Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team David Davis says there is ‘no excuse for standing in the way of progress’ as fourth round of Brexit talks open… David Davis said Theresa May had shown “leadership and flexibility” in her Florence speech and given reassurances on financial issues. There were “no excuses for standing in the way of progress”, he insisted. The new round of negotiations is the first chance for the EU team to respond to Mrs May’s speech in Italy last week, in which she said the UK wanted a two-year transition period and would honour its financial obligations… Mr Davis said he hoped for progress on all fronts but made clear any agreement on financial matters could only be reached in the context of the UK’s future partnership with the EU. “The UK is absolutely committed to work through the detail. We are laying out concrete proposals and there are no excuses for standing in the way of progress.” – BBC News …as Barnier insists that a transition can only be discussed after ‘sufficient progress’ on the withdrawal agreement Mr Barnier said it was up to the bloc to decide if it would accept Mrs May’s request for a transitional period. And he insisted that the arrangement would only be possible if the UK accepted the EU’s four freedoms, such as free movement, during that period. “Any transition has to respect the regulatory and financial framework of the single market. As I said we are talking about extending EU legislation for a certain period of time. That would mean we would have to continue with budget supervision, judicial control and controls of EU rules and regulations,” Mr Barnier said. He went on to stress that the arrangement could only be discussed if “sufficient progress” were made on three key issues – the financial settlement, citizens’ rights and the Irish border issue. – Telegraph Brussels rejects call for speedy talks on transition – FT (£) Five key obstacles facing Britain’s 100-strong negotiating team this week – Peter Foster for the Telegraph (£) Theresa May to meet Donald Tusk for talks today in Downing Street… Theresa May will meet European Council President Donald Tusk later – the first time since the PM set out plans for a two-year transition period post-Brexit. It comes a month before the Council will decide whether sufficient progress has been made to begin trade talks… The meeting at Downing Street will be held in parallel with the fourth round of Brexit talks in Brussels. – BBC News …as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says ‘sufficient progress’ possible by October after meeting May yesterday Leo Varadkar has said he pushed Theresa May for “specifics” on plans for the Irish border post-Brexit during Downing Street talks… The pair also discussed options for breaking the political deadlock in Northern Ireland by restoring the power-sharing Assembly at Stormont. Speaking as he left Downing Street, Mr Varadkar said it was not possible “at this stage” to say sufficient progress had been made on the border issue. But he did say it was “possible” a solution could be found by an October deadline – when officials will decide if sufficient progress has been made on key issues for talks on trade and the future EU-UK relationship to begin. The Irish PM also praised Mrs May’s assertion in her Florence speech that there should be “no physical infrastructure” on the Irish border after the UK splits from the EU. – Sky News John McDonnell denies stifling Brexit debate at Labour conference after a ‘meaningful vote’ is blocked… John McDonnell has denied Labour’s leadership is stifling debate about Brexit after delegates at the party conference blocked a meaningful vote on the issue. Jeremy Corbyn avoided a potentially embarrassing row over Europe after members and trade union officials picked eight other “contemporary” subjects on the party’s “priorities” ballot to vote on instead… It comes after pro-EU MPs pushed for a vote on the issue to be held at the party’s conference in Brighton. But an email from left-wing campaign group Momentum, seen by Sky News, urged its supporters not to back Brexit in the composite motion ballot, calling it a “potentially time-consuming cul-de-sac”. – Sky News Labour’s pro-single market campaigners vow to fight on after being denied vote on party policy – Independent Labour conference votes to back party’s official policy on Brexit – Guardian Labour’s EU row spills onto conference floor as members accuse each other of ‘voting away chance to stop Brexit’ – Daily Mirror No Brexit vote at Labour conference is good for democracy, claims Emily Thornberry – Express Kezia Dugdale ’embarrassed’ by no Brexit debate at conference – STV How Momentum stopped vote on single market at Labour conference – Guardian Labour MPs on the rampage over Brexit boycott – Spectator – Katy Balls for the Spectator Labour’s decision not to debate Brexit shows Momentum’s power – George Eaton for the New Statesman Ignoring Brexit to spare Corbyn’s blushes is a price worth paying for some – Tom Goodenough for the Spectator Emily Thornberry mocks Boris Johnson over Brexit ‘paternity test’ – Sky News …as Sadiq Khan calls for the UK to stay in the single market… London Mayor Sadiq Khan deepened Labour’s civil war on Brexit yesterday by insisting Britain remain in the EU single market. And he suggested Britain may never leave the EU despite the Brexit vote last year. He said “as things stand the referendum results are the referendum results”. And he told BBC