Wanderlust

Tag: brexit

  • 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.

  • Brexit papers: What no deal could mean

    British passport

    Another slew of technical notices aimed at providing guidance to the public and businesses on how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit were released by the government on Thursday.

    Ministers say it is an “unlikely” scenario and the UK and EU are working on getting an agreement finalised.

    But what detail has come out of the 28 papers?

    Here is a summary:

    Driving

    Image copyright Science Photo Library

    Mobiles

    Last year, travellers were delighted as Brussels quashed roaming charges for phones used inside the European Union.

    Rather than massive bills for calling back home or posting snaps on social networks, the mobile networks were forced to treat use in other EU countries the same as if the customer was at home.

    A no-deal Brexit means free roaming can no longer be guaranteed.

    The government has tried to put minds at rest, saying it will legislate to include a cap on data roaming charges.

    However, that is not quite the same as being able to use a UK phone in the EU with no additional costs.

    Irish citizens

    As the rules currently stand, UK citizens can cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic without any checks, and vice versa.

    That is because of the Common Travel Area (CTA) – which allows for passport-free travel between the UK, Irish Republic, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.

    But what happens if there is a no-deal Brexit?

    The government has said there will be “no practical changes” to their approach and “no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK”.

    But with no deal agreed, it is not clear what the EU will say to that.

    Image copyright PA

    Passports

    Ensuring your passport up-to-date is the message from this paper.

    Anyone who wants to travel to the EU after Brexit is told to have at least six months left on their document – or they won’t be allowed to travel.

    And those expecting to get their hands on a blue passport soon will have to wait a little longer.

    Initially, burgundy will still be the colour of choice, although the cover will no longer carry the words “European Union”.

    But if you want the blue passport, ministers say they will be issued in late 2019.

    Firearms

    Currently, EU citizens are allowed to travel with firearms between member states.

    This requires a “European Firearms Pass”, and if you have one, you can go back and forth with it.

    However, in a no-deal scenario, people from the UK will not be able to get one of these passes and will have to check with the country they are travelling to what the rules are.

    The rules won’t change for EU citizens though, whose passes will still be accepted in the UK.

    Safety standards for goods

    One of the things offered by the EU’s single market are common regulations for goods.

    It means, whether you have tomatoes from Spain or sausages from Germany, they all have to adhere to a strict set of rules for quality.

    But, come 29 March 2019, there could be problems.

    If there is a no-deal, goods from the UK would not be covered by the regulations and businesses wanting to export their products would have to check on legislation in each country before they sent them there.

    Also, goods tested by a UK body – say cosmetics or bathroom products – would no longer be recognised by the EU, so would have to go through checks again – by a European Union-approved body – to make sure they meet the bloc’s minimum safety requirements.

    Cars

    As with food and make up, car manufacturers are going to face similar regulation issues.

    If a car is made in the UK, or the parts are, a no-deal Brexit means firms will have to apply to the EU for what is called “type approval” – which shows they comply with EU safety and environmental standards.

    Without this green light, they won’t be able to sell their cars and parts in the 27 member states.

    The paper says that for a time-limited period, perhaps two years, the UK will automatically convert EU approvals into UK approvals – meaning there would be no problem for EU manufacturers wanting to sell their cars in the UK.

    But, without a deal, there is no guarantee the EU would give Britain the same in return.

    Image copyright Getty Images

    Broadcasting

    As it stands, broadcasters in the EU can show their channels in any of the member states, but they only have to come under the scrutiny of one.

    For example, the BBC can show BBC programmes in France, but it only answers to Ofcom’s code, not the French equivalent.

    This “country of origin” principle, however, will disappear with a no-deal Brexit.

    That means broadcasters will have to abide by the regulations in each individual country they want to show their content in.

    Personal data

    You will remember earlier this year that inboxes were flooded with emails about “GDPR”.

    The General Data Protection Regulation applies to all organisations that handle European Union citizens’ data.

    When the rules came in, they gave consumers new rights, such as finding out what data is being held on them, and getting firms to delete that information, unless they had a good reason to keep it.

    Part of the regulation also meant companies were only able to transfer personal data outside of the EU if there was a legal basis for doing so – but they could send it anywhere within the bloc.

    The UK is going to keep the same standard, so there would be no immediate impact there.

    However, if a deal wasn’t agreed, British companies could face problems getting data from member states, as they would no longer be party to it.

