May to seek transition to 2023 | Corbyn in Northern Ireland: Brexit News for Thursday 24 May

May to seek transition to 2023 | Corbyn in Northern Ireland: Brexit News for Thursday 24 May
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Theresa May reportedly seeks new Brexit transition to 2023

Theresa May will ask the European Union for a second Brexit transition period to run until 2023 to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Britain will propose another transition covering customs and trade that will follow the period already agreed, scheduled to last until the end of 2020, The Times understands. The prime minister’s new proposal has not yet been tabled in Brussels and faces opposition from EU negotiators and Brexit-supporting Conservatives. The transitional deal already agreed will last from next March to the end of 2020. Britain will ask for a customs and regulatory alignment implementation period from 2021 to at least 2023 to avoid the need for infrastructure or checks on the border. – The Times (£)

  • Theresa May claims UK needs another transition period which could delay Brexit to 2023 – Express
  • How Britain’s departure from the EU stretches to mid-2020s – FT (£)
  • UK negotiators haven’t pitched Irish backstop, officials say – Bloomberg
  • Brexit, border polls and customs checks – my new focus groups in Northern Ireland – Lord Ashcroft for ConservativeHome

Jeremy Corbyn to focus on Brexit in visit to Northern Ireland today…

Labour will not support any Brexit deal that includes a return to a hard border, Jeremy Corbyn will say later. Mr Corbyn is making his first visit to Northern Ireland since he was elected as Labour leader three years ago. He will make a speech at Queen’s University in Belfast to insist he will not tolerate a hard border between NI and the Republic of Ireland. – BBC News

  • Corbyn offers ‘customs fix’ for Irish border – Bloomberg

…as he sparks anger ahead of the trip with renewed calls for a united Ireland

But his visit on Thursday is likely to be overshadowed by the row over his “anti-democratic” views on a united Ireland… Asked on the eve of his visit whether he still held the same view, his spokesman said that “over the years” Mr Corbyn had “made his position clear that a majority of those people across the whole island of Ireland wanted to see that outcome”. He added that Mr Corbyn was insistent that any constitutional changes would have to come about “by consent” through the Good Friday Agreement, which allows for a referendum on unification if there is clear evidence that a majority in Ulster support it. However, the latest polls show that just 21 per cent of Northern Irish people support unification, and combined figures for Ulster and the Republic of Ireland show less than 50 per cent support for it. – Telegraph (£)

  • Jeremy Corbyn risks IRA row with visit to Northern Ireland – FT (£)
  • Jeremy Corbyn sparks fresh fury by declaring he still believes in a united Ireland – The Sun
  • Corbyn ‘still believes in a united Ireland’ – The Times (£)
  • UK-Ireland trade could fall 10% due to non-tariff barriers, claims Central Bank of Ireland – FT (£)

Chief Whip tells Tory MPs the EU Withdrawal Bill will return to the Commons next month…

The Chief Whip has just told Tory MPs that the EU Withdrawal Bill will be coming back to the Commons in early to mid-June. He told a meeting of the 1922 Committee that all leave was cancelled, and that there would be no slipping as the Government tried to overturn the Lords amendments. He was, I am informed, clear that the Government isn’t changing its mind on either the EEA or a customs union… The return of the withdrawal bill, and the vote on the customs union amendment, suggests that the Government will have to have decided on its preferred customs option by then. – James Forsyth for the Spectator

  • May sets course for Brexit showdown over customs union in June – Bloomberg

…after pressure from Cabinet Ministers and Brexiteers to stop delaying the vote

Cabinet Ministers and backbench Brexiteers have forced Theresa May to confront rebel MPs in the Commons and end her “bedwetter” Chief Whip’s dithering. Angry MPs bombarded No10 and the Whips demanding Tory Remainers are stared down on the Government’s flagship Brexit law ahead of a crunch meeting of the EU council at the end of June. They said any further delay in voting down over 15 devastating amendments imposed on the EU Withdrawal Bill by pro-EU Lords would weaken the PM’s hand when she comes face to face with fellow EU leaders… But one Cabinet Minister told The Sun that Chief Whip Julian Smith was being too cautious in delaying the votes, giving the impression Downing Street are running scared. They dismissed him as a overly nervous “bedwetter” and insisted Mrs May had the numbers to defeat a handful of pro-EU diehards. – The Sun

  • Michael Gove attacks Philip Hammond over Brexit legislation defeats – Guardian
  • Cabinet at war over Brexit as Michael Gove blasts Philip Hammond for ‘wrecking EU Withdrawal Bill’ – The Sun

Leaked dossier ‘reveals details of a £6m campaign backed by foreign billionaire George Soros to keep Britain in the EU’

Leaked papers apparently show that a pro-Remain group has launched a six-month plan to stop Britain leaving the EU. Backed by billionaire financier George Soros, Best for Britain aims to spend nearly £6million on the campaign, according to the documents. They allegedly reveal that the group will contradict whatever final agreement Theresa May strikes with Brussels – arguing it is ‘not what we voted for’. Best for Britain wants to persuade MPs to vote down the Prime Minister’s deal in October… Best for Britain was launched last April ahead of the snap general election. It was fronted by Gina Miller, who took the Government to court over Brexit, but she quit earlier this year after becoming uncomfortable with the group’s tactics… When the campaign was founded, its backers claimed they respected the result of the EU referendum. But it has been putting up billboards around the country calling for a second vote and the document says its strategic goals include: ‘stop Brexit’ and ‘win a people’s vote to stay and lead in Europe’. – Daily Mail

  • Billionaire behind a £5.6million last-ditch attempt to keep Britain in the European Union – The Sun
  • Want a second Brexit referendum? Then stop talking about it – Michael Segalov for the Guardian

UK lodges ‘strong objection’ to Galileo sat-nav exclusion…

The UK has lodged a “strong objection” to EU negotiators over plans to limit its participation in the Galileo satellite programme after Brexit. In a document seen by the BBC, UK officials warn EU counterparts the scheme could cost an extra €1bn (£876m) without their continuing involvement. Excluding the UK from Galileo, it says, contravenes the phase-one withdrawal deal agreed by both sides in December. It also warns it will hinder wider post-Brexit security co-operation. – BBC News

  • UK ups ante in Brexit satellite clash with Brussels – Politico
  • Britain to demand money back after being frozen out of Galileo satellite project – Telegraph (£)

…with EU split over exclusion of UK from Galileo after Brexit

Divisions are emerging within the EU over the European commission’s decision to exclude the UK from the bloc’s new satellite navigation system, Galileo. A number of member states are said by sources in Brussels to have become sympathetic to the British cause regarding the handling of the issue by EU officials… It has been reported that French officials have now raised their concerns with the commission over the decision to block UK involvement with the encrypted navigation system after Brexit. The French government, while generally hostile to the UK’s demands for preferential treatment once it leaves the bloc, is anxious to keep the UK in a tight relationship in relation to security. According to the Times, the concerns in Paris are shared by Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Baltic states. – Guardian

  • EU bureaucrats trying to oust Britain from the Galileo satellite project – The Sun
  • German bid to block UK from crucial defence plan – The Times (£)

Theresa May’s stance on Brexit shaken after minister suggests Britain will pay the £39bn divorce bill without a trade deal

May was forced to harden her Brexit stance last night after a minister confessed Britain would pay the £39billion Brexit divorce bill without a guarantee of a future trade deal. Downing Street beefed up their position to insist they would be now be seeking “linkage” between the mammoth payment to Brussels and a good trade deal written into the final terms of the divorce deal. On Wednesday morning Department for Exiting the EU junior minister Suella Braverman admitted there are no legal conditions on Brussels to agree to a deal despite the eye watering exit payment agreed in December. Giving evidence to MPs she insisted instead that trade talks would have to be simply done on “good faith”… But a senior Government source last night told The Sun that British negotiators would seek to remedy that with an “explicit reference to linkage” before the final deal is signed. – The Sun

  • Theresa May slaps down minister who admits UK will pay £39bn divorce bill regardless of future trade deal – Independent
  • UK might have to pay £39bn Brexit bill before trade deal agreed – Guardian
  • MPs will have to agree to pay £39bn Brexit bill before they have seen UK/EU trade deal, admits minister – Telegraph
  • Brexit ‘divorce bill’ does not guarantee EU trade deal – FT (£)
  • Brexit bill not contingent on trade deal, says UK minister – Politico
  • The PM needs to stop this Brexit suicide before we surrender to Brussels without signing a free trade deal – The Sun says
  • Here’s how Theresa May could make her Brexit bill work for us, rather than for Brussels – Gawain Towler for the Telegraph (£)

Boris Johnson reopens post-Brexit immigration debate

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for an open approach to immigrants after Brexit to make sure Britain’s economic needs are met, reopening a political debate over migration policy. Prime Minister Theresa May has backed a target to cut the overall number of migrants coming into the country to the “tens of thousands,” but Johnson signaled he wants a more liberal approach. Asked if he thought May’s target should be reviewed, Johnson said the priority should be providing the workers — including in financial services — that the economy requires. – Bloomberg

