Northern Ireland faces 'potent threat' from Brexit and Covid-19
Northern Ireland faces a “potent threat” to its prosperity and stability if reduced business confidence due to uncertainty over post-Brexit trading rules compounds the economic damage from coronavirus, a Lords committee has warned. A fourth round of talks between the UK and EU over a permanent deal begins this week, with little apparent progress made, and the looming deadline of 1 July for the UK to seek an extension to the transition period beyond this year. Boris Johnson has repeatedly ruled this out, while the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has urged the UK to stick to its commitments, saying Brussels will not be pushed into “agreement at any cost”. If no agreement can be reached, the greatest impact could be felt in Northern Ireland, which will follow EU rules on agriculture and manufactured goods, and where there will be some checks on shipments from England, Wales and Scotland.
Number 10 warns EU they must 'kick things into gear' over trade talks or risk no deal
The European Union needs to "kick things into gear much faster", government sources warned on as they said foot dragging over negotiations would leave it "too late" to agree a deal. On Tuesday, the UK will enter into its fourth round of trade talks with Brussels and continue until Friday. Speaking ahead of the talks, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, accused Britain of not keeping its commitments and said: "The UK has been taking a step back - two steps back, three steps back - from the original commitments.” However a senior British government source said: “It is the UK that is driving any progress being made in this negotiation. The Commission are either not ready or not willing to inject momentum.
The pandemic is being used as cover for a no-deal Brexit
Most of us who have followed Brexit closely believed coronavirus would soften the government’s stance in trade talks with Europe. The economic shock triggered by the pandemic, and the fact Whitehall is so overwhelmed managing it, made it more likely the government would extend the transition period, due to expire at the end of this year, or strike a deal. It turns out that the opposite is true. Rather than encouraging a more flexible and pragmatic approach, Covid-19 has instead reinforced the case for no deal at the very top of government. Perhaps the most important driver is the belief among ministers that the UK economy will be permanently reshaped by the crisis, as companies create new supply chains and reshore production to provide greater resilience in the future, not least in case of another pandemic. The government wants a free hand to facilitate this change, one that it believes would be constrained by the EU’s demand that the UK remain tied to its labour and environmental standards and state aid rules.
Boris Johnson facing backlash after scrapping pledge to keep chlorinated chicken out of British supermarkets
Boris Johnson is facing a backlash for ditching a pledge to keep US chlorinated chicken out of British supermarkets under pressure from American negotiators in post-Brexit trade talks. Tory backbenchers warned the government was in for a rebellion on the issue while animal welfare groups and opposition parties accused Boris Johnson of refusing to “stand up to Donald Trump” and “sacrificing food standards” in the name of a trade deal. Downing Street signalled on Thursday that imports of lower-standard American food were now on the table in the negotiations, a reversal of a longstanding promise. As recently as January, Theresa Villiers, then environment secretary, reiterated that “we will not be importing chlorinated chicken” – but since then US trade chiefs have put pressure on the UK to change its position, leading the government to change tack. While the government’s own best-case scenarios says an agreement with the US would lead to a tiny boost to the economy of just 0.16 per cent of GDP, failing to sign such a deal would be highly politically embarrassing for Boris Johnson, who has presented such an arrangement as part of the alternative to EU membership.
Nissan: UK factory still under threat from no-deal Brexit
The UK's largest car manufacturing plant is "unsustainable" if the UK leaves the European Union without a trade deal, owner Nissan says. The Japanese company's global chief operating head told the BBC people had to understand the EU was the Sunderland factory's biggest customer. Ashwani Gupta said that Nissan's commitment could not be maintained if there was not tariff-free EU access. Nissan has invested billions of pounds in the plant, which has 7,000 workers. His comments come despite the Sunderland site surviving this week's announcement on the Japanese giant's global restructuring programme. Mr Gupta said: "You know we are the number one carmaker in the UK and we want to continue. We are committed. Having said that, if we are not getting the current tariffs, it's not our intention but the business will not be sustainable. That's what everybody has to understand."
Comprehensive deal? There's no agreement so far on even the basic structure of what they're trying to negotiate. The EU wants one comprehensive deal covering all aspects of the future relationship, not just trade. But the UK sees that as an effort to keep it tied more closely than it wants to European institutions and ways of doing things. The UK argues there should be a series of separate agreements, including a basic free trade deal. But the EU sees that as another example of the UK trying to cherry-pick the benefits it wants, while avoiding the obligations of EU membership.