    Environment/pollution

    There is a lot of law that has been made in the EU when it comes to protecting the environment and, in turn, the health of citizens.

    Targets to reduce air, water, and land pollution are set by the bloc, as well as emissions from vehicles and industry.

    The UK has pledged to keep these standards, and perhaps raise them higher, but in a no-deal scenario, there may have to be interim measures while we wait for the government to get their new rules through Parliament.

    Also, when it comes to products using damaging chemicals, the companies who make and sell them may need two different permits – one for the UK and one for the EU – giving them more red tape to wade through.

    Image copyright Reuters

    Drugs

    Drug precursors are chemicals that can be used in the illicit manufacture of narcotics.

    But they can also be used for more legitimate means, such as in medicines, perfumes or for plastics.

    Trading these materials is easy enough as a member of the EU.

    But if you are on the outside, it comes at a cost – a license to sell into the block that could cost thousands of pounds.

    So, a no-deal would put firms in that position straight away.

    Space

    The UK is part of a number of joint European space programmes.

    These include Galileo, a satellite project for GPS systems, Copernicus, which carries out earth observations, and EU space surveillance.

    These are important for a range of UK businesses, from telecoms firms to universities.

    But whilst the average smartphone user won’t feel the effect, companies, academics and researchers will no longer play a part in developing the systems and will be unable to bid for future contracts.

    The government has promised to invest £92 million from its “Brexit readiness” to design its own UK Global Navigation Satellite System, but many in the sector have expressed fears of dropping out of the existing EU version.

    Image copyright European Space Agency

    Grants

    The UK can apply for a number of different grants from the EU to fund projects across the country.

    This can range from cash for transport projects and superfast broadband rollouts, through to help for disadvantaged communities, like schemes to create jobs or teach skills.

    But if there is a no-deal Brexit, the cash these things rely on could be cut off early.

    In July, the government promised to fund billions of pounds of programmes until the end of 2020 in the event of a no-deal.

    But there will be some caveats involved, such as collaborations with other member states getting the axe, and changes in line with other public spending.

    Business and investment

    The EU has long held big companies to account when it comes to competition.

    The idea is it stops companies abusing a dominant market position.

    So, when Google was putting its own shopping service ads at the top of search results or when Microsoft promoted its web browser on computers running Windows, the EU gave levied hefty fines and imposed new rules.

    The UK has seen those rules duplicated here – Microsoft introducing a Browser Choice Screen pop-up for example – but if no-deal happens, the same rules won’t apply.

    The government says the UK Competition and Markets Authority will take on responsibility for this role, but it will not be bound by EU law – so outcomes could be different.

    Shipping

    We are an island, and as such, shipping has always played a key role in the economy.

    But a no-deal Brexit could lead to some trouble on the high seas.

    If a ship from a non-EU country wants to enter an EU port, it has to submit security information and get an exemption before docking.

    Of course, members of the EU don’t need to worry about this.

    But, a no-deal UK on the outside would have to apply.

    The papers also reveal crew members from the UK may be affected as they would no longer hold the correct certificates to work on EU vessels.

    The UK has said it will continue to recognise EU certificates for European workers on British boats – but it is up to the EU to reciprocate that.

  • Preparing for two ‘no deal’ scenarios

    Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab leaves cabinet meeting to discuss 'no deal' preparations Image copyright AFP

    A lot of hassle and potential cost for a lot of people.

    The government’s spent the afternoon giving details of what might need to happen, if there was no deal with the EU.

    There’s no guarantee you’d be able to avoid big phone bills if you use your mobile abroad, although ministers say they’d cap any data charges at £45 a month and some of the firms say they won’t change prices.

    If you want to go on the road on the continent, you might need an International Driving Permit.

    Free phone roaming ‘not guaranteed’ UK driving licences ‘may not be valid’

    If you want to jump on a cheap flight for a last-minute weekend, better check you have six months left on your passport, or you might be turned back.

    Image copyright AFP

    In that situation, the government would be walking away without being able to tell MPs or the public how much we would still have to stump up.

    Ministers’ belief, however, is that the chances of there being no agreement are now relatively small.

    They are hopeful that next week EU leaders will give helpful hints at a special meeting in Salzburg.

    Yet there is a long way to go until Dominic Raab, or anyone in government, can be sure. And don’t doubt that many Tory MPs are adamant they simply won’t vote for the kind of proposal Theresa May has put on the table.