‘Max Fac’ Brexit customs plan which uses tech to patrol the border could cost £20bn, HMRC boss claims

HMRC chief John Thompson stunned MPs by saying the “smart technology” border solution championed by Boris Johnson would trigger a huge bill for companies in customs declarations and red-tape. It came as the taxman admitted the alternative Customs Partnership plan championed by the Prime Minister may not be fully ready for five years… Furious Brexit backers accused the HMRC of a “hit job” given officials had yet to brief the PM or Cabinet Ministers about the costs. The PM’s official spokesman dismissed the idea of a £20billion bill as “speculation”. But pro-EU campaigners said it was another reason to stay in the EU’s current customs union. – The Sun

  • Technology-based customs system ‘could cost £20bn’ – BBC News
  • Brexiters’ customs model ‘could cost £20bn for UK business’ – Guardian

Britain caves in on following EU data rules in full after Brexit in bid to save trade ties

Britain will mirror the European Union’s data protection rules in British law in full, UK negotiators have said in a bid to convince Brussels to preserve intelligence-sharing and the lucrative free flow of data after Brexit… Britain wants to sign a bespoke data protection treaty, which would, to an extent, replicate the pre-Brexit status quo and argues it would be the foundation on which the future UK-EU relationship could be negotiated… British officials told their European counterparts that the government would enshrine the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is due to come into force on Friday, and Law Enforcement Directive in full in a 2018 Act… EU countries can choose to only put minimum standards demanded by the GDPR into national law but Britain will adopt the strictest possible interpretation of the bill. – Telegraph (£)

  • UK calls for special EU deal on data-sharing laws after Brexit – Guardian

Alarm in Europe as Italy’s populists rise to power

A little-known Italian law professor has been given the job of leading western Europe’s first populist government, which is threatening to break European Union spending rules with huge tax cuts and welfare giveaways. Giuseppe Conte, 53, was given a mandate to form a government by President Mattarella after he was picked by the Five Star Movement and anti-migrant League as their candidate for prime minister… The prospect of Italy breaking EU deficit rules has startled markets. Fears grew further this week on news that the League wanted to name Paolo Savona as finance minister. The former minister and Bank of Italy official has called Italy’s membership of the euro a “historic error” and wants a “plan B” to allow the country to pull out if necessary. He has also said Germany nurtures an ambition to control Europe comparable to that of the Nazis. Yesterday Italian news agencies said Mr Savona had resigned as chairman of a company based in the UK, suggesting he was preparing to join the Italian government. – The Times (£)

  • Brexit is a problem but an Italian Eurozone crisis could be a nightmare – Bruno Waterfield for The Times (£)
  • Italy’s populists prepare to wage war over the ECB’s budget rules – Graeme Leach for City A.M.
  • Italian crisis looks like last chance for Brussels to get Brexit and the EU right – Mark Fox for Reaction
  • A democratic earthquake has turned fringe populism into Italy’s new mainstream. Unless the EU responds effectively, the next earthquake could be in Brussels – Times leader (£)

Dominic Cummings: Theresa May’s Brexit ‘strategy’ is a shambles

The government’s nominal policy, which it put in its manifesto and has repeated many times, is to leave the Single Market and Customs Union and the jurisdiction of the ECJ. This requires preparing to be a ‘third country’ for the purposes of EU law. It requires building all the infrastructure and facilities that are normal around the world to manage trade… No such action has been taken. Downing Street, the Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Cabinet have made no such preparations and there is no intention of starting… The Treasury argues, with a logic that is both contemptible and reasonable in the comical circumstances, that given the actual outcome of the negotiations will be abject surrender, it is pointless wasting more money to prepare for a policy that has no future and therefore even the Potemkin preparations now underway should be abandoned (NB. the Chancellor has earmarked half of the money for a ‘no deal’ for the fiscal year after we leave the EU). Instead, Whitehall’s real preparations are for the continuation of EU law and the jurisdiction of the ECJ. The expectation is that MPs will end up accepting the terrible agreement as voting it down would be to invite chaos. In short, the state has made no preparations to leave and plans to make no preparations to leave even after leaving. – Dominic Cummings’s Blog/Spectator

  • Ex-Vote Leave director Cummings warns of Brexit ‘train wreck’ – BBC News

The Sun: The PM needs to stop this Brexit suicide before we surrender to Brussels without signing a free trade deal