Key disagreements There are also specific issues on which negotiators have hit a bit of a brick wall. First of all, there is what is known as the level playing field. That means measures to ensure businesses on one side don't have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other. All trade agreements have such measures, but the EU wants the UK to stick particularly closely to EU rules on things like workers' rights, environmental regulations and state aid, or subsidies for business.
Brexit trade deal: What do the UK and the EU want? Who really owns UK fishing quotas?
Then there is fishing: the UK would like full access to the EU market to sell its fish there, but in return the EU wants full access for its boats to fish in UK waters. British negotiators say that's not possible because the UK is now an independent coastal state. Fishing makes up only a tiny part of the economy on both sides, but it was a big part of the Leave campaign that won the Brexit referendum in the UK in 2016.
A third important area of disagreement is what is described as the governance of any future agreement. That is partly about the overall structure of the deal, but it's also about how any new agreements would be enforced, and about the role of the European Court of Justice. Another issue which will remain extremely sensitive is the way the UK proposes to implement the agreement it made with the EU before Brexit, on keeping the land border in Ireland (which is now the border between the UK and the EU) as open as it is now. The EU is concerned that the UK may not live up to all of the commitments it has made; the UK strongly disagrees.
"Nigel Farage to relaunch Brexit Party" is the claim of the Sunday Express. The paper says Mr Farage has confirmed he is preparing a relaunch and "watching and waiting" because he believes that Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are losing control of the country, and could go soft on Brexit. Sources described as close to the leadership are also quoted, suggesting "phones have been buzzing, donations pouring in." The unnamed individual adds "we're praying for a by-election in a Tory seat, and currently deciding on who would stand"
Brexit trade talks on the brink: Boris Johnson holds crunch summit with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as UK threatens to WALK AWAY unless Brussels drops demands on fishing and obeying its rules
The leaders are making a desperate bid to inject some momentum into the negotiations, with the UK insisting it will walk away unless progress is made by next month.
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government is urging other EU states to prepare for a no deal Brexit, according an internal document that casts doubt on Britain's optimism over chances of an early agreement on its future ties with the bloc. Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 and their relationship is governed by a transition arrangement that keeps previous rules in place while new terms are negotiated. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who confirmed last week that Britain has no intention of extending that transition beyond 2020, wants to strike a free trade deal quickly. On Monday, he suggested an agreement could be reached in July with "a bit of oomph". But the German government document, dated June 15 and seen by Reuters, shows Berlin expects the negotiations to take longer.
Firms can't cope with no deal and virus - CBI boss
British firms do not have the resilience to cope with a no-deal Brexit after the battering of the coronavirus crisis, according to the outgoing boss of industry body the CBI. Carolyn Fairbairn said a CBI member had likened a no-deal to "setting the shed on fire" while the house was in flames. Brexit trade negotiations have not been going well between the UK and the EU.
A classic of the genre. After the talks between political leaders today, a rash of metaphors or mottoes unsurprisingly emerges, rather than any solid confessions of what was really discussed. It has been quite some time since the top brass of British and EU politics have been engaging with each other and the public on Brexit. But within half an hour of the video call between Boris Johnson and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission finishing today, the boilerplate statements were out there. The prime minister called for "oomph", and his desire to put a "tiger in the tank". Confusingly, the President of the European Council then said he was willing to do just that, but wouldn't accept a "pig in a poke" - in other words, he won't sign up to any old deal without being very sure what it really entails.
Six weeks for Brexit deal Japan has given the UK just six weeks to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, according to the FT. The deadline has been set because the Japanese parliament would need to ratify it this autumn. Meeting the timetable would require one of the fastest negotiations in history. If successful, it would hand Mr Johnson an "early trade victory" the FT suggests, but it also highlights the risk of the UK being "bounced into bad deals."
Michel Barnier warns EU demands are 'not for sale' ahead of trade talks
Michel Barnier warned on Wednesday that the EU’s demands for level playing field guarantees were “not for sale” but said that Brussels was willing to work on “clever compromises” to get a trade deal with Britain done. A week before the two sides begin month-long intensified negotiations, the EU’s chief negotiator said that the zero tariff, zero quota deal was “still in our reach” but added that “the ball is the UK’s court." Brussels wants the UK to sign up to commitments to not undercut EU standards on tax, state aid, labour rights and the environment. London argues such guarantees are more stringent than those in the EU’s trade deal with Canada and Japan and that they could restrict the UK’s ability to diverge from Brussels rules after the end of the transition period on January 1.
Comments
Northern Ireland faces a “potent threat” to its prosperity and stability if reduced business confidence due to uncertainty over post-Brexit trading rules compounds the economic damage from coronavirus, a Lords committee has warned.
