Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Ministers reportedly planning concessions on Brexit bill to avoid Lords defeats Ministers are preparing a series of concessions over the EU withdrawal legislation to minimise the number of defeats they face in the House of Lords, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose. Senior government figures are working on a number of climbdowns designed to head off public battles with influential peers, including Lord Judge, the former lord chief justice. The changes are likely to address a number of significant concerns held by the Lords constitution committee, which will demand a series of specific changes to the Brexit Bill in a report tomorrow, ahead of the first Lords debate on the Bill on Tuesday. – Telegraph (£) Over the next two days, hundreds of peers of the realm who rarely speak in parliament will pack their bags and head for the House of Lords. The palace of Westminster is busy preparing for one of the biggest occasions in the long and illustrious history of the upper house. Its splendid bars and restaurants have stocked up with extra food and drink, and staff have been put on overtime for unusually late sittings. “I cannot recall in my time here so many on the speaking list,” said one senior figure in the Lords. “It is all great fun.” Approximately 185 peers are already down to speak on the EU withdrawal bill, which has its second reading on Tuesday and Wednesday. – Observer > On BrexitCentral: Brendan Chilton: The House of Lords has no right to stop the EU Withdrawal Bill British Lords get ready to disrupt Brexit – Bloomberg …while the EU expands Brexit ‘no deal’ team as concerns grow in Europe over whether Theresa May can deliver… The European Union is beefing up its preparations for a ‘no deal’ Brexit, more than doubling the number of officials devoted to preparing for a breakdown in the talks, the Sunday Telegraph has learned. EU sources said the number of officials in the European Commission secretariat focussing on preparations for either a ‘no deal’ scenario or a ‘hard Brexit’ would expand from eight to 20 as concerns mount in Europe over whether Theresa May can deliver. – Telegraph (£) …and mandarins opposed to exiting the EU are ‘forcing weak PM into soft Brexit’ Mandarins opposed to Britain’s withdrawal from the EU have “taken control” of the Brexit agenda and are “forcing a weak Prime Minister” into a soft Brexit, senior government figures and MPs have warned. In a dramatic intensification of the war within the Conservative Party, Eurosceptics said that Philip Hammond’s declaration last week that Brexit would be “very modest” appeared to articulate No 10’s “direction of travel” on negotiations. A Cabinet source warned that Britain faced a “betrayal of Brexit” unless Theresa May reined in Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, and Oliver Robbins, the co-ordinator of negotiations with the EU. David Jones, the former Brexit minister, said: “It’s time No 10 indicated who’s boss.” – Telegraph (£) Boris Johnson will challenge Theresa May to demand a ‘buccaneering Brexit’ amid fears PM will ‘f*** this up’… Boris Johnson will throw down the gauntlet to Theresa May by demanding a “buccaneering” Brexit. He plans to spell out his vision for a post-EU Britain as Brexiteers admit rapidly losing faith in Mrs May. A BoJo ally said MPs feared she was “in danger of f****** this up” and added: “The stakes are too high.” The Foreign Secretary is to spell out his vision of a “bold internationalist, liberal buccaneering Brexit”, the pal said. His speech, still being drafted, would outline more “optimism and hope” than currently on offer. No10 may be shown an advance copy but “won’t be able to stop us delivering it”, the friend added. It follows Eurosceptic Tories’ fears that Britain would be a “vassal state” under the EU’s thumb in a post-Brexit transition period. – Sun on Sunday > On BrexitCentral’s Twitter: The ‘Divergers’ vs the ‘Aligners’. Who will win out in the biggest Brexit battle so far …as Theresa Villiers warns against ‘dilution of Brexit’ Britain is heading towards a “dilution of Brexit”, with the country in danger of remaining in the EU “in all but name”, former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers has said. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the MP, who was Northern Ireland Secretary from 2012 to 2016, said she felt “compelled to speak out” amid recent controversy over Brexit negotiations. Chancellor Philip Hammond was criticised this week for saying the UK’s trade relations with the EU would change only “very modestly” after Brexit, sparking anxiety among Leavers that Brexit may be delivered “in name only”. Mr Hammond was rebuked by Number 10 but stoked Tory divisions further by saying the UK should seek a “middle way” in negotiations in order to maximise access to EU markets. – BT Jacob Rees-Mogg: UK chancellor wants to ‘thwart Brexit’ – Politico Senior Brexiteers urge Theresa May to call EU’s bluff — by accepting ‘off the shelf’ Canada-style free trade deal Senior Brexiteers have urged Theresa May to call the EU’s bluff — by accepting the “off the shelf” Canada-style free trade deal. Leave Means Leave campaigners have written to the PM in a move that is backed by ex-Brexit Minister David Jones and leading business figures. They warn “the clock is ticking and we are approaching the last moment at which business can properly prepare for Brexit”. The letter, also signed by ex-Chancellor Lord Lawson, businessman John Mills and Wetherspoons Chair Tim Martin, says it would cover 98 per cent of goods and 92 per cent of agriculture and terms could be agreed by July. Co-chair of Leave Means Leave John Longworth said the Canada arrangement “has the advantage that it could be agreed quickly, eliminating the need for a blanket transition period and bringing forward the advantages of global free trade”. – The Sun Donald Trump says he would negotiate Brexit with a ‘tougher attitude’ than PM Donald Trump has said he would have negotiated Brexit with a “different” and “tougher” attitude to Theresa May. The US president said the European Union was “not cracked up to what it’s supposed to be” and claimed he was unsurprised by the result of the Brexit referendum because Britons “don’t want people coming from all over the world into Britain”. The comments could be seized on by Brexiteers to urge the Prime Minister to be harder in Brexit talks, but Remainers could attack Leavers for sharing views with the controversial and divisive president. They could also be seen as a blow for Mrs May following her largely successful meeting with Mr Trump in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. – Belfast Telegraph Jeremy Corbyn ‘sets up crunch away day’ for shadow cabinet to revisit Labour Brexit policy Party sources have reportedly confirmed the meeting, which scheduled for early February, would examine how to develop Labour’s approach during “phase two” of the Brexit process. The gathering has been billed as an attempt to curb threats of rebellions from dozens of Labour MPs over Brexit. The meeting will reportedly be held in a location “away from Westminster”. A senior figure aware of the meeting said: “There are several among those who will attend who want the party to move on the single market and customs union. But Jeremy is a lifelong eurosceptic and there is still opposition to doing so. The greatest pressure for change is from those who insist we must back permanent membership of a customs union with the EU after Brexit, not just a fudge position of backing it during a transition and leaving open what happens after, which we have at present.” – Express John Longworth: A Canada-style Brexit deal is the obvious and rapid solution Despite Brexit being the dominant story in the press for the past two years, there is a distinct lack of understanding of the EU amongst our political class and commentariat – of what it is, how it operates and its direction of travel. Many in the metropolitan bubble appear to have only discovered the EU when the referendum was declared, including sadly, members of our government, and it is clear that those in opposition still have little understanding. Those amongst Remainers who did and do understand, have been determined to adopt a fictional narrative, as they have for up to forty years, in order not to “frighten the horses”. For horses, read British Electorate. – John Longworth for the Telegraph James Forsyth: Theresa May’s lack of a Brexit vision is costing her, and the country Boris Johnson and Philip Hammond are further apart on Brexit than anyone else in the inner Cabinet. But there is one thing they agree on, I say in The Sun this morning. In the last 10 days, both of them have expressed their frustration to close allies that Theresa May won’t make a decision; that Britain is at a nation-defining moment in its history and that there is no real leadership. Their interventions are an attempt to provide that leadership, to give people an idea of what Brexit will be like. Absurdly, the Brexit inner Cabinet did not meet this week despite the fact that there is not yet a detailed UK position on what trade deal it wants with the EU. This lack of a position is creating the vacuum that both Boris and Hammond are trying to fill. – James Forsyth for the Spectator Macer Hall: Skulduggery fears as Brexit hits the Lords Yet on the issue of leaving the EU at least, peers are no more in tune with the electorate than if they had been plucked at random to sit on the red benches. Westminster insiders reckon that at least eight out of 10 of the 800 or so members of the upper house voted Remain in the 2016 EU referendum compared