Wanderlust

Category: POLITICS

  • UNITED KINGDOM ‘will now not industry away fishing’ in Brexit deal – Might

    Fishing boats moored in Brixham harbour Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption The executive’s plan has received a cautious welcome from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation

    The United Kingdom executive has insisted its Brexit agreement will protect the fishing industry despite claims it’s getting ready to “promote out” fishermen.

    The government’s draft agreement on put up-Brexit family members says the united kingdom shall be an “impartial coastal country”.

    The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation gave the document a wary welcome while it was published on Thursday.

    However First Minister Nicola Sturgeon predicted the industry could be used as a “bargaining chip” in the future.

    And Scottish Conservative MP Ross Thomson, a prominent Brexiteer who has been an outspoken critic of Top Minister Theresa Would Possibly’s option to Brexit, mentioned the settlement was once “unacceptable” because it intended “sovereignty over our waters” would be “sacrificed for a business deal”.

    Image copyright BBC / PA Image caption David Mundell and Nicola Sturgeon had clashed over plans for fishing put up-Brexit

    The Final draft of the political assertion – a textual content outlining the long run dating among the eu and the united kingdom after Brexit – accommodates impartial language about fishing.

    It says each side will “use their best endeavours” to finish talks in time for the uk to leave, and adds that they need to cooperate on access to waters and quota stocks “throughout the context of the overall financial partnership”.

    Look back on FMQs on Holyrood Live Will the uk and the eu succeed in a deal on fishing?

    Mr Thomson and Ms Sturgeon each argue that the latter element presentations ministers may use fishing as a “bargaining chip” in negotiations with Europe put up-Brexit, and each have called on Mr Mundell to consider his place.

    The first minister instructed MSPs that the announcement “represents some other Tory promote out of Scottish fishermen”.

    She said: “What we see is that the Scottish fishing industry will probably be used as a bargaining chip in wider business talks.

    “In phrases of David Mundell’s position I Might merely say this – his position is a matter for him, but when David Mundell is still in place of job by means of the top of today in light of this political statement he’s going to have forfeited perpetually any last ultimate scrap of concept or credibility that he had.”

    Skip Twitter put up by way of @RossThomson_MP

    🐟The political statement commits UNITED KINGDOM to “identify a brand new fisheries settlement on, inter allia, access to waters and quota stocks”. This Means sovereignty over our waters sacrificed for a industry deal. that may be unacceptable. We need to be a normal Unbiased coastal state like Norway. pic.twitter.com/wRCzdSNahf

    — Ross Thomson MP (@RossThomson_MP) November 22, 2018

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    Finish of Twitter publish via @RossThomson_MP

    The Scottish Secretary hit again, announcing he was once “no longer taking lessons on standing up for fishermen from Nicola Sturgeon”.

    He said: “The prime minister has fiercely resisted the efforts of ECU states to make an explicit hyperlink among get entry to to our waters and get entry to to markets.

    “we will negotiate and judge, as an unbiased coastal state, on get admission to and quota on an annual foundation, similar to Norway and Iceland do now.

    “The most reliable solution to ensure the ecu get right of entry to to Scottish waters can be to rejoin the CFP – exactly what Nicola Sturgeon is demanding.”

    Mrs Might informed MPs later within the day that “the fisheries settlement is not one thing we shall be trading off in opposition to any other priorities”.

    ‘Practical sovereignty’

    The govt has gained a few backing from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, with chief executive Bertie Armstrong pronouncing the declaration “offers the uk the facility to say its place as an impartial coastal state with practical sovereignty over our waters and natural tools”.

    However he brought that “we all know that a number of EU nations won’t surrender their attempts to link get admission to with industry so as to keep absolute rights to fish round our coastline”.

    He delivered: “we will proceed to hunt assurances from the uk executive that it’ll stay steadfast. we will be able to not relax until the long run arrangements are signed, sealed and delivered and we safe this very important keep watch over over get admission to to our waters and who catches what shares, where and while.”

    Labour in the meantime has criticised the political assertion as “26 obscure and bold pages of buzzwords”.

    Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird said the file “makes a mockery” of the “purple line” set down by way of the Scottish Tories, announcing that “David Mundell must surrender with rapid impact, and his colleagues should make clear that they won’t improve this half-baked deal”.

  • ECU embalming fluid ban ‘to change funerals’

    Funeral Image copyright Getty Photographs

    Grieving family members might now not have the opportunity to pay their closing respects to useless relatives when the eu bans the chemical in embalming fluid.

    That is the worry of Britain’s funeral administrators after MEPs voted to restrict the use of formaldehyde.

    The ECU says it is going to offer protection to workers’ health and retailer lives.

    And – in a concession secured via a Conservative MEP – it has behind schedule the ban at the substance for 3 years to permit the business to adjust.

    If the united kingdom remains in the european single marketplace for 21 months after it formally leaves on 29 March, as is lately deliberate, then the government would be anticipated to transpose the directive into UK regulation within a strict time limit.

    Image copyright EPA Image caption the traditional Egyptians used embalming materials to preserve mummies Bodies have been preserved after dying for the reason that no less than FOUR,000 BC Embalming the usage of formaldehyde and different chemicals began within the late 1800s to preserve our bodies for scientific study It involves the draining of the deceased’s fluids and the injection of chemical answers into the arteries, tissues and often organs the method takes approximately an hour and embalmers are required to put on protecting apparel and respirators

    “Visiting a family member within the chapel of rest can be each a distressing and comforting enjoy for families, and it is also proven to be an important a part of the grieving process,” says Jon Levett, leader executive of the Nationwide Affiliation of Funeral Administrators.

    “For funeral administrators, embalming offers the only realistic resolution with a view to extend deterioration and present the deceased individual at peace and as with regards to their look before loss of life as possible; specifically the place there has been a put up mortem, examination, traumatic demise – or to deal with the increasing hole between dying and a funeral that’s now continuously two or three weeks.

    “For all of those purposes, embalming remains a common funeral choice in the united kingdom through families, much more so than in Europe.”

    Symbol caption Anthea McIntyre secured a brief exemption for funeral directors

    He welcomed the three-12 months lengthen in the implementation of the ecu directive to “allow funeral firms to proceed the quest for a feasible selection” but recommended the united kingdom might need to “modification the tradition round funerals to make the need for embalming redundant”.

    All Of The alternatives to formalin attempted so far “simply do not work as a preservative”, he introduced.

    West Midlands MEP Anthea McIntyre, who this week secured the three-yr exemption in a vote in the Ecu Parliament, mentioned: “This new regulation is well intended, however i do not suppose officials in Brussels realised reasonably how massive the impact can be on Britain.”

    Refrigeration has been used as an alternative to embalming but that may result in dehydrated continues to be and, with repeated thawing and refreezing, accelerated decay, leading to “an unwholesome viewing scenario”, a briefing note by means of the funeral business stated.

    “For the shut viewing of the deceased to happen, it’s crucial for the deceased to be embalmed so the person viewing is secure (loose from the danger of infection), and that the deceased’s continues to be are fixed and strong and do not chemically holiday down or decompose and/or liberate embarrassing odours from decomposition,” it added.

    The European Commission says environment most values for the concentration in place of job air of the five chemical substances added to its list will support conditions for greater than 1,000,000 EU workers and stop greater than 22,000 work-related diseases over the following 50 years.

    The Council of Ministers in Brussels is as a result of vote in the factor on 6 December – and the Well Being and Safety Govt is hoping it’ll be agreed.

  • Brexit deal: Executive exploring extra DUP assurances, says Chancellor

    Philip Hammond Image caption Chancellor Philip Hammond mentioned he believes his birthday celebration’s trust and provide care for the DUP will keep intact

    the federal government is looking at ways to provide further assurances to the DUP over the Irish border backstop, Chancellor Phillip Hammond has mentioned.

    He was talking throughout a trip to an built-in faculty in Moira, County Down.

    Some MPs, including the ones within the DUP, have mentioned they’re going to now not back the federal government’s Brexit deal on account of the backstop proposal.

    It may see best NI keep aligned to a couple EUROPEAN laws, if it got here into impact.