Radio 4: “I am quite clear when it comes to us leaving the EU – if we do leave the European Union – there will have to be a new deal. I want us to continue to be members of the single market.” – The Sun Sadiq Khan wants special Brexit immigration deal for London – Independent …and suggests there could be second Brexit referendum… Labour has opened the door to a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union which could see Brexit reversed. Some of the party’s most senior politicians lined up at Labour’s conference in Brighton to suggest that another referendum could be held on the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU… Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, hinted at the prospect of revisiting the result of June 23 last year as he said that “as things stand the referendum results are the referendum results”. That came as, Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary and the party’s general election chief, said “who knows where we will be” at the point of withdrawal in March 2019… However Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said that he was against holding a second referendum. – Telegraph (£) The road to reversing Brexit may have just begun at Labour’s conference fringe – Manuel Cortes for the Guardian …as Owen Smith calls for Northern Ireland to stay in EU Northern Ireland should be allowed effectively to remain part of the European Union, Owen Smith has demanded, in comments that risk breaching Labour’s fragile truce on Brexit. Mr Smith, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, told an event organised by Sinn Fein at Labour’s party conference that a special status “within the EU and as part of Britain” was the only solution to the problems caused for the province by Britain’s departure from the bloc… In remarks that provoked an icy response from unionists, Mr Smith warned that Northern Ireland’s “unique circumstances” would have to be reflected in a “unique and imaginative” solution to the problem of avoiding border checks between the north and the Republic after Brexit. – The Times (£) “Hard Brexit” will hurt EU more than Britain, warns leading Belgian university The European Union will lose more than twice as many jobs as Britain after a hard Brexit, research by one of the world’s leading universities found as tough UK-EU divorce talks begin in Brussels… The return of tariffs to goods and services would cost 526,830 British jobs and 1.209 million jobs in the remaining 27 EU member states, according to researchers at Belgium’s University of Leuven, one of the top 50 global universities. The damage would lead to a 4.48% drop in UK GDP and 1.54% in EU GDP, researchers found… The study paints a bleaker picture for the EU than other research because, for the first time, it took into account EU-wide supply chains on goods imported to Britain. German car imports, for example, include parts made in other EU countries so the return of tariffs would hit those nations as well as Germany. – Telegraph (£) City firms urge free trade agreement for financial services after Brexit The report from key banks, law firms and fund managers in the UK proposes a “bespoke” free trade agreement once Britain leaves the EU. Such a deal would allow British and EU-based financial companies to sell their products and services without tariffs, taxes or quotas in each other’s markets after Brexit. A new joint “dispute resolution body” made up of judges and independent experts would rule on breaches of the agreement… The report was launched in Brussels by the chair of the ISRG council, Mark Hoban, a former City minister, who said it would be “straightforward” to set up the free trade area because the EU and UK have regulatory regimes that are “essentially the same”. – Guardian The International Regulatory Strategy Group has unveiled a blueprint for a post-Brexit free trade deal to support the financial services sector – City A.M. London’s financial industry moots post-Brexit court to ensure UK law doesn’t stray too far from EU rules – Telegraph (£) Ministers fear that Angela Merkel’s coalition talks may delay Brexit trade talks… Political deadlock in Germany is likely to delay the start of Brexit trade talks for several months, senior ministers fear. Downing Street had hoped for Theresa May’s concessions last week to “unlock” negotiations in Brussels and allow talks on a transition deal and a future relationship to begin after a meeting of European leaders next month. However, after Sunday’s divisive German election result, Whitehall now believes that it will be difficult for the EU to quickly agree a joint position… “It is clearly going to be harder for the EU to come up with a negotiating mandate for future trade talks while the composition of a new German government is unclear,” a Whitehall source said. “Certainly in that context October is now looking a bit optimistic.” The EU is likely to blame Britain for any delay, however, after British and European Union negotiators clashed yesterday. – The Times (£) …as Merkel insists she can form a government by Christmas despite her coalition partners taking a hard line Angela Merkel insisted that Germany would have a new government by Christmas as she brushed aside fears that the country may need a second election after Sunday’s results. Mrs Merkel admitted yesterday that she faced months of difficult talks with three parties after her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) recorded its worst result