Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Priti Patel demands new probe into Remain spending and questions Electoral Commission impartiality The former cabinet minister Priti Patel has called for the election watchdog to investigate spending by the remain campaign in the EU referendum. The Brexit-backing Tory MP questioned the impartiality of the Electoral Commission and said it should either investigate Britain Stronger in Europe or end its inquiry into the Vote Leave campaign. Her complaint follows claims relating to a video featuring the actor Keira Knightley urging people to vote. The video was published on the Britain Stronger in Europe website and Facebook page in the final days before the vote in 2016, the Sunday Telegraph reported. – Guardian The costs of the Knightley clip were not included in the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign’s returns, despite Electoral Commission rules stating that groups must “record the full commercial value” of “items or activities” that they are given free of charge. It was produced by adam&eveDDB, an agency that itself registered as a campaign group during the referendum. The agency received £24,000 towards the campaign from Wake Up and Vote, another pro-Remain campaign, which also distributed the clips after their release. – Telegraph Read: Priti Patel’s letter to the Electoral Commission in full – Guido Fawkes Priti Patel urges Electoral Commission to investigate Remain campaign’s Keira Knightley video – Independent Priti Patel declares Leave was held to a ‘lower standard’’ than Remoaners in Brexit vote – Express Ex-Cabinet minister Priti Patel has demanded election watchdogs probe fresh claims that the official Remain campaign breached referendum spending rules – PoliticsHome Is the elections quango really fit for purpose? – Telegraph editorial Boris Johnson stresses the need for the UK to come “fully out” of the EU customs union if the UK is to be a global trading nation Boris Johnson said his recent trip to Latin America – during which he urged the prime minister to “get on with it” and take Britain out of the customs union “as fast as is reasonably possible” – made it clear that potential trading partners wanted the UK to leave the EU tariffs arrangement. Writing in the Telegraph, Johnson said: “Now is our moment not to be less European – we can do a great free trade deal with the EU that will benefit both sides – but to be truly global again.” He said it was time to create deals with the “dynamic countries” he had visited “but our Latin American partners are emphatic: if this is to work, we must come fully out of the EU customs union”. If the UK is to be a “valid trading partner, then we must take back control – as the PM has said – of our tariff schedules, and do deals that are unhindered and uncomplicated”. – Guardian FT claims that Britain’s plans for ‘no-deal’ Brexit have ground to a halt… The UK government’s preparations for a “no deal” Brexit in March 2019 have largely ground to a halt, making it almost impossible for Theresa May to walk out of negotiations with the EU in the next 10 months, according to people with close knowledge of the situation. As the prime minister prepares for what is arguably the trickiest phase of the Brexit talks, the government’s official position is that it is confident it can reach an accord with the EU — but that it is also preparing contingencies for “no deal” if Brussels tries to strike too hard a bargain. However, Whitehall officials are privately conceding that preparations for a “cliff edge” Brexit next March are nowhere near the level they need to be if a threat by Mrs May to walk away from the talks were to be credible. – FT (£) …as Jacob Rees-Mogg urges Theresa May to revive her ‘no-deal’ threat to Brussels Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged Theresa May to revive her threat to leave the EU without a deal if Brussels continues to take an uncompromising approach in the Brexit negotiations. Rees-Mogg, the chair of the European Research Group, which represents about 60 of the most pro-Brexit Conservative MPs, used an interview on Sunday on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show to claim that the UK could be more intransigent because it was in a much stronger negotiating position than people realised. Despite being the favourite among Conservative members to be the next party leader, he said he had no wish to replace May in No 10 – but did not unequivocally rule it out. He told Marr he was concerned the UK was losing out in the talks because the concessions were “all very one way”. He s he did not want May to walk out of the process but suggested the government should offer an ultimatum. – Guardian Top Eurosceptic says the PM must be prepared to walk away from the exit talks without paying the £39bn Brexit divorce bill – Sky News Withold Brexit divorce payout, Rees-Mogg tells May – Times (£) Jacob Rees-Mogg: Theresa May ‘crucial’ to delivering Brexit – BBC News Jacob Rees-Mogg: We can use the Irish border issue against Brussels – it’s their problem – Express I don’t wish to be PM, says Jacob Rees-Mogg – BBC News > On BrexitCentral’s YouTube: Jacob Rees-Mogg on no-deal, Theresa May, the Irish border and being Prime Minister > On BrexitCentral’s YouTube: Iain