters and hopes to write a sequel.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50050024
Proposed law would give harsher punishments to foreign citizens who violate deportation orders, but few are convicted of crime
A new law the home secretary claimed would crack down on foreign criminals and “make our country safer” currently applies to an average of 10 people a year, figures reveal.
Priti Patel said the government would increase the punishment for breaching deportation orders to “deter foreign criminals from returning to the UK”.
But official statistics analysed by The Independent show that only a handful of people have been convicted of the crime in recent years.
Only four people were prosecuted for entering the UK in breach of a deportation order in 2013, with the figure rising to 28 last year. The annual average is 10 prosecutions a year.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queens-speech-foreign-criminals-brexit-eu-priti-patel-a9155801.html
I think I may puke.
This will presumably make those of the Brexit voters that are racist, sick.
Controlling our borders would seem to mean swapping EU immigrants for those from elsewhere, or in the case of Ireland not having one.
It is really hard to see any gains from Brexit, but the losses are obvious.
No wonder it seems impossible to get a leave voter to point to a single tangible way in which they expect their life to improve, post Brexit.
India to demand MORE immigration as part of post-Brexit trade deal
INDIA will demand that the UK opens its doors to more Indian workers in exchange for a lucrative trade deal.
Politicians and business leaders have said the number of Visas handed out to Indian nationals will be top of the agenda for the talks as Theresa May tries to secure a post-Brexit agreement.
Chandrajit Banerjee, head of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said: “It is very important for business that people have more access to work in Britain, and this will be a key demand in any trade talks.”
The Indian government is already involved in complex negotiations with the EU over trade which have dragged out for a decade, with the bloc refusing to grant India 50,000 working visas in exchange for trade.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/729075/post-Brexit-trade-deal-India-demand-MORE-immigration-post-Brexit-trade-deal
I think that the opinion that "everyone knew what they were voting for" has been proven to have been completely bogus.
As are the will of the people, and democracy, claims.
Did everyone, particularly the people of NI, understand the border implications?
If they did then how could any of them at all, vote to leave?
Some of the products that are manufactured in NI, cross the border 8 times during the course of production.
Tariffs will make it impossible for many of these businesses to survive.
They will surely face a choice of relocating across the border, or closing down.
How many jobs will move across the border?
How many businesses will have to relocate before a United Ireland becomes preferable?
There is a growing momentum for Scottish Independence according to the polls.
I clearly recall the UK Government vociferously arguing that a "Yes" vote in their last referendum would lead to them being kicked out of the EU.
This may have swayed many voters.
It seems that many voters in Scotland see remaining part of the EU, as preferable to remaining part of the UK.
Both Scotland and NI, voted in favour of remaining, and polls in Wales show that the majority are now in agreement.
Did the racist leave voters think that the ending of Freedom of Movement, would mean just as many immigrants coming in from elsewhere, or did they think that immigration would be stopped?
Were they aware that they were voting to break up the UK?
Did they realise that they were voting to damage the economy?
What about voting to lose good jobs?
A vote to decimate UK manufacturing, in the longer term?
How many manufacturers will choose to relocate to Europe to avoid tariffs, and the end of frictionless trade?
There was a survey conducted after the referendum that gave many leave voters the hump, the conclusion of this was that the majority of the leave voters were poorly educated, in comparison to remain voters.
I think that everything that has transpired since, backs this survey.
The biggest problem is that the referendum was so heated, and divisive, very few of them will admit they were wrong and back down.
It would seem foolish to cause the economic self harm, just because a small majority of the electorate voted for it, rather than have a rethink.
The so called will of the people is sending us over a cliff.
Those that it is likely to hurt the most, will be those that voted for it.
The Guardian says Boris Johnson has made "major concessions" in Brexit talks and that "negotiating teams have agreed in principle that there will be a customs border down the Irish Sea".
It quotes senior EU and British sources as saying that a draft text of the agreement could be published on Wednesday, if Downing Street gives the final green light.
The Financial Times reports that the prime minister has been haggling with the DUP's leader, Arlene Foster, about a big cash payment for Northern Ireland to secure her support.
The Daily Telegraph says Mr Johnson is increasingly optimistic that a deal could be agreed by both the EU and Parliament before the end of the week.
