Brexit news live – Michael Gove launches business task force as end of Brexit transition period looms
THE Government is launching a new business task force to help firms prepare for the UK's final break with the EU at the end of the year.
Senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove acknowledged it was a "challenging time" for business as the Brexit transition period is coming to an end.
Mr Gove said: "Regardless of the outcome of the UK-EU negotiations, in just 50 days we are leaving the EU single market and customs union and this will bring both new challenges and new opportunities for businesses.
"We recognise that this is a challenging time for everyone, and we are determined to support businesses to be ready for 1 January 2021 and beyond.
"It is only by working together that we will be able to seize the opportunities that await us as we regain our political and economic independence."
The news came after US President-Elect Joe Biden warned Boris Johnson that any post-Brexit trade deal with the US would be contingent on upholding the Good Friday Agreement.
Follow our Brexit live blog for all the latest news and updates…
- Chiara Fiorillo
THERE IS STILL ‘A DEAL TO BE DONE’ SAYS BORIS JOHNSON
Boris Johnson insists there is still “a deal to be done”.
However, all sides have acknowledged time is running out if the provisions of an agreement are to be implemented in time for January 1.
- Chiara Fiorillo
‘CHALLENGING TIME’
Michael Gove said: “Regardless of the outcome of the UK-EU negotiations, in just 50 days we are leaving the EU single market and customs union and this will bring both new challenges and new opportunities for businesses.
“We recognise that this is a challenging time for everyone, and we are determined to support businesses to be ready for 1 January 2021 and beyond.
“It is only by working together that we will be able to seize the opportunities that await us as we regain our political and economic independence.”
Michael Gove is launching a business task force - Chiara Fiorillo
GOVE LAUNCHES BUSINESS TASK FORCE AS END OF BREXIT TRANSITION LOOMS
The Government is launching a new business task force to help firms prepare for the UK’s final break with the EU at the end of the year.
With just over seven weeks to the end of the Brexit transition period, senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove acknowledged it was a “challenging time” for business.
The move comes after the National Audit Office warned last week of “significant disruption” at the border whether or not the Government was able to secure a free trade deal with Brussels in time for January 1.
Officials said the task force – which meets for the first time on Thursday – would allow businesses and senior ministers to discuss potential issues “at pace” as they emerged.
- Chiara Fiorillo
BRAZIL AND UK DISCUSS POTENTIAL POST-BREXIT TRADE PACT
The top trade representatives for Brazil and the UK held a videoconference on Wednesday to discuss strengthening trade and investment links between the two countries, including a possible post-Brexit bilateral trade deal.
“We must explore the possibility of negotiating a trade agreement,” Roberto Fendt, trade and internal affairs secretary at Brazil’s Economy Ministry, said in a statement after the virtual meeting with the British trade minister, Liz Truss.
The UK authorities reiterated their support for Brazil’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the statement said.
- Chiara Fiorillo
END OF FREE MOVEMENT
- Chiara Fiorillo
GREECE TO OFFER 50% TAX BREAK FOR RETURNING PROFESSIONALS
Greece is preparing a law that will offer a hefty tax incentive to workers who move there from abroad, with the aim of creating more professional jobs and reversing its crisis-era brain-drain, an adviser to the prime minister told Reuters.
Alex Patelis, who advises Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on financial matters, said Greece hoped to attract “digital migrants” after the coronavirus pandemic accelerated a shift to remote working in many countries and sectors.
“A worker from abroad who moves to Greece will be eligible for a 50% exemption on income earned here for seven years under the plan,” he said on Wednesday, adding that legislation will be brought to parliament by the end of the year.
- Chiara Fiorillo
DEALING WITH EUROPE TERROR THREAT
Michel Barnier says a good Brexit deal is needed owing to the terror threat in Europe.
He said the recent attacks in France and Austria weighed heavily on his mind.
He also feels “a weight of responsibility on my shoulders” to find a decent agreement given the economic fallout from Covid.