since 1949 and ended far short of a majority in the Bundestag. She vowed to use her fourth term as chancellor to set out “good policies” to try to win back millions of voters who had turned to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Her weakened position suggests that for months most of her energies will be consumed by talks with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Green Party. – The Times (£) Pound rallies against retreating euro as the far right gatecrashes Merkel’s victory party – Telegraph How to watch Germany’s government transition like a pro – Politico Now Angela Merkel knows how it feels to be Theresa May – Telegraph editorial (£) German ‘Jamaica’ coalition spells trouble for coal, cars, and the euro – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard for the Telegraph (£) Angela Merkel has passed the zenith of her power – Wolfgang Munchau for the FT (£) The real winner of Germany’s election is Jean-Claude Juncker – Ross Clark for the Spectator A weakened Merkel leaves EU integration on the back-burner – Carolin Roth for City A.M. German election leaves Macron’s big idea in tatters – Juliet Samuel for the Telegraph (£) Germany and Angela Merkel have bigger problems than the far-Right – Stephen Green for the Telegraph (£) Merkel should have seen the far-right populists coming – Matthew Goodwin for The Times (£) It’s time for Germany to ditch its love of the current account surplus – Roger Bootle for the Telegraph (£) Iain Duncan Smith: Why the Government must prepare for no deal now Now that the Prime Minister has made her speech indicating that the UK meet our financial obligations, the EU has to respond… To make this happen, we need to put some pressure on them. To do that, two critical factors need to be engaged. The first is that we publicly, and through strong cabinet leadership, make it clear that we are going to throw resources at the plans for leaving the EU without an agreement. We need to up the pace dramatically on the process, giving regular public updates on progress. Alongside this move, we need to say to the EU that we expect it to respond to the Florence speech with a guarantee that we will now discuss a trade agreement. We should say that the EU has to make that decision by December – or we will assume they do not intend to do so, and that we must make the necessary arrangements to leave without a deal. This is important, because we will need all the remaining time to reach such an agreement but, if no FTA is forthcoming, then we must be ready to leave under WTO terms. If the EU does not then accept what would be a reasonable offer from the Government, it will be clear to everyone that it has no real interest in genuine post Brexit co-operation. If that is the case, it is best to establish it early. – Iain Duncan Smith MP for ConservativeHome Asa Bennett: To avoid a car-crash, Jeremy Corbyn has let Remainers drive Labour’s Brexit agenda Jeremy Corbyn will be relieved that his Momentum acolytes saved him from having to preside over a fractious debate about whether Labour should stay in the single market, as members have instead been asked to just endorse the party’s current Brexit position – in all its vague and platitudinous glory.This might not add much meat to the bones of Labour’s Brexit thinking, but it will save the party from “tearing [itself] in two” – which was the fear expressed by the party’s election coordinator Andrew Gwynne yesterday. “We are not all agreed,” a rare Brexit-backing delegate told attendees from the conference floor this morning, “which is why I’m pleased we’re not going to have a vote on it”. – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) The Sun: Labour must be hoping Brexit-supporting voters didn’t hear Clive Lewis brand them racist Labour must be hoping their Brexit supporting voters aren’t following their party conference. Otherwise they’d have heard Corbynista MP Clive Lewis brand them as racists for wanting to end freedom of movement. And they’d have heard him essentially trash Labour’s manifesto which he stood on in June that committed Labour to, um, well, leave the EU. He must’ve forgotten that 35 per cent of Labour supporters voted Leave. – The Sun says John Longworth: Philip Hammond is holding Brexit back: Theresa May must show who’s boss by giving him the sack Only if it is plain that you are actually prepared to walk away from the negotiating table do you have any chance of a good deal. The Government are not even planning for a “no deal” scenario, a dereliction of duty last witnessed under Cameron. The greedy, lazy, protectionist and unimaginative, multinationals and banks of the CBI have asked for the two year delay, our uninspired Chancellor and his masters in the Treasury wanted to be bound by the EU, so it is now incumbent on them to own the outcome. – John Longworth for the Telegraph (£) Philip Hammond refuses to endorse Theresa May as Conservative leader for the next election – Telegraph (£) Tory whips preparing for snap Boris Johnson resignation – The Times (£) Boris Johnson does not have enough support to oust Theresa May, top Tories warn – Independent Brexit in brief What Keir Starmer really thinks about Corbyn – Mark Wallace for ConservativeHome We need a grown-up approach to Brexit – Frances O’Grady for The Times (£) Home Office confirms it won’t adopt controversial proposals on EU citizens’ rights – New Statesman David Attenborough says Brexiteers “probably don’t understand” facts – New Statesman