    Concentrate: BBC Podlitical – Sunday summit and DUP conference Johnson and Hammond ‘to attend DUP event’ Draft assertion refers to Irish border generation the importance of being unionist?

    Mr Hammond said the federal government has a host of selections throughout the “parliamentary process”, which include extending the implementation duration to avoid having to use the backstop.

    Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Symbol caption Senior DUP politicians pictured with birthday party chief Arlene Foster at a press conference in Stormont’s Nice Hall

    On Monday, the birthday party abstained on budget votes, in a bid to warn Theresa Might to scrap the backstop proposal.

    But Mr Hammond instructed BBC News NI he believes his celebration’s trust and supply maintain the DUP will keep intact.

    he is due to talk at the get started of the DUP’s annual convention on Friday night time, whilst top Brexiteer Boris Johnson will talk to DUP contributors on Saturday – historically seen as a extra prime-profile fit in annual birthday party conferences.

    DUP MP Sammy Wilson mentioned Mr Hammond would be welcomed at his birthday party’s annual convention in Belfast, regardless of his celebration’s variations with the federal government.

    “i feel the truth that we have introduced Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson across knocks at the head the idea that a few other people have been putting around that now we have closed our minds and our ears to taking note of each side of the argument,” Mr Wilson mentioned.

    But Mr Wilson mentioned it was once “now not our fault” if the media gave extra prominence to Mr Johnson, and said it was apt that Mr Hammond could cope with an target market so that it will include many individuals of the business neighborhood.

    ‘Immediate investment’

    The Chancellor said the DUP and Conservatives “do not always agree on everything however I Am positive we will kind it out, we are two events that agree basically on the significance of maintaining the union”.

    Asked if the top minister may continue to exist in workplace if parliament rejects her deal, the chancellor mentioned now was a time to convey the country back together and “Theresa May is the right particular person do this”.

    The DUP’s Brexit message to Theresa Might Q&A: The Irish border Brexit backstop

    Right Through his seek advice from, Mr Hammond additionally introduced that investment of £66m is to be launched by the Treasury so that 23 shared and built-in schools in Northern Eire can proceed with building (capital) projects.

    The money is from a pot of £500m that used to be first authorized within the Stormont Space settlement in 2014 and re-affirmed within the Contemporary Start Agreement in November 2015.

    Earlier this yr, BBC News NI found out that unspent money totalling £91m for shared and integrated education from the agreements can be made to be had.

    Mr Hammond then headed to an adventure led by means of the Federation of Small Companies (FSB).

    Image caption Liam Fox advised BBC Information NI the draft political statement was once massively encouraging in phrases of making sure the Irish border backstop by no means needs to be used

    In The Meantime his cupboard colleague, Global Business Secretary Liam Fox, has mentioned language in the draft UK-ECU political announcement, which refers to taking a look at technology to handle the Irish border, is “encouraging”.

    He made the feedback all the way through a trip to a trade in Newry, County Down, on Friday.

    Mr Fox, who sponsored depart within the referendum, stated regardless of competition to the draft withdrawal settlement, that “this is a bullet we have to bite”.

    Symbol Copyright @JP_Biz @JP_Biz

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    Twitter post by @JP_Biz: International Trade Sec Liam Fox arriving @LtdMJM in Newry Image Copyright @JP_Biz @JP_Biz

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    “People in parliament will have to take a choice on whether or not they are going to dam the democratic choice of the public.”

    He said the government’s aim used to be to ensure “we by no means get to the backstop”, and that he hoped that issue can be addressed through the future courting.

    “The paper we revealed the day gone by sets out a host of alternative preparations to maintain the border, that is a big improvement on where we’ve got been earlier than”.

    ‘Building trust’

    “It shows shows building agree with and we can avoid ever getting to the backstop,” introduced Mr Fox.

    But he advised Nice Britain will have issues negotiating business deals with new partners if the backstop association got here into effect.

    The cabinet minister additionally did not rule out extending Article 50 if Parliament votes down the government’s draft Brexit plan.

    But he said: “We’ve Got at all times mentioned we did not want to increase Article 50 – we need to come to an agreement.”

