Category Archives: Brexit

Brexit legislation ‘paused’ after MPs reject Boris Johnson’s timetable – as it happened

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Parliament votes to reject government’s timetable for passage of bill that would implement Brexit deal

That’s all from us this evening. Here’s a summary of the day’s events:

Related: MPs reject Boris Johnson's attempt to fast-track Brexit deal

If, as expected, Brexit is delayed until the end of January, a general election would have to follow, the Press Association reports, citing an unnamed No 10 source.

Parliament and Corbyn have repeatedly voted for delay. On Saturday, parliament asked for a delay until January and, today, parliament blew its last chance. If parliament’s delay is agreed by Brussels, then the only way the country can move on is with an election. This parliament is broken.

The public will have to choose whether they want to get Brexit done with Boris or whether they want to spend 2020 having two referendums on Brexit and Scotland with Corbyn.

No10 source tonight.

Three points.

1). Parliament hasn’t blown its last chance. The 31st deadline was set by Brussels. The PM has said it’s his final deadline but Brussels is open to an extension.

2). Benn Act was passed by MPs but PM sent the letter.

1/ pic.twitter.com/FywKxdufYM

Johnson is the author of his own misfortune. He only tried to bounce his deal through parliament because he knows it will not withstand scrutiny. A Brexit deal driven by the ideology of deregulation must be stopped.

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‘First London, then Brussels and Strasbourg’: Juncker on Brexit vote – video

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Jean Claude-Juncker has spoken in the European parliament as his five-year term as president of the European commission comes to an end. He said Brexit had been 'a waste of time and a waste of energy' and that Brussels would be watching Westminster closely as it votes on a withdrawal agreement. Boris Johnson will make a final bid on Tuesday to force Brexit through by 31 October

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EU would agree to Brexit delay, says German minister

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Merkel ally Peter Altmaier says ‘it goes without saying’ Brexit extension would be granted

Germany’s economic affairs minister has wholeheartedly backed the option of a Brexit extension beyond 31 October, as the European parliament pulled plans to hold a vote on Boris Johnson’s deal this week.

Peter Altmaier, a key ally of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said he believed a technical extension would be offered to allow extra time for legislation to pass or a longer period to accommodate a general election or second referendum.

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John Bercow denies Boris Johnson second vote on Brexit deal

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Speaker rules it would be ‘repetitive and disorderly’ for MPs to vote again on deal

Boris Johnson has been denied the opportunity to hold a second vote on his Brexit deal in the House of Commons after the Speaker, John Bercow, ruled that it would be “repetitive and disorderly”.

Bercow said it would break longstanding conventions for MPs to debate and vote on the agreement struck in Brussels last week, little more than two days after Saturday’s historic sitting.

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Have you heard of the catastrophic men theory of history? Step forward Boris Johnson… | Nick Cohen

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Self-interested and reckless leadership defines too much of our past – and present

Boris Johnson concludes his Churchill biography with splutters against historians who insist the “story of humanity is not the story of great men and shining deeds”. The story of Winston Churchill, he cries, “is a pretty withering retort to all that malarkey. He and he alone made the difference.”

The story of Boris Johnson withers too. He is shrivelling Britain: making it cramped, poor and irrelevant. Modern historians may sniff at the 19th-century notion that “the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men” to use Thomas Carlyle’s words. The rest of us should not be so complacent and register the capacity of catastrophic men and women to change the world for the worse.

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Boris Johnson confirms he will seek Brexit delay, says Brussels

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Donald Tusk says he is ‘waiting for letter’ that PM promised in phone call after Commons vote

Boris Johnson has confirmed in a phone call with the European council president Donald Tusk that he is sending a letter requesting a further Brexit delay beyond 31 October.

Despite the prime minister’s insistence that he would not “negotiate” a further extension of the UK’s membership of the EU, he confirmed on Saturday evening that he would be seeking such an extension.

