Displaying items by tag: Brexit

Brexit has quietly resurfaced at the Labour Party conference, with Keir Starmer’s 'Brexit reset' plans taking centre stage. EU officials, alongside representatives from key European nations like Germany and France, have attended to explore potential new security and trade agreements. Central to these discussions is the EU’s push for a youth mobility scheme, allowing Europeans under 30 to live and work in the UK for up to four years. While Starmer has advocated stricter immigration controls, the EU is reportedly willing to compromise, offering shorter stays of two to three years to facilitate negotiations. Labour’s manifesto included proposals for a security and defence pact, a veterinary agreement to ease food and farming trade, and mutual recognition of professional qualifications. However, concerns remain over whether Labour has clearly defined objectives for the negotiations. The talks come amid broader tensions, with Labour’s grassroots pro-EU movement pushing for more engagement with Europe.

Sir Keir Starmer has emphasised that his government's intention to improve relations with the EU does not equate to reversing Brexit. Speaking alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Starmer highlighted the desire for a closer relationship with Europe, focusing on trade, defence, and economic growth, while ruling out rejoining the single market or customs union. The discussions also included plans for a treaty aimed at boosting cooperation between the UK and Germany, particularly in areas such as energy security and science. While the EU has proposed a youth mobility scheme to allow young people to study and work across borders, Starmer clarified that the UK has no plans to adopt such a scheme but is open to enhancing educational and cultural exchanges. The discussions were welcomed by some as a step towards mending UK-EU relations, while others expressed concerns or called for more ambitious efforts to rebuild ties with Europe.

A University of California study highlights the long-term damage caused by Brexit and austerity measures on the UK’s economic growth and social cohesion. The report calls for urgent action from the incoming government to address setbacks since the 2008 financial crisis. Political scandals, such as rule-breaking during the pandemic, have intensified public discontent and eroded trust in UK institutions. The study warns of interlocking crises for the next government, including signs of stagnation, particularly in addressing social and economic challenges. The report predicts a potential historic defeat for the Conservatives in the election and a challenging path for Labour to restore public trust and economic stability. Labour’s pledges include fiscal discipline, housing and infrastructure reforms, and clean energy investments. The study concludes that austerity and Brexit have left lasting scars on the UK economy, urging the government to prioritise regional planning and recovery.

UK farmers, feeling betrayed post-Brexit, have protested in London against trade deals and new regulations that jeopardise their livelihoods. The demonstrators, accompanied by tractors, converged on Parliament Square, voicing their distress over trade agreements that permit imports of lower-standard foods, undercutting local agriculture. Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, criticised the Government for securing 'the worst trade deals in the world’, leading to severe challenges for farmers. The Brexit transition has brought significant upheaval to the UK's agricultural sector, causing bureaucratic issues, exporting challenges, and a decrease in available labour due to reduced migrant workers. The pandemic worsened these effects. Despite initially supporting Brexit to escape the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, farmers now face intense competition from cheaper imports from countries like Australia and New Zealand. The protest also criticised misleading labels that allow non-UK products to bear the Union flag. A recent survey shows a majority in the UK now believe Brexit was economically detrimental, with few feeling personal or national benefits.

A new deal between the UK government and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) aims to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland by reducing checks on goods moving from the UK to Northern Ireland. The deal, which could quickly lead to the return of devolution, is seen as a pivotal step in resolving tensions which arose from post-Brexit trade rules. NI secretary Chris Heaton-Harris praised the agreement, and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson claimed it effectively removes the Irish Sea border for goods. The deal, endorsed by the DUP's executive, will be accompanied by legislation to reinforce NI's economic ties with the UK, and is expected to swiftly pass through Parliament. This development, a significant milestone in restoring local governance, addresses long-standing political and trade concerns in the region.

The upcoming Brexit rule changes, effective from 31 January, are expected to increase food prices in the UK. New regulations will require additional paperwork for EU businesses exporting animal and plant products to the UK, particularly affecting medium and high-risk foods. From April, physical checks will be implemented on these goods. In October, a broader range of items will be reclassified from low to medium risk, necessitating more paperwork. This reclassification will particularly impact fruit and vegetables, with an estimated £200 million added to import costs, likely to be passed on to consumers. Businesses transporting mixed consignments and local wholesalers may face significant impacts. The Government, while acknowledging potential price increases, suggests a negligible impact overall. These changes aim to protect the UK's biosecurity and support efficient trade.

France and Germany are pressuring Brussels to take the hardest possible line towards the next Tory leader over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Both Tory leadership candidates have pledged to press ahead and scrap goods checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Brussels says the Northern Ireland Protocol bill is illegal and will retaliate with lawsuits and import tariffs to strategic UK exports. Senior EU sources said the bloc would prefer to restart talks with a fresh face rather than Liz Truss, who has been running the negotiations. Ms Truss initially adopted a conciliatory approach after taking over as the UK’s chief negotiator from combative Lord Frost. But her position has hardened recently as she became frustrated at the lack of movement in the talks. EU insiders believe she dropped her friendly approach when it became clear that Boris could be ousted over partygate.

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, has warned Boris Johnson against any move to change the Northern Ireland protocol. He said, ‘What we can’t do is accept that the British government would act unilaterally, they would pass legislation to effectively breach international law, to set aside elements of a treaty that this prime minister designed and put in place. That would cause more problems than it would solve.’  Foreign minister Liz Truss, announcing a new law to change the post-Brexit trade deal for Northern Ireland, insisted it would be legal under international law. She said the proposed legislation would make changes to the deal - rather than scrapping it - to resolve ‘the grave situation in Northern Ireland’. But in response, the EU said it would ‘need to respond with all measures at its disposal’ if the UK went ahead with the legislation. Pray that all decisions will be according to God’s plans.

The attorney general has been advised that it would be lawful to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the post-Brexit arrangement which requires some checks on goods between Britain and NI. This angers both Unionists and the EU. There has been no power-sharing executive for several months after the DUP withdrew in protest against the protocol. In the recent election Sinn Féin, whose goal is for NI to become one country with the Republic of Ireland, won the most seats and needs to form a government. It cannot take up the office unless the DUP nominates a deputy first minister. The DUP's leader said his party would respect the election result, but changes needed to be made to the protocol. Boris Johnson has said the most important treaty is the Good Friday Agreement, which established a cross-community power-sharing government to end decades of violence. 

Lorries bringing goods from the EU to the UK are stuck in customs controls for days due to new Brexit red tape. Queues of up to eight hours cause delivery delays as firms struggle with Brexit rules which came into force on 1 January. Jordan Freight has had two trucks containing automobile parts stuck at Felixstowe customs controls for four days after arriving in the UK. The driver was allowed to leave the port, but the goods are stuck there. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said they were just too busy to deal with it. Customs experts say problems are partly due to the government’s new IT system. All EU imports must now be processed using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) managed by HMRC. Many drivers have been unable to get their reference codes accepted.