New legal challenge from pro-EU campaigners over UK’s single market membership… Lawyers say uncertainty over the UK’s European Economic Area membership means ministers could be stopped from taking Britain out of the single market. They will argue the UK will not leave the EEA automatically when it leaves the EU and Parliament should decide. But the government said EEA membership ends when the UK leaves the EU….All EU member states are in the European Economic Area and it had been assumed that when Britain leaves the EU it would automatically leave the EEA as well. But some lawyers argue that leaving the EEA would not be automatic and would happen only if Britain formally withdraws by triggering Article 127 of the EEA agreement. The legal question is focused on whether the UK is a member of the EEA in its own right or because it is a member of the EU… The pro-single market think tank British Influence is writing to Brexit Secretary David Davis to inform him that it will seek a formal judicial review of the government’s position. – BBC …as continuity Remain campaign says Brexit EU trade deals ‘should not cherry pick’ different sectors Three pro-EU MPs argue this approach risks creating “losers” because almost all sectors are linked to the EU. Tory Anna Soubry, Labour’s Chuka Umunna and Lib Dem Nick Clegg all want the UK to remain in the EU single market. The three pro-EU MPs are part of Open Britain, which replaced the official Remain campaign after the EU referendum. At an event in London, they will present a report looking at different sectors of the UK economy and their links with the EU. Written by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, it says every sector appeared to benefit from trade within the single market with 3.25 million UK jobs directly or indirectly linked to EU trade. – BBC Remoaner MPs desperate to block Brexit are clutching to a piece of research that claims sector-by-sector trade deals could take as long as 25 years to negotiate. – Daily Express Theresa May hosting summit today with Polish Prime Minister – who says the EU must compromise to get a Brexit deal that works for all Theresa May is set to host a summit meeting with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo as she attempts to build alliances ahead of Brexit negotiations. Mrs May and Mrs Szydlo will discuss Britain’s withdrawal from the EU as well as defence cooperation… The meeting will also focus on strengthening business and cultural links between Britain and Poland, and revealing further details of a planned deployment of 150 British troops to Poland amid concerns about Russian military activities. – ITV The EU must compromise to win a Brexit deal that works for both the UK and the rest of Europe, the Polish Prime Minister warns today ahead of a historic meeting with Theresa May. In an exclusive article for The Telegraph, Beata Szydlo praises the British-Polish alliance in fighting the Nazis and says that ongoing defence and security co-operation between the two countries is essential, and must be at the heart of any new deal. – Daily Telegraph Poland stands ready to help its old friend Britain reach the best possible Brexit deal – Beata Szydlo for the Daily Telegraph (£) British troops sent to Poland to beef up Nato defences as Theresa May says Brexit “won’t weaken relationship” – Daily Mirror There is hope for a Brexit deal, and it lies in eastern Europe – Daily Telegraph editorial Britons in the EU and EU citizens in the UK must have rights protected, MPs tell Donald Tusk MPs have called for an early agreement on the rights of British citizens living in EU countries and EU citizens living in the UK to end “anxiety and uncertainty”. In a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, 80 MPs, most of them from the Conservative Party, criticised Brussels’ refusal to allow formal talks on the matter. They called for the issue to be discussed at next month’s summit of European leaders, adding that people should not be used as “bargaining chips” in the Brexit negotiations. – Sky News UK identifies its Brexit negotiating strengths Today, Britain’s top negotiators are confident they have a strong hand to play. From London’s perspective, it is facing a 27-country bloc that remains economically fragile, worried about security, under populist assault and divided over the crisis of legitimacy facing its central EU institutions. Britain is the demander, but in its favour are the fruits of decades of economic integration and near-irreplaceable contributions to common European interests. It has leverage. The big question is how to play it, and whether it is enough. – FT (£) Article 50 author claims there is only a 50/50 chance of an orderly Brexit within the next two years Britain has a less than 50/50 chance of completing an orderly exit from the EU within two years, a controversial ex-negotiator claimed last night.The cross-bench peer Lord Kerr said Parliament, including himself, would ‘not have the guts’ to vote down any government bill triggering Article 50 – the start point for the two-year Brexit EU negotiations. At most, he said, parliament would add conditions such as requiring ministers to set out their negotiating objectives in a green paper and report back regularly on the progress of the talks. – Daily Mail Nick Clegg caught on camera admitting that the triggering of Article 50 won’t be blocked Nick Clegg has been caught on camera conceding that die-hard Remainers will never be able to block Brexit. Despite the Lib Dems promising to try to obstruct our departure from the EU, the former Deputy Prime Minister has admitted their plan is doomed and the result of the referendum will go through. Speaking candidly to party activists just days before the crunch Richmond by-election — where the party is standing on a promise to block Brexit — Mr Clegg said the “bad news is Article 50 is going to go through.” – The Sun Labour shambles over Brexit as Emily Thornberry refuses to rule out backing a second EU referendum… Labour’s approach to