Brexit: Liz Truss says countries 'want to work with' the UK
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In order to give UK businesses time to prepare, Lord Frost delayed checks on goods to January 1, 2022.
Businesses must now pre-notify the Government of any food, animal or plants products from the EU.
This applies to products of animal origin, animal by-products, high risk food and feed not of animal origin.
Businesses will also need to prove the place of origin of the product and submit customs declarations forms.
Previously, Britain was alleged to have adopted a “sneaky” tactic in a bid to force the European Union to back down in the row over the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to a commentator.
Mujtaba Rahman, the head of Eurasia Group’s Europe practice, said that after realising triggering Article 16 would unite Brussels, the UK “began toying with another idea: of letting talks run long, neither suspending nor fully implementing Protocol – a sneakier play”.
However, Mr Rahman said Britain has now adopted a safer approach to talks with the EU on Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The expert said it is now likely the UK will drop its demand that the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) must be removed from the Protocol.
Additional reporting from Katie Harris and Bill McLoughlin.
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KEY EVENTS
EU’s David Sassoli warned UK of ‘serious consequences’
Brexit tensions intensified after the EU’s David Sassoli warned the UK it could face “severe consequences” in the trade deal row.
Mr Sassoli said if the UK reneges on the agreement that it signed up to last year, “then trust and credibility will be lost”.
He added: “Any attempts by the UK to undermine the agreement would have serious consequences.
“In 114 days, EU law will no longer apply in the UK.
“Time is not on our side and frankly, I am deeply worried considering the lack of progress in the negotiations at this late stage.”
The UK and the EU eventually came to an agreement on Northern Ireland, and the trade deal was settled.
READ MORE.
France plunges unvaccinated over-65s into de facto lockdown
COVID-19 vaccine boosters have today become mandatory in France for over-65s.
As part of a tightening of rules to curb the spread of the coronavirus in France, anyone in the 65 plus age group who has not taken up the booster shot will see the QR code in their health pass automatically deactivated.
Without a valid health pass, which serves as proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, residents cannot enter restaurants, cafés, cinemas, museums, or inter-city trains, among other spaces.
READ MORE.
Boris caving to over 1,000 EU trawlers ‘destructive’ for fisheries
Britain is set to grant licences for potentially more than 1,000 EU vessels to continue “destructive” trawling when it should be outlawed under UK law, a conservation body has warned.
The new licences are expected to come into effect in the new year, alongside similar licences for UK vessels. Marine conservation organisation Oceana said: “This is in contravention of the Habitats Regulations and Marine Acts and could make them illegal under UK law.”
Melissa Moore, head of UK policy at Oceana, called on the Government to use its powers to act.
She told Express.co.uk the Government should “issue a simple licence condition that bans the use of bottom towed gear” as is required by UK law.
READ MORE.
EU makes move to stop another Brexit-style referendum in bloc
Brexit-style victories in the EU are set to become far more challenging within 18 months, under new laws and directives set to be introduced by the EU Commission.
Announcing the EU Commission’s new measures, Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourová said: “We have seen too many examples of the risks stemming from the digital realm… like the Brexit referendum.”
Ms Jourová’s statement was part of the Commission’s announcement of a series of new legal proposals which will affect political campaigning across the bloc – both online and in the print media.
The new rules may also severely affect the ability of UK campaigning organisations and politicians to support independence movements in EU member countries, starting from Spring 2023.
READ MORE.
EU bracing itself for more energy price increases
A recent map released by Energy Live shows some worrying figures for the majority of European nations.
The day-ahead energy price for the majority of Europe is on the top end of the scale in euro-per-megawatts.
France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands are all in the top echelons, along with numerous other nations.
For Germany, the price of 344.3 euro (£293.50) is a record high.
The United Kingdom has also been adversely affected.
Adding the UK’s situation to his Twitter feed, Bloomberg’s energy correspondent Javier Blas said: “Plus UK day-ahead power prices have surged to £411 per MWh, the 2nd highest ever level.”
Michael van Gerwen’s Brexit tirade as Dutchman fumed at pound drop: ‘Brex-s***!’
Michael van Gerwen launched a furious rant at Brexit, or “Brex-s***” as he called it, after winning the PDC Darts World Championship title at the Alexandra Palace.
The PDC World Darts Championship gets under way on Wednesday evening as fans descend on the Alexandra Palace in fancy dress.
Last year’s event went ahead with just one night hosting fans, and supporters snapped up all 80,000 tickets for this year’s event, desperate to watch the action unfold.
