Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team DUP accuses Theresa May of ‘half-cooked’ customs plan as it urges her to get tough with Brussels… The DUP has urged Theresa May to get tough with the EU by threatening to walk away from Brexit negotiations instead of coming up with “half-cooked ideas” to solve the Northern Ireland border problem. In a sign that the DUP’s patience with the Government is wearing thin, the party’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said it needed to “put down its foot” with the EU rather than offering “convoluted” compromises. He also accused the Government of a “failure” to make it clear to the EU that Britain is leaving the customs union and single market. It comes after it emerged that ministers have discussed a radical new customs plan that would involve giving Northern Ireland joint EU and UK status and creating a 10-mile deep “buffer zone” along Northern Ireland’s border with the Republic of Ireland. – Telegraph Northern Ireland ‘could have dual UK-EU status under plans to break Brexit deadlock’ – Telegraph “Leaked Brexit proposals contradictory” – DUP David Davis’ new plan for ‘buffer zone’ at Irish border to break Brexit deadlock branded ‘nonsense’ by the DUP – The Sun Back to the drawing board as David Davis admits Irish border plan won’t work – The Times (£) Liam Fox reveals group on Theresa May’s partnership model has met just once – PoliticsHome …as Downing Street dismisses idea of joint EU and UK status for Northern Ireland Downing Street has dismissed a mooted idea for a post-Brexit customs deal where Northern Ireland would have EU and UK status and a “buffer zone” along its border with Ireland, saying it could not accept plans that treated the region differently from the rest of the UK. The No 10 statement follows reports that David Davis, the Brexit secretary, had devised the idea as a possible workaround for a maximum facilitation customs scheme, avoiding a delay for the necessary technology to be ready… However, sources rejected the idea Davis had personally championed the plan, while a No 10 spokesman said Theresa May could not accept such an approach: “The prime minister has been absolutely clear that we cannot and will not accept a customs border down the Irish sea, and that we will preserve the constitutional integrity of the UK’s common market.” – Guardian Max Fac customs solution is best option to break deadlock, says economist The benefits of adopting the so-called “Max Fac” approach to customs arrangements with the EU after Brexit vastly outweigh the drawbacks, an economist with a leading UK think-tank has said… Critics claim it would cost between £17million and £20million to put such a system in place – but in a blog for the Institute for Economic Affairs’ website, Julian Jessop said this was a gross overestimate. And he stressed that it was a far better bet than either of the other options – remaining in a customs union, or PM Theresa May’s preferred solution, that of the customs partnership. – Express The case for ‘MaxFac’ – Julian Jessop for the Institute of Economic Affairs > Julian Jessop on BrexitCentral today: Objections to ‘MaxFac’ are completely missing the bigger picture Former UN chief Kofi Annan secretly lobbying EU to meet with anti-Brexit campaigners… The boss of a powerful group of global statesmen has been secretly helping anti-Brexit campaigners meet with Brussels, The Sun can reveal. Bombshell emails reveal the former head of the United Nations Kofi Annan has been covertly lobbying the EU’s chief negotiator about the pro-EU “Best for Britain” campaign. The Ghanaian diplomat — who now heads up a group of ex-international leaders called The Elders — briefed Michel Barnier on the foreign-backed campaign to try stop the UK leaving next year. Last night Brexiteers accused the former UN Secretary General of trying to undermine Theresa May’s exit talks… Best for Britain confirmed the role played by Mr Annan, saying: “Mark [Malloch-Brown] used to work with Kofi when he was Deputy General Secretary of the UN. Barnier is a mutual acquaintance.” A source added: “Barnier met Best for Britain supporters in recent months.” But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Sun: “This tells you all you need to know about the Best for Britain campaign. It is nothing to do with Britain, but instead focused on people outside of Britain for the benefit of people outside of Britain.” – The Sun A global plot to destroy Brexit must be fought by Government and all MPs to defend our democracy – The Sun says …as Labour MPs join forces with Lib Dems and ‘Best for Britain’ campaign to defy Corbyn over Brexit… A group of Labour MPs have joined the Liberal Democrats in calling for another referendum on Britain’s EU membership. Eight Labour backbenchers, including four former shadow ministers, have signed an open letter calling for voters to be asked to choose between the final Brexit deal or remaining in the EU. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and the party’s Brexit spokesman Tom Brake are also signatories, along with Labour MPs David Lammy, Tulip Siddiq, Wes Streeting, Mike Gapes, Neil Coyle, Rupa Huq, Virendra Sharma and Gareth Thomas… The letter has been coordinated by the Best For Britain campaign, which is bankrolled by billionaire investor George Soros, with the group describing the action as a “turning point”. – Sky News It is essential that there is a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal – London MPs letter to the Independent …while Best for Britain prepare to send MPs and peers ‘roadmap’ to avoid Brexit MPs and peers will be sent a roadmap next week detailing how they could stop Brexit by the George Soros-backed Best for Britain group, which has amassed £2.3m in donations to spend on a nationwide lobbying effort to persuade parliament to change its mind. The group will publish a timetable as part of its “campaign manifesto” at a launch event on 8 June saying