Brexit has been plunged further into chaos after Emily Thornberry repeatedly refused to rule out calling for a second referendum. The shadow foreign secretary contradicted senior colleagues by suggesting there should be a fresh national vote on the package the government negotiates. But Tories branded the idea ‘ridiculous’ – warning that the EU would just give us a bad deal to ensure it was rejected by the public. Labour MPs also insisted there is ‘no appetite’ for a re-run of the bitter referendum battle. – Daily Mail Emily Thornberry’s Marr interview sparks more Brexit confusion for Labour – Katy Balls for The Spectator’s Coffee House blog Owen Paterson MP hits out at idea of a second referendum which would be a “complete gift to the EU” – Daily Express Hated European judges will STILL rule over us even after we leave under barmy plans drawn up by Labour’s Brexit chief Sir Keir Starmer – The Sun …as Michael Gove rejects Mark Carney’s ‘Brexit buffer’ Brexit supporters have rejected plans reportedly backed by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney for an extended transition when Britain leaves the EU. He hosted dinners last week with business leaders about keeping single market access for at least two years after Brexit, the Sunday Times claims. But former cabinet minister Michael Gove told the BBC that such a plan could complicate the Brexit process. A Bank spokesman declined to discuss “private meetings and conversations”. Business has become increasingly concerned about a so-called “cliff-edge” change in trading relations with Europe after Brexit. – BBC Watch via BrexitCentral: Michael Gove speaks to Andrew Marr about the single market, project fear, immigration and more Bank of England prepares to protect City firms from ‘hard Brexit’ The Bank of England is pushing ahead with plans for transitional arrangements after Brexit negotiations in an attempt to protect financial institutions from a cliff edge deal that could undermine their stability. Governor Mark Carney has met senior figures in the City to stress the need for a smooth path out of the European Union that maintains its stature and strong links with the continent. The meetings followed his submissions to the Treasury select committee that outlined his view that banks and other financial institutions would need to be given time to put new rules in place after a deal had been struck with Brussels. – The Guardian Scotland stands to gain ‘significant powers’ from Brexit, claims minister… Brexit will bring about fundamental changes to the devolution settlement across the UK, making possible the return of “significant powers” from the EU to Scotland, according to the Scottish secretary. Speaking on BBC1’s Sunday Politics Scotland, David Mundell suggested that Brexit negotiations could result in new powers for Scotland relating to agriculture, fisheries, the environment and criminal justice. – The Guardian Cross-party reform of English Votes for English Laws ‘needed before possible Brexit-related crisis’ – The Herald Why Brexit could lead to Scotland losing its devolution – Marianne Taylor for The Herald …as an SNP minister denies diplomatic shambles over Nicola Sturgeon’s Brexit special deal plan Nicola Sturgeon’s foreign affairs minister has denied that the SNP had presided over a diplomatic shambles over their attempts to get Scotland a special Brexit deal after receiving a series of high-profile rejections on the UK and world stage. In a tetchy interview on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Politics programme, Fiona Hyslop insisted no other countries were publicly supporting or opposing the First Minister’s plan for Scotland to stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK comes out. – Daily Telegraph Nicola Sturgeon to visit Dublin to boost Ireland-Scotland business links – ITV Brexit rhetoric should be toned down, Equality and Human Rights Commission warns politicians In a letter sent to the big political parties, the watchdog said: ‘We are concerned that attacks on supporters of both sides of the Brexit debate have polarised many parts of the country. There are those who used, and continue to use, public concern about immigration policy and the economy to legitimise hate.The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believe it is best for Britain and not because they are intolerant of others.’ – Daily Mail Remain campaigner Gina Miller reveals she has spent £60,000 on security measures amid Brexit court case – Daily Mail Italy next to deliver blow to EU as last referendum poll reveals Renzi to be defeated Renzi’s country will be voting on slashing the number of senators from 315 to 100 and making them appointed – instead of elected. But, he infuriated many when he announced if the vote does not go in his favour – he will stand down. Since anti-EU feeling has grown in Italy recently, many are taking the vote as a chance to topple the Europhile leader. A last poll before the vote, by Ixe for Agora-Rai3 TV station, shows the ‘No’ is up to 42 percent from 40 percent previously, while ‘yes’ has stayed the same at 37 per cent. – Daily Express Nigel Farage should be ‘respected, not abused’, says Michael Gove Mr Gove said the UK’s current ambassador should keep his job, but said “we should not be abusing” the interim Ukip leader. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said: “I certainly think we should not be abusing Nigel Farage, but I think that the current ambassador in the United States, Kim Darroch — whom I worked with when he was in a different role in government — is a fantastic guy, great diplomat. – Daily Telegraph Michael Gove hits out at economists’ dire warnings of a £60bn Brexit hit and says their whole industry risks being discredited over hyped fears – Daily Mail Theresa May says her Christian faith helps her make difficult decisions She said that while the issues were “really complex” she is also “very conscious” that the government needs to get on with delivering a deal for Britain. She said: “Well, it is a moment of change. It is a hugely challenging time. And we need to get on with the deal in terms of Brexit. And I’m very conscious of that. I want to make sure that everything we do ensures Britain is a country that works for everyone. – Daily Telegraph Juliet Samuel: Theresa May is absolutely right not to tell us what Brexit means Silence does not mean inactivity. It means an approach guided by a canny opportunism and the need to maintain maximum room for manoeuvre. Behind the scenes, the machinery of government ought to be getting on with policy analysis, strategising, war games, diplomatic overtures – all of that stuff. But it would be totally self-defeating for the government to lay out any of this in front of a gawping public and no supporter of Britain’s interests should desire it. – Juliet Samuel in the Daily Telegraph (£) Ruth Lea: Forecasters have been much too pessimistic about Brexit While its central growth forecast is 1.4 per cent for 2017, the fan chart suggests that growth could be between roughly zero and roughly 3 per cent. So perhaps we should not worry too much about the OBR’s November downgrades and the forecast of Brexit’s £59bn “impact” on the public finances after all. They are almost certainly overly pessimistic. And while higher prices could slow consumer spending, the lower pound and lower interest rates will boost the economy. Growth should continue much as it would have done if there had been no Brexit vote at all. – Ruth Lea in the FT (£) Trevor Kavanagh: Brexit Britain is going to need a hero… time to unleash Boris Johnson It was Boris Johnson’s breezy brio that gave millions the confidence to vote Out in the first place. He should be unleashed without constraint on his jokes or his ripe language. They are what give him star quality. EU negotiators pretend to be grumpy, but they love him, too. He speaks their languages, after all. Trevor Kavanagh in The Sun Simon Heffer: ‘Liberals’ who shun Brexit must learn the lesson of freedom On Friday Joseph Muscat, the Maltese prime minister, joined in the bullying by saying the EU was not bluffing in insisting there would be no access to the internal market without freedom of movement. I wonder how that went down in the boardrooms of the car factories of Munich and Stuttgart, or even, as the Foreign Secretary would have it, the prosecco vineyards of Treviso? Our strongest hand is our £70 billion trade deficit with the EU. Perhaps when the hysterical “liberals” calm down there can be a rational discussion. Brexit may be the end of the world for a few of them, but for millions of others it remains a new beginning. – Simon Heffer in the Daily Telegraph Andrew Tickell: History repeats itself in Brexit court battle Since the Divisional Court handed down its Article 50 judgment and the UK government launched its Supreme Court appeal, Eurosceptic politicians and their allies in the media have been patrolling the perimeters of these watchtowers particularly anxiously and with more than just a hint of panic. In a week’s time, an unprecedented full bench will assemble for four days of legal argument in the most dramatic constitutional case to be decided in the UK so far this century. Whoever wins, the political ramifications of this case are considerable. Under the polished veneer of judicial confidence, it is only human to feel a little green about the gills. – Andrew Tickell in The Times (£) Brexit comment in brief Why I will vote against triggering article 50 – Caroline Lucas MP in The Guardian It’s time to end the lies about immigration – Anna Soubry in The Times (£) Without overseas investment, Britain is on a road to nowhere – Andy Rose in The Times (£) We must make sure flights aren’t grounded – Gavin Shuker in The Times (£) Is the uncompromising stance of the other EU leaders pushing the UK towards a hard Brexit? – Rachel Cunliffe and Denis MacShane in City A.M. City should stop wasting time on ‘Project Fear’ – Jonathan Ford in the FT Brexit cannot become an all-purpose alibi for Tory incompetence – Jos Gallacher for Left Foot Forward Threats between Erdogan and the European Union ring hollow, they need each other – Patrick Cockburn for The Independent Brexit news in brief Ukip to announce new leader today following months of controversy – ITV Irish politicians, north and south, find common cause over Brexit – FT (£) Bosses to advise Mayor Khan on London’s economy as Brexit looms – Sky News Watch: Liberal Democrat challenger in Richmond Park claims there’s no contradiction on her Article 50 stance – Sky News Brits set for 7,000 new jobs from steel giant – Daily Mirror City professionals stay put in light of Brexit – Global Recruiter Firms plan to take on more workers as Brexit worries fade – Daily Telegraph Fishermen’s federations adopt united stance on Brexit – The Press and Journal Meet the Edmond de Rothschild asset manager who launched a UK-focused fund just before the referendum (and doesn’t regret it) – City A.M. Jean-Claude Juncker scoops an extra £9,000 as Eurocrats are handed bumper pay hike – Daily Mail Brussels goes to war on British gardens with crackpot new rule to restrict the sale of plastic coated fertiliser balls that are mixed with compost to feed the roots of plants – Daily Express The Brexit party game that’s fun for all the family – The Spectator’s Coffee House blog And finally… A staunch Brexiteer has spent the past 16 years removing ‘hated’ EU road signs showing distances in metres An 82-year-old Brexiteer has travelled hundreds of miles taking down ‘hated’ EU metric road signs. Staunch Ukip supporter Derek Norman started taking down signs in 2000 because he feared Britain would join the Eurozone and become ‘completely metric’. The former electrical engineer from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, has since removed or altered nearly 2,000 signs that display distances in metres… Mr Norman claims his actions are legal because the traffic regulations from 1994 state distances must only be displayed in miles and yards. – Daily Mail