Read more here
- Chiara Fiorillo
LEE CAIN RESIGNS
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s director of communications resigned on Wednesday after media reported there were bitter arguments at heart of government over a plan to make him chief of staff in Downing Street.
Lee Cain had previously worked for Johnson when he was foreign minister and on the Vote Leave campaign to quit the European Union.
“After careful consideration I have this evening resigned as No10 director of Communications and will leave the post at the end of the year,” Mr Cain said in a statement.
In response to Lee Cain’s resignation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I want to thank Lee for his extraordinary service to the Government over the last four years.
“He has been a true ally and friend and I am very glad that he will remain director of communications until the new year and to help restructure the operation. He will be much missed.”
- Chiara Fiorillo
BARNIER HOPEFUL PROGRESS WILL BE MADE IN TALKS
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney claimed Michel Barnier was hoping to make progress with the UK on the future relationship with the UK after Brexit.
Mr Coveney said: “I think there will be a deal because I think the cost of not getting a deal is so high.
“In particular for Britain and Ireland, as it happens, but also for other countries in the EU to a certain extent.
“I spoke to Michel Barnier at length in advance of the negotiations starting this week.
“He is determined to try and find a way to get a deal and make significant progress this week.”
Michel Barnier is reportedly hoping to reach a deal with the UK - Chiara Fiorillo
WORKING HARD
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK team continues “to work very hard to seek to bridge the gaps which remain between out two positions”.
He declined to comment on any new deadline.
- Chiara Fiorillo
EU SUMMIT ON NOVEMBER 19
A summit of EU leaders on November 19 is considered in Brussels as the final deadline for a draft Brexit deal.
“If there isn’t good news by then, then you really have to say that time is up – it just isn’t possible,” said one senior EU diplomat.
“The leaders will need to see that it is there.”
- Chiara Fiorillo
‘POLICY SPACE’
A source said: “We can’t agree to arrangements requiring us to operate laws equivalent to the EU’s and make us pay a penalty if we moved away from them.
“We need policy space to decide what is in the UK’s interest in the future.
“That is the very essence of what Brexit is about.”
- Chiara Fiorillo
PRE-BREXIT STOCKPILING CREATES SURGE IN IRISH SEA SHIPPING DEMAND
Irish Sea shipping services are experiencing a surge in demand as businesses stockpile amid continuing uncertainty around post-Brexit trading arrangements.
Stena Line, which transports 65% of the freight moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, has chartered an extra ship to meet the capacity requirements.
Despite a year that has seen overall demand for freight services hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, dipping by as much as 30% in April, the volume of stock Stena Line moved across the Irish Sea last week was up 6% on the same week in 2019.
Paul Grant, who is Stena Line’s Irish Sea trade director, told the PA news agency: “We’re seeing big demand pre-Brexit.
“I think you can see people are anxious to get their stuff across and make sure they’ve got enough stock ahead of January 1.”
- Chiara Fiorillo
‘TIME IS SHORT’
On Wednesday afternoon Downing Street said: “Time is in short supply and for our part we continue to work very hard to seek to bridge the gaps which remain between our two positions.”
- Chiara Fiorillo
DEAL ‘MUST BE DONE NEXT WEEK’
A Brexit deal must be decided by next week as negotiations continue, the Irish foreign minister has warned.
Simon Coveney said the coming days were “crucial” and “if we don’t have a deal at some point next week I think we have real problems”.
- Chiara Fiorillo
EU ‘WILLING TO COMPROMISE’
Stefaan de Rynck, an adviser to Mr Barnier, insisted the EU side had been willing to compromise in the negotiations – implying that it was British resistance which had prevented progress.
“The EU has been in compromise mode at all negotiation tables, for months,” he said.
- Chiara Fiorillo
KEY ISSUES
The main issues in the Brexit negotiations are thought to remain the “level playing field” measures aimed at preventing unfair competition on issues including state subsidies, the ongoing row over fishing rights and how any UK-EU deal will be governed.
The EU wants a deal by mid-November in order for it to be ratified by the time the transition arrangements expire and the UK leaves the customs union and single market.