    One senior MP told me: “If people in Number 10 haven’t made clear to her that ‘Chequers minus minus’ isn’t going to get through the Commons, then she is getting the wrong advice.”

    After all, there are two kinds of “no deal” – one seems very unlikely, where the EU and the UK simply can’t agree. The prime minister comes back to Parliament and says: “I’m sorry, I tried, but it just won’t wash.”

    But the other is that Theresa May comes back with a deal but her party, and Parliament, chucks it out.

    The political climate would be different in those two cases.

    But in the potential chaos of either, the hassle outlined on Thursday might just be the start.

  • John Lewis boss rejects Dominic Raab Brexit jibe

    Dominic Raab Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Dominic Raab says it is mistake for businesses that “aren’t doing so well” to blame Brexit

    The boss of John Lewis has hit out at Brexit secretary Dominic Raab after he said companies should not blame Brexit for poor results.

    Sir Charlie Mayfield said he “didn’t say Brexit was the reason” for a 99% slide in half-year profits.

    “The fact is sterling is weaker, it’s more expensive to import goods… so we have to absorb that within our margin,” he said.

    “I’m not going to get into some sort of ding-dong with the secretary of state.”

    Dominic Raab told the BBC on Thursday it was a mistake for “business that aren’t doing so well to blame Brexit”.

    Image copyright Reuters

    Mr Raab also said the government was preparing for a no-deal Brexit despite being confident that eventuality would not come to pass: “Getting a deal with the European Union is still by far and away the most likely outcome.”

    This week Ralf Speth, the boss of Jaguar Land Rover, warned the government needed to get “the right Brexit” or risk wiping out profits at the UK’s biggest carmaker and trigger big job cuts.

    Meanwhile, the Brexit secretary welcomed a promise by two mobile operators, Vodafone and Three, not to impose Europe roaming charges for UK customers if Britain leaves the bloc with no deal.

    “What we have said is we would like to see other companies following suit, but, in any event, we would legislate for a limit on roaming charges to make sure in a no-deal scenario that we protect British consumers,” Mr Raab said.

    A new raft of technical papers is being released by the government on Thursday outlining the impact of a no-deal Brexit on business and consumers.

    Mr Raab also accused those warning about shortages of food and medicines after a no-deal withdrawal of “scaremongering”, saying it was “nonsense” to claim UK supermarkets would run out of food.

  • PM to discuss no-deal Brexit plans

    Theresa May leaves Downing st Image copyright PA

    The prime minister is to hold a special three-hour cabinet meeting to discuss preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

    The government is also due to publish guidance on issues such as mobile phone roaming charges, driving licences and passports in the event of the EU and the UK not reaching an agreement.

    The Brexit secretary has said the UK will not pay its financial settlement to the EU in a no-deal scenario.

    He said the government was “stepping up” its contingency planning.

    Theresa May’s proposals, set out after a Chequers summit in July, are fiercely opposed by some Tory MPs and the EU has also expressed reservations.

    Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Roaming charges in EU countries were scrapped in 2017

    Extra charges for people using their phones in another EU country were scrapped in June 2017. But the EU regulation banning them will not automatically be part of UK law after Brexit.

    Mrs May has said the UK will no longer be part of the EU’s “digital single market” after Brexit.

    In theory this means UK mobile operators, if they want to, could reintroduce the charges that could make it expensive to use a mobile phone in another EU country.

    However, last month major operators told the BBC they had no plans to raise charges.

    ‘Nonsense’ and ‘scaremongering’

    Mr Raab said the no-deal plans were “not something we want to have to implement”.

    “No one should pretend that no deal would be straightforward,” he said.

    “There would be risks and some short-term disruption. Extra checks at the EU border would bring delays for businesses.”

    And trading with the EU on World Trade Organization terms – an outcome backed by a group of Brexiteers in a report this week – would be “inferior” to the current arrangements, he said.

    But Mr Raab also criticised those he said were “scaremongering for political ends” about no deal being reached.

    “It’s nonsense to claim that UK supermarkets would run out of food,” he said, adding that people should not be scared by the government’s request to pharmaceutical companies to stockpile extra medicine supplies.

    More no-deal publications are expected in the coming weeks.

  • Brexit: Theresa May will reconsider £39bn bill if there’s no deal

    Till with sterling and euro notes Image copyright Reuters

    Theresa May has said she will reconsider paying the £39bn Brexit divorce bill if the UK is unable to reach a deal with the EU.