Does the Government have a death wish? We cannot imagine a more suicidal policy than telling Brussels it can have our £39billion Brexit divorce payoff WITHOUT signing a free trade deal. What happened to Theresa May’s “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”? That means not one penny should be handed over until that deal is formally, irreversibly signed off by the EU’s 27 member states. Incredibly, Brexit Minister Suella Braverman admits we would rely on “good faith” from Brussels. Good faith? What good faith are they showing over the Irish border, rejecting every solution and sniggering behind our back? …There is already a risk Brussels could chain us to its customs rules for good, crippling our trading future. Now it could take our cash with nothing in return. Forget “bad deal”. This would be a catastrophic surrender. – The Sun says

Phil Mercer: New Zealand happy to forget the UK’s ‘betrayal’ over joining EEC

It happened back in January 1973 to the South Pacific nation when the UK joined the then European Economic Community (EEC), the precursor to today’s European Union. At the time, about half of Kiwi exports were shipped 18,500 km (11,500 miles) to the UK, but access to those prized markets would effectively end as a result of the UK joining the EEC. “It was a massive shock. It was an emotional shock for New Zealand,” says Asha Sundaram from the University of Auckland… Fast-forward 45 years and the Kiwi economy has been transformed. Free trade agreements with Australia, China (in 2008) and others have been critical. So were the bold reforms beginning in the 1980s that opened up an ailing “fortress economy” that had been highly protected. “New Zealand was the first country to do a high quality free trade deal with China,” says Catherine Beard, head of Export NZ, a lobby and advocacy group. “We’ve taken a really principled approach to trade, so we reduced all the tariffs in New Zealand many years ago, we don’t have subsidies. And we don’t have any kind of smoke and mirror support for companies domestically, and the ones that survived have thrived. Our industry is actually remarkably robust, and so are our farmers because they have always had to be globally competitive without support.” – Phil Mercer for BBC News

  • Why we support the EU’s trade talks with Australia and New Zealand – Trade Minister Greg Hands for the Independent

Owen Paterson: Remarks at the ‘Brexit and the Island of Ireland’ conference

I have been visiting Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland very regularly for many years, doing business before I was an MP then every week for three years as Shadow Secretary of State, and two years as Secretary of State… I have seen at first hand the ways in which businesses deal with the very real border which already exists between the two countries – in currency, VAT, excise duties and security. In all my many conversations with business-people and politicians on both sides of the border, not one has ever said that the current arrangements present any problems to them, as they are all handled seamlessly with modern technology. Unintrusive cameras and automatic number-plate recognition already exist at the border; intelligence-led spot checks to prevent illegal activity are routine. These differences and their solutions will continue regardless of the UK’s membership of the EU… Doom-laden predictions of a future of chaotic checkpoints and unmanageable delays have continued to dominate the headlines, but no one is arguing in favour of that. – Owen Paterson MP for UK in a Changing Europe

Comment in brief

  • Trade liberalisation, even more than trade deals, is the true prize to pursue – Daniel Hannan MEP for ConservativeHome
  • Brexiteers are out to stop Philip Hammond and his fellow Remainers mangling Brexit – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£)
  • The Customs Backstop guarantees a bad deal – Joshua King of Get Britain Out for CommentCentral
  • We must stand up to the Brussels bullies – Iain Martin for The Times (£)
  • Now is not the time for the Tories to loosen up about mass immigration – Nick Timothy for the Telegraph (£)
  • Unite, and reform the bloated, undemocratic House of Lords – Darren Hughes for City A.M.
  • A worldwide low-tax revolution has begun, yet Britain is sitting on the sidelines – Allister Heath for the Telegraph (£)
  • Corbyn is the block to a soft Brexit – Hywel Williams MP for The Times (£)
  • Facebook made Brexit possible – but now it is discriminating against Right-wing news sites – Nigel Farage for the Telegraph (£)

News in brief

  • UK risks being too reliant on Europe to keep its lights on – Bloomberg
  • Britain’s energy security put at risk by Government plans to rely on a huge increase in electricity imports from Europe – The Sun
  • Poll reveals UK public can’t wait for Brexit Britain – Express
  • Brexiteers’ dreams of a golden age are buccaneering blather, says UK’s former top EU diplomat – Telegraph (£)
  • Lloyd’s of London given go-ahead to open Brussels base – FT (£)
  • Head of Luxembourg’s City body claims Tory infighting will be the only barrier to successful Brexit deal – City A.M.
  • Record 7,500 Britons apply for German passports as Brexit looms – The Times (£)