Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Philip Hammond will tell us to ‘seize the opportunities’ from Brexit in today’s Budget The UK must “seize the opportunities” from Brexit while tackling deep-seated economic challenges “head on”, Philip Hammond is to say in his second Budget. The chancellor will promise investment to make Britain “fit for the future” as an “outward looking, free-trading nation” once it leaves the EU in 2019. But he will also commit to supporting hard-pressed families with the cost of living and address housing shortages. Labour say he should call time on austerity and boost public services. In his Commons speech, which will begin at about 12:30 GMT, Mr Hammond will set out proposed tax and spending changes.- BBC How to spot Brexit clues in the UK budget – Tom McTague for Politico Government sees off backbench rebellions over EU human rights as Withdrawal Bill survives another day in Committee Ministers have sought to see off a potential rebellion by Conservative MPs that could have brought a first defeat over the EU withdrawal bill by partially backing down on the future status of EU human rights measures in UK law. Following another day of debate about the bill, which seeks to transpose EU statute into UK law post-Brexit, the government faced possible defeat over amendments intended to maintain the scope of the EU charter on fundamental rights. Several of the amendments were tabled by Dominic Grieve, the Tory former attorney general and a leading Brexit rebel, with speculation that enough of his fellow Tories would back some of these to inflict defeat. – Guardian Remain rebels force climbdown over rights to sue government – The Times (£) > WATCH: Highlights of Day 3 of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill EU and UK reportedly aim to strike Brexit divorce deal within 3 weeks… Britain and the EU are targeting a Brexit divorce deal within three weeks, with negotiators drawing up a political road map that seeks to overcome the toughest unresolved issues on a financial settlement and Northern Ireland. Theresa May’s moves to settle the “divorce bill” have given new momentum to talks, allowing negotiators to pencil in the week of December 4 as a breakthrough moment where the two sides, within days, take decisive steps to open a second phase of trade talks. – FT (£) …as EU sparks fury among Brexiteers by ramping up cash demands The EU dramatically ramped its Brexit demands for even more cash and Irish border pledges to give the green light for crucial trade talks to start next month. To the fury of Brexiteers, France and Italy have warned Theresa May the controversial divorce bill will be higher than the £38 billion approved by her exit war Cabinet on Monday. – The Sun We are doubting the point of negotiations after the destructive EU asked for more money – The Sun editorial The Brexit divorce bill is a small price for freedom. – Tom Harris for the Telegraph (£) Factory orders booming since the Brexit vote as they hit a 29-year high Factories have reported their biggest monthly boom in orders in almost three decades, driven by a surge in demand from overseas, in the clearest sign yet that the weak pound is helping manufacturers. In a welcome boost for the chancellor before what is expected to be a difficult budget today, the CBI monthly industrial trends survey revealed that the balance on industrial orders had risen to +17 in November from -2 last month. It was the highest reading since August 1988. Economists had expected a much more sedate +3. – The Times (£) European court could veto terms of Brexit if the legality of the deal is challenged, former EU judge suggests Brexit could be delayed for a year if Remainers appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), a former EU judge has suggested as he claimed such a scenario could be a “blessing in disguise”. Sir Konrad Schiemann, who previously sat at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of which the ECJ is a part, suggested the legality of the UK’s Brexit deal could be challenged by a business or an individual at home or abroad. Such a legal challenge could be a “spanner in the works”, he said, and could result in “an extra year or maybe longer” to hammer out an improved deal. – Telegraph (£) Ireland rallies support for tough stance on the border… Theresa May was warned last night that she would not be allowed to buy her way out of the Brexit impasse with a bigger financial offer unless she also gave ground on the Irish border issue. Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, said that he was not willing to allow talks in Brussels to move on to trade and transition without more assurance that there would not be a return of border checks between the North and the Republic. He also demanded that Northern Ireland retain access to the single market and customs union. Mr Coveney added that there was “a lot of solidarity” among the other EU members. – The Times (£) Brexit and the Irish border: Is all as it outwardly appears? – Laura Kuenssberg for the BBC …as DUP leader says the Irish PM should know better Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar “should know better” than to “play around” with Northern Ireland over Brexit, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party says. Arlene Foster accused Mr Varadkar of being “reckless” as Brexit talks enter a “critical phase”. She was speaking after meeting Theresa May at Downing Street. The Irish government says any hard border with Northern Ireland should be off the table. – BBC > Watch On BrexitCentral’s YouTube: Arlene Foster says Irish PM ‘should know better’ Daniel Hannan: Make no mistake… Britain will be stronger without the EU after Brexit We are the sixth biggest economy in the world, for Heaven’s sake, one of five permanent seat-holders on the UN Security Council, and the fourth military power on the planet. Yet we’re working ourselves into a state about someone else’s election result. It’s as if 44 years in the EU have made us incapable of independent action. As if our sovereign muscles, long unused, have melted away. As if we have truly become a European province, dependent on decisions made in Berlin. For what it’s worth, I hope Angela Merkel stays in power. I wish Germany well, and she is a competent leader… But wishing Germany well is not the same as believing that our future will be decided there. – Daniel Hannan MEP for The Sun Nigel Farage: Inch by inch, the Conservatives are surrendering every one of their Brexit red lines What on earth has happened to the Eurosceptics in Theresa May’s cabinet? In what can only be called the ultimate sell-out, these once-brave men and women who backed the Leave campaign and have been seen as the champions of the 17.4m people who voted for Brexit have collapsed like a row of dominoes. Over the course of the last few months we have seen these senior politicians shift their position significantly on virtually every important issue. For example, once they balked at the idea of a transition deal. Yet now, they seem happy to accept that we should be locked into such an arrangement for at least two years and probably (I am willing to bet) up until the next general election, which is scheduled for 2022. – Nigel Farage MEP for the Telegraph (£) Asa Bennett: If Remainers respect Brexit, why are they still trying to tie Britain closer to the EU? The latest change to the Repeal Bill MPs are set to consider on Tuesday, tabled by Dominic Grieve, proposes that the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights should apply in Britain after it leaves the bloc. Labour has thrown its weight behind him, which is little surprise given that Sir Keir Starmer tabled his own amendment aiming to preserve the EU Charter. Why are they so keen to do so? The Charter exists to catalogue the rights that bind EU members together. Britain is leaving the EU legal order, so why should it as a non-member agree to remain subject to the bloc’s judicial processes? – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Gisela Stuart: The collapse of Angela Merkel’s coalition shows her dream of a united Europe is falling apart A new sensation is coursing through the German body politic: panic. It has been brewing since September’s dramatic election result, which saw Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party much diminished, and the Right-wing Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) capture 94 parliamentary seats. Naturally, Chancellor Merkel did what she always does when things get tough – reassure her people “das schaffen wir” – we can do this. Not this time. Her attempts to form a coalition have unexpectedly collapsed and Germany is in turmoil. – Gisela Stuart for the Telegraph (£) Comment in Brief Cheap foreign labour has ruined our productivity. After Brexit, that will finally change – Peter Lilley for the Telegraph (£) More Merkel is the last thing Germans need – Roger Boyes for The Times (£) Britain needs to spell out how it hopes to achieve post-Brexit security soon – Anand Menon for the Telegraph (£) A new UK fishing policy – John Redwood’s Diary Why Brexit, politics – and everything else – can’t just be about economics – Rebecca Lowe Coulson for ConservativeHome Britain’s removal from the International Court indicates a wider power struggle – The Times editorial (£) Emmanuel Macron has emerged as de facto head of the EU – and that’s bad news for Brexit Britain – Andreas Whittam Smith for the Independent By fixating on Brexit, Britain risks a further erosion of its influence over global affairs – Con Coughlin for the Telegraph (£) News in brief Immigration Minister says European court jurisdiction ‘part of negotiations’ – Telegraph (£) Brexit ‘risks crown jewels of aerospace’ – The Times (£) IoD: Transition deal by March or firms will leave – Evening Standard Brexit smiles on the Dutch — so far – Politico And finally… EU game teaches kids to collect more taxes Your dose of Brussels insanity arrives in a rare form today: an online game teaching children “to collect more taxes”. ‘Taxlandia’, a simulation game released by the EU Commission’s Department for Taxation and the Customs Union, bears the motto “tax builds my future”. And they wonder why Britain left… – Guido Fawkes