The paper's cartoonist, Matt, sums it all up, showing a baffled woman confronted with a billboard reading: "Only 70 Brexit crunch days to Christmas".
Several papers report that the British Legion's red poppy will this year, for the first time, be used to remember civilian victims of war and of acts of terrorism.
A spokesman for the Legion says the organisation wants to make sure people know it reflects the views and values of modern Britain.
The Guardian says the change is a sensitive issue for the charity. It's been criticised by the pacifist campaign group, the Peace Pledge Union, which sells white poppies and opposes military marches at remembrance ceremonies.
The Times reports research suggesting that living in an area with high pollution could worsen the memory as much as ageing 10 years. The study of 34,000 people across England measured levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate pollution from exhaust fumes and other sources.
The scientists didn't prove that air quality caused affected memory but believe they ruled out other factors. An academic from Warwick University tells the paper: "When it comes to remembering a string of words, a 50-year-old in polluted Chelsea performs like a 60-year-old who lives in relatively unpolluted Plymouth."
The Guardian reports on the latest efforts to repatriate the remains of James Joyce and his wife from Zurich to Dublin, more than 70 years after the author's death.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50064165
Brexit raises spectre of dearer Guinness and Baileys
Extra costs and complexity of trade highlighted by Diageo drinks crossing Irish border many times during production process
Each year the company makes 13,000 beer-related border crossings in Ireland and Guinness contingency plans estimate the delays could amount to €1.3m in additional costs a year.
Diageo would either be forced to absorb that cost or pass it on to the consumer by raising the cost of a pint.
All Guinness consumed in Britain has been produced in Dublin since Diageo closed the Park Royal operation in north-west London 12 years ago.
Another brand owned by Diageo, Baileys liqueur, is also of concern in Ireland as some of its ingredients cross the border with Northern Ireland three times before its journey to Britain.
The majority of cream from dairy milk in Baileys is produced in the Republic but Diageo confirmed that some comes from farms in Northern Ireland. The finished product is then sent to Belfast for bottling before returning to Dublin for export.
All-island Irish businesses that have flourished since the disappearance of the border when the single market came into being in 1993 are now facing up to the cost of Brexit.
The Northern Ireland director for Dairy UK told the Northern Ireland affairs committee this year that farms would “go out of business” if barriers to trade on the island were introduced.
About 25% of Northern Irish milk goes south of the border to be processed, with cheese from the Republic going north to be packaged and exported again through Dublin Port. If tariffs are introduced those journeys may no longer be viable with margins so tight in the food sector.
The Freight Transport Association in Belfast says nearly all food exports in Northern Ireland will impacted because so much of the produce from the six counties is exported through Dublin Port to Holyhead, the gateway for Britain and beyond.
It is favoured by fresh food producers across Northern Ireland because it offers the quickest route to food processors in Wales and the midlands or supermarket shelves in Manchester, Birmingham and London.
“We have suppliers here who have meat which leaves here at 6.30pm and is in south east England at 6.30am the next day,” said Seamus Leheny, head of policy for Northern Ireland for the FTA.
“Some of these suppliers are now having to consider whether they can continue withe meat processing here or whether they move it to the UK.”
Kegs of draft Guinness being exported to the UK will also be impacted with customs expected to be reintroduced at Holyhead.
Like all big name exporters, however, they are expected to continue with “trusted trader” status which will rule out random customs checks.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/apr/07/brexit-raises-spectre-dearer-guinness-baileys
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/brexit-a-day-in-the-life-of-an-irish-border-crossing-1.4040102
Staying in EU still best solution by far for Irish border
A specific area of trade where leaving the EU seems particularly pointless is the agri-food industry, in which products typically cross the border several times during manufacture. Here the government is proposing “regulatory equivalence on agri-food measures” between the UK and EU. In reality this means the UK will largely follow Brussels’ lead, since the EU is the bigger player and, as a current member of the single market, the UK is already adhering to EU standards anyway. This necessity to follow EU standards to prevent border checks could potentially spill into other industries in future – a blow for Brexiters hoping to unshackle themselves from European regulations.