A fourth round of talks between the UK and EU over a permanent deal begins this week, with little apparent progress made, and the looming deadline of 1 July for the UK to seek an extension to the transition period beyond this year.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly ruled this out, while the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has urged the UK to stick to its commitments, saying Brussels will not be pushed into “agreement at any cost”.
If no agreement can be reached, the greatest impact could be felt in Northern Ireland, which will follow EU rules on agriculture and manufactured goods, and where there will be some checks on shipments from England, Wales and Scotland.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/northern-ireland-faces-potent-threat-from-brexit-and-covid-19/ar-BB14QNUq?ocid=spartandhp
The European Union needs to "kick things into gear much faster", government sources warned on as they said foot dragging over negotiations would leave it "too late" to agree a deal.
On Tuesday, the UK will enter into its fourth round of trade talks with Brussels and continue until Friday.
Speaking ahead of the talks, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, accused Britain of not keeping its commitments and said: "The UK has been taking a step back - two steps back, three steps back - from the original commitments.”
However a senior British government source said: “It is the UK that is driving any progress being made in this negotiation. The Commission are either not ready or not willing to inject momentum.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/number-10-warns-eu-they-must-kick-things-into-gear-over-trade-talks-or-risk-no-deal/ar-BB14QEHs?ocid=spartandhp
Most of us who have followed Brexit closely believed coronavirus would soften the government’s stance in trade talks with Europe. The economic shock triggered by the pandemic, and the fact Whitehall is so overwhelmed managing it, made it more likely the government would extend the transition period, due to expire at the end of this year, or strike a deal. It turns out that the opposite is true. Rather than encouraging a more flexible and pragmatic approach, Covid-19 has instead reinforced the case for no deal at the very top of government.
Perhaps the most important driver is the belief among ministers that the UK economy will be permanently reshaped by the crisis, as companies create new supply chains and reshore production to provide greater resilience in the future, not least in case of another pandemic. The government wants a free hand to facilitate this change, one that it believes would be constrained by the EU’s demand that the UK remain tied to its labour and environmental standards and state aid rules.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/the-pandemic-is-being-used-as-cover-for-a-no-deal-brexit/ar-BB14ZLJt?ocid=spartanntp
Boris Johnson is facing a backlash for ditching a pledge to keep US chlorinated chicken out of British supermarkets under pressure from American negotiators in post-Brexit trade talks.
Tory backbenchers warned the government was in for a rebellion on the issue while animal welfare groups and opposition parties accused Boris Johnson of refusing to “stand up to Donald Trump” and “sacrificing food standards” in the name of a trade deal.
Downing Street signalled on Thursday that imports of lower-standard American food were now on the table in the negotiations, a reversal of a longstanding promise.
As recently as January, Theresa Villiers, then environment secretary, reiterated that “we will not be importing chlorinated chicken” – but since then US trade chiefs have put pressure on the UK to change its position, leading the government to change tack.
While the government’s own best-case scenarios says an agreement with the US would lead to a tiny boost to the economy of just 0.16 per cent of GDP, failing to sign such a deal would be highly politically embarrassing for Boris Johnson, who has presented such an arrangement as part of the alternative to EU membership.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/boris-johnson-facing-backlash-after-scrapping-pledge-to-keep-chlorinated-chicken-out-of-british-supermarkets/ar-BB152Ew0?ocid=spartandhp
The UK's largest car manufacturing plant is "unsustainable" if the UK leaves the European Union without a trade deal, owner Nissan says.
The Japanese company's global chief operating head told the BBC people had to understand the EU was the Sunderland factory's biggest customer.
Ashwani Gupta said that Nissan's commitment could not be maintained if there was not tariff-free EU access.
Nissan has invested billions of pounds in the plant, which has 7,000 workers.
His comments come despite the Sunderland site surviving this week's announcement on the Japanese giant's global restructuring programme.
Mr Gupta said: "You know we are the number one carmaker in the UK and we want to continue. We are committed. Having said that, if we are not getting the current tariffs, it's not our intention but the business will not be sustainable. That's what everybody has to understand."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52900528
Comprehensive deal?
There's no agreement so far on even the basic structure of what they're trying to negotiate.
The EU wants one comprehensive deal covering all aspects of the future relationship, not just trade. But the UK sees that as an effort to keep it tied more closely than it wants to European institutions and ways of doing things.
The UK argues there should be a series of separate agreements, including a basic free trade deal. But the EU sees that as another example of the UK trying to cherry-pick the benefits it wants, while avoiding the obligations of EU membership.
