Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team DUP raises objections over proposals to give Northern Ireland different status after Brexit… DUP MP Sammy Wilson has warned that his party’s deal to support the Conservative government could be jeopardised by the Brexit negotiations. He said any attempt to “placate Dublin and the EU” could mean a withdrawal of DUP support at Westminster… Mr Wilson said that the UK government would “have to recognise that if this is about treating Northern Ireland differently, or leaving us half in the EU, dragging along behind regulations which change in Dublin, it’s not on”. Earlier on Thursday, DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the government had a “clear understanding that the DUP will not countenance any arrangement that could lead to a new border being created in the Irish Sea”. – BBC News Brexit talks could jeopardise DUP deal, May warned – The Times (£) DUP threatens to scupper deal with Tories if the Government gives in to EU on Irish border – The Sun May’s Brexit breakthrough at risk as Irish parties dig in – Bloomberg …as DUP leader Arlene Foster says Brexit is ‘not a threat to peace deal’… Arlene Foster has told the heads of the European Union’s member states to ignore claims that Brexit presents a threat to the peace process. In a letter seen by The Times, the DUP leader said that the peace process was not in peril, a claim that prompted a rebuke from Michael Creed, the agriculture minister, last night. “It is important to be clear that no threat exists to the Northern Ireland peace process,” Mrs Foster said in the letter dated November 24. “Everyone’s focus should be on delivering practical solutions rather than exacerbating any difficulties.” …In a statement following an emergency meeting in No 10, Mrs Foster said the DUP “will not countenance” any arrangement which means Northern Ireland mirrors Ireland’s rules, which will continue to be set by the EU, more closely than those of the rest of the United Kingdom. – The Times (£) Mind the cows: why UK-Irish trade is a Brexit-border headache – Telegraph ‘Not possible’ to avoid post-Brexit hard border in Ireland, says Hilary Benn’s Brexit Committee – Sky News Rees-Mogg hits out at biased select committee dominated by Remainers – Express As Dublin plays trade hardball, shock figures show why Irish fishermen are dreading Brexit – Express A divided Ireland is providing fertile ground for grievance-mongers – Ruth Dudley-Edwards for Reaction …while Ireland could get seat at table in Brexit talks in attempt to diffuse border row Ireland could be given their own seat at trade negotiations between Britain and Brussels in a desperate bid to stop them blocking the new talks. The “special status” concession plan emerged as EU and British negotiators rushed to hammer out a solution to the Irish border problem and Theresa May’s Ulster DUP allies threatened to bring down her government if she caves to Dublin… British sources were confident that a “statement of principles” will be agreed before Theresa May’s planned lunch with EU boss Jean Claude Juncker on Monday — an EU deadline for further details from London. – The Sun Net migration falls by more than 100,000 after Brexit vote Net migration is estimated to have fallen by nearly a third to 230,000 in the year to June, new figures show. It is the first time that a full year of data has been available since the UK voted to leave the EU last June. The figure is still short of the Conservatives’ target to reduce net migration to the “tens of thousands”. Net migration is the difference between people coming to the UK for more than a year, and the number of people leaving the UK for a year or more. In this 12-month period, 572,000 people arrived in the UK, and 342,000 emigrated, the Office for National Statistics report showed. Immigration specifically fell by 80,000 people over the year – and three-quarters of that drop was down to fewer EU citizens coming to live in the UK, figures showed. – BBC News Brexit horror. UK migration falls. To what it was in 2014 – Iain Martin for Reaction (£) Immigration figures show that ‘Brexodus’ is still a myth – Ross Clark for the Spectator Too soon to talk of a Brexodus – but UK’s appeal has waned – Richard Ford for The Times (£) I predicted this fall in immigration – here’s how it should change the Government’s Brexit strategy – Jonathan Portes for the Independent It’s good news that immigration of low-skilled EU job-hunters is slowing down and we must continue to get the numbers down – The Sun says Government must ring fence any agreement on citizens’ rights even if negotiations collapse, Brexit Committee demands – Independent EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier accused of ‘gross misrepresentation’ of UK efforts to fight IS by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Escalating the row over the Brexit negotiator’s slur that the UK was walking away from the fight, Gavin Williamson hit out that UK forces have a “key role” in keeping Europe safe. He blasted: “Our Armed Forces have played a key role in keeping our country and Europe safe. “We remain completely committed to European security – to suggest any different is a gross misrepresentation of the great work of brave service men and women.” Frenchman Mr Barnier sparked uproar on Tuesday by suggesting that Brexit meant the UK was turning our back on the fight against global terrorism and IS. – The Sun Brexit devolution talks with Scottish government end without agreement Talks over the transfer of EU powers to Scotland have broken up without a deal – although both sides said progress had been made. The dispute centres on 111 topics in devolved areas that are currently controlled by the EU. Ministers from the Scottish and UK governments met in Edinburgh in the latest attempt to break the stalemate… Speaking after the Edinburgh meeting, [Scottish Secretary David] Mundell told BBC Scotland that “significant progress” had been made, and that there was broad agreement in many areas – although there was still “a lot of work to do on the details”. He would not say whether the UK government would change the Brexit bill to take account of the concerns of the devolved administrations. – BBC News Scotland will fight Brexit power grab, Westminster is warned – Guardian > Henry Hill on BrexitCentral: Rushing post-Brexit devolution risks huge damage to the Union UK to save over £450m a year on funding regulatory agencies after Brexit The UK will save more than £450m a year and instead spend £149m a year on regulation after Brexit, with 1,500 staff needed to re-establish EU agencies and institutions domestically, according to