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Boris Johnson admits he signed Northern Ireland Protocol hoping EU would not 'apply it'
European Parliament members have called on Britain not to adopt proposed legislation which would override the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal.
A statement from a group of MEPs who manage the parliament’s approach to post-Brexit arrangements said: “We are deeply concerned with the UK’s unilateral action, which constitutes a serious and unacceptable breach of international law.” It went on to urge the UK government to drop its proposed bill.
Britain yesterday revealed a plan to unilaterally alter trading arrangements agreed with the EU as part of the Brexit deal, citing concerns over bureaucracy and oversight.
Sinn Fein said it was “disgraceful and utterly reckless” for Britain to breach an international agreement but Liz Truss, UK foreign secretary, defended the plan, saying it “doesn’t make the EU any worse off”.
Britain’s move has sparked backlash from across the EU, with the bloc saying it would resume legal opposition. Boris Johnson said any retaliatory move from the bloc would be a “gross, gross overreaction”.
Recommended What is the Northern Ireland protocol? What is the government’s food strategy and why is it under fire? Boris Johnson suggests no tax cuts until ‘spiralling’ inflation under control
Key points MEPs call on UK to drop Brexit plan ‘Utterly reckless’ to rewrite NI protocol, Sinn Fein says NI Protocol amendments ‘not a big deal’, says PM Irish prime minister says UK guilty of ‘fundamental breach of trust'
Show latest update 1655221393 Tory MP blames ‘uncontrolled immigration’ for shortages of GPs, school places and housing
A Conservative MP has blamed asylum seekers for severe problems in the NHS, schools and social housing – 12 years after his party came to power (Rob Merrick writes).
Tom Hunt claimed “uncontrolled illegal immigration” lay behind shortages of GPs, schools places and low-cost homes, as he defended the policy of deporting refugees to Rwanda.
He also argued “elite society” was leading the opposition to the Rwanda plan – despite having attended a ￡35,000-a-year private school and Oxford University.
Tory MP blames asylum seekers for shortages of GPs, school places and low-cost homes Tom Hunt also targets ’elite society’ for fighting Rwanda deportations – despite attending a ￡35,000-a-year private school
Liam James 14 June 2022 16:43
1655220253 DUP leader denies that UK government pandering unionists
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has denied accusations that the UK government was pandering to the DUP with its legislation designed to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked about the government’s proposed Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, the DUP leader told journalists in Westminster: “The idea that this bill has suddenly been produced, plucked out of the sky, to satisfy the needs of any particular party or faction is simply wrong.
“I recognise that it is an attempt by the government to address the problems created by the protocol, to restore political and economic stability in Northern Ireland.
“I don’t believe and I do not subscribe to the view of some that this bill is simply about pandering to this one, or that one.”
Sir Jeffrey at Stormont on Monday
(Reuters)
Liam James 14 June 2022 16:24
1655219113 No 10 says rail unions have skipped negotiations and gone straight to striking
Downing Street accused rail unions of “skipping over a step” to strike before negotiating.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators last week announced they would strike on June 21, 23 and 25.
The prime minister's official spokesman rejected claims the government could be doing more to prevent the transport chaos facing commuters.
The spokesman said Grant Shapps, the tranpsort secretary, was “speaking to railway leaders, to Network Rail and to other groups throughout”.
“But, fundamentally, obviously it's for unions to have these negotiations with groups like Network Rail.
“It is our firm view that unions are skipping over a step, they're not negotiating, they are moving straight to strike action.”
Liam James 14 June 2022 16:05
1655217956 Privatisation is ‘right thing’ for Channel 4, says arts minister
A change of ownership is the “right thing for Channel 4“ in order for it to compete against the “thriving independent sector”, an arts minister has said.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, under secretary of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), was quizzed on the privatisation of the broadcaster during a DCMS Committee session on Tuesday.
Defending the government’s decision to sell off Channel 4, he said: “Change of ownership is the right thing for Channel 4, because it helps it to have the investment that it needs in order to compete against a thriving independent sector.
“Channel 4 was set up before I was born to help stimulate commissioning from the independent sector, it has done that brilliantly, so well that we have a really thriving independent production sector.”
He cited the growth of streaming platforms as one of the key reasons for the broadcaster’s privatisation, adding: “The cost of those independent productions is going up because there’s such appetite from the Netflixs, the Amazons and others.
“And that’s why we need to look at the next 40 years of Channel 4 and make sure that it has the investment, the access to the cash that it needs to continue to do that for the next generation.”
Liam James 14 June 2022 15:45
1655216413 Boris Johnson says Scotland had already been asked about independence
Boris Johnson said the Scottish people had already made their views known at the 2014 referendum, as Nicola Sturgeon launched her new campaign for a second referendum on Scottish independence.
