Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Theresa May denies deal has been struck on £50 billion Brexit bill… Theresa May has insisted there is still no agreement on the UK’s Brexit bill despite reports British officials have committed up to £50bn to the EU. The Prime Minister told Sky News the UK is “still in negotiation” over the financial settlement but ruled out paying “huge sums of money to the EU every year” after Brexit. EU bosses have given Mrs May until Monday to make a fresh offer on key divorce issues if she wants to reach the next phase of Brexit talks – on trade and a transition period – by Christmas. Yet, with the deadline looming, the Prime Minister denied claims a deal has already been struck on the UK’s payout to Brussels – although she did not correct suggestions a Brexit bill could be as much as £50bn or more. – Sky News Theresa May: Brexit bill is still being negotiated – Politico Brexit bill of £50 billion is ‘speculation’ says Chris Grayling – FT (£) €50 billion Brexit deal is just a rumour, insists Michel Barnier – The Times (£) Why UK is being ‘cagey’ about Brexit divorce bill – Robert Nisbet for Sky News Brexit bill battle turns to presentation rather than hard cash – Alex Barker for the FT (£) Brexit bill: Will we ever know a precise figure? – Chris Morris for BBC News …as Boris Johnson says it would be worth paying to ‘get the ship off the rocks’ Boris Johnson has said a £50 billion Brexit bill is worth paying if it gets “the ship off the rocks” as senior Leave campaigners backed Theresa May’s decision to offer Brussels more money to get trade talks started… Mr Johnson, the most hardline Brexiteer in the Cabinet, was joined by other prominent Leave campaigners including former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who said it was right that Britain honoured its legal obligations to Brussels… Iain Duncan Smith said that even a divorce bill of more than £40 billion would be “a good bargain” because Britain would save “staggering amounts of money” on contributions to EU budgets over the long term… The Prime Minister faced a backlash from some Tory backbenchers, however. Peter Bone MP said the Government was “betraying the trust of the British people” in agreeing to pay such a large sum. – Telegraph (£) Britain makes Brexit bill offer – with strings attached – Politico Backlash from Tory Brexiteers over £50 billion divorce bill – The Times (£) Tory hardliners could vote against Brexit deal over £50 billion divorce bill – Guardian Brexiteers furious as Britain set to pay EU £2.59 billion-a-year for decades after Brexit – The Sun Brexiteers demand itemised EU bill – Politico Brexit bill will not make a dent in public finances, economists say – FT (£) UK growth forecast wins an upgrade on Brexit divorce deal – Telegraph Sterling on bounce after Brexit bill – The Times (£) What we’re agreeing to pay and options for a trade deal – Henry Zeffman for The Times (£) Brussels: Brexit bill doesn’t ‘buy’ a trade deal – Katya Adler for BBC News How many Tory MPs would vote against giving the EU a £45 billion divorce settlement? – Katy Balls for the Spectator Britain ‘close to Irish border deal with EU’… EU leaders are preparing to offer a two-year Brexit transition deal as early as January after negotiators said that they were close to a breakthrough over the Northern Ireland border. British officials tabled proposals this week to avoid a “hard border” in Ireland that could unblock the last remaining major obstacle to a deal, The Times understands. In return the EU will pledge at a summit in Brussels next month to speed up approval for a transition deal that maintains Britain’s present relationship with the EU, reassuring businesses that might otherwise begin implementing plans for a hard Brexit…The British proposal is understood to commit the government to work towards “avoiding regulatory divergence” in Ireland after Brexit even if the rest of the UK moves away from European rules. This would involve the government devolving a package of powers to Northern Ireland to enable customs convergence with the Irish Republic on areas such as agriculture and energy. – The Times (£) UK in talks with Dublin and DUP to lift Brexit border blockage – Bloomberg Brexit negotiators believe end to Irish border impasse is near – Guardian Ireland’s EU Commissioner says UK and EU on course to open trade talks next month – Express Irish Department of Foreign Affairs investigates leak of sensitive Brexit documents – Irish Times Good Friday Agreement negotiator David Trimble slams Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for ‘trying to mimic Sinn Fein’ – The Sun Dublin’s 5 Brexit demands show path to sufficient progress – Politico Britain has now suggested sensible ways forward on all Brexit divorce issues. It is time for European leaders to give the green light for trade talks – Times leader (£) …as Brexit minister suggests customs checks could be done remotely post-Brexit to avoid hard Irish border Customs checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the Republic could be done remotely to avoid a hard border after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, a Brexit Minister has suggested. Robin Walker said the Government “would not under any circumstances want to be taking steps to harden” the border between the two countries, even in the event of a no deal Brexit. He pointed to existing tax checks which are carried out remotely on the island as evidence that it would be possible to deliver on Theresa May’s statement that the UK “will not accept any physical infrastructure at the border”. The Government is adamant that technological solutions can be found to prevent the imposition of a hard border but a key ally of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has rubbished the idea. – Telegraph (£) Sinn Féin warns of ‘civil disobedience’ if Brexit leads to hard Irish border – Politico Risk of civil disobedience could make the Border problem quietly disappear – Newton Emerson for the Irish Times Theresa May slaps down Michel Barnier after he accuses Britain of walking away from the fight against Islamic State because of Brexit… The EU boss said Brexit “came after a series of attacks on European soil, committed by young people who grew up in Europe, in our countries… Yet rather than stay shoulder to shoulder with the Union, the British chose to be on their own again.” But furious Downing Street hit back to point out “the UK continues to play a leading role in combating Daesh in terms of online and in the fight on the ground in Syria. And they added: “The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear in our ongoing commitment to the EU’s security.” …Last night Tory MP James Cleverly also hit out: “It is outrageous that Barnier is trying to talk down the UK’s role in combatting Daesh. We are the second largest contributor to the Coalition’s military campaign and a key player in the humanitarian response across Syria and Iraq.” – The Sun Brexit Brits are turning backs on terror fight, says Michel Barnier – The Times (£) Barnier weaponises ISIS to bash Brexit – Guido Fawkes Britain furious with Barnier over ‘irrational and stupid’ ISIS claim – Politico …while Barnier says Britain must drop objections to EU becoming ‘military power’ after Brexit Britain must drop its objections to the European Union becoming a military power after Brexit, Michel Barnier said on Wednesday. Speaking in Berlin at a security conference, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, hailed the “unprecedented” moves towards EU defence integration since the UK’s referendum. The bloc has unveiled ambitious plans to pool research funding on defence. “Our aim: autonomous and united European defence,” Mr Barnier said, “The construction of a ‘Europe of Defence’ has begun”. – Telegraph (£) Michel Barnier: UK cut out of EU defence decisions and Europol post Brexit – Politico European Parliament’s Guy Verhofstadt demands more concessions from Britain despite reported Brexit bill deal The European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator has heaped pressure on EU chiefs to demand more concessions from Britain, as he suggested that no “sufficient progress” has been made in the deadlocked talks. In a letter to Michel Barnier, who represents the EU’s 27 member states in the negotiations, Guy Verhofstadt claimed that progress had “stalled or even reversed” on the key issues of citizens rights and the Irish border… Mr Verhofstadt then stressed that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) must continue to have jurisdiction over British courts after Brexit to protect the rights of EU citizens – a request that would cross one of Britain’s red lines. – Telegraph (£) Britain still the most prosperous major country across Europe despite Brexit Britain is still the most prosperous major European country this year despite Brexit fears, it has been revealed. The Legatum Institute’s annual survey of 149 nations put the UK above rivals Germany, France, Italy and Spain for economic and social wellbeing. The UK also came 10th overall across the globe, unchanged from last year, despite grim projections for trouble in the years ahead – above even the US, with oil-rich Norway topping the survey. We are also judged to be the fifth best in the world for having a good environment to do business in. The Legatum Prosperity Index was drawn up from nine different measurements, from the economy and governance to health, education and the natural environment. – The Sun The 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index – Legatum Institute UK free to scrap excessive EU financial services red tape after Brexit, says Mark Carney Britain can free its banking system from the burden of excessive EU red tape after Brexit – and can instead focus on the important rules which keep the financial system safe, Mark Carney, the Bank of England’s Governor, indicated yesterday. That could include the bonus cap which the Bank of England has long opposed, as well as rules which force small banks to face the same rules as global institutions. Speaking at the FICC Market Standards Board’s event on the topic of fair and effective markets, the Governor said that regulation in general should be more proportionate. “There are areas we would make changes, but within the context of maintaining the overall levels of resilience,” Mr Carney said. – Telegraph (£) Bankers’ bonus cap ‘may be scrapped’ after Brexit, says Carney – The Times (£) UK’s senior financial regulator calls for passporting commitment during transition period – The Times (£) German Bundesbank executive calls for financial services clearing to remain in London after Brexit – Bloomberg American soft power will ensure London won’t lose its financial crown after Brexit – KPMG partner Joe Cassidy for City A.M. The City’s success has never depended on EU membership – Steven Woolfe MEP for CapX UK remains top for tech start-ups after Brexit The UK remains the top country in Europe for innovative technology startups, attracting more talent and investment than any other country and claiming the crown as the region’s capital for “deep tech”. The findings come in a major new report from venture capital firm Atomico which signals a feared Brexit effect on the industry has not materialised. Investors have ploughed $5.4bn into the UK’s tech companies in 2017, figures from Dealroom show, more than double the amount of its nearest rival Germany. And the country remains the number one destination for tech talent, attracting 20 per cent of all international migrants in European tech, LinkedIn data demonstrates, and is home to more professional developers than any other country. – City A.M. Technology talent heads to Britain despite Brexit – The Times (£) France looks to steal UK tech’s European crown – FT (£) Matthew Elliott: The Brexit bill – money well spent? If the final deal includes a sensible implementation period, where the end point is a fully comprehensive UK-EU Free Trade Agreement, with mutual recognition of regulations, no tariffs and no quotas, plus comprehensive market access and regulatory recognition for financial services, a