    Speaking in Parliament, she said the UK was a law-abiding nation which would honour its international commitments.

    But asked by Tory MP Chris Philp what would happen in the event of a no deal, she said the “position changes”.

    “The specific offer was made in the spirit of our desire to reach an agreement with the EU,” she added.

    The proposed financial settlement is part of the withdrawal negotiations that both sides hope to complete by November at the latest ahead of the UK’s exit next March.

    The UK and EU agreed in principle in December that the UK would pay about £39bn to cover outstanding financial obligations and future liabilities arising from its EU membership.

    Mrs May was asked by Chris Philp whether the payment was dependent on reaching an agreement on the UK’s future relations with the EU that was “satisfactory” to MPs.

    He also urged the prime minister not to be “locked into” any financial agreement unless there were guarantees the UK would be free to work on new trade agreements during the proposed transition period ending in December 2020 and to sign them the moment it leaves.

    In response, Mrs May said the negotiations were being conducted on the basis that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.

    “We are very clear we need to have a link between the future relationship and the withdrawal agreement.”

    Tory MPs have expressed concerns that the UK could find itself paying the money with no guarantees over its future trade relationship, Boris Johnson suggesting the UK has agreed to “hand over £40bn of taxpayers’ money for two-thirds of diddly squat”.

  • Brexit: Tory MPs say technology key to avoiding hard Irish border

    A Northern Ireland border sign Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The future management of the Irish border is one of three main priorities in UK-EU Brexit talks

    A hard border on the island of Ireland can be avoided by using “established” technology and “modifying” existing arrangements, Brexiteer Tory MPs say.

    The European Research Group said the issue had been allowed to “frame” the talks but need not block a trade deal.

    They call for “effective co-operation” between Belfast and Dublin to address smuggling concerns and extra customs forms to be included in VAT returns.

    The EU has insisted on a “backstop” to ensure the single market is protected.

    Both the UK and the EU want to avoid a return to physical checks at the Northern Ireland border, but have yet to agree how this can be achieved.

    Image caption Two former Northern Ireland secretaries were among Tory MPs endorsing the proposals

    The report acknowledges a range of new checks will be needed on goods passing across the 310 mile border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit, including extra customs declarations and declarations of origin as well as sanitary, phytosanitary and product compliance procedures.

    Among the proposals put forward in the document to deal with these are:

    Extra customs declarations should be incorporated into existing system of VAT returns Simplified customs procedures for the majority of cross-border trade Trusted trader-type schemes for large companies Equivalence of UK and EU regulations for agricultural produce Declaring the island of Ireland a Common Biosecurity Zone

    The report concluded: “The proposals can be realised within the existing legal and operational frameworks of the UK and EU, based on the mutual trust on which regular trade depends.

    “They do nothing to alter the constitutional position of Northern Ireland and do not violate the principle of consent of the enshrined in the Belfast Agreement.”

    Are Tory MPs set to move against Theresa May?

    By BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg

    There is massive frustration with her leadership, her position on Chequers and the way her proposals tuck the UK closely into the EU in perpetuity. And yes, there are some MPs who want to see her gone immediately.

    However senior voices in the European Research Group – yes them – are adamant that it is not the time to try to oust the PM. It would be “stupid”, one told me last night.

    Imagine in these critical weeks of the Brexit negotiations if the UK started to try to change the prime minister.

    Right now those jostling to remove her know they don’t have any guarantees they would have the numbers to force her out, even though they may well be able to pull together enough MPs to submit letters to the chair of 1922 committee to trigger a contest.

    Read Laura’s blog

    John Campbell, the BBC’s Northern Ireland business and economics editor, said the document offered more detail than before and put forward a number of “plausible technocratic solutions”.

    But he said they placed a lot of store on the EU agreeing to mutual recognition of standards and the UK having access to its VAT system – which was far from clear.

    Former Northern Ireland First Minister Lord Trimble dismissed suggestions the Good Friday agreement could be put in peril by Brexit, saying fears of a “reversion to violence were wrong”.

    “There is no serious threat from violence because we have sorted that issue,” he said.

    Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said the proposals were “fabulously practical” and could “unlock” the current dispute over the PM’s Chequers proposals – which scores of Tory MPs have said they cannot support.

    Both Mr Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the ERG’s chair, dismissed talk of a leadership challenge to the prime minister – after it emerged the issue was discussed openly by Tory MPs at a meeting on Tuesday night.