that MPs need to introduce amendments calling for a second referendum on the final deal secured by Theresa May in which remaining in the European Union is an option on the ballot paper… The pressure group is stepping up its efforts to lobby 50 MPs by trying to generate pressure on them in their constituencies. It intends to take out advertisements in regional and local papers, starting on Saturday in the Scotsman, and buy up billboards in the target constituencies “as near to MPs’ offices as possible”. – Guardian MPs and peers to be sent roadmap to avoid EU exit by Soros-backed group – Express EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker apologises for claim that southern Italy is corrupt and lazy He made the comments yesterday while insisting the country takes some of the blame for its economic woes. Today his spokeswoman said he “deeply regrets” that the comments were seen as demeaning the nation and region… Yesterday he had declared: “I’m no longer accepting that everything which is going wrong in the south of Italy is explained by the fact that the EU or the Commission would not do enough. Italians have to take care of the poor regions of Italy, that means more work, less corruption, seriousness.” – The Sun EU deletes footage of Juncker insulting Italians and denies he said it – Guido Fawkes Brussels reeling as Spain welcomes socialist regime and Italy elects Eurosceptic government – The Sun Will Italy’s first fight with Brussels be over immigration? – James Forsyth for the Spectator The EU’s arrogance hurts its own citizens – Telegraph editorial (£) Spain and Italy have new leaders with flimsy electoral mandates, but what looks like confusion in southern Europe is democracy in action – Times editorial (£) Ministers support calls to relax visa rules for doctors Two cabinet ministers have joined a backbench revolt over the availability of foreign workers for the NHS. The Times revealed this week that dozens of Conservatives had signed a letter written by Heidi Allen, the MP for South Cambridgeshire, urging the prime minister to relax rules on visas for doctors coming from outside the EU, to address NHS staffing shortages. Yesterday it was reported that they had the support of Sajid Javid, the new home secretary, and Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary. Philip Hammond, the chancellor, and Greg Clark, the business secretary, would also back more visas for companies in other sectors, the London Evening Standard reported. – The Times (£) Cabinet demand Theresa May relax visa cap on doctors from outside EU to ease NHS crisis – The Sun Theresa, Please, a Visa: The prime minister should stop refusing entry to doctors and nurses – Times editorial (£) Staffing the health service requires training, not immigration – Migration Watch > WATCH: Hugh Bennett: We need an immigration system the Government has control of, but it must respond to what the economy needs and what the public wants Remainer criticised after saying campaign to rejoin EU will be a success because Brexiteers will ‘die off’ Former FA Chairman [Greg Dyke] argued that since the majority of young British voters wanted to Remain in the Brexit referendum, by the time Britain will have officially left the bloc, “old Brexiteers” will have died and people will campaign to join the EU again. Mr Dyke said: “Young people disproportionately voted to remain. Which means as this lot die and this lot get older there’s going to be a majority in this country for re-entry.” … Matthew Elliott who led the successful Vote Leave referendum campaign, retorted: “It’s a complete myth that it’s just old people who voted for Brexit. It’s like when people say ‘everybody in London voted remain’ whereas more people voted to leave in London than voted for Labour mayor Sadiq Khan.” – Express DUP: Leaked Brexit proposals contradictory None of these proposals have been discussed with the DUP and at first examination they appear to be at best contradictory… These convoluted arrangements only arise because of the Government’s failure to make it clear to the EU that regardless of Barnier and EU negotiators’ attempts to keep us in the Customs Union and the Single Market, we are leaving. The Government must make it clear that all of the borders which will exist as a result of us leaving, whether that is between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, the Irish Republic and Great Britain, or Great Britain and Europe all present the same problems. They can all be dealt with using existing technology and administrative arrangements along with the proposed enhancements of those by people like Karl Larsson and many of them can be eliminated through a comprehensive free trade arrangement which the EU have not even begun to talk about. Instead of moving from one set of half-cooked ideas to the other it is now time for the Government to put down its foot and make it clear to EU negotiators that the Prime Minister stands by her commitment that no deal is better than a bad deal and if they want to avoid the consequences then they need to stop dismissing the perfectly feasible ideas that were put forward in August of last year. – Sammy Wilson MP for the DUP The Sun: A global plot to destroy Brexit must be fought by Government and all MPs to defend our democracy Almost two years on, our exit is in chaos. Remainers still denounce the referendum, advertised as binding by David Cameron, as “unfair” or “illegal”. Our paralysed Government is openly mocked by belligerent and stupid EU bureaucrats with no intention of making progress or keeping relations cordial. Former world leaders urge Brussels’ negotiator Michel Barnier to crush Brexit, like he needs any encouragement. And a shadowy campaign financed by a hedge-fund billionaire wages all-out war on our decision. “Best for Britain”, they laughably call this. As if it’s “best for Britain” to destroy all faith in our democracy and trigger civil unrest… In Brussels, Barnier no longer