Tag: Brexit

Awaiting Result: British PM Theresa May is expecting the results of a confidence vote that could see her removed from power. May has been widley criticized for her handling of 'Brexit', the same movement that saw her predecessor David Cameron…

UPDATE: Prime Minister May is expected to give remarks after winning 200 confidence votes in UK Parliament, enabling her to remain in power. May survived the vote despite wide-spread criticism of her handling of Brexit. British PM Theresa May is…

Theresa May's Brexit crisis deepened as members of her own party triggered a vote of no-confidence in her leadership. If she loses the vote, she will be out as British Prime Minister. #CNN #News

The pound has dropped to its lowest level for almost two years amid the growing risks to the British economy from political paralysis over Brexit and on a no-deal scenario. Theresa May’s decision to delay the parliamentary vote on her Brexit plan to avoid an embarrassing defeat for the government sent sterling tumbling by more than 1.3% against the dollar and by almost 1% against the euro on the foreign exchanges. Pound v dollar 10 December Value of £1 in US$ 1.275 1 3 1.270 2 1.265 4 1.260 1.255 1.250 8am 10am 12pm 2pm 4pm 1 10.30am Cabinet ministers put on standby for emergency conference call with the prime minister 2 11.30am Theresa May holds conference call with her cabinet to update them on the conclusions of her talks with EU leaders over the weekend 3 11.33am Reports emerge that the PM has called off tomorrow's vote 4 15.30pm Theresa May delivers statement to parliament and falling pound Value of £1 in US$ 1.275 15.30pm Theresa May delivers statement to parliament 11.33am Reports emerge that the PM has called off tomorrow's vote 1.270 1.265 1.260 10.30am Cabinet ministers put on standby for emergency conference call with the prime minister 11.30am Theresa May holds conference call with her cabinet to update them on the conclusions of her talks with EU leaders over the weekend 1.255 1.250 8am 10am 12pm 2pm 4pm Guardian graphic. Source: Thomson Reuters Neil Wilson, the chief market analyst at the financial trading company Markets.com, said the pound had experienced one of its worst [days] since the 2016 referendum, adding that “the government [had] left investors completely in the dark about what happens next”. Economists at the Capital Economics consultancy said the chances of May’s deal passing the parliamentary vote in future, whenever it was held, was about 40%, with similar odds for a no-deal Brexit. It gave a 20% chance to a second referendum or a longer period of membership in the EU beyond the March 2019 deadline for article 50. Ruth Gregory, the senior UK economist at the firm, said the delay was “kicking the can further down the road”, adding: “We would not be surprised if Brexit uncertainty – which we estimate has knocked 0.5 percentage points off growth since the referendum – starts to weigh more heavily on the economy.” The FTSE 100 closed down by almost 60 points after a day of selling on financial markets as concerns grew over the US trade war with China. The index of leading UK companies usually rises when the pound is weak because many firms make large amounts of money in foreign currency. Thomas Cook, Stagecoach and Dominos Pizza were among the biggest fallers. Stephen Martin, the director general of the Institute of Directors, said: “Business leaders may understand the political reasons for the delay, but today’s announcement will be viewed by most as another extension of the frustration and uncertainty.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May delayed a vote in Parliament to approve her controversial Brexit deal. Nigel Farage reacts on 'America's Newsroom.' Read more on this story here: https://fxn.ws/2Eowpgb FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to…

Thousands of anti-fascists are expected to attend a central London protest on Sunday to counter a march by the far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson and his supporters. A new group within the party, Labour Against Racism and Fascism, has been created and Momentum has been trying to counter a far-right social media effort which some members believed was often more sophisticated than its own web presence. (@PeoplesMomentum) "Did you find any hatespeech"? He said: “A newly energised, well-funded network of hate is emerging, from Steve Bannon in the US to the former EDL [English Defence League] leader Tommy Robinson at home, and it threatens the very fabric of our nation. The Labour movement must be front and centre in opposing them.” Thousands were expected to attend the Robinson event, which involves a march on Whitehall three days before MPs vote on Theresa May’s Brexit package and has been billed as a “Brexit betrayal rally”. Laura Parker, Momentum’s national coordinator, said: “There has been a reluctance at times from some in the mainstream of Labour to engage in events like this in the past. Niroshan Sirisena, a Labour councillor in Croydon and a Momentum organiser, said he and others set up Labour Against Racism and Fascism weeks ago as part of an attempt to develop the party’s anti-racism policies at a constituency level. “Labour is an anti-racist party, but I think it has to do a little more than say that it is one,” said Sirisena, who has also been involved in distributing anti-racism leaflets at Premiership matches as part of a move to counter the far-right focus on football fans. The Metropolitan police have imposed strict conditions on the times and locations those taking part could protest, and warned that anyone who commited acts of violence would be arrested. The deputy assistant commissioner, Laurence Taylor, the Met’s gold commander for the operation, said: “If you want to protest on Sunday we ask that you do so peacefully, no matter what your view.