    “We’ve got a very good prime minister,” Mr Davis said.

    “I disagree with her on one issue, it’s this issue. She should stay in place because we need stability, and we need decent government as the backdrop for what we’re doing in the coming next six months.”

    (more…)

  • Juncker to unveil EU-Africa strategy in annual address

    Jean-Claude Juncker Image copyright EPA Image caption Jean-Claude Juncker is ringing time on his presidency – this is his last 12 months

    The European Commission’s president is to deliver his annual state of the union address and will propose a new Africa-Europe alliance.

    Jean-Claude Juncker will say it is time for the EU to take its place at the top table of global powers.

    He is also expected to predict the UK will have better relations with the EU than any other country after Brexit.

    This is Mr Juncker’s last 12 months in the role, with the problems of Brexit, migration and populism dominating.

    Who is Jean-Claude Juncker?Juncker’s stumbling ’caused by sciatica”I don’t own a smartphone’ – Juncker

    Mr Juncker’s speech in Strasbourg will be an attempt to turn the European Union into a serious player in global politics, the BBC’s Adam Fleming reports.

    Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Juncker has any number of protests and crises on his agenda

    And he will urge countries to give up their national vetoes in some areas of foreign policy. One EU diplomat said this would be an attempt to prevent China – a growing force in Africa – from blocking European diplomacy with a call to just one of the member states.

    Although this is the final state of the union address before Brexit, our correspondent says Mr Juncker will not want the subject to dominate.

    At-a-glance: The UK’s four Brexit options Brexit: All you need to know

    It is unlikely he will shift the EU’s position towards the UK’s on access to the single market – but he will nod towards a future relationship that will be unlike any the EU has with another country.

    An EU diplomat said the message is: “Let’s be friends again.”

    On migration, there will be more details on EU plans to add 10,000 guards to the Frontex border agency by 2020.

    EU migration: Crisis in seven charts

    From the start of his commission’s mandate in 2014, migration his been a major crisis.

    It has sparked a rise in populism that has seen power shifts in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Poland, with Sweden the latest country to register a rise in anti-immigration votes in an election.

    Is Europe seeing a nationalist surge?

    Right after his speech, the EU parliament will decide whether to take disciplinary procedures against Hungary for breaching core democratic values.

    The commission has already launched disciplinary proceedings against Poland over reforms it says challenge the rule of law.

    The next elections to the European parliament are expected to be held in late May next year.

  • Exports risk delay at borders in no-deal Brexit, watchdog warns

    lambs are transported Image copyright Getty Images

    The UK’s lucrative food export industry could be at risk in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a report has warned.

    Food consignments and livestock could be delayed at UK borders if more vets aren’t recruited to process them, the National Audit Office has said.

    Defra said it has expanded its workforce and is preparing for a range of Brexit scenarios.

    But the Committee of Public Accounts chairwoman, Labour’s Meg Hillier, said: “We are rapidly running out of time.”

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is one of the government departments most affected by Brexit.

    But the public spending watchdog has accused it of being unprepared for a no-deal scenario, saying many of its plans were of “poor quality and lack maturity”.

    Stopped at border

    The department has failed to hire enough vets, with the report highlighting that work to “engage publicly with the veterinary market” – due to start in April – had not been authorised by the government by September.

    “Without enough vets, consignments of food could be delayed at the border or prevented from leaving the UK,” the report said.

    More vets are needed to process the export health certificates – used to prove exports comply with animal health standards and regulations – which will increase if there is a no-deal Brexit.

    “Defra will have to introduce a UK equivalent for each of the 1,400 different versions of the current EU certificates, which currently refer to EU law, and agree these with 154 countries in order to continue to export these items,” the report explained.

    The NAO said Defra will not reach agreements with all 154 countries by March 2019, when Britain leave the European union.

    UK firms exporting to countries where agreements are not reached may not be able to do so for a period after Brexit, the report said.

    UK and France fail to agree scallop deal No-deal Brexit ‘disastrous’ for food firms

    Meanwhile, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, is due to set out plans to deliver a “Green Brexit”, in which farmers will be paid for “public goods” such as improving access to the countryside, and taking action to reduce flooding.

    The Agriculture Bill – to be introduced in Parliament later – could also see payments available for farmers to invest in new technologies and methods that boost productivity.

    Subsidies paid out under the Common Agricultural Policy will be phased out over seven years.

    More IT staff

    The NAO report also raised concerns for the fishing and chemical manufacturing industries.

    Amyas Morse, the head of the NAO, said while Defra had “achieved a great deal… gaps remain”.

    Defra said it had already started to build new IT systems and developed new services to replace those currently provided by the EU.

    The department has hired 1,307 more staff for Brexit-related work.

    “Since the report was written, we have continued to reprioritise our resources, expanded our workforce and made further progress on our extensive programme of work focused on preparing for a range of Brexit scenarios,” a Defra spokesperson said.

    “Our work will mean that environmental, welfare, and bio-security standards will continue to be met in a way that supports trade and the smooth flow of goods.”

  • The Brexit factions reshaping UK politics

    Parliament Image copyright Getty Images

    Westminster is buzzing with talk of splits, general elections, second referendums and even the formation of new political parties as Brexit strains traditional loyalties to breaking point.

    With votes on any deal struck by Theresa May with the EU expected to happen this autumn, here is a guide to the main factions in the Commons:

    Theresa May loyalists

    Image copyright EPA Image caption Jeremy Wright and David Lidington – cabinet ministers loyal to the PM

    Government ministers, basically – there are just over 100 them out of a total of 316 Tory MPs – and those backbenchers who support Theresa May’s Brexit policies, or at least are not willing to vote against them and threaten her leadership.

    Most Tory MPs fall into this category but it is not enough for Mrs May to be sure of winning key Commons votes, even with the support of the DUP’s 10 MPs, who unlike Mrs May backed Leave in the EU referendum.

    Ten members of Mrs May’s government have quit in recent months – most of them because they are against her Chequers plan for post-Brexit trade, although Defence Minister Guto Bebb quit because he is in favour of it. Mr Bebb thought she had caved in to the hard Brexiteers (see below) over customs legislation. He has now joined the People’s Vote campaign (see below).

    Image copyright Getty Images

    Sixty Conservative MPs, headed by Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured above), are members of the European Research Group – a pro-Brexit lobby, who are against Theresa May’s plans for trading arrangements with the EU.

    They are well-organised and highly motivated and the PM’s continued survival in Number 10 is, largely, in their hands.

    The rebel ranks were swollen by ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, former Brexit Secretary David Davis and his deputy Steve Baker, who all quit in protest at her blueprint for post-Brexit trade with the EU hammered out at her country residence Chequers, in July.

    Mr Baker claims as many as 80 Conservative MPs are prepared to vote against the Chequers plan. He has warned about a “catastrophic split” in the Conservative Party if it is not able to unite around a different vision. Mr Johnson has thrown grenades – and a “suicide vest” – into the debate from the pages of national newspapers, with increasingly strident attacks on the Chequers proposal, prompting an angry backlash from Theresa May loyalists.

    May warned of Tory split over Brexit plan Johnson: PM’s Brexit plan a ‘suicide vest’ At-a-glance: The new UK Brexit plan Brexit: All you need to know

    Tory soft Brexiteers

    Image copyright Getty Images

    The Dominic Grieve gang. Like most of his cohorts, who number about a dozen and include former minister Nicky Morgan (seated behind Mr Grieve in the picture above) who led an unsuccessful rebellion in the customs vote, the former attorney general is not a natural rebel.

    Mr Grieve and his supporters inflicted the government’s first Brexit defeat, in December, securing a “meaningful vote” for MPs on the final deal with Brussels, but some wonder whether his gang have the killer instinct of their pro-Brexit rivals when that final showdown happens in the autumn. Mr Grieve has said he will quit the party if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, in reaction to a row over the former foreign secretary’s comments about the burka.

    Government survives key Brexit trade vote

    Cross-party crusaders

    Image copyright EPA

    Conservative MP Anna Soubry, a close ally of Labour’s Chuka Umunna in the People’s Vote campaign for another EU referendum (see below), has called in the past for the creation of a new centre-ground party.

    She also backed a call by fellow Conservative Sir Nicholas Soames – a longstanding pro-European and the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill – for a “government of national unity”, made up of senior figures from different parties to sort out Brexit, although that idea seems to have disappeared from the radar.

    But it is the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the UK’s traditional centre party, who has emerged as the biggest cheerleader for a new centre party.

