Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team UKIP launch manifesto claiming to be the ‘guard dogs of Brexit’ Paul Nuttall said his party would act as an insurance policy for Brexit ensuring the prime minister does not go back on their word. When questioned on the drop in support for UKIP Mr Nuttall told the Today programme his party had “won the war” and now they had to “win the peace”. – BBC If the European Union didn’t exist, it would have been necessary for Ukip to invent it. The likes of Herman van Rompuy and Angela Merkel drove voters into the party’s hands with their pro-migration evangelism and scepticism of national sovereignty. They were easy to cast as an out of touch elite, so it was little surprise that voters would take the first chance they could to be rid of them by voting for Britain to leave the bloc. – Asa Bennett for The Telegraph (£) Tories hope to tame ‘guard dogs of Brexit’ in Clacton – Times (£) Paul Nuttall takes aim at radical Islam and calls for ‘more muscular’ approach – Evening Standard When it comes to savaging the media, Corbynistas can’t compete with Kippers – Michael Deacon for The Telegraph UKIP’s new focus on tackling extremism – Laura Kuenssberg for the BBC > David Scullion on BrexitCentral today: What the UKIP manifesto says about Brexit Trump allegedly tells EU leaders he is worried about Brexit… US President Donald Trump has reportedly told European Union leaders that he’s worried Brexit will have a negative impact on jobs in America. In what would amount to a huge U-turn on the subject of Britain’s departure from the 28-nation bloc, Trump used a meeting with EU figures to talk about the threat posed to the global economy by Brexit, the Guardian reports. “On Brexit, [Trump] expressed concern that jobs in the US would be lost because of Brexit,” one source told the paper. – BusinessInsider …but US officials deny the claim The White House denied President Donald Trump told European leaders he’s worried Brexit will cost American jobs, a position that would run counter to his previous praise of the breakup. An EU official had said Trump raised the concern in a meeting in Brussels on Thursday with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Union President Donald Tusk. A U.S. official subsequently disputed the account. Any change in tone from the U.S. would have been a disappointment for Prime Minister Theresa May on the same day that data showed the British economy grew just 0.2 percent in the first quarter, the weakest in a year and less than previously estimated. – Bloomberg Brussels will offer to protect rights of Britons in Europe after Brexit, leaked document reveals Brussels will offer to protect the rights of British expats living on the continent when Brexit talks begin next month, according to a leaked document. A draft paper on the starting goals for EU negotiators reportedly states that Britain’s withdrawal agreement should guarantee the welfare and residence rights of UK nationals in EU member states and their families. In the paper, EU officials wrote: “The Withdrawal Agreement should protect the rights of EU27 citizens, UK nationals and their family members who, at the date of entry into force of the Withdrawal Agreement, have enjoyed rights relating to free movement under Union law.” – Express Lloyds Chairman expects London to “weather” the storm of Brexit, even if there is “no deal” Lord Norman Blackwell predicted London will not experience a “Jenga tower” collapse and suggested that, while there will be fragmentation of financial services, no other European capital will emulate the UK capital’s success. “I’m not complacent, but I do think London and UK financial services can weather a situation where there is ‘no deal’,” he said at the City Week event in London’s Guildhall this morning. “It wouldn’t be optimum… but, in the months that have passed since the referendum, all the financial firms in London have been working through their contingency plans, and most have found ways that they can accommodate continuing to serve clients within the European Union.” – City A.M. Lloyds Chairman: City Could Weather “no Deal” Brexit – Guido Fawkes City chiefs shrug off Brexit blues – City A.M. Top lawyer says Britain owes just £1billion to EU for exit bill Leaders in Brussels claim Britain must pay billions to account for our share of future EU spending and bureaucrats’ pensions. However, a new report by a QC who is an expert in EU law argues that in fact the UK has no legal obligation to contribute to the European budget after 2019, when we are due to quit the organisation. Martin Howe, an intellectual property barrister, suggests that the EU is deliberately exaggerating its case to get more money out of Britain during exit negotiations. His report, released yesterday, concludes that Britain is obliged to contribute to the EU budget only because of a clause in the main European treaties. – The Sun ‘It’s not a fee!’ Merkel ally tells Britain to pay its Brexit ‘obligations’ – The Express Spain concedes over Gibraltar: ‘It’s not central to Brexit talks,’ says Spanish minister The Spanish Foreign Minister has said he now thinks that Gibraltar will not feature prominently in the upcoming Brexit negotiations.Alfonso Dastis insisted that talks over Gibraltar should be discussed between Britain and Spain, while Brexit negotiation should focus on a good result for all parties, as reported by GBC. The Spanish Foreign Minister added that he was confident the issue of Gibraltar is not “important issue” in Brexit talks, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle. He said: “Firstly, we try and ensure that the bonds that have been created over time between Gibraltar are maintained so that there is shared prosperity “And secondly, to resolve the conflict and fulfil our aspirations using the means at our disposal and in compliance with UN mandates through bilateral dialogue with the UK.” – The Express No new customs points planned for Irish border after Brexit, says revenue chief Ireland’s tax chief is “almost 100 per cent certain” there will be no new customs posts along the Irish border after Brexit. Niall Cody, chairman of Revenue Commissioners, categorically rejected reports that it was actively looking for locations to establish new checkpoints. The speculation, which he blamed on an early contingency paper from a “medium ranking” official, has led to landowners along the Irish border directly offering him sites for sale. But Mr Cody told a parliamentary committee in Dublin: “We are not planning customs posts.” – Express Net migration falls below 250,000 as eastern Europeans return home A rise in the number of EU citizens heading home since the Brexit referendum vote helped to reduce net migration to less than a quarter of a million people last year. The fall was also driven by