However, concerns remain that crowds could be restricted amid ongoing fears about the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
PDC chairman Eddie Hearn confirmed they are ready to adapt should extra measures be introduced, or if they are forced to hold the event behind closed doors.
Welshman Gerwyn Price begins his title defence on Wednesday evening, with bookmakers tipping Michael van Gerwen as the most likely man to dislodge him as world champion.
Brexit sparks panic in Germany as Bavarian economy suffers without UK exports
German companies are suffering after Brexit, with reports warning damage to industry could worsen in the coming years.
Nearly a year after the UK left the EU, a study from the Prognos Institute found Bavarian exports to Britain fell sharply after Brexit.
It comes after a German bank hailed the UK’s economy after its withdrawal from the EU.
Economists from the Prognos Institute shared that in the first three quarters, Bavarian exports to Britain fell by three percent.
People of Northern Ireland will not support collapse of Stormont
Brandon Lewis, Northern Ireland Secretary, said the country would not support a collapse in the assembly.
After the DUP threatened to withdraw its ministers from the assembly if changes aren’t made to the Brexit deal, Mr Lewis said time must be taken to find an agreement between the UK and EU.
He added: “It is in everybody’s interest for us to take the time to work through and find a resolution that is an agreement between us and the EU, I know it’s what the business community want, it’s what the wider community I think wants to see – a resolution that we can all agree because that gives certainty and definition.
“I’ve been clear all the way through this year to all of the parties who have made different statements over different issues at different times that I don’t believe that people in Northern Ireland want to see anything other than a functioning Stormont, a Stormont that is delivering for people on the local issues that matter.
“When you’ve got a third of the population on the health waiting lists, the population wants to see Stormont dealing with issues like that, actually delivering on things like education. That’s what people want to see.
“And I don’t think anybody’s going to be supportive of any party who’s looking to do anything other than to keep those institutions running. I felt that in the summer, I feel that now.”
Brexit fury: EU’s David Sassoli warned UK of ‘serious consequences’
Brexit tensions intensified after the EU’s David Sassoli warned the UK it could face “severe consequences” in the trade deal row.
European Parliament President David Sassoli is leading the legislature’s plenary this week, as Europe looks to tackle the looming threat of the Omicron variant and other international issues.
The Italian politician has been in his role since 2019, and was one of many vocal voices on Brexit coming out of Brussels.
This was seen when Mr Sassoli warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson there will be “serious consequences” if he followed through with his plan to override aspects of a key Brexit agreement.
The EU heavyweight was referring to warnings coming from the UK Government, sparking fears that the deal on Northern Ireland reached in the withdrawal agreement could be cast aside.
EU faces fishing fury as new post-Brexit quotas spark outrage within bloc
The fishing quotas negotiated between the UK, Norway and the EU have sparked fury in one of the bloc’s own environmental protection associations.
Environmental Action Germany (DUH), a non-profit organisation that is a member of the European Environmental Bureau, lashed out at EU ministers for failing to avert an overfishing “disaster”.
It added that catch quotas were still “too high” and that ministers “did not follow scientific recommendations”.
In a release yesterday (Tuesday), the environmental conservation group took stock of the work that had taken place.
It concluded that “overfishing in the North Sea is not in sight” going into 2022.
Penny Mordaunt urges US to wake up
Minister of State for Trade Policy, Penny Mordaunt, gave a speech where she called on the US to “wake up” and “seize an opportunity” for trade.
Speaking at the World Affairs Council, she said: “The most critical partner for us is the US.
“For the US to wait to seize this opportunity would be to all our detriment, but also to its own.
“You need to increase opportunities for business and attract investment.
“Want the prospect of a best in class deal on agriculture? Think you will get that from the EU?
“That is our choice. Now America has a choice to make. How will you respond?”
Minister of State for Trade Policy
New custom rules come in to force next year
Now the UK is out of the EU, new customs regulations are set to be introduced on January 1.
If importing animal or plant products from the EU, you will need to give the Government pre-notification of its arrival.
You will also need to check the products place of origin to be able to qualify for tariff-free trade.
Customs declarations will also be needed for imports from the continent.
On Wednesday, however, Lord Frost announced a delay to post-Brexit checks for goods entering Great Britain from the Island of Ireland.
Ex-BBC staff fume at Brexit-bashing ‘damaging impartiality’
The BBC saw Brexit voters as “angry people in fish and chip shops in Clapton”, a former senior staff member said today.
The broadcaster was accused of failing in its central duty to remain unbiased when reporting on the most important political decision in decades according to the corporation’s former Head of Television News.