  • UKIP chief defends hiring Tommy Robinson

    Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson Symbol copyright EPA Image caption The Previous EDL chief will advise Mr Batten on jail reform and rape gangs

    UKIP chief Gerard Batten has defended his choice to hire Tommy Robinson as an adviser and says he had stored the celebration “from oblivion”.

    His predecessor Nigel Farage criticised UKIP’s affiliation with the ex-English Defence League chief and stated there have to be a vote of no trust in Mr Batten.

    Mr Batten mentioned many of us respected Mr Robinson’s “stand on issues”.

    And he claimed Mr Farage had shown “0% passion” in UKIP considering “strolling away”.

    Mr Batten, who is the fourth particular person to lead UKIP due to the fact Mr Farage quit within the wake of the 2016 EU referendum, said he believed he could see off any problem to his management.

    Symbol copyright Reuters Symbol caption Mr Batten mentioned he had the beef up of the birthday celebration’s ruling body

    He rejected considerations expressed by way of Mr Farage and other MEPs, a couple of of whom have give up the birthday celebration in latest months, that UKIP used to be becoming tainted with Islamophobia.

    “Islamophobic is a made up phrase… i don’t have an irrational fear of Islam, nor does Tommy Robinson.”

    Mr Farage informed BBC Radio 4’s Today earlier that, beneath his management, the birthday party had talked about mass immigration and excessive forms of Islam but “as a non-racist, non-sectarian party”.

    “This blows a hollow in all of that.”

    Whilst he had now not “given up” on UKIP, he mentioned he could be writing to the party’s ruling National Govt Committee urging a vote of no confidence in Mr Batten as chief and “that we get rid of him”.

    “We Will Be Able To have one ultimate cross at getting rid of someone who as chief is dragging us in a shameful course.”

    ‘Walked away’

    But Mr Batten mentioned he believed he had the support of UKIP’s NEC after rescuing the birthday celebration from attainable monetary collapse.

    He instructed Mr Farage was now more desirous about his position with Go Away Way Go Away, the professional-Brexit campaign workforce, than UKIP.

    Symbol copyright PA Symbol caption Nigel Farage used to be UKIP leader for far of time between 2006 and 2016

    “It Is all the way down to me that this celebration has survived, no longer Nigel Farage nor anybody else,” he said. “Nigel walked away from UKIP two years in the past and hasn’t shown any pastime in it given that.”

    UKIP was once still in the vanguard of the Brexit fight, he argued, and Mr Robinson’s presence would build up numbers at an illustration the birthday celebration was making plans next month.

    On Sunday, UKIP’s NEC deferred a decision on permitting members to vote on Mr Robinson joining the birthday party.

    The decision was once postponed till after 29 March 2019 – the day the uk is because of leave the european – with the NEC arguing the birthday celebration have to be enthusiastic about Brexit.

    Currently, UKIP has a blanket ban on allowing former participants of the British National Party and the EDL from becoming a member of the party – meaning Mr Robinson is barred.

    Last week, a few UKIP contributors of the Welsh Assembly said Mr Robinson should not be allowed to enroll in.

  • Raab: Proposed Brexit deal ‘worse’ than EU membership

    Video Raab: Deal ‘worse’ than staying in

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  • Brexit: Will Spain’s Gibraltar concerns crash on the Rock?

    Spanish, British, EU and Gibraltarian flags Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Could Spanish considerations scupper Brexit growth?

    How much of a threat is the Spain/Gibraltar question to the Brexit summit on Sunday?

    Well, it could end up to be both large or simply a pant of smoke. Madrid and Downing Side Road say they’re working on it.

    There’s no longer so much time left for the question to imagine both form.

    UK Prime Minister Theresa Might meets EU leaders in Brussels to log off on the Brexit texts in precisely over 36 hours.

    Brexit: The Place are we now?Your information to ECU jargon

    Grandstanding for his family target market aside, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez feels hoodwinked and offended.

    Image copyright Getty Pictures Image caption The small peninsula of Gibraltar has been a British territory due to the fact 1713

    After the uk’s Brexit vote, Spain at the very least noticed a possibility to re-achieve substantial affect over Gibraltar.