- Chiara Fiorillo
BORIS JOHNSON INSISTS THERE IS A ‘DEAL TO BE DONE’ WITH EU
Boris Johnson said he remained hopeful that a deal can be reached with the European Union despite concerns about a lack of time.
The Prime Minister said: “There is a deal there to be done and we’re keen to do it but it depends on our friends and partners understanding where we need to get to.
“But either way, we’re going to be ready for whatever the outcome is. This country is full of plans and full of resilience and we’ll have a good way forward.”
Boris Johnson said he is hopeful a Brexit deal can be reached - Chiara Fiorillo
BREXIT DEADLINE TO BE MISSED
Brexit talks will sail past this week’s deadline for a deal as negotiators haggle over 600 pages of legal text.
Both sides privately admit this week’s target for a deal will be missed and talks will have to continue into next week and even beyond.
But the EU had previously set a date for the end of this week for a breakthrough after Boris Johnson’s deadline demand of last month was also ignored.
More on the story here
- Dan Keane
UK NEEDS ‘POLICY SPACE’ AS TALKS GO TO WIRE
A source told The Sun that the UK needs “policy space” to decide the best course of action as talks with the EU go to the wire.
They said: “We can’t agree to arrangements requiring us to operate laws equivalent to the EU’s and make us pay a penalty if we moved away from them.
“We need policy space to decide what is in the UK’s interest in the future.
“That is the very essence of what Brexit is about.”
Read our full report on the talks here.
- Dan Keane
PM HAILS ‘REFRESHING’ CHAT WITH BIDEN
Boris Johnson has welcomed a “refreshing” conversation with Joe Biden as the Prime Minister labelled Donald Trump the “previous president” during PMQs today.
“It was refreshing, I may say, to have that conversation and I look forward to many more,” Mr Johnson told MPs.
He added: “I had and have a good relationship with the previous president, I do not resile from that – it is in the duty of all British prime ministers to have a good relationship with the White House.”
- Dan Keane
CANADA TRADE DEAL WILL BE ‘EASY’ FOR UK, SAYS TRUDEAU
Canada should be able to strike an “easy” trade agreement with Britain by the end of the year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today.
“I think we’re ready to have it done before January 1. One of the challenges is bandwidth,” he told an online conference hosted by the Financial Times.
“The UK hasn’t had to negotiate trade deals in the past few decades so there is an issue of not really having the bandwidth within government to move forward on this.”
But he added: “Canada is a really easy one – we’re there for it, we’d like to do it, so I’m very hopeful that it’s going to get done, but that is really up to the UK government.”
- Dan Keane
MEDICINE SUPPLY CHAINS TO CHANGE AFTER BREXIT
Medicine supply chains in Northern Ireland will change “significantly” after Brexit, MPs have been told.
Members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee heard evidence today from the pharmaceutical industry on the impact of Brexit on the supply of medical drugs.
At the moment, around 80% of drugs come into Northern Ireland via Great Britain, but in future they could be “shipped in directly from Europe”, MPs were warned.
- Dan Keane
WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES IN THE TALKS?
Negotiations between the UK and EU are in deadlock over two key issues – fishing and state aid.
One of the great promises of the Leave campaign was to deliver freedom for British fishermen, and the government is demanding that fish quotas reserved for UK vessels rise from 25 to 50 per cent.
But the EU wants access for its boasts, and says reaching a “fair deal” is vital – and that without a fishing agreement no access to the single market can be granted.
The bloc also has strict rules on state aid – the extent to which the state can subsidise private companies – which hamper the PM’s plans to “level up” the UK.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said it is key that Britain retains control over its rules on subsidies and competition.
- Dan Keane
‘TIME IS IN SHORT SUPPLY’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman has said that “time is in short supply” as the two sides continue to hammer out a deal ahead of the end of the transition period.
They told a Westminster briefing: “Time is in short supply and for our part we continue to work very hard to seek to bridge the gaps which remain between our two positions.”
We explore those differences in our next post.
Source: Read Full Article