Duncan Smith: We need to put our foot down with the EU Labour deputy leader Tom Watson flounders over the party’s Brexit indecision Labour’s Deputy Leader Mr Watson said that Labour had not decided the “whipping arrangements yet” as they prepare for a vote on amendments on the EU Withdrawal Bill. Tom Watson told Robert Peston: “We haven’t decided our whipping arrangements yet that will be decided at a future Shadow cabinet. We have been pretty clear that the model that applies to Norway – yes it has some benefits but it also has some disbenefits. For example there is the fact that it makes sure that there is no reform of workers’ movements across Europe which we would want to change.” – Express > On BrexitCentral’s YouTube: Tom Watson: Labour has not decided on Single Market amendment yet Labour may support staying in a Norway-style close relationship with the EU in another Brexit U-turn – The Sun ‘That’s crazy!’ Labour battle over Brexit bursts into public view as Tom Watson and Alastair Campbell clash angrily on live TV – Daily Mail The UK economy has bounced back already, according to a Goldman Sachs index Britain’s economy is surging ahead, rebounding rapidly from a slow start to the year according to an index of economic indicators by experts at Goldman Sachs. GDP growth could hit 0.5pc in the second quarter, the investment bank believes, shrugging off a 0.1pc slump in the first quarter. The investment bank has created the index using public and private data, which suggest the UK is on track for growth of 0.4pc. This indicates the slowdown was caused by “erratic and idiosyncratic” factors including the snow, said Andrew Benito, UK economist at Goldman Sachs. He believes there could be an extra recovery on top of that as corporate investment growth and exports pick up. – Telegraph Former MI6 spy chief warns Theresa May against joining an EU army The London School of Economics professor Sir Richard Dearlove is calling on the Prime Minister to reject plans for an EU Army. It follows a new study which reveals Whitehall officials are working with EU counterparts to keep the UK paying billions into defence projects. The report says “participation of any kind is structurally prescribed to be integration, not cooperation”. Sir Richard said: “We must cut free from real and present dangers of continuing entanglement and subordination to the EU after Brexit.” – Express > On BrexitCentral today: Gwythian Prins and Sir Richard Dearlove: It’s time to challenge the conduct of some civil servants over Brexit ‘Get out of London!’ MPs blast People’s Vote campaign for not taking fight to Brexit-backing areas Remain-backing Labour MPs have accused the second referendum campaign of playing it too safe and not getting out of London into Leave-voting areas. MPs lined up to tell HuffPost UK the People’s Vote initiative, spearheaded by Labour MP Chuka Umunna, is stuck in a “comfort zone” and repeating the same mistakes made by the Stronger In campaign ahead of the 2016 EU referendum. The launch of the People’s Vote – which saw Umunna joined by MPs from the Tories, Lib Dem and Greens – was held in Camden, North London, in April, an area of the country which voted heavily for Remain in 2016. It is currently recruiting people for another London-based event – march on Westminster on June 23. But MPs from outside London who are sympathetic to the campaign’s aims are urging its organisers to stop focusing its efforts on areas on Remain-backing areas. – Huffington Post Nicola Sturgeon heads to Brussels to meet Michel Barnier In a strongly worded speech in Lisbon, he said “time is and will remain tight”, and called for progress to “speed up” with the Cabinet still split over our future relationship with Europe. Ms Sturgeon appeared to take Mr Barnier’s side in the row as she urged the Prime Minister to end “damaging uncertainty” over the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc. Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins MSP said: “This is Nicola Sturgeon’s latest attempt to weaponise Brexit. “Rather than working with the UK Government to do a deal on Brexit, she’s chosen to take a pointless trip to Brussels. It’s becoming ever more obvious that Nicola Sturgeon wants to create a political crisis to justify her continued push for independence. – Express SNP’s growth commission insists an independent Scotland ‘should be an EU member’ An independent Scotland should aim to become a full European Union member, the author of the SNP’s growth commission report has said. Andrew Wilson, who published his findings on Friday, said he believed “emphatically” that membership of the bloc was the best option, even though his report does not make an explicit recommendation on Scotland’s future relationship with Europe. Experts say that his plan for Scotland to keep the pound for an unspecified period after independence, meaning that key aspects of monetary policy would be ceded to the Bank of England, could prove a barrier to EU membership. His report also called for open borders with the rest of Britain and the EU, but it is not clear how this could be done after Brexit. – Times (£) Scottish government report proposes giving cash rewards to immigrants moving there – Independent Italy’s President scotches populist governing