    Eyebrows shot up in the UK at the very get started of the article 50 procedure whilst article 24 of the european’s negotiating guidelines mentioned: “After the Uk leaves the Union, no settlement between the ecu and the United Kingdom would possibly observe to the territory of Gibraltar without the settlement among the dominion of Spain and the United Kingdom.”

    in reality, even though, the bilateral UK-Spain talks that then happened in parallel to EUROPEAN-UNITED KINGDOM Brexit negotiations went extremely easily… until only in the near past.

    what will Brexit imply for Britain’s in a foreign country territories? What are the competing claims over Gibraltar?

    Spanish resentment started construction after the european’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his crew proposed going right into a “tunnel” with UK negotiators – blockading out political and media noise – in an try to holiday the long deadlock over the wording of the Irish “backstop” – that ensure to circumvent a border among Northern Eire and Ireland.

    It Is right through that tunnel second that Spain feels it was “betrayed”.

    Via the time EU and UNITED KINGDOM negotiators emerged, the Irish backstop had turn out to be a UK-huge customs area, which means it was potentially straying into publish Brexit business deal territory.

    But neither in that textual content, nor in the draft of the political assertion on ECU-UNITED KINGDOM long run relations published on Thursday, is there mention of Gibraltar and the will for Spanish approval.

    Symbol copyright Reuters

    High Minister Sánchez believes the certain perspective Spain had proven in bilateral Brexit talks over Gibraltar is now being abused; that Spanish national interest used to be sacrificed within the tunnel so as to supply an extra “sweetener” to the united kingdom in wider Brexit negotiations.

    Ecu Commission negotiators flatly deny this.

    However Spain isn’t alone in believing that priorities of individual EUROPEAN countries had been ignored all through tunnel negotiations.

    France, Denmark and the Netherlands felt permit down by way of their EU negotiators over pinning down ongoing fishing rights in UNITED KINGDOM waters within the political announcement on submit Brexit EUROPEAN-UNITED KINGDOM members of the family.

    Will the united kingdom and EU succeed in a Brexit fishing deal? Fishing after Brexit: Sink or swim?

    we now have now heard that the fishing factor has been “resolved” (for now). The Details have yet to emerge.

    this means Gibraltar is the one exceptional issue prior to Sunday’s Brexit summit, consistent with the ecu.

    Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Fishing has been some other contentious factor within the Brexit talks

    Now, Spain’s High Minister is vastly professional-Eu. He sees himself as somewhat of a Macron quantity two.

    It Is now not in his nature to scupper EU plans or an ecu summit.

    Understand That whilst Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini refused to soak up migrant boats in advance this yr, Mr Sánchez was the first to step in and help so as to keep an ecu crisis – and likewise to win brownie points in Brussels.

    Spain to just accept disputed migrant ship Migration to Europe in charts

    Pedro Sánchez is below so much of domestic pressure. He heads a minority government and has been time and again accused by way of the primary conservative opposition of being “cushy” over Gibraltar in Brexit negotiations.

    He additionally faces elections in the politically important Andalucia area on 2 December. An Element of Spain that neighbours – you guessed it – The Rock.

    It Is conceivable that Spain’s top minister has discovered a lesson from Italy’s deputy prime minister: that should you dig to your heels within the EU, you can get effects.

    Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Matteo Salvini is a harsh critic of the ecu

    He is aware of, after all, that preserving the Brexit summit now, in November, used to be at Theresa’s Would Possibly’s insistence; that the ecu idea it conceivable to seal the deal subsequent month instead.

    this information is in Mr Sánchez’s back pocket.

    it will be significant to undergo in mind that even as Spain does not have a real veto over the Brexit divorce deal, EUROPEAN leaders want to succeed in choices by consensus at their summits. they don’t in fact submit their fingers to vote.

    there may be no means they can rubber stamp a textual content designed for a leaving member (the uk) when an existing member (Spain) is so strongly hostile.

    It Is real, there’s less EU harmony with Spain over Gibraltar than there was with Eire over the border factor. But the ecu has been so proud in regards to the very peculiar solidarity amongst its individuals over Brexit, they will not need to supply that up at this late degree.

