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Boris Johnson says legislative solution needed for NI protocol
Boris Johnson has gathered his cabinet as the government prepares to tear up the Northern Ireland protocol, despite warnings from Brussels that it will breach the UK’s international legal obligations and a plea from the Bank of England not to spark a damaging trade war with Europe.
After the meeting, Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, will announce to the House of Commons the government intends to bring legislation to unilaterally override the protocol.
Ms Truss held calls last night with Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, and European Commission vice-president, Maros Sefcovic in which she said she underlined the importance of upholding the Good Friday Agreement and re-establishing the Northern Ireland Executive.
The prime minister spent Monday in meetings with the leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main political parties, seeking to make progress on the impasse over the post-Brexit arrangement, with the Democratic Unionist Party refusing to enter a powersharing agreement while the protocol remains in place.
Mr Johnson said he wanted to “fix” the protocol rather than scrap it.
Recommended Northern Ireland business chiefs urge PM to pull back from plan to ditch protocol Labour urges MPs to back windfall tax warning household savings being ‘crunched’ Partygate: Time to rethink fixed penalty notices, says Jacob Rees-Mogg Britons struggling with cost of living should get a ‘better job’, says minister
Key Points Truss to announce plans to rip up NI protocol Boris Johnson says unilateral action coming Labour seeks vote on windfall tax on energy profits
Show latest update 1652777671 Brexit: Lorry drivers ‘need 700 pages of documents partly written in Latin’ to export UK goods to EU
Brexit red tape is far worse for British exports to the EU than to Northern Ireland, a store chief is warning – with some information demanded in Latin and a particular typeface (Rob Merrick writes).
Archie Norman, the chair of Marks and Spencer, revealed the mountain of bureaucracy that is making international trade impossible for small producers, leading many to give up entirely.
The UK is preparing legislation to shred the Northern Ireland Protocol, arguing talks with the EU have failed to make the progress necessary to remove costly red tape.
But Mr Norman said those exports from Britain escaped the quagmire currently, because of temporary grace periods, saying: “At the moment we’re pretty much okay in Northern Ireland.”
Brexit: Lorry drivers need ‘documents partly written in Latin’ to export goods to EU Red tape is far worse for British exports to the EU than to Northern Ireland, Marks and Spencer chief warns
Liam James 17 May 2022 09:54
1652776411 Bank of England governor’s ‘apocalyptic’ language ‘surprising’
It was surprising to hear the governor of the Bank of England say food prices faced an “apocalyptic” rise, Brandon Lewis said.
Asked on BBC Breakfast about the comments made by Andrew Bailey to the Commons Treasury Select Committee on Monday, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said: "I was surprised to see that particular turn of phrase, I have to say.
"But the Bank of England is independent, they will have their view of their assessment, their economic view of where things are and where things are going.”
Mr Bailey said admitted feeling “helpless” in the face of surging inflation. He said there could be a further rise in food costs if Ukraine, a major exporter of agricultural products, is unable to ship wheat and cooking oil from its warehouses because of a Russian blockade.
“Sorry for being apocalyptic for a moment, but that’s a major concern,” Mr Bailey said yesterday, noting that wheat prices alone had risen by just under 25 per cent in the past six weeks.
Liam James 17 May 2022 09:33
1652775271 UK wants ‘green lanes’ for NI goods
The Northern Ireland secretary said he wanted to see light-check “green lanes” established for goods entering the region from Great Britain that were not destined to travel into the European Union’s single market.
Under post-Brexit trade arrangements companies shipping from Britain to Northern Ireland can declare their goods “not at risk” at moving further on to the EU. Such goods are not subject to duties but can still face checks at the border.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Brandon Lewis said: “The solution is, and what we’ve been outlining to the EU, that products that are moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland should effectively go through what has colloquially been called a ‘green lane’.
“So, those products that are being consumed in the UK, used in the UK, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, should not be going through the same checks as products that are moving into the EU, into the single market – that’s pretty much what we have been outlining.
“There are too many companies, including major supermarkets, at the moment who have no stores in the Republic of Ireland, who are moving their products from their depots in Great Britain into Northern Ireland for sale and consumption in Northern Ireland, but going through checks as if they were going into the EU.
“That just doesn’t work and there are products that can’t travel that way.”
Liam James 17 May 2022 09:14
1652774131 William Hague attacks Boris Johnson as weak and immoral over obesity plan U-turn
William Hague has attacked Boris Johnson’s decision to shelve his obesity action plan as weak and immoral, warning Britain will pay a high price for it (Rob Merrick writes).
The former Conservative leader said the U-turn – delaying action on cheap fatty foods and TV advertising of them – will be added to the “long history of failed obesity strategies”.
Tory MPs who pushed the prime minister into the climbdown are “acquiescing in a future of higher dependence, greater costs, reduced lifestyle choice and endless pain,” he warned.
Lord Hague said: “For the government to give in to them is intellectually shallow, politically weak and morally reprehensible.”
William Hague attacks PM as weak and immoral over obesity plan U-turn William Hague has attacked Boris Johnson’s decision to shelve his obesity action plan as weak and immoral, warning Britain will pay a high price for it.
Liam James 17 May 2022 08:55
1652772991 Labour seeks vote on windfall tax
Labour will today seek to force a Commons vote to put pressure on Conservative MPs to support a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas producers in a bid to cut energy bills.
MPs will debate “tackling the short-term and long-term cost of living increases” on day five of the Queen’s Speech debate.
Labour is seeking the backing of MPs for an amendment expressing regret at the omission of a windfall tax from the Queen’s Speech – after a Labour motion in favour of the policy won the support of the Commons in February.
The government has been cold towards a windfall tax. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he was not “naturally attracted” to such a policy though had not taken the option of the table, while Kwasi Kwarteng, the business and energy secretary, is squarely opposed.
Ed Miliband, shadow climate change and net zero secretary, said of a windfall tax: “This fair and principled measure now has support from business, trade unions, across the political spectrum and most importantly, the overwhelming majority of the public.
“Conservative MPs must now join the British people in calling for a windfall tax – or explain why they continue to oppose measures that would ease the cost of living crisis.”
Liam James 17 May 2022 08:36
1652771851 NI protocol bill was never planned this week, says Lewis
Brandon Lewis said there had been no intention to introduce legislation this week to unilaterally overwrite parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will announce to the Commons today that the government plans to bring legislation to tear up the protocol – though a bill is not expected for weeks.
The Northern Ireland secretary, asked whether plans to bring a bill this week had been delayed, told Sky News: “Something like that this week was never on the cards.
“We’re still debating the Queen’s Speech and won’t finish debating the Queen’s Speech and voting on that until later this week, later tomorrow, so in that sense it was never on the cards.
“But what we have always said is that we will not take anything off the table.”
Liam James 17 May 2022 08:17
1652770884 Employment rises from March to April
The number of UK workers on payrolls rose by 121,000 between March and April to 29.5 million, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said: “While the economy was still growing in the first three months of 2022, there continued to be a mixed picture for the labour market.
“Total employment, while up on the quarter, remains below its pre-pandemic level.
“Since the start of the pandemic, around half a million more people have completely disengaged from the labour market.
“However, job vacancies are still rising, reaching yet another record high.”
Job moves were at a record high in the first quarter of the year, with 994,000 changes.
Liam James 17 May 2022 08:01
1652769991 Truss to announce plans to rip up Northern Ireland protocol
The Foreign Secretary will today declare her intention to bring forward legislation which rips up parts of the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal on Northern Ireland.
It is understood that Liz Truss will make the announcement in a statement to the Commons following a full cabinet meeting, in an attempt to restore powersharing in the region.
The row over the Northern Ireland Protocol has created an impasse in efforts to form a new Executive in Stormont, with the Democratic Unionist Party refusing to join an administration unless its concerns over the arrangements are addressed.
The protocol created a trade barrier between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The DUP says Northern Ireland’s economy is suffering as a result but the party’s opposition is also borne of the separation the protocol created.
It is understood that the legislation planned by the UK – not thought to be introduced for a few weeks – will grant London unilateral powers not only to relax checks on goods heading to Northern Ireland from mainland Britain, but also to remove all European Court of Justice involvement in border issues and to vary VAT rates in the province without agreement from Brussels.
Britain’s threat to unilaterally change the terms of the protocol risks a trade war with the European Union.
Liam James 17 May 2022 07:46
1652769043 Priti Patel to allow volunteer police officers to carry Tasers
Priti Patel is to announce that volunteer police officers will be able to carry Tasers for the first time.
Ms Patel is to speak at a conference held by the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers across England and Wales, where she is expected to announce that she has given approval for special constables to carry Tasers if they undergo the same training as regular officers and are authorised by chief constables.
The home secretary does not have the power to mandate their use, and Tuesday’s announcement comes amid allegations of a “power grab” over changes to a protocol that governs relations between the government and police.
Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has more:
Priti Patel to allow volunteer police officers to carry Tasers Special constables will have to undergo same training as regular officers to be issued with weapons
Stuti Mishra 17 May 2022 07:30
1652767843 Labour urges MPs to back windfall tax
Labour has renewed its call for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies as the party claimed household savings were being “crunched” or “disappearing altogether” as the cost-of-living crisis bites.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, prepares to table an amendment to the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday, urging MPs of all political stripes to back a tax on the extraordinary profits of energy companies.
The government is facing intense pressure over the issue, and last week Boris Johnson did not rule out a windfall tax, despite repeating his view it would deter green investment after months of resistance.
Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has more details:
Labour urges MPs to back windfall tax warning household savings being ‘crunched’ ‘Savings are being crunched or disappearing altogether’
Stuti Mishra 17 May 2022 07:10
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