a new report. Fieldfisher, the European law firm, studied the future of 69 bodies which currently oversee the UK in various ways. It believes that the UK will need to maintain strategic partnerships with at least seven EU agencies because their functions cannot be decentralised… There are also 28 EU agencies which the UK will need to repatriate to equivalent authorities in the UK… That leaves 21 bodies which will no longer be directly relevant for the UK, such as the European External Action Service, the European Parliament, the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Training Foundation. Departure will result in estimated savings of £471m from no longer having to pay into these bodies. – FT (£) City firms on hiring spree despite Brexit City firms are set to embark on a hiring spree next year as the need to deal with new rules and technology trumps the ongoing political uncertainty over the Brexit process. More than two-thirds of financial services firms plan to recruit staff over the next 12 months, with the majority planning to bring permanent staff on board, according to data from top City recruiter Hays. High demand for staff has driven double-digit salary growth for new hires in the capital, as firms compete to attract the best candidates. The latest figures show salaries are likely to keep on rising next year as the war for talent hots up. – City A.M. Despite Brexit banking double bubble – Guido Fawkes Why scrapping bonus cap could be a hard sell for Mark Carney – Nils Pratley for the Guardian Older people have been subjected to torrents of abuse since Brexit vote, Age UK warns Charity chiefs said there was a clear “demonisation of older people” after the vote. Speaking at the Future of Ageing Conference yesterday, Age UK’s Head of Public Policy, Jane Vass said: “in some cases [people said] ‘take away their votes”. “Older people stealing their children’s future was the standard wording,” she added. Former Head of Public Affairs at Help the Aged, Kate Jopling, said: “There was a casual use of demonising and divisive language – the banding around of stereotypes about who older people are, about their economic circumstances, their motivations and even their ability to form rational judgements.” … After the referendum last year the United Nations said the elderly were suffering from ageist abuse. – The Sun ‘Baby boomer’ has become an insult after Brexit vote, say charities – The Times (£) Michael Fabricant: Let’s crack on and pay the £40bn Brexit bill, as long as we’re not taken for a ride It is ironic that these people who want us to remain in the EU and continue to pay £12 billion plus every year are complaining about a one-time payment before we leave! We will still save hundreds of billions in the coming decades. If the reported £40 to £50 billion sum is correct, we will have already saved roughly that amount as a result of not being in the EU by the time of the next election. Of course, agreeing to pay a divorce bill to the EU doesn’t mean we should let ourselves be taken for a ride. If EU negotiators try to continually ratchet up the final figure, that should be resisted. And any payment is conditional on our getting a comprehensive trade deal – otherwise, they should expect nothing. – Michael Fabricant MP for the Telegraph (£) Fresh anger over £45bn Brexit divorce bill amid claims it will fund WiFi in Greek hotels and the renovation of the former home of an EU founding father – Mail EU presses ahead with plan to splurge £115 million on Paris vanity project despite outcry – Express Chuka lying about Boris and Brexit bill – Guido Fawkes ConHome survey: Under one in six Party members would support an EU deal payment of £60 billion or more – ConservativeHome Asa Bennett: Michel Barnier isn’t entitled to a £40bn Brexit fee. He must earn it Monsieur Barnier’s latest pot shots should remind the British that they cannot expect the Europeans to roll over now the money they want is on the table. The Government insisted yesterday that such a payment is “contingent” on a “suitable” trade deal, although the Frenchman has pushed back at this, arguing that he feels they are not linked. Ministers can persuade taxpayers that a big cheque needs to be signed to tie up Britain’s membership, but they will flounder if they end up handing over the cheque too early. – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Shashank Joshi: Barnier’s attack on Britain’s counter-terrorism efforts was crass and alarming The UK was at the forefront of the fight against Isis and other terrorist groups, long before the attacks in Paris in November 2015… But over two years on, perhaps Barnier should reflect on the fact that the UK is one of only three European states – among 28 EU members – currently conducting airstrikes as part of the coalition against Isis’s sham caliphate… Yet Barnier’s dismissive attitude reflected a deeper problem, which was his glib assumption that Europe could maintain “strategic autonomy”, with the UK relegated to an ad hoc supporting role. The UK would be a country of no more significance than two dozen other partners. “Norway,” he drily noted, “is one of the countries with which we cooperate closely.” The small problem with this is that the UK accounts for a quarter of the EU’s overall defence spending, whereas Norway makes up less than 3%. The comparison is facile. – Shashank Joshi for the Guardian Brexit comment in brief Brexit Britain can chart a new global destiny by spending more on defence – James Rogers and Jack Wright for the Telegraph (£) The UK budget is covered in a blaze of publicity. And the EU’s, more in a haze – Matthew O’Toole for The Times (£) British Europhiles should welcome Brexit. Here’s why – William Cook for the Spectator After 12 years of leadership, Merkel fatigue spreads in Germany – Guy Chazan for the FT (£) A coalition will be the end of Angela Merkel – Philip Stephens for the FT (£) The two faces of Emmanuel Macron – Nicholas Vinocur for Politico Brexit news in brief Ministers publish plans to lower threshold for surveillance powers to get round EU law – The Sun Call me a Brexit freedom fighter, says Nicky Morgan: Arch Remainer compares herself to Roundheads like Oliver Cromwell during interview – Daily Mail UK Budget watchdog denies claims it is anti-Brexit – FT (£) EU reaches first Brexit compromise in carbon market contingency plan – Bloomberg Who is Henry Bolton? New Ukip leader and ex-British Army officer who has an OBE – The Sun UK tech investor shunned by EU fund secures backing from British Business Bank – Telegraph ‘Le Brexit task force’ prepares France for no deal – Politico Study identifies Europe’s six ‘political tribes’ – Politico