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France fines two British fishing boats amid row with UK
The UK has promised to hold “intensive” talks with France amid an ongoing post-Brexit fisheries dispute, after Emmanuel Macron did not go through with threats to close French ports to British vessels.
Ministers welcomed the French president’s decision on Monday to halt the punitive action, which would also have seen tightened customs checks on goods travelling from the UK.
"We welcome France’s acknowledgement that in-depth discussions are needed to resolve the range of difficulties in the UK/EU relationship,” a government spokesperson said.
This follows a brief discussion between Mr Macron and Boris Johnson in Glasgow, where they are both attending the Cop26 climate summit.
The recent development comes the week after French authorities impounded a British fishing vessel. They subsequently ordered it to pay a ￡125,000 bail fee, according to the boat’s owner.
The fishing dispute centres on the number of post-Brexit licences that have been given to smaller French vessels to work in British waters. Paris is incensed that only 18 out of 47 bids have been accepted, while London says it has given the green light to 98 per cent of all EU licence applications.
Recommended Macron postpones sanctions for more talks as fishing row deadline passes without breakthrough British Airways owner IAG reveals profits hit by rising fuel costs as more details of cyber attack emerge The threats between the UK and France over the Brexit fishing row are nothing but irresponsible
Show latest update 1635842814 ‘Smart' motorway should not be rollout out until safety assured, say MPs
The government should pause its rollout of “smart” motorways until the safety of motorists is guaranteed, MPs have warned.
Campaigners have long called the roads “death trap highways” due to the lack of hard shoulders, which they say puts drivers at greater risks of accidents.
Conservative MP Huw Merriman, chair of the transport committee, said: “It is right we do [scrutinise] because lives have been lost and many motorists feel unsafe using them. More action is needed to demonstrate their worth.”
My colleague Adam Forrest reports:
‘Smart’ motorway rollout must stop until safety is assured, say MPs ‘Many motorists feel unsafe’, says scathing report by transport committee
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 08:46
1635841839 DUP push back threat to collapse Stormont over NI protocol
The DUP will not withdraw ministers from Stormont yet in protest at the Northern Ireland protocol, its leaders has said.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had previously said he would collapse the executive at the start of November.
Explaining his decision to delay the move, he said he was prepared to give negotiations “a little more time” because they seemed to be progressing.
“It would be churlish in the face of that progress to now move precipitously in relation to what I have warned about if we don’t get the outcome that we need,” he said.
The DUP leader added that he expected “real and decisive progress” to be made within weeks.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
(Getty)
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 08:30
1635840617 PM ‘bluffing all along’ with Brexit, says French politician
A politician in Emmanuel Macron’s party has accused Boris Johnson of “bluffing all along” with Brexit.
Asked by the BBC if the prime minister has been bluffing, Bruno Bonnell, of En Marche!, said: “Of course he is, as usual, he’s been bluffing all along.”
He added that Mr Johnson has been “continuously pretending that Brexit will have no impact, no effect, on the UK lifestyle”.
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 08:10
1635839897 Eustice ‘welcomes’ de-escalation of post-Brexit row
After Emmanuel Macron, the French president, postponed introducing punitive sanctions yesterday evening, the environment secretary George Eustice said: “We welcome obviously the fact that France has stepped back from the threats that they were making last Wednesday.
“We had an agreement on fisheries that we all concluded at the end of last year — we’ve been implementing that in good faith. There’s now around 1,700 EU vessels licensed to fish in our waters.”
Asked whether it was a backdown by Paris, he replied: “It’s a decision from the French to step back from the threats that they made last Wednesday — we welcome that.
“We’ve always said we want to de-escalate this, we’ve always said we have an ever open door to discuss any further evidence the EU might have for additional vessels they want licensed,” he told Sky News.
He added of a British boat detained last week by French authorities: “I understand that that vessel has now been released.
“There’s going to need to be further discussions. There clearly was an administrative error at some point — we haven’t quite got to the bottom of that yet — but yes that vessel I understand is being released.”
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Environment Secretary hails 'welcome step' as France backs down on British vessels ban
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 07:58
1635839013 Macron backs down on fisheries threats
For the time being, France has decided not to follow through with threats to close its ports to British fishing vessels and increase custom checks.
Emmanuel Macron said that he would see whether progress was made on fisheries talks on Tuesday.
The ongoing row between the UK and France concerns the number of fishing licences given to French fishermen to operate in British waters.
Macron postpones sanction threat in post-Brexit fishing row Ireland has backed France in the dispute
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 07:43
1635838849
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage from Westminster and further afield. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the ongoing post-Brexit fishing dispute between the UK and France.
Rory Sullivan 2 November 2021 07:40
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