Key disagreements
There are also specific issues on which negotiators have hit a bit of a brick wall.
First of all, there is what is known as the level playing field. That means measures to ensure businesses on one side don't have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other.
All trade agreements have such measures, but the EU wants the UK to stick particularly closely to EU rules on things like workers' rights, environmental regulations and state aid, or subsidies for business.
Brexit trade deal: What do the UK and the EU want?
Who really owns UK fishing quotas?
Then there is fishing: the UK would like full access to the EU market to sell its fish there, but in return the EU wants full access for its boats to fish in UK waters. British negotiators say that's not possible because the UK is now an independent coastal state.
Fishing makes up only a tiny part of the economy on both sides, but it was a big part of the Leave campaign that won the Brexit referendum in the UK in 2016.
A third important area of disagreement is what is described as the governance of any future agreement. That is partly about the overall structure of the deal, but it's also about how any new agreements would be enforced, and about the role of the European Court of Justice.
Another issue which will remain extremely sensitive is the way the UK proposes to implement the agreement it made with the EU before Brexit, on keeping the land border in Ireland (which is now the border between the UK and the EU) as open as it is now.
The EU is concerned that the UK may not live up to all of the commitments it has made; the UK strongly disagrees.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/52937766
The paper says Mr Farage has confirmed he is preparing a relaunch and "watching and waiting" because he believes that Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are losing control of the country, and could go soft on Brexit.
Sources described as close to the leadership are also quoted, suggesting "phones have been buzzing, donations pouring in." The unnamed individual adds "we're praying for a by-election in a Tory seat, and currently deciding on who would stand"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-53037832
The leaders are making a desperate bid to inject some momentum into the negotiations, with the UK insisting it will walk away unless progress is made by next month.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government is urging other EU states to prepare for a no deal Brexit, according an internal document that casts doubt on Britain's optimism over chances of an early agreement on its future ties with the bloc.
Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 and their relationship is governed by a transition arrangement that keeps previous rules in place while new terms are negotiated.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who confirmed last week that Britain has no intention of extending that transition beyond 2020, wants to strike a free trade deal quickly.
On Monday, he suggested an agreement could be reached in July with "a bit of oomph". But the German government document, dated June 15 and seen by Reuters, shows Berlin expects the negotiations to take longer.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/exclusive-amid-brexit-impasse-germany-urges-no-deal-preparations-document/ar-BB15B98M?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds
British firms do not have the resilience to cope with a no-deal Brexit after the battering of the coronavirus crisis, according to the outgoing boss of industry body the CBI.
Carolyn Fairbairn said a CBI member had likened a no-deal to "setting the shed on fire" while the house was in flames.
Brexit trade negotiations have not been going well between the UK and the EU.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53002961
A classic of the genre.
After the talks between political leaders today, a rash of metaphors or mottoes unsurprisingly emerges, rather than any solid confessions of what was really discussed.
It has been quite some time since the top brass of British and EU politics have been engaging with each other and the public on Brexit.
But within half an hour of the video call between Boris Johnson and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission finishing today, the boilerplate statements were out there.
The prime minister called for "oomph", and his desire to put a "tiger in the tank".
Confusingly, the President of the European Council then said he was willing to do just that, but wouldn't accept a "pig in a poke" - in other words, he won't sign up to any old deal without being very sure what it really entails.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53056105
Six weeks for Brexit deal
Japan has given the UK just six weeks to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, according to the FT. The deadline has been set because the Japanese parliament would need to ratify it this autumn.
Meeting the timetable would require one of the fastest negotiations in history. If successful, it would hand Mr Johnson an "early trade victory" the FT suggests, but it also highlights the risk of the UK being "bounced into bad deals."
Michel Barnier warned on Wednesday that the EU’s demands for level playing field guarantees were “not for sale” but said that Brussels was willing to work on “clever compromises” to get a trade deal with Britain done.
A week before the two sides begin month-long intensified negotiations, the EU’s chief negotiator said that the zero tariff, zero quota deal was “still in our reach” but added that “the ball is the UK’s court."
Brussels wants the UK to sign up to commitments to not undercut EU standards on tax, state aid, labour rights and the environment.
London argues such guarantees are more stringent than those in the EU’s trade deal with Canada and Japan and that they could restrict the UK’s ability to diverge from Brussels rules after the end of the transition period on January 1.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/michel-barnier-warns-eu-demands-are-not-for-sale-ahead-of-trade-talks/ar-BB15Vh3m?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds