Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Vauxhall announces new investment in Luton plant – despite Brexit… Vauxhall has announced further investment in its Luton operation where the motor company said it plans to build more vans, safeguarding 1,400 jobs at the plant, despite uncertainty caused by Brexit. The news follows reports last month that up to 100 Vauxhall dealerships could be facing closure across the UK, threatening thousands of jobs. The carmaker said on Wednesday that it is aiming to increase production of its Opel/Vivaro model at the Luton plant to 100,000 vehicles per year, up from 60,000 produced at the plant last year. – Independent Vauxhall’s Luton plant to increase production despite Brexit fears – Guardian Vauxhall pledge commitment to UK post-Brexit with major deal to produce three new vans – Express Vauxhall to Build New Vivaro in Luton #DespiteBrexit – Guido Fawkes …as Barclays boss says Brexit will allow the UK to take back control of its future and can benefit the economy Brexit will allow the UK to take back control of its future and can benefit the economy, the boss of Barclays has said. Jes Staley claimed that any short-term economic hit as we leave the European Union will be so minor that it passes almost unnoticed. And he argued that there will be a chance to cut red tape and make the country more competitive when it is free from stifling Brussels rules. The 61-year-old American banker added he is more concerned about London being outcompeted by New York, thanks to deregulation and tax cuts, than he is about negotiations with the EU. – Daily Mail Barclays boss slams Brexit recession myths – Express Spain won’t hold Gibraltar hostage during Brexit negotiations, Madrid says The Spanish government is likely to agree a bilateral deal with the UK over Gibraltar before October and does not plan to hold Brexit negotiations “hostage” over the territorial dispute, it said on Wednesday. Alfonso Dastis, Spain’s foreign minister, reported progress in talks with British officials and said he was “optimistic” that a Gibraltar accord would be included in the final Brexit deal. Britain and the EU have both said they hope the Brexit agreement will be signed off by October. – Telegraph (£) Spain hopes for Brexit deal on Gibraltar before October: foreign minister – Reuters Spain tries again to secure joint use of Gibraltar airport post-Brexit – Express Brexit Britain can rejuvenate global network after years of EU dilution A powerful committee of MPs has demanded that Britain revives its old international relationships as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Australia to launch the Commonwealth Games. The Foreign Affairs Committee report also comes ahead of Britain hosting the biennial gathering of heads of Commonwealth governments in London later this month. The events come as Commonwealth states such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand have been among the most enthusiastic to form a new free trade agreement with Britain. The unanimous cross party conclusions recommend that Theresa May lays out what Commonwealth countries can expect in a future relationship once Britain is free from Brussels rule. – Express UK looks to former colonies to secure post-Brexit future – FT (£) Curry houses furious over plan to give EU migrants priority Curry house chiefs who backed Leave in the 2016 European Union vote said they felt “let down” today after it emerged that EU migrants may be granted preferential access to the UK after Brexit. Downing Street would not deny that ministers are considering a plan for EU citizens to leapfrog workers from elsewhere in sectors where skills are in short supply, as a concession to offer in trade negotiations with the EU. But it drew bitter condemnation from leaders of the £4.3 billion curry industry who were lured into backing Vote Leave with promises that Brexit would make it easier to bring in top chefs from south Asia. – Evening Standard EU court judge ‘broke rules’ by moonlighting at euro-quango European Union judge planned to top up his lucrative taxpayer-funded salary by moonlighting for a scandal-hit EU quango, according to a report by fraud investigators exclusively obtained by The Telegraph. Rather than sack the judge or investigate claims he broke EU rules to pocket thousands in public funds, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) instead asked Haris Tagaras to quietly resign. The report by Olaf, the EU’s anti-fraud office, will strengthen calls to ensure that Brexit ends the supremacy of the Luxembourg-based ECJ over British courts. Theresa May has admitted the court will continue to have some influence after the UK leaves the EU and Britain will remain subject to its rulings during the transition period of 21 months after 29 March 2019. – Telegraph (£) Why Theresa May is doomed to fail the 15 Brexit tests set her by MPs MPs have set 15 tests by which to judge Theresa May’s Brexit deal and called for Britain to remain governed by EU rules if they cannot be passed. The House of Commons’ Exiting the European Union committee called on the Government to consider membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) or European Free Trade Association (Efta) as an alternative to a full-blooded Brexit. The report was not backed by the whole committee, which is riven by stark divisions between Leavers, who argue EEA or Efta membership would turn Britain into a rule-taking vassal state, and Remainers. – Telegraph (£) Should the UK rule out continued membership of the EEA after Brexit? – Ruth Lea vs Hilary Benn for City A.M. Ed Warner: Patriotic displays make little sense when we compete on a global stage De La Rue boasts that it issues millions of secure identity documents each year for more than 25 governments and that it has a one-third share of global banknote production. Now, in crying foul that a Franco-Dutch competitor has won the contract to supply Britain’s new blue passports, it is playing fast and loose with its reputation. Why should a British company enjoy the goodwill and trust necessary to supply such sensitive products to foreign countries when it rails at overseas competition on its home turf? – Ed Warner for the Times (£) A truly global Britain would not meddle with the market – Julian Harris for City A.M. Ruth Lea: Should the UK rule out membership of the EEA after Brexit? Oh dear! Yet another attempt to subvert and dilute Brexit. This time it is from Hilary Benn’s “Exiting the EU Committee”, albeit with six members’ voting against its latest report. The report’s recommendation that the government should not rule out continued membership of the EEA, and therefore stay within the Single Market, flies in the face of the government’s oft-stated intention to leave the Single Market and the Customs Union after Brexit. Staying in the Single Market, with its four freedoms of goods and services and capital and labour, but out of the EU is the worst of all worlds. We’d be unable to control our EU immigration policy, in flagrant disregard of many who voted for Brexit in order to control immigration, and we’d be unable to amend or repeal EU regulations, which would hamper business. – Ruth Lea for City A.M. John Redwood: The civil service must stop frustrating Brexit Continued attempts to reheat Project Fear are demonstrating bias within the civil service against the Government’s stated policy of EU withdrawal. Last Wednesday night I spoke to the Bruges Group about Brexit at their request. There was widespread concern about the role of the civil service in the Brexit negotiations. Our constitutional theory is clear. Ministers decide, civil servants advise. Civil servants can warn and restrain Ministers to make sure Ministers obey the law and operate within their powers, but they are not there to write Manifestos or to decide the direction of travel. – John Redwood MP for CommentCentral Britain’s civil service as an anti-Brexit fifth column? – John Redwood for The Commentator Brexit in Brief How high a price will the global economy pay for Trump’s tariffs? – Shanker Singham and Ka Neufeld for CapX Shop prices fall again – John Redwood’s Diary Why Labour must back a new Brexit referendum – David Miliband for the New Statesman Concern in fintech industry as young coders reconsider London – FT (£) Brexiteer warns Remoaners attempts to thwart Brexit are a ‘threat to democracy’ – Express