Roger Mosey, who worked at the BBC from 1980 until 2013, gave a stinging assessment to a House of Lords committee while giving evidence on impartiality and editorial standards.
Fury as anti-Brexit group say Leave areas have more Covid deaths
An anti-Brexit group has attracted fury after sharing a study saying areas that voted to leave the EU have more deaths from COVID-19.
Research by Ludovic Phalippou of the University of Oxford and Betty H.T. Wu of the University of Glasgow appears to show a direct correlation between Brexit-voting districts of the UK and those that have the highest rate of fatalities from COVID-19.
Sharing the data, campaign group Best for Britain, which describes itself as a “cross-party advocacy group upholding internationalist values”, said that the correlation is “striking”.
But The Sun’s Political Editor Harry Cole hit out at the research, calling it “bottom feeder analysis”, claiming the authors “can’t see how grim and stupid this looks”.
US risks provoking outrage with Brexit punishment
The US has offered to suspend steel tariffs on imports from Japan, in a deal that will infuriate Boris Johnson.
Washington yesterday offered to suspend the tariffs first implemented by Donald Trump.
An agreed quota of steel and aluminium would be allowed to enter the US duty-free each year.
The deal proposed to Japan reflects a similar deal agreed with the EU in October.
Brussels and the US agreed the 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminium would only be activated after quotas have been met.
While the US has offered a truce with both the EU and Japan, no such deal has been given to the UK.
Britain’s electric vehicle market booming
The UK’s electric vehicle (EV) industry has been flying high, despite the challenges Brexit was tipped to bring, Express.co.uk has exclusively been told.
The sale of EVs in the UK has been soaring at rapid rates, with numbers going up “every month”, according to tech expert and WhichEV editor James Morris.
He told Express.co.uk: “In November, the third best-selling car of all fuel types was the Model 3 Tesla in the UK.
“And in November, nearly 19 percent of all cars sold were battery electric vehicles.
“It’s doing really well {the UK EV market], and this time last year it was half that.”
EU keen to settle key sticking point of hated Brexit deal
The EU is “anxious” to move ahead unilaterally if the UK does not agree on medicine supply to Northern Ireland this month, the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister has said.
Simon Coveney said he understood there was “still quite a gap” between the UK and the EU on what has become a major sticking point in renegotiations of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
However, he believed that both sides wanted to avoid “a falling out” over the issue.
Sunak tipped to twist knife into Boris and fold to EU
Rishi Sunak would take a softer approach in crunch talks with the European Union if he succeeded Boris Johnson next year, according to a commentator.
Mujtaba Rahman, the head of Eurasia Group’s Europe practice, highlighted how the Prime Minister is facing a backlash over alleged rule-breaking Christmas parties, as well as a rebellion over new Covid restrictions, while Labour has taken a lead in polls.
Mr Rahman said next May’s local elections could be the final straw for Mr Johnson and spark a vote of no confidence if they do not go well for the Tories.
Writing for Politico, Mr Rahman said: “But what if Johnson doesn’t make it?
“As it stands, the two front-runners to succeed him next year are Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who are both already on discreet manoeuvres given Johnson’s troubles.
“Although Sunak probably wouldn’t want to risk alienating Tory members by advertising it in advance, as prime minister, he would likely adopt a more pragmatic approach to EU relations than Johnson or Truss.
“His approach would be driven by economic realities rather than ideology, and he would be more likely than Truss to actually ‘move on’ from Brexit and eventually reset relations with the EU.”
Britain accelerates mRNA vaccine development
Brexit Britain is taking charge of the global push for mRNA vaccine development with a state-of-the-art research and manufacturing unit at the University of Sheffield.
The new project, led by the university’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is tipped to boost the UK’s ability to rapidly deploy effective vaccines against new variants of Covid.
And the same technology that facilitated the development of mRNA Covid vaccines, such as the Moderna and Pfizer jabs, will be used to tackle future pandemics and threats including HIV, Malaria and Zika virus.
EU officials handed eye-watering pay rise
The EU gravy train has shown its true colours with a staggering 40,000 officials to get a massive wage boost in the middle of the pandemic.
Brussels’ bureaucrats are to receive a €200million (£170million) salary increase backdated to July 1 from a 1.9 percent pay rise, an EU Commission report seen by the German newspaper Bild reveals.
Michael Jäger, General Secretary of the European Taxpayers Association, criticised the pay rise as “the public sector shamelessly helping themselves”, sending the “absolutely wrong signal”.
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