“I think the decision was taken by the Scottish people only a few years ago, in recent memory,” he told reporters in Staffordshire.
“I think we should respect that. I think we should also focus on what I think the people of the whole of the UK – Scotland, England, everybody – wants us to look at, which is the economic position we are in, the effect of Covid on the country and then the post-Covid issues that we’re grappling with.
“That’s the focus of the government. We’re working with our friends in the Scottish government, in the Scottish administration, on those issues. That’s what you’d expect the government to do.”
Liam James 14 June 2022 15:20
1655215200 Sturgeon launches IndyRef2 campaign
Nicola Strugeon kicked off a new campaign for another vote on Scottish independence today, accusing Boris Johnson of denying democracy.
The first minister laid out the economic and social differences between Scotland and other small countries, attributing the deficit to not having the full powers of an independent country.
She also promised a “significant update” in the near future on how such a vote could be held without the powers being granted by Westminster.
Ms Sturgeon said she was re-elected last May on a “clear commitment” to a vote and had a majority of MSPs in favour of independence.
She claimed if the UK government “had any respect at all for democracy” it would grant a Section 30 order, allowing a legally binding referendum to be held, as happened in 2014.
Sturgeon holds a document promoting Scottish independence at campaign launch today
(Getty)
Liam James 14 June 2022 15:00
1655213668 MEPs call on UK to drop Brexit plan
European Parliament members have called on Britain not to adopt proposed legislation which would override the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal.
A group of MEPs concerned with UK relations issued a statement on Tuesday reading: “We are deeply concerned with the UK’s unilateral action, which constitutes a serious and unacceptable breach of international law.”
It added that Britain’s planned Northern Ireland Protocol Bill throws into doubt the government’s commitment to other parts of the Withdrawal Agreement.
The MEPs urged the government to drop the bill and parliament not to back it if presented. Britain should return to negotiations for “practical, flexible and durable solutions within the legal framework of the protocol,” they said.
Britain yesterday revealed plans to unilaterally alter trading arrangements agreed with the EU as part of the Brexit deal, citing concerns over bureaucracy and oversight.
Liam James 14 June 2022 14:34
1655212573 Rail strikes can be avoided, says Labour
Rail strikes threatening to result in travel chaos next week are “not inevitable”, according to Labour.
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire called on Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, to focus on getting an agreement “hammered out” with the unions.
Her remarks came after Mark Spencer, leader of the Commons, confirmed MPs will debate a “motion on rail strikes” on Wednesday following a last-minute switch to parliamentary business, although he did not confirm the specific details under consideration.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators are to strike on June 21, 23 and 25 in similar disputes, which will cause huge disruption to services.
The RMT and the Unite union are also striking on London Underground on 21 June in a separate row over jobs and pay.
The government said it wass in talks with union bosses.
Liam James 14 June 2022 14:16
1655211433 Tory MPs press for all US chemicals on food in pesticide blitz
Conservative MPs have urged the government to use its Brexit freedoms to ditch the EU’s cautious approach to making sure pesticides are safe for human consumption.
A new report authored by right-wing Tory MPs urges ministers to “peel back” the EU’s “precautionary principle” so that chemical companies can experiment, increase “yields”, and “return a profit”.
A chapter of the report, authored by MP Alexander Stafford, says the UK should automatically allow all pesticides permitted in the United States under a “mutual recognition” system.
Brussels announced it was banning 10 pesticides on imported fruit and veg in February last year and the UK was expected to follow suit, but has not yet done so in most cases.
Scrap EU pesticide rules and allow all US chemicals on food, Tory MPs say MP-authored report says EU has taken food safety to ‘extremes’ and is too cautious
Liam James 14 June 2022 13:57
1655210293 Minister claims Brexit ‘not likely’ behind airline woes
Aviation minister Robert Courts said it was “not likely” that Brexit was having a significant impact on staffing for aviation firms.
Mr Courts was appearing before the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee after chaotic scenes at airports over half term that were blamed on staffing shortages.
The government has accused airports and airlines of not being prepared for a surge in travellers after Covid, when thousands of industry staff were laid off.
But off the record chats with airline staff and recruiting consultants suggested that Brexit has made it difficult for the industry to bring workers back while many workers filled gaps in the hospitality sector and were unlikely to return.
Mr Courts told MPs Brexit could not be to blame for Britain’s airport woes as recent chaos was seen around the world.
He said: “Schiphol for example, as we’ve seen in the news, has had a major problem. There have been similar problems in Dublin and France, and also in the United States.
“So it tends to suggest this is a global issue which is caused by a number of factors, but fundamentally, if I were to put in a sentence, it’s the close down of a sector and then having to open it up again, with all of the disruption that inevitably causes.”
Liam James 14 June 2022 13:38
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