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March organisers hail ‘one of the greatest protest marches in British history’

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Led by mayor Sadiq Khan, around one million protesters gathered to demand a fresh referendum

In one of the largest public demonstrations in British history, a crowd estimated at around one million marched outside parliament to demand MPs grant them a fresh referendum on Brexit.

Organisers of the march said the turnout, buoyed by the dry weather and the promise of “super Saturday”, was comparable to the previous second referendum rally six months ago, when a million people gathered in central London.

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Brexit: Labour to back rebel Tory bid to force Johnson to demand extension – live news

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Prime minister has said he is ‘very confident’ deal will be approved in historic Commons vote on Saturday

The Labour MP Sarah Champion says she will vote for Boris Johnson’s deal, BuzzFeed’s Alex Wickham reports (assuming MPs get the chance to vote on the deal tomorrow).

NEW: Another Labour MP switcher

Sarah Champion signals she will vote FOR the deal in an email to a constituent this afternoonhttps://t.co/LXj8LW5nu4 pic.twitter.com/foKgazJ03p

Sir Oliver Letwin has released a note to journalists explaining what his amendment will do. (See 4.05pm.) Here it is.

I am writing this as somebody that voted three times for Theresa May’s deal, who has guaranteed publicly to vote for any deal that provides for an orderly exit, and who will vote for Boris’s excellent deal at all stages through to third reading of the implementing legislation, without any changes whatsoever.

The one issue that concerns me is to keep the Benn Act extension in place as an insurance policy until the implementing legislation is passed by both Houses of Parliament and the UK’s withdrawal Is ratified.

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Donald Tusk refuses to rule out granting further Brexit extension – video

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Donald Tusk has failed to back Jean-Claude Juncker by refusing to rule out granting a further extension to the date of the UK’s departure from the EU. Speaking at a press conference after a new Brexit deal was endorsed by the EU, the European council president said he had ‘no idea’ what would happen in the House of Commons

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Leo Varadkar says UK will always be welcome back in the EU – video

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The Irish PM said on Thursday he had 'mixed feelings' over the Brexit deal reached between the UK and the EU. Speaking at a press conference after the deal was ratified and sent to the UK parliament for approval, the taoiseach said he regretted Brexit but added that 'there will always be a place at the table for the United Kingdom, if they ever choose to come back'

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‘It has to be now’: Jean-Claude Juncker claims EU won’t further delay Brexit – video

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European commission president puts pressure on British MPs to pass new Brexit deal by pouring doubt on the possibility of any further extension. Arriving in Brussels for the EU summit, Juncker said there was no argument for further delay

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EU leaders gather for summit as Boris Johnson scrambles to get backing for Brexit deal – Politics live

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Prime minister is racing to secure backing from Democratic Unionist party for deal, which EU said they could approve today

For those of you who missed this, late last night Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, announced she was leaving the Labour Party because she could “no longer advocate voting Labour when it risks Corbyn becoming PM”.

Dame Louise, 73, who is Jewish, said she had been “deeply troubled” by the “growth of anti-Semitism” in Labour in recent years.

I have made the truly agonising decision to leave the Labour Party after 55 years. I can no longer advocate voting Labour when it risks Corbyn becoming PM. I will continue to serve the people of Liverpool Riverside as I have had the honour to do since 1997. pic.twitter.com/3BTzUacZvo

Lord Adonis is up and tweeting early, as he often does. He is reiterating his view that Johnson will end up being forced to ask the EU for an extension beyond 31 October.

Obviously Parliament cannot vote tomorrow on a deal which has not been agreed, let alone published, as a legal text. So he will still have to apply for an extension, which is the key operative fact today

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Brexit: Irish PM hints extra EU summit might be needed because ‘many issues’ still to be resolved– live news

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Prime minister will brief cabinet today on latest negotiations as UK and EU teams resume talks

These are from RTE’s Tony Connelly.

