Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Theresa May hints at extension to EU customs transition deal Britain may not be ready to enter into a new customs arrangement with the European Union by the time its transition agreement runs out, Theresa May suggested yesterday. In an admission that is likely to alarm Tory Brexiteers, the prime minister said that when the detail of the administrative changes that might be needed was examined, the timetables that had been agreed so far might need to be revised. Mrs May was responding to comments made by HM Revenue & Customs officials who told the Treasury committee that a new customs partnership with the EU could take five years to set up. – Times (£) Britain could have to wait for years to implement new trade deals with other countries – The Sun Priti Patel calls for whistle-blowers behind Brexit ‘cheating’ row to reveal funding Former Cabinet Minister Priti Patel has demanded the whistle-blowers behind the Brexit referendum cheating row reveal who is secretly funding their expensive legal team. Last night Leavers pushed for an official probe into Remain overspending in the 2016 campaign. Expensive top QCs have been hired by campaigning lawyers Bindmans to try bring criminal charges against the victorious Vote Leave campaign – but despite admitting it was being privately funded, the firm refused to say who is paying the bills. But the former Aid boss and devout Brexiteer told The Sun: “If wealthy individuals have the arrogance to try overturn the votes of 17.4 million people, they should at least have the guts to make themselves known.” – The Sun Whistleblower who lifted the lid on Cambridge Analytica is branded a ‘charlatan’ and accused of speaking out to pursue a vendetta against Brexit campaigners – Daily Mail Asked by JoCo if he has a smoking gun that proves Vote Leave overspent, the Observer’s source Shahmir Sanni admits: “No” – Guido Fawkes ‘Fair Vote project’ funded by Byline cranks – Guido Fawkes Remain secrets of Best For Britain, the Fair Vote Project, Byline, Impress, Max Mosley, Bindmans, Chris Wylie, Shahmir Sanni, Gina Miller and Jolyon Maugham – Guido Fawkes > Hugh Bennett on BrexitCentral today: Revealed: The inconsistent and inaccurate claims of the Brexit ‘whistleblower’ …as Michael Gove says Vote Leave spending has been investigated twice by the Electoral Commission since it occurred “I wasn’t involved in the day to day running of the campaign, I was out there making the case for leaving the EU rather than managing the hidden wiring of the campaign. But I think this case has been investigated twice by the Electoral Commission since it occurred and I think on both those occasions the Electoral Commission said it’s quite right that one campaign can donate to another organisation, and indeed my understanding is that the Remain campaign did pretty much the same thing.” – Sky News ‘He doesn’t want democracy in the UK!’ Rees-Mogg blasts Lord Patten’s anti-Brexit speech The Tory backbencher accused Lord Patten of advocating for the United Kingdom to operate undemocratically after both Conservatives exchanged digs at the anniversary of the triggering of Article 50. Speaking on BBC Daily Politics, Mr Rees-Mogg said it was “a great sadness” to know that the former Governor of Hong Kong does not want democracy in the UK, following allegations from the Tory peer Rees-Mogg holds the same views he had as an eight-year-old. Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I don’t remember discussing the European Union with Lord Patten when I was eight but I have indeed known him a long time. “What I would say to his Lordship is that when he was Governor of Hong Kong, I greatly supported him in trying to bring democracy to Hong Kong. – Express Jaguar Land Rover lands £1.2bn deal to supply self-driving cars to Google’s Waymo Jaguar Land Rover has struck a deal to supply tens of thousands of electric vehicles to Google in a huge step into the market for self-driving vehicles. The Coventry-based car company has agreed a partnership to provide its first ever electric car, the I-Pace, to Waymo, Google’s self-driving car arm. The deal is a coup for JLR, with Waymo seen as the frontrunner in the race to develop autonomous vehicles. In November it began testing cars on public roads in Phoenix, Arizona, with no human “safety driver” to take over. Waymo staff in the back of these mini-vans cannot steer or control the car, but can hit an “emergency stop” button. – Telegraph Eurozone GDP growth has peaked, data suggest, amid mounting tension over economic policies Plans for the European Central Bank to halt its bond-buying programme have been called into question as new economic data suggest that GDP growth in the currency union may have peaked. Lending data released on Tuesday revealed that the growth rate of loans to firms had slumped