    So, in impact, Spain may exercise an ethical or political “veto” on Sunday.

    Which means that even supposing Spain does not have a proper veto, it would exercise moral and political objections that may effectively stop other nations from vote casting in opposition to it.

    Image copyright AFP/Getty Symbol caption Considerations about a laborious border between the uk and Ireland have been a key characteristic of Brexit negotiations

    EU insiders do not believe it is going to come down to that. they think this may be solved with out reopening the Brexit texts by way of noting Spain’s insistence on continuing UK.-Madrid bilateral talks in a statement introduced to the texts or other imaginable ECU formulas.

    However although Spanish competition melts away sooner than Sunday, the bitterness over Gibraltar, over fishing rights, over ensuring that the uk has no aggressive advantages over Eu businesses in a submit-Brexit industry deal, these are examples of the really extensive stumbling blocks the uk will face from ECU nations in negotiating a industry deal with EUROPEAN after Brexit.

    and that’s a deal the parliaments of every unmarried ECU country – including Spain’s – will need to ratify unanimously.

  • Brexit vote will probably be honoured, says Diane Abbott

    Diane Abbott Image copyright PA

    Some Other EU referendum isn’t “off the desk” for Labour however could more than likely be won via Go Away again, says Diane Abbott.

    The shadow home secretary said she was once “as certain as any person will also be” that “the referendum vote can be honoured and we will be able to pop out of the ecu subsequent spring”.

    But she repeated her caution that the ones urging a brand new referendum will have to must “be careful what they wish for”.

    “My view is that …Depart may win again,” she advised Nick Robinson’s Political Thinking podcast.

    “And Never best would depart win again however Depart electorate might say: ‘What didn’t you recognize approximately Depart the primary time?’”

    Labour ‘may just form minority government’ Can May get her deal during the Commons? Corbyn: New referendum ‘now not possibility for now’

    at the Labour Birthday Party convention in September, birthday celebration contributors licensed a motion that would keep all options – together with a recent referendum – on the table if MPs are deadlocked over Brexit.

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has stated he may recognize the end result of the vote – however stated ultimate week that a new referendum used to be “an choice for the future” but “not an option for today”.

    The People’s Vote marketing campaign group, which organised a march in London in October which it mentioned attracted about SEVEN-HUNDRED,000 people, desires a referendum at the final withdrawal deal.

    ‘Not clear’

    But Labour says it would like to see a basic election, if Theresa May loses the “meaningful vote” on her Brexit deal.

    Asked how that could turn up, as the Fastened-Term Parliaments Act way -thirds of MPs may must vote in favour of an election, or undergo a no-trust process, Ms Abbott mentioned: “This Is an generation of items that you simply by no means idea may happen, are happening and whatever the law says, within the finish, Parliament disposes and Parliament proposes.”

    She stated she were an MP via parliamentary “turmoil” below Margaret Thatcher and John Leading however delivered: “i’ve by no means noticed the rest like this and there’s a tiny bit of me which thinks this would all result in a general election. it’s not transparent how that may happen but you can’t escape serious about that.”

    In Advance this week, shadow chancellor John McDonnell recommended Labour may shape a minority executive, and not using a basic election.

    Ms Abbott used to be requested whether or not Labour could ally itself with the DUP – the Northern Ireland Unionist celebration which has been supporting Theresa Would Possibly’s executive in key Commons votes.

    She mentioned: “we would only need to best friend with a bunch of MPs who agreed with us on the issues at stake. At this element, we don’t believe the DUP at the problems at stake, however in this form of parliamentary turmoil you can’t necessarily rule anything else out.

    “I at all times say to my MP colleagues that the folks of Hackney ship me to Parliament to get rid of the Tories and if it’s all approximately getting rid of this Tory govt you do what it takes.”

  • BBC caller asks Theresa Might for fair referendum resolution

    Video BBC caller asks Would Possibly for ECU fair resolution

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  • Brexit: Would Possibly says EU will not offer ‘better deal’ if settlement rejected

    Symbol copyright Reuters Symbol caption Pedro Sanchez and the 27 different ECU leaders shall be asked to log out the agreement on Sunday

    What occurs now?