BREAKING: Michel Barnier has told EU Commissioners he is optimistic of getting a deal done today, @rtenews understands

2/ However, there still outstanding issues, so this could go right to the wire.

3/ It's understood VAT has emerged as a last minute problem: if NI remains inside the EU's VAT system, essential for North-South trade, then a new mechanism will have to be created for East-West trade, as the UK will be in its own VAT system

4/ However, it's understood officials are confident that a solution can be found.

5/ It's understood consent is also proving difficult, with a senior EU source saying the DUP are pushing to restore a tighter Stormont lock

6/ The third big hurdle is on the "level playing field" provisions. The EU is concerned at Boris Johnson's bid to dilute Theresa May's commitments to not stray far from the EU's environmental, state aid, social and labour standards

7/ The meeting of EU ambassadors, whom Barnier will brief, is still scheduled for 14hr CET, suggesting that the timings are still on course

ITV’s Robert Peston say the DUP are going back to Downing Street for another meeting.

DUP going back into Downing St, to try to find a way through roadblock. https://t.co/TDNS9amGqy

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Boris Johnson ‘on brink of Brexit deal’ after border concessions

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Negotiators understood to have agreed in principle to customs border down Irish Sea

Boris Johnson appears to be on the brink of reaching a Brexit deal after making major concessions to EU demands over the Irish border.

A draft text of the agreement could now be published on Wednesday if Downing Street gives the final green light, according to senior EU and British sources.

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Boris Johnson wins more backing from MPs for Brexit deal

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Eurosceptics and Labour MPs indicate they could back prime minister’s deal if he clinches agreement in Brussels

Boris Johnson is edging towards the parliamentary numbers needed to pass a Brexit deal after more hardline Eurosceptics and pro-deal Labour MPs indicated they could back a new agreement made with the EU.

The prime minister will need to win over almost all the 28 Tory “Spartans” who held out against Theresa May’s deal if he manages to bring an agreement back from Brussels, as well as either the Democratic Unionist party or a chunk of Labour backbenchers.

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Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn dismisses Queen’s speech as ‘farce’ – live news

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The day’s political developments as they happen, including the Queen’s speech, and Johnson and Corbyn speaking in the subsequent debate

Johnson says Labour’s plan to scrap Ofsted is “insane”.

He says that one nation Conservatives like himself support Ofsted because they believe in standards.

Back in the debate Labour’s Angela Eagle says Merseyside has lost 1,120 police officers. Why is it only being allowed to recruit 200 more.

Johnson says this is just the first wave of recruitment.

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Brexit talks fail to yield breakthrough with timely deal feared ‘impossible’

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Barnier warns negotiations may have to continue as UK’s Irish border plans are an ‘untested’ risk

A breakthrough in the Brexit talks has failed to materialise after a weekend of intensive negotiations, with European Union capitals concluding that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave the EU by 31 October with a deal.

In a briefing to EU ambassadors on Sunday evening, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, raised the prospect of the talks having to continue after the forthcoming leaders’ summit on Thursday, such was the lack of progress.

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Support grows for a new Brexit poll amid fears over Johnson’s plan

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DUP raises doubts on customs union, while Labour says it will whip MPs to support a second referendum

Pro-remain MPs predicted on Saturday that they were gaining sufficient cross-party support to secure a second Brexit referendum as fresh doubts were raised over whether Boris Johnson can secure a deal with the EU that can pass through parliament.

Related: No-deal Brexit will wreck Tories’ reputation as party of business, says Lidington

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Brexit deal prospects look promising, says Nicky Morgan

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Minister voices hopes of progress after talks between UK and Ireland over border

The prospects of a Brexit deal with the EU appear to be “promising” after negotiations between Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar over the Irish border, Nicky Morgan has said.

A day after the British prime minister signalled the possibility of a U-turn on his plans, the culture secretary said the “mood music … seems positive, but clearly there are lots of details to be worked out.”

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