by 0.3 percentage points from January to February this year. This follows indications of a drop off in business confidence, and a weak showing in last week’s combined purchasing managers index (PMI). – Telegraph Michael Mosbacher: Remain, not Leave, had an unfair advantage in the EU referendum It is clear that this did not create an unfair playing field. Both sides in the Referendum exploited loopholes to maximise how much they could spend. The Remain side had the advantage of having the government machine – and £9.3 million of public funds on clear campaign literature – on its side. If the referendum was unbalanced, the advantage was with Remain – and yet it still lost. – Michael Mosbacher for CapX Emma Little-Pengelly: Let’s move on from 1920s thinking about the Irish border to make Brexit work for us all Despite the wailing and lamentation by some, one year on from the triggering of Article 50, progress has been achieved. This should, rightly, be acknowledged and welcomed by all. It now looks increasingly likely that a final deal will be done, so while a “no deal” situation cannot and should not be ruled out, it looks like it can be avoided. This will be a relief to many, particularly business. Good work, but more to be done. Over the last year, it hasn’t just been international trade that has emerged as a key discussion point – but also that closely related issue of borders. – Emma Little-Pengelly MP for the Telegraph (£) Madeline Grant: No, Brexit isn’t sexist Is Brexit sexist? That’s certainly the view of the authors of a new report from feminist campaign group the Fawcett Society, who detail the supposed impact of the UK’s departure from the EU on British women. In leaving the European Union, they claim, “We risk turning the clock back on gender equality.” They examine the impact of Brexit in a number of sectors, and conclude that our departure from the EU would negatively and disproportionately affect women. While the report has been described as “groundbreaking” in some quarters, it is, in reality, based on a number of mistaken assumptions. – Madeline Grant for CapX Aarti Shankar: The outline of a future UK-EU economic relationship is emerging The positions set forward by both the UK and the EU are opening negotiating stances, and some key questions remain unanswered. As negotiations progress, discussions over level playing field obligations and the governance arrangements for the final deal will present the biggest challenges. However, the framework for an ambitious free trade agreement is beginning to emerge. – Aarti Shankar for Open Europe Telegraph: Any new migration policies we dream up will be key to Brexit’s success Among the many unresolved post-Brexit arrangements is how the immigration system is to function. The Government has yet to come forward with its preferred plan once free movement of people from the EU ends in 2021. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in a report yesterday said businesses are concerned about their ability to recruit workers from the European Economic Area (EEA) after Britain leaves. But this should not be such a conundrum. The UK can operate the same policy as any other independent nation, with a visa system allowing employers who can show a need for foreign labour to bring them in on a temporary basis. – Telegraph editorial Owen Polley: The Brexit transition deal isn’t going down well in Northern Ireland In politics, as in every other walk of life, it’s never a bad thing to remain calm and measured. This rule of thumb seems particularly applicable to issues around Brexit, where debate is often distorted by hyperbole and unchecked emotion. Last week’s transition deal, like almost every previous step of the negotiation process, was greeted by excitable Brexiteers with accusations of betrayal and surrender. Less impetuous voices suggested that it represented progress towards a realistic, unhurried departure from the EU. That serene view is probably the more appropriate reaction, but there is at least one corner of the UK where the agreement is viewed with justifiable suspicion. – Owen Polley for Reaction Brexit in brief Theresa May has shown Putin that the West can still unite – Spectator editorial One year to go: What the City needs to make Brexit work – Catherine McBride for City A.M. I know why I voted for Brexit… and it wasn’t the dark forces of Facebook – Allison Pearson for the Telegraph (£) Reforming Immigration – Times editorial Britons could lose rights to urgent treatment in EU after Brexit, peers warn – Telegraph Turkey still wants ‘full membership’ of EU, says Erdogan – Independent Why is Brexit taking sooo long? – BBC News BMG Poll for Change Britain: Message to ‘take back control’ still resonates with a majority of British voters – BMG Warwick University to offer joint degrees with European institutions – Guardian