But the most futile aspect of these new Irish border plans is the consequences for the UK’s fight against terrorism. A recurrent argument made by Brexiters during the referendum campaign was that Islamist terrorists who may have slipped into the EU’s borderless Schengen area during the migrant crisis could lie low, gain EU citizenship after a few years and then travel unhindered to the UK and commit atrocities on British streets. The UK, Brexiters cried, must take back control of its borders.
https://infacts.org/staying-eu-still-best-solution-far-irish-border/
The Prime Minister is trying to sell a deal he described last year as a "monstrosity"
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-discovers-bad-deal-20589448
The front pages are dominated by the ongoing negotiations in Brussels.
"Brexit on a knife edge" is the headline for both the Times and the Daily Mirror, which reports that Boris Johnson's plans for a new deal are "hanging in the balance".
The Guardian says the prime minister is engaged in a "last-minute scramble" as he tries to secure the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party.
Other papers choose similar language to reflect the scale of the challenge facing Mr Johnson.
The Daily Telegraph has an unusual headline: "Brexit is like the Shawshank Redemption... but now we can see the light".
It is a quote from comments Boris Johnson made to his cabinet yesterday - where he compared the process of leaving the EU to a film about a prisoner who escapes jail by crawling through a sewer.
For the Financial Times, he's fighting "an uphill battle" as he tries to win support not just from the DUP but also from hardline Brexiteers in his own party.
Boris Johnson "would prefer to govern in poetry" says the FT, but yesterday he was given a stark reminder that he had "no alternative but to govern in prose".
The i newspaper says there's "deadlock" - just hours before a crucial EU summit.
The Daily Mail agrees that the DUP "could still scupper" his chances - but after "1,210 days of dithering, delay and doom" the paper thinks Mr Johnson is now "tantalisingly close" to getting an agreement.
For the Daily Express he's closing in on a deal "against all the odds"
But according to the Sun, the DUP have indicated that they could hold out for months.
A party source has told the paper that "they're ready to play the long game" with the real deadline set for next summer when the EU will sign off its next budget. The headline: "Stuck in the muddle with EU."
The Daily Express says former prime minister Theresa May used a speech in the Commons yesterday to take a "thinly veiled swipe" at her successor.
Giving her reaction to Monday's Queen's Speech, Mrs May said it was important to recognise that being a good leader wasn't only about getting the best headlines.
The i says her intervention was widely seen as a "coded warning" to the prime minister not to "put style over substance".
Brexit bubbly
Meanwhile, the i reports on a small French business, looking to capitalise on Brexit by selling limited-edition bottles of sparkling wine.
The fizz, available in both a white and rose variety, contains flakes of real gold, and is available online for £138. The specially-engraved label reads "Brexit - We Made History".
The owner of the company tells the paper that a French businessman has bought several bottles to present to his British clients - to help "inject some humour" into the UKs exit from the EU.
A number of the papers reflect comments made by the Culture Secretary, Nicky Morgan, about the future of the licence fee.
Mrs Morgan said yesterday that she was "open-minded" about the possibility of scrapping the charge and replacing it with a Netflix-style subscription scheme.
The Guardian points out that while funding is fixed for the next eight years, Mrs Morgan's remarks go further than those of any of her predecessors.
Finally, the Welsh steel town of Port Talbot is famous for its high concentration of Hollywood megastars - with both Richard Burton and Sir Antony Hopkins calling it home.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, another of its celebrated actors thinks there's a new reason to put the town on the map... Michael Sheen is convinced it's a hotspot for UFOs.
The paper says the actor told an audience in London that he's seen strange lights over the steelworks - and on separate occasions so have his dad and his next door neighbour.
Sheen says he's sure Port Talbot must be a stop off on the way to other more renowned alien hotspots - likening the town to a layby, or "the Little Chef of the Galaxy"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50077233
"Knife-edge", "cliff-hanger" and "historic" are just some of the words used to describe the vote on the Brexit deal which will take place in the Commons on Saturday.
"He's done his duty", declares the Daily Mail alongside a picture of Boris Johnson pointing directly at the camera, before adding: "Now MPs must do theirs."
In a similar vein, the Sun's front page reads: "Get Real... Take the Deal."
The paper says that, against all the odds and in defiance of his sneering critics, BoJo has pulled off a "miracle" Brexit deal. But it concedes that he has a mountain to climb in the Commons.
"Just Do it!" is the headline in the Daily Express, which says its own online poll suggests a majority of voters want MPs to pass the deal.
The Times thinks the final hurdle is in sight but says the prime minister will spend the next 24 hours frantically trying to sell the deal to MPs.