    Sir Vince Cable is openly encouraging disaffected anti-Brexit Labour and Tory MPs to form new groups and work with the Lib Dems to colonise what he believes is the vast territory that has opened up in British politics as Labour moves to the left under Jeremy Corbyn and Tory Brexiteers push their party to the right.

    Sir Vince, who has said he will stand down as Lib Dem leader once Brexit has been “resolved or stopped”, admits his party, with just 12 MPs, has struggled to achieve the rapid growth in support it wanted despite being the only national party campaigning for a second referendum and has set out plans to transform into a “movement for moderates”.

    Cable to quit ‘once Brexit resolved’

    Tory second referendum group

    Image copyright PA

    Former Education Secretary Justine Greening is the most senior Conservative to have called for a referendum on the final Brexit deal. She was backed by Heidi Allen and Anna Soubry, and another prominent backbencher, Sarah Wollaston, has also joined the People’s Vote campaign. along with Phillip Lee and Guto Bebb.

    No 10 rejects Greening’s referendum call

    The Corbynites

    Image copyright PA

    Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters insist the party has never been more united behind its leader – despite a bitter and divisive row about anti-Semitism that dragged on for months over the summer.

    The vast majority of the shadow cabinet – about 30 MPs – and most of the 47 new Labour MPs elected last year, in addition to a handful of long-serving left wing backbenchers, are fiercely loyal to the leader and back his Brexit stance.

    But many, maybe even the majority, of the 257 Labour MPs, including the self-styled “moderates” who served in government during the Blair/Brown era, remain unhappy with the direction the party is going in.

    Some Corbyn critics have faced no confidence votes from their local parties, a sign they could face de-selection before the next general election.

    Corbyn critics lose no-confidence votes Blair doubts Labour can be ‘taken back’ Why Corbyn allies want MP selection change

    Labour People’s Vote supporters

    Image copyright HOC

    Jeremy Corbyn’s backing for Brexit and refusal to throw his weight behind calls for a second referendum, after campaigning for Remain in the referendum, are a major sore point among “moderate” Labour MPs, who suspect he remains a Eurosceptic at heart.

    The cross-party People’s Vote campaign for a second referendum is backed by about 30 Labour MPs, including prominent figures such as Chuka Umunna (pictured above), Chris Leslie and Stephen Doughty.

    They outnumber members of other parties in the group, which also includes Lib Dems, Green MP Caroline Lucas, five Conservative MPs and Plaid Cymru’s four MPs.

    These MPs tend to eschew party labels when commenting on Brexit. The Labour members are in open revolt against their party leadership’s opposition to a second referendum – but they insist they are not operating as a party within a party.

    Chuka Umunna has written to members of his local party in Streatham, South London, to deny speculation he is involved in talks about the formation of a new party. The idea that the People’s Vote is the forerunner of a such a party is “patently absurd”, he writes.

    But he has also claimed Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters are trying to force “moderate” MPs like himself out of Labour, something the party leadership says is simply not the case.

    Call off the dogs, Umunna tells Corbyn Turn fire outwards, Corbyn urges MPs

    The SNP

    Image copyright PA

    Like the members of the People’s Vote campaign, the SNP’s 35 MPs, led by Ian Blackford (pictured) are against Brexit and want the UK to stay in the EU single market and customs union.

    They have said they won’t stand in the way of a second referendum but have not committed to voting for one. One reason for this is that Scotland voted for Remain in 2016 and it did not make any difference to the result.

    They are likely to vote against anything resembling a “hard Brexit”.

    Labour Brexiteers

    Image copyright Labour Party

    Kate Hoey (pictured), John Mann, Frank Field and Graham Stringer – along with the currently independent Kelvin Hopkins – voted with the government in key Brexit votes, helping to ensure Theresa May’s survival.

    This is the core of a group who say they are standing up for the millions of Labour supporters who voted to Leave the EU.

    Mr Field has resigned the Labour whip in Parliament – and is fighting to remain a member of the party – after claiming it has become a “force for anti-Semitism in British politics”.

    The MP’s opponents say he jumped before he was pushed after losing a confidence vote organised by local activists in Birkenhead angry at his support for the government in Brexit votes, which they believe robbed Labour of the chance to force a general election it could have won.

    Ms Hoey is also facing calls to be expelled from Labour and has lost a confidence vote in her local Vauxhall Labour Party. Graham Stringer won a confidence vote in his Blackley and Broughton Labour branch.

    Field is not leading a Labour breakaway Field decides against calling by-election Labour needs seismic change – Blunkett