a “statistically significant” drop in the number of eastern Europeans coming to the UK. Net migration fell by 84,000 to 248,000 in the year to December 2016, the lowest figure for three years, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. There was a fall in immigration from Poland and seven other eastern European states as well as a rise in the number of people from those countries returning home. – Times (£) Net migration to UK plunges to below 250,000 after exodus of European workers – Evening Standard Net migration from Eastern Europe to Britain slows to a trickle after Brexit vote – Telegraph Net migration figures show a fall – but they are still more than double the Government’s target – Daily Mirror Cyprus may become migrant route to UK Britain faces having to accept migrants who arrive on two military bases in Cyprus after an Appeal Court ruling yesterday. Three judges ruled that the Refugee Convention applied to the two sovereign base areas on the island in a setback for Amber Rudd, the home secretary. The decision could lead to a new route for migrants to get to Britain. Ms Rudd was ordered to reconsider “rapidly” whether boat people living on the Dhekelia base in Cyprus can come to the UK. Six families — originally from Iraq, Sudan, Ethiopia and Syria — were among 75 people rescued in October 1998 from a Lebanese fishing boat bound for Italy that was abandoned by its crew after the engine failed. The families have mostly lived on the base ever since, a judge said. – Times (£) EU demands cost of English teachers be factored into Brexit Bill The EU is demanding that Britain pays the salaries of English teachers working at elite European schools in Brussels in the latest addition to the UK’s Brexit bill. The demand is included in a list of legacy obligations covering 74 EU agencies, institutions, trust funds, joint ventures and associated bodies. It includes the cost of English teaching until 2021 at 14 schools with about 27,000 pupils that are controlled jointly by EU institutions and member states. Children of EU officials are exempt from fees. They include the European school in Brussels, where Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, was a pupil. An EU negotiating paper, circulated to member states this week and seen by the Financial Times, highlights the divorce demands that Britain faces. – Times (£) EU chiefs want Theresa May to pay for English teachers at posh European schools for two years after Brexit – The Sun Matthew Elliott: My three weeks building support for a US-UK trade deal in the US Being married to an American and loving US politics, I’m a regular visitor to the United States. Even for me though, twenty one nights on the road is a long time to be away. But it was worth it. Having the opportunity to explain Brexit and make the case for the US-UK trade deal in seven states was an incredible experience. My first stop was the Milken Institute global conference in Los Angeles, California. Having the opportunity to hear speakers ranging from George W Bush and Joe Biden, to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen was extraordinary. The highlight though was appearing on a panel moderated by Tony Blair on populism, discussing whether it is a passing fad, or the start of a new political era. – Matthew Elliott for the Legatum Institute Andrew Tettenborn: Brexit is an opportunity to get shot of interfering foreign judges Under EU law member states are barred from expelling even a non-EU citizen if he has dependent family who are EU citizens (for example through being born in the UK), since this is regarded as infringing the rights of the latter to live and move throughout the EU. Memo to negotiators starting work on 19 June: this must be high on your list for removal as from midnight on Independence Day. Whatever transitional arrangements we may have as regards EU citizens (and arguably they should be reasonably generous), to give the EU a veto on the removal of non-EU undesirables would be intolerable. – Andrew Tettenborn for ConservativeWoman Lee Rotherham: Navigating tariffs and Rules of Origin in WTO During the Brexit referendum debate, much was made of the prospect of the UK defaulting to global tariff rates and crude border processes. A landscape worthy of Hieronymous Bosch was laid before our eyes. To what extent is this unvarnished Project Fear, and what is actually at risk? It has been suggested that those managing customs on behalf of our trading partners would have to open every crate to check goods for components. UK businesses would default to 1930s levels of paperwork to clear trucks through border crossings. Trade would log jam at points of entry and exit. The shops would run out of bread. Total collapse of Western civilisation, at least in Basingstoke.Technically, this could happen. – Dr Lee Rotherham for ConservativeHome Ryan Bourne: Brexit doom mongers are looking ahead, but they may be wrong again The failure of economists to forecast the short-term impact of Brexit has not dampened their enthusiasm to project long-term gloom. Economic Remainers are now certain that leaving the EU is a huge anti-trade mistake. Several new studies conclude that the UK cannot make up for the lost trade caused by leaving the single market, even if we signed free trade agreements with the rest of the world. They therefore mock Theresa May’s claim that “no deal is better than a bad deal”. But there are good reasons to think that the consensus might again be confident of conclusions which just ain’t so. – Ryan Bourne for The Telegraph (£) Brexit comment in brief Brexit is entrenching some dangerous myths about ‘British’ culture Afua Hirsch for The Guardian Why a socialist approach to the EU is the only way forward – Socialist Party A fintech revolution may have stalled, but it’s key for Britain post-Brexit – Julian Skan for The Telegraph (£) Brexit and the resurgence of terror – FT (£) Brexit news in brief Northern Irish Greens want a second referendum – BBC Trump, EU struggle to get on same page in Brussels – Politico Wine prices could rise by about a quarter after UK leaves the EU – Independent Consumer confidence lowest since Brexit – Independent Lloyd’s begin post-Brexit financial exodus with shock decision that will delight Juncker – Express Brexit will make banks leave London for EU claims ECB boss – Express Ryanair boss predicts apocalyptic scenario as German airlines push for Brexit flight chaos – Express EU to hold secret vote into who will snatch major agencies from UK after Brexit – Express Jacqui Smith blames ‘Brexit obsession’ for putting off crucial security terror review – Express ‘We have a second financial hub – Frankfurt’ German minister’s blow to post-Brexit Paris – Express British firms will need ‘special stamp’ before they can trade in EU, warns German minister – Express