    Theresa Would Possibly is going back to Brussels on Saturday for more talks with Ecu Fee president Jean-Claude Juncker Negotiators try to get an agreement with Spain over Gibraltar EU leaders meet on Sunday to log out at the withdrawal agreement and the political assertion If that may be agreed Mrs May starts the method of having MPs to again the deal – most are currently towards it If MPs again the deal it then has to be ratified through the ecu Parliament The United Kingdom leaves the eu on 29 March – and business talks on the long term dating start

    In The Meantime, ECU officers are assembly to try to placed the completing touches to each the withdrawal settlement and the political announcement.

    Irish border Brexit plans ‘encouraging’ Submit-Brexit who will lead Europe?

    The Longer Term of Gibraltar and its 30,000 residents, 96% whom voted to remain in the european within the 2016 referendum, remains a sticking point.

    Spain has lengthy contested Britain’s 300 year-rule of the peninsula and there are issues approximately how the territory’s political status and financial ties with the Spanish mainland can be affected by Brexit.

    Media playback is unsupported to your device

    Media captionWhat’s within the political assertion?

    Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU regulation and employment legislation at Trinity Faculty, Cambridge, told the BBC that Spain’s room for manoeuvre used to be limited as the “divorce” file handiest had to be agreed at ECU level by means of certified majority vote casting, which means 20 of the 27 member states.

    Fabian Picardo, the executive minister of Gibraltar, said the territory used to be completely happy to have “direct engagement” with Madrid over long term industry relations however wouldn’t be “dragged” into doing so

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  • Firms urged to use other routes if no-deal Brexit threatens vital drugs

    Container lorries coming off ferries at Dover Image copyright AFP

    Ferry and freight firms will be urged to plan alternative routes for drugs and other vital supplies if a no-deal Brexit blocks cross-Channel traffic.

    The suppliers will be told to use Belgian and Dutch ports if blockages at Calais threaten to delay shipments.

    The news emerged after a “passionate” cabinet meeting in which ministers were told about contingencies for no deal.

    Earlier, MPs were warned that a no-deal could have “catastrophic” consequences for the supply of drugs into the UK.

    A senior government source denied there were plans to buy or charter vessels to keep the NHS working or to guarantee food supplies.

    Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Stockpiling of medicines that need refrigerating, such as insulin and vaccines, is difficult

    Our correspondent says the mood among ministers was more evidence of the prime minister’s limited room for manoeuvre in the Brexit talks, as she prepares to address Tory backbenchers on Wednesday.

    Cabinet ministers will receive weekly updates about preparations for Brexit until the UK leaves next March, either with or without a deal.

    ‘Declaration of war’

    The government has already asked firms to start stockpiling a six-week supply of drugs and if necessary plan to fly in medicines which cannot be stockpiled because of their short shelf life.

    The UK imports 37 million packs of medicine each month from the EU. Concern has been raised that prolonged disruption at the borders could disrupt the supply chain.

    Macron in English faux pas over visas Drug makers stockpiling for Brexit

    Earlier on Tuesday, Martin Sawer, of the Healthcare Distributors Association, told MPs that the pharmaceutical industry was “very concerned” about a no-deal as it could have “catastrophic” consequences for the supply of drugs.

    He warned it could lead to patients being put on drugs that they are not currently prescribed.

    The Department for Transport said that while it was confident of the UK reaching an agreement with the EU on the terms of its exit, it was sensible to plan for all possible outcomes.

    “We are continuing to work closely with partners on contingency plans to ensure that trade can continue to move as freely as possible between the UK and Europe,” a spokesman said.

    But Labour MP David Lammy, who supports a new referendum on the outcome of the negotiations with the option of remaining in the EU, said Brexit had become “like a declaration of war on ourselves”.

    “Emergency ships will be chartered for food and medicine if we leave the EU with no deal,” he said.

    “But at least when we’re using ration books and running out of drugs, we’ll have taken back control.”

    France has also stepped up its planning for a no-deal Brexit, publishing a draft law last week which would give the government powers to deal with visas, transport and other services.