It believes the prime minister's chances depend in large part on how far he can win over Brexiteers who opposed Theresa May on three occasions. The paper urges MPs to bring a swift end to a four-year drama with those same words "Just Do It".
But the Daily Mirror argues that just because there's an appetite to get Brexit sorted, it doesn't mean it should be done at any price. The paper argues that the deal is worse than Theresa May's and worse than what the UK has at the moment.
The Telegraph believes MPs are being given a "my deal or no deal" ultimatum as Mr Johnson returns to London to take charge of what it describes as "an intense whipping operation".
The paper warns Parliament not to scupper this chance, saying if MPs reject the deal it will officially be a case of Parliament versus the people.
The Guardian sums it up as "a numbers game" where the arithmetic looks daunting for the prime minister.
The paper reports that Boris Johnson is hoping to frame tomorrow's House of Commons clash as a dramatic "new deal or no deal" moment - but EU leaders declined to come to his aid in Brussels, refusing to rule out any further delay to Brexit.
"Johnson gets his deal" says the i - "now for the tricky part".
The Financial Times thinks the deal is hanging in the balance without the support of the DUP. The paper warns against "Brexit fatigue" and suggests that voters have the final say on the new Brexit deal.
Terrible burns penetrating deep into the flesh of a 13-year-old boy add to a growing body of evidence that Turkey has used white phosphorus against Kurdish civilians, according to the Times.
The paper admits that it is difficult to identify what caused such frightful burns, but one leading British expert, who was shown photographs taken by the paper, believes phosphorus could have been the cause.
The Times says the effect of the chemical is so terrible that it is banned for use on civilian targets by the Geneva and Chemical Weapons conventions.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50092250
"Johnson edges towards victory", says the headline in the Daily Telegraph, which believes the prime minister is "within touching distance" of getting Parliament to support his Brexit deal today.
It estimates Boris Johnson has secured 319 of the 320 Commons votes he needs for his new withdrawal agreement - with 312 MPs against and around eight undecided.
The paper reckons 11 Labour MPs have now indicated they will back the deal, cancelling out the 10 DUP MPs set to reject it.
In a warning to those Labour MPs, Matthew Parris in the Times writes that they risk becoming "Brexit's useful idiots".
He argues "getting the deal over the line will allow Tory ideologists to create their vision of a stripped-down and deregulated state" - with fewer impediments to what he says Brexiteers see as "the animal spirits of a free-market economy".
The Sun, however, says Labour moderates in Leave seats will be "heroes to their constituents if they make the right call".
It says "all MPs must put aside self-interest now", and that Mr Johnson's deal is a "clever compromise" around which they can unite.
The Daily Mail features an opinion poll that suggests 50% of the public believe MPs should vote for the deal, compared with 38% who say they shouldn't.
The poll was carried out by Survation, which interviewed more than 1,000 people online.
The Financial Times focuses on what it calls the "fresh hurdle" before Mr Johnson - the amendment tabled by MP Sir Oliver Letwin, calling for a further Brexit extension.
The FT says his amendment, to withhold parliamentary approval until all the legislation to implement Brexit has been approved, threatens to derail the PM's deal.
The Guardian says it's likely to pass, with Labour and rebel Conservatives, including Philip Hammond and David Gauke, expected to back it.
Sir Oliver insists his amendment, which the Mail terms "The Letwin Plot", is simply an "insurance policy" against no-deal by accident.
The Times is more concerned about the Gunpowder Plot - and continuing to commemorate it.
It signals public opinion is turning against fireworks displays on Bonfire Night, amid concerns about the impact of loud bangs on pets, and people with a phobia.
It quotes the charity, Combat Stress, which warns fireworks can be a source of anxiety for war veterans, because of the similarity between explosions and gunfire.
It says they can learn to tolerate fireworks "by focusing on the differences".
And finally, the Sun talks up Saturday night TV.
In what it calls "Manbo Number Two", it reveals Strictly Come Dancing is to copy ITV's Dancing On Ice, with the show's first one-on-one same-sex dance next month.
Italy's Graziano Di Prima and South African's Johannes Radebe will perform a "romantic one-on-one number, to Emeli Sande's "Shine".
The Sun says it will be "a landmark moment", paving the way for a same-sex couple to enter the BBC show next year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50105095