Brexit poll: Six months on, Brits stand by EU referendum decision British voters would repeat their decision to leave the European Union if the “Brexit” referendum were held today, according to a new CNN/ComRes poll released Monday. Six months after the UK delivered a result that shocked much of the world, 47% of British adults say they would vote Leave, with 45% saying they would choose to Remain, even though nearly half of them expect the decision to hurt them financially. “The British public have spoken and it was to leave the EU,” said ComRes chairman Andrew Hawkins. “This poll should serve as a warning to Remain campaigners who want to force a second referendum that the clock cannot be turned back without risking a huge public backlash. Most of the public think the June result should stand and even some 17% of those who believe their personal finances will worsen post-Brexit would still vote to Leave,” he said. – CNN Theresa May to face fresh grilling from MPs over Brexit plans this afternoon… Theresa May will be quizzed by an influential group of MPs over her plans to manage UK’s exit from the EU on Tuesday. The prime minister, who famously promised “Brexit means Brexit”, will face the House of Commons’ Liaison Committee. The group is chaired by senior Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie, who wants to divide the evidence session between the government’s preparations before invoking Article 50, the mechanism to split from the EU, and funding for the National Health Service and social care. – International Business Times …after refusing to rule out EU payments post-Brexit yesterday May, giving a statement to MPs about last week’s European Council, was asked to make a pledge not to pay any money at all into the EU budget once the U.K. leaves the bloc. Philip Davies, a backbench Conservative Euroskeptic, said continuing financial contributions to Brussels would be a “betrayal” of the referendum result. The prime minister replied that while the U.K. remains a member of the European Union it will continue to meet its financial obligations, before adding: “What’s important is when we leave the European Union, people want to ensure it’s the British government that decides how taxpayers’ money is spent.” – Politico May tells MPs: I told EU leaders you BACK Brexit & Article 50 will be triggered by April – Daily Express Theresa May slams EU leaders for leaving millions citizens ‘in limbo’ after refusing to early deal on rights – The Sun Michael Deacon: MPs may as well stop asking Theresa May about Brexit. They’re wasting their time MPs were asking Theresa May about Brexit again. I don’t know why. She’s made it clear time and again that she won’t tell them anything of note. It doesn’t matter what they ask, whether it’s about the single market, the customs union, contributions to the EU budget: all she ever does is say – always as if for the first time – that she wants “the best possible deal”. Over and over. The best possible deal. The best possible deal. The best… possible… deal. – Michael Deacon for the Daily Telegraph Nicola Sturgeon to detail Scotland’s so-called ‘soft Brexit’ plan later Scotland’s First Minister will today announce plans for a Norway-style arrangement to stay in the EU single market. Nicola Sturgeon believes that Scottish membership of the European Economic area (EEA) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will allow Scotland to make the “softest Brexit”, allowing it to remain part of the United Kingdom whilst still enjoying single market access. In a news conference later, she will reveal the full details of a Brexit battle plan entitled “Scotland’s Place in Europe”. – Sky News Nicola Sturgeon warns if she does not get new powers to keep Scotland in the EU single market there will be a second independence referendum – Daily Mail May to consider Sturgeon’s bid to stay in single market – The Times (£) Nicola Sturgeon’s push for separate Scottish Brexit deal ‘could undermine UK’s unified approach’ – The Herald Nicola Sturgeon Brexit adviser pours cold water on her single market plans hours before they are unveiled – Daily Telegraph Canny Sturgeon can make fairytale come true – Hugo Rifkind for The Times (£) Sadiq Khan appoints Lord Mandelson to advise on Brexit London Mayor Sadiq Khan has hired Lord Mandelson as part of a team to help him make sure the capital gets the best EU exit deal. Lord Mandelson, one of the architects of New Labour, will be advising Mr Khan on risks and challenges London may face throughout Brexit negotiations…The move will be seen as a message to the Government that he wants London’s business interests to be looked after in Brexit negotiations. – Sky News Fishing industry does not need single market, Brexit committee told The UK fishing industry does not need the European single market or access to other nations’ waters, the body representing Scottish fisherman has said. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive officer of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, also dismissed the idea that fisheries should be part of the UK’s Brexit negotiations. Giving evidence to Westminster’s Exiting the European Union Committee, he said the UK Government should instead make it clear from the outset that the sector “will not be part of the 30 pieces of silver deal”, and access to UK waters for other nations will be discussed after leaving the EU. – The Herald UK should not fear trade tariffs post-Brexit, says fishing chief – The Guardian Banks should retain passporting rights post-Brexit, British legal firms argue Banks operating in Britain may be able to sue the European Union if the bloc does not grant them a transitional deal as part of Brexit negotiations, Reuters reported Monday. A document, drawn up by three of the U.K.’s largest law firms — Linklaters, Freshfields and Clifford Chance — suggests banks based in the U.K. have a legitimate legal right to retaining so-called passporting rights and continuing to operate across the EU after Britain leaves the bloc. – Politico Brexit: UK hedge funds to draw up wish list to prevent damage to the City – The Independent Company hiring plans for 2017 hold up despite Brexit Employers in Britain plan to hire staff at a similar pace next year as this, according to a survey that suggests the jobs market will hold up in 2017 as the UK negotiates its exit from the EU. The annual employer survey by the CBI lobby group, now in its 19th year, found that hiring plans were only slightly less optimistic than at the same time a year ago. “In the midst of uncertainty, [employers are] just cracking on and keeping things moving”, said Josh Hardie, the deputy director-general of the CBI. – FT (£) EU ‘won’t allow UK to keep some sectors in customs union and pull others out’ Sir Andrew Cahn, ex-chief executive of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), expressed doubts about Britain being allowed to keep sectors like car manufacturing in the customs union after leaving the EU, while pulling others out. He spoke after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, whose department replaced UKTI this year, signalled that the UK could remain a partial member of the customs union in a similar arrangement to Turkey. Remaining a full member of the customs union means the UK would have to keep the same international tariffs as the EU, which would severely hamper ministers’ ability to cut free trade deals after Brexit. – Daily Express Brexit could help us make the NHS safer, say leading surgeons because of tighter rules on language tests and medical devices Brexit is an opportunity to make the NHS safer, leading surgeons believe. The Royal College of Surgeons says leaving the EU will enable watchdogs to impose stricter language tests on foreign doctors and tighter controls on medical devices. Junior doctors’ training may also improve as they will no longer be bound by EU rules limiting them to 48-hour working weeks. But this can only happen if the NHS is allowed to continue hiring thousands of European doctors and nurses, they add. – Daily Mail Diane Abbott MP: Leavers and Remainers can unite on this – EU nationals have a right to remain here There is no reason why we should not work together to do this – even Vote Leave campaigners argued during the campaign that EU citizens already living in the UK “will automatically be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK and will be treated no less favourably than they are at present.” My colleague Labour MP Gisela Stuart was a highly vocal and effective leader of the leave campaign. She too has argued strongly since that EU nationals should be given guarantees of continued rights to remain and work. We can unite on this. Economic necessity, working peoples’rights and common decency all say EU nationals here should not be treated as “bargaining chips”. Let them stay. – Diane Abbott MP for the New Statesman’s Staggers blog Theresa May hits out at EU leaders over refusal to negotiate amnesty for European citizens already living in the UK – Daily Telegraph Gideon Rachman: The chaotic route to train-crash Brexit The position of the British government seems to be to hope the EU will see reason — as defined in London. One UK minister talks of the Europeans still being “in the emotional phase”. Unfortunately, the EU position is driven by political calculation as well as emotion, and it is unlikely to prove a phase. A senior British civil servant provided me with a more realistic assessment. “It’s going to be bloody,” he said, “but we’re just going to have to bash on through and get to the other side.” I smiled at that very British evocation of the wartime spirit. It is just a shame that this war is so pointless and self-defeating. – Gideon Rachman for the FT (£) Brexit comment in brief Welcome sense from UK on the EU customs union – FT editorial (£) “Alarmism about human rights after Brexit is misplaced” – the Judicial Power Project writes for ConservativeHome Brexit negotiators must not ignore MEPs, or give them too much power – David M. Herszenhorn for Politico Theresa May is running out of reasons not to call an early election – Stephen Bush for the New Statesman Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy Brexit 2017 – Nick Clegg for the Evening Standard How Paris plans to knock London off its perch – Robert Colvile for CapX We can have our Brexit cake and eat it – Joseph Hackett for CapX Brexit news in brief Brexit or Trump supporters are not a fascistic ‘hard right’ that must be stopped – Michael Sheen quoted by Guido Fawkes Parliament releases official Brexit glossary – Guido Fawkes China’s top diplomat to visit UK amid Brexit uncertainty – EurActiv Brexiteers row about number of messages on WhatsApp – Daily Telegraph And finally… If you’re struggling to get your head around the size of the Brexit lexicon, the House of Commons library is here to help with a glossary of terms. Click here to read it.