Brexit Bill around the mark being discussed today would be worth the money. Forty billion pounds is two years of our current gross contributions to the EU. It is not a trivial sum. Every penny of taxpayers’ money should be spent carefully. But if we get the sort of agreement outlined above in return, it will be money very well spent. – Matthew Elliott for the Telegraph (£) How a £50 billion Brexit divorce bill will save Britain a fortune – Daniel Hannan MEP for The Sun The Brexit divorce bill is ghastly but we can still make it work to our advantage – Liam Halligan for the Spectator Paying €50 billion just to talk would be an unforgivable mistake – Andrew Lilico for CapX Theresa May failed to prepare us for the Brexit bill. That’s a shame, as £40 billion is small beer – Ben Kelly for the Telegraph (£) Here’s what we should get from Brussels for our £40 billion – Matthew Lynn for the Spectator The UK doesn’t have any long-term responsibility to the EU – Leo McKinstry for the Express Our £44 billion Brexit divorce bill may be hard to swallow — but it’ll be worth it for our economy – The Sun says Nick Timothy: Britain needs to help Ireland’s young and inexperienced leader back down from his impossible Brexit demands Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, seems to be trying to force the UK into positions that are understandably unacceptable to London: that the UK should remain a member of the Customs Union, or that Northern Ireland should do so, thereby creating an internal border within the United Kingdom… Having taken a bold stance, Varadkar may find it difficult to back down. Some believe he is bluffing, and trying to force Britain into concessions, but it is more likely that a young and inexperienced leader, under domestic political pressure and confronted with Brexit, is miscalculating: European diplomats tell me that Varadkar’s recent ultimatum took even Brussels by surprise. The Europeans need to make clear to Ireland that the surest way to a hard border is a no-deal Brexit, which is precisely what, with its hardline stance, the Irish Government is risking. And if we think the consequences of that outcome are bad for Britain, they will be ruinous for the Republic: Varadkar must know this. – Nick Timothy for the Telegraph (£) Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Ireland’s threat to veto Brexit is a nightmare come true Mr Varadkar has made his choice. He has ditched his predecessor’s call for a formula that finesses the border issue with modern technology, demanding that there should be no change whatsoever to the status quo… He insists that the trade frontier should shift to the Irish sea, regardless of the economic facts. Ulster’s exports to the rest of the UK are 22pc of GDP, four times its shipments to Ireland. Mr Varadkar is pushing a purely political and geographic claim. By opening this chapter he has aroused suspicions that EU Brexit policy is a stalking horse for a united Ireland… Clearly Britain cannot be constrained in this way. While a “no-deal” adieu on WTO terms is not optimal it is not a disaster either… Downing Street should certainly bend over backwards to help Mr Varadkar extricate himself from his exorbitant demarche. But if he really pulls the nuclear trigger, Mrs May will have no choice. – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard for the Telegraph (£) Iain Martin: Even the outline of a sensible financial deal with the EU can’t stop the acolytes of Tony Blair calling foul over Brexit Now, at the precise moment when a financial settlement emerges via a sensible mechanism by which Britain can politely settle its obligations and move on to trade talks, it is condemned by prominent Remainers and used as evidence to bolster calls to reverse the decision of voters. The reason this matters is that it demonstrates conclusively how the tactics of the elite leadership of the Remain lobby have backfired since June 2016. They have had a much bigger influence since the referendum than they perhaps have realised, by hardening hearts on the Brexit side at Westminster. It might have been possible last year, or even this summer after Theresa May’s election disaster, to get a campaign for a soft Brexit going: staying inside the customs union and/or single market, promoted by liberal Leavers and accepting Remainers. But why should any non-Farage Brexiteer — and that’s the majority of pro-Brexit politicians and voters — trust Remainers demanding further concessions on the single market or the customs union or anything else? Not when the aim is so clearly to stop Brexit or to use any compromise as a device to beg for a way back into the EU. – Iain Martin for The Times (£) Brexit comment in brief The EU is fatally divided over Brexit – and that is our greatest opportunity – Allister Heath for the Telegraph (£) The lunch that could make or break Brexit – Tim Ross for Bloomberg May is close to a breakthrough but the real battle is still to come – FT view (£) Labour’s Brexit strategy remains as confused as ever – Tom Goodenough for the Spectator Russia is up to no good – but the idea it caused Brexit doesn’t stand up to scrutiny – Garvan Walshe for ConservativeHome The summit that was the start of a long, downward slope out of Europe – Simon Nixon for The Times (£) The EU’s doublethink on smoking in films is such a drag – Bill Wirtz for City A.M. Brexit news in brief Theresa May rejects Priti Patel’s attack on Brexit strategy – The Times (£) Good Brexit agreement may prove official forecasts wrong, says top Treasury official – Bloomberg Watchdog warns of Home Office overload over EU national registration – Guardian EU would have changed free movement for Britain but no one asked, Nick Clegg claims – Express Scottish politicians seek referral to European Court of Justice to ask if UK can stop Brexit – Guardian Construction firms could lose at least 120,000 EU brickies post-Brexit according to think tank – The Sun Brexit gives new life to old tractors as UK auction sales jump – Bloomberg I’ll make French the world’s language, vows President Macron – The Times (£)