alliance Italy’s messy post-election drama on Sunday night took another stunning turn. The country’s president rejected a proposed populist 5Star-League alliance that included a Euroskeptic as economy minister and looked poised to appoint a “technocratic” government as early as Monday. The collapse of the proposed coalition leaves Italy on an uncertain path in the days ahead, veering between the possibility of early elections or a technocratic government of longer duration. It also threatens a constitutional crisis, as the leaders of the 5Stars Movement and the League condemned the president and one even called for his impeachment. And it’s sure to further rattle already nervous international financial markets. – Politico Populist fury after Italian president scuppers new government – Times (£) Italy’s populist parties vent their fury as attempt to form a government collapses over choice of staunchly anti-euro economist – Telegraph An Italian exit from the euro might be the end of the single currency – Roger Bootle for the Telegraph (£) Boris Johnson: We have neglected Latin America’s realms of gold for too long. Brexit can change that Now is our moment not to be less European – we can do a great free trade deal with the EU that will benefit both sides – but to be truly global again. Now is the time to create deals with these dynamic countries (Chile alone has 24 such deals with 64 nations comprising 85 per cent of global GDP). But our Latin American partners are emphatic: if this is to work, we must come fully out of the EU customs union … If we get it right, the opportunities are vast. Already UK bus companies are bidding to supply London double deckers to the streets of Santiago. Thanks to the success of the London 2012 Olympics the UK is helping Lima to lay on the Pan-American games. The legendary potations of the British – who like a 14 per cent Malbec – mean we are already the second biggest drinkers of Argentine wine. And that is before we have done the free trade deal. – Boris Johnson for the Telegraph (£) Trevor Kavanagh: Theresa May is walking into an EU trap to derail Brexit and betray Leave voters Theresa May’s negotiating style is to turn up at crucial Brussels summits already looking defeated, only to emerge covered in kisses and startled by apparent victory. On closer inspection we discover she has merely won time to impale herself more deeply on the EU hook. The PM is likely to repeat this performance at next month’s crunch EU summit, where final decisions over Britain’s future relationship with Europe will be signed. Mrs May will be offered brightly wrapped “concessions” which appear to honour her “Brexit means Brexit” promise. Unwrapped, they will reveal Brexit actually means Remain. Abrasive Leave campaign mastermind Dominic Cummings warned last week: “It’s a train wreck. The Government has no credible policy and the whole world knows it.” – Trevor Kavanagh for The Sun Charles Moore: I regret the Irish abortion vote, but I respect it. If only Remainers would do similar Personally, I greatly regret the Irish result, because I think that, in matters of life or death, one should try to side with life; but I also think the subject was a fit one for a referendum. It is not – or should not be – a question for party politics. It concerns the country’s constitution. In the 1980s, the Irish electorate voted to put the abortion ban into their constitution. Now they have voted to take it out. That is their right. They are the best people to decide. The same goes for Brexit. We voted to stay in what was then called the European Economic Community in 1975. We voted to leave the European Union in 2016. In both cases, a referendum was morally necessary because the leaders of the main political parties were all on one side of the argument (pro-“Europe”). The alternative view needed to have its chance. Second time round, it won. – Charles Moore for the Telegraph (£) The Times: The subsidy system after Brexit should safeguard the rural environment and reward results After decades of complaining about the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Britain will soon have a chance to replace it. Brexit presents an opportunity to reshape the countryside and the farming sector. This country’s new agricultural policy can replace the formalism and box-ticking of the EU’s own with a system that puts the rural environment first. The Times reports today on a National Trust trial scheme that will reward its tenants for improving soil health, helping pollinators to flourish and driving up water quality. Unlike existing schemes, the National Trust’s trial does not prescribe eco-friendly practices and subsidise farmers for adopting them. Instead it is based on “payment by outcomes”. It rewards whatever works. – Times (£) Brexit in brief Return colonial artefacts to build bridges post-Brexit, BBC historian says – Guardian Farage furious at ‘plot to keep UK in EU’ after secret £1m European election fund revealed – Express Farmers and food producers have urged Theresa May to ensure they can continue to hire overseas workers after Brexit – The Argus Safeguarding external borders tops Kurz’s EU presidency agenda – FT (£) Theresa May will urge Donald Trump to avoid London protests and visit her at Chequers instead – The Sun