even pretends: “We don’t want to negotiate,” he admits. “We don’t want to compromise.” It falls to Theresa May to drag us out of this swamp. We don’t envy her, but she needs now to make a decision… If this PM can’t bring her party with her and lead us fully out of the EU, with no deal if necessary, she must make way for someone who can. – The Sun says Telegraph: The EU’s arrogance hurts its own citizens Jean-Claude Juncker says what other European pen pushers only dare to think. This week, he told Italians to stop expecting the EU to fix their problems and to work harder. For good measure, he also said it was time to end Russia bashing. This is about more than the European Commission president’s titanic lack of diplomacy. The bigger the EU project gets, the less it looks up to the job. This has real world consequences for the Europeans Mr Juncker claims to serve… But when EU officials blame individual countries for their problems, it’s important to remember the power imbalance between Brussels and its clients. Given its own inability to embrace reform, it shouldn’t dish out lazy answers to problems it has helped create and perpetuate – and stifle criticism of… Europe’s elite politicians are acting like Bourbon monarchs, rejecting ministers presented to them by unruly parliaments. If they’re not careful, they might go the way of Louis XVI. – Telegraph editorial (£) The Times: Spain and Italy have new leaders with flimsy electoral mandates, but what looks like confusion in southern Europe is democracy in action The undercurrents driving a week of turmoil in Europe’s fourth and fifth-biggest economies are powerful. Mr Rajoy misjudged for too long his response to corruption in his own party, distracted by Catalan separatism that threatens the integrity of Spain. Italy’s new ruling parties have channelled frustrations with Brussels that if not attended to could undermine the foundations of the euro. Both countries are grappling with high unemployment, high levels of illegal immigration and chronic regional disparities… Enemies of western democracies, Vladimir Putin chief among them, may observe their pain with satisfaction. In reality these are processes of renewal. Corruption has been punished. Voters have been listened to. Constitutions have been upheld. Democracy is working, and the Putins of this world should fear it. – Times editorial (£) Telegraph: Save Penka the pregnant cow from heartless EU officials The [Telegraph’s] Brexit bulletin today launches a petition to Brussels urging its heartless officials not to execute a pregnant Bulgarian cow that unwittingly broke EU rules. As readers will recall from yesterday’s bulletin, Penka, a red cow, was sentenced to death after she committed the unforgivable crime of straying into neighbouring Serbia, which is a non-EU member state. Officials say they have no choice but to kill off the hapless bovine due to EU regulations, even though she was given a clean bill of health by Serbian vets… Remainers might smirk, but the plight of Penka is a perfect example of how laws drawn up by bureaucrats in Brussels can hurt ordinary people and their animals across Europe. She is therefore a symbol of sorts for why so many Britons voted to get out of the EU. Penka’s owner, by the way, is distraught at the likelihood of his healthy pregnant cow being put to death for such a trivial offence. – James Rothwell and James Crisp for the Telegraph (£) > SIGN THE PETITION: Save Penka the pregnant Bulgarian cow on change.org Ross Clark: So undemocratic to threaten your own constituents Over the past few days [Tory MP Antoinette] Sandbach has received a large number of emails imploring her to stop trying to frustrate the Government’s Brexit Bill and to do as her party’s manifesto promised to do: enact the instructions given by the people in the referendum of two years ago to leave the EU. The flurry of emails came thanks to a campaign by pressure group Leave Means Leave, which picked out Ms Sandbach as a Tory rebel who has voted in favour of opposition amendments on Brexit… People have exercised nothing less than their democratic right – to contact one of their elected representatives to make their views on a subject known – and she has replied by suggesting that they could face a prosecution for harassment. How disgraceful that an MP should behave in such a way and how worrying that she should use the new GDPR to threaten people. The central idea of the regulation is that it is supposed to stop us being bombarded with unsolicited spam emails. The GDPR is badly and vaguely worded – not untypical for an EU regulation – and even the Information Commissioner’s Office, charged with enforcing it in Britain, seems unclear as to what exactly it means in practice. But not in the wildest imagination is it supposed to stop citizens writing to MPs. – Ross Clark for the Express Comment in brief Stuffy Yanks think Brexit Britain is crime-infested and poverty-stricken… but in fact we’re enjoying a great boom – Freddy Gray for The Sun What’s the New York Times’ problem with Britain? – Kelly Jane Torrance for the Spectator The implacably united EU 27 are a sackful of fighting stoats – Gerald Warner for Reaction How to mend the House of Lords – Frederick Forsyth for the Express Brexit is like Shrek: messy, complicated and bad-tempered – but has opened our eyes about the nature of the country itself – Anand Menon for the Guardian Brexit will allow us to escape the EU-US trade war – Robert Bates for Get Britain Out The EU’s Brexit tax power grab – Kai Weiss for CapX Scotland’s political leaders go softly, softly on Brexit – Mure Dickie for the FT (£) News in brief US trade tariffs: May disappointed at ‘unjustified’ move – BBC News UK scientists will refuse to co-operate with EU after shock Horizon snub – Express At least one Remainer Cabinet minister to resign over Brexit by the Autumn, claims Lord Adonis – Telegraph Nigel Farage to head ‘down under’ on Brexit tour – BBC News