with the 52 per cent to 48 per cent split in favour of Leave among voters. The anti-Brexit majority will be in full cry when the gilded chamber hosts two days of debate on the second reading of Theresa May’s EU Withdrawal Bill, starting on Tuesday. More than 170 peers had put down their names to speak in the debate by last night. – Macer Hall for the Express Andrew Gimson: We need Boris Johnson in charge – he’s the obvious choice Being half-hearted, evasive, lacklustre, timorous and tongue-tied are not the qualities needed to lead us into a glorious post-Brexit future. Yet this is the only kind of leadership Theresa May can provide. Tory MPs, one might say, are disMayed. Instead of backing Boris Johnson’s call for more NHS cash — the Tories need to carry the fight to Labour on health — she let underlings slap him down. We were warned that if we dared to vote for Brexit, the skies would fall in. No such disaster occurred, as even David Cameron now admits. Yet May and Philip Hammond handle Brexit like an unexploded bomb. It can only be a success under a robust leader who appreciates its opportunities. – Andrew Gimson for the Sun on Sunday Boris rides high but Gove is this race’s dark horse – Adam Boulton for the Times (£) John Rentoul: The Lib Dem ‘stop Brexit’ ship is sinking. Now, many of their supporters are flocking to Jeremy Corbyn When we leave the EU, almost certainly in 14 months’ time, they won’t even have “Stop Brexit” as their unique selling proposition. Between the SDP-Liberal surge of 1981-82 and the Cleggmania of 2010 they were in the centre-ground wilderness for 28 years. Perhaps in 2038 the Lib Dems will once again benefit from the thrill of the new. – John Rentoul for the Independent Nick Clegg: On Brexit, Jacob Rees-Mogg is right – Britain risks vassal status I agree with Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the hardline pro-Brexit faction of Conservative MPs. There. I’ve said it. I never thought I would — and I doubt I ever will again — but he is right about one crucial component in the Brexit puzzle: the transition period. Mr Rees-Mogg correctly observed that it would be more “honest” simply to extend the Article 50 timetable rather than condemn the country to the humiliation of negotiating our departure from the EU having already evicted ourselves from it. – Nick Clegg for the FT (£) Express: Remainers ‘project fear’ losing traction The vote for leaving the EU in June 2016 did not result in economic meltdown and soaring unemployment as was predicted. Even David Cameron had to concede this week in Davos that the Brexit process wasn’t as apocalyptic as he had thought it would be. And now figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that Britain’s economy performed better than expected in the fourth quarter. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.5 per cent in its initial estimate for October to December of last year. Even Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank Of England who seems to do his best to talk down the economy at every opportunity and has had a belligerently negative attitude towards Brexit has admitted that there is “potential for a bit of a pick-up”. – Express editorial Lord Owen: Here’s how to stop the EU yelling ‘heel’ — and unleash post-Brexit bliss Few want a hard Brexit, but to avoid it the UK needs to put forward a reasoned democratic arrangement for handling the transition. Any proposed limbo status is unacceptable. The UK should insist on full participation and full rights under this agreement, including, subject to the consent of its non-EU parties, the ability to participate in its EEA-Efta governance pillar, free of direct ECJ and European Commission supervision. For EU members, an EEA transition follows precedent in using existing democratic machinery and treaties. It could hopefully unite all shades of “leave” opinion, and attract some former remainers who are vocal over continuing in the single market outside the EU for the transition. It is high time we came closer together in parliament as we embark on this national endeavour. – Lord Owen for the Sunday Times (£) > On BrexitCentral: Lord Owen: Why the EEA option is the best strategy for the transition period Brexit in brief The EU’s doomed plot to halt a real Brexit – Daniel Huggins for The Commentator Britain will come to heel for the EU, says architect of Article 50 – Iain Martin for Reaction Trade again – John Redwood’s Diary Miloš Zeman wins second term as Czech president – Politico Jacob Rees-Mogg heckled by anti-Brexit protesters from Bath for Europe – Bath Chronicle Jeremy Corbyn should be pushing for Britain to leave the European Union as his plans for nationalisation go against EU laws, says Tory MP Andrew Bridgen – Express Bruno Macaes: ‘UK shouldn’t stay in single market because it needs freedom’ – Channel Four News