ITV has withdrawn plans for a Brexit debate on Sunday night, meaning there is now little chance of a televised head-to-head encounter between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May before next week’s crucial vote. Brexit: Debate between May and Corbyn will not go ahead - Politics live Read more In what might turn out to be one of the most pointless and tortuous stories of the Brexit process, the broadcaster abandoned its planned debate over the prime minister’s withdrawal deal despite two weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations after Downing Street refused to sign up to its proposed head-to-head format. Earlier this week the BBC announced it was pulling its rival bid to host the debate after becoming exasperated with Jeremy Corbyn’s team, who were not willing to allow representatives of minor parties and proponents of a second referendum to be included on a panel. In the end all bids involving May and Corbyn collapsed. Instead, Channel 4 will push ahead with its already announced plans to host “The Real Brexit Debate”, featuring other politicians. Perhaps unexpectedly, Labour swiftly agreed, prompting BBC, ITV, and Sky News to bid against each other for the right to host the debate. It would have supplanted a celebrity special edition of The Chase. The classic Christmas movie will need to be shunted out of the way to make way for a debate at 7pm between “four high-profile politicians” representing “the main divisions in the House of Commons”. Jeremy Corbyn accepted the prime minister’s offer of a debate on Brexit immediately. He said he would relish the opportunity to debate her, and that remains the case.

Theresa May has stepped up last-ditch efforts to try to win over Brexit-backing MPs after government legal advice warned the Irish backstop could leave the UK trapped in “protracted and repeated rounds of negotiations” for years to come. But Brexiters immediately rejected one idea mooted by Downing Street, of promising a “parliamentary lock” – giving MPs a vote before the backstop could be implemented. With just six days to go until the vote on her controversial deal, which May is expected to lose heavily, Downing Street confirmed the prime minister was keen to find ways to offer MPs extra reassurance about the backstop, in the hope they will support her. May brings it back to MPs Perhaps with minor tweaks after a dash to Brussels. Labour tries to force an election The opposition tables a vote of no confidence. A second referendum gathers support This is most likely if Labour makes a last-ditch decision to back it. However, a Downing Street spokesman dismissed the suggestion. The advice confirmed that, as Cox conceded in his Commons statement on Monday, the UK could remain “indefinitely” in the backstop. This is a political decision for the government.” Cox’s advice, which hardened the resolve of some Brexiters to vote against May’s deal, was published as the debate about the deal in the House of Commons entered the second of five scheduled days. But Sam Gyimah, who resigned as a junior education minister on Friday, joined Fallon and Greening in explaining why he could not support the government.

Aa Aa EU court advisor rules that UK can end Brexit unilaterally The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona, has ruled that the UK should have the option to cancel its withdrawal from the bloc unilaterally. The legal opinion of Europe's top court official comes just days before the Parliament are set to debate the Brexit deal. Protests continue in France French President Macron is under increasing pressure as protests continue throughout France. The "yellow vest" movement was sparked by hiked fuel prices, which French Prime Minister Philippe suspended for a period of six months on Tuesday. Danish plan to send foreign criminals to deserted island Denmark is planning on sending convicted asylum seekers to a deserted island off the country's coast. The policy is part of the Danish People's Party (DPP) and governments draft budget agreement. Other topics discussed in this episode include COP24 with guests including Friends of Europe's Director of Strategy, Dharmendra Kanani, and The Sunday Times' EU correspondent Andrew Byrne.

Ministers have released a summary of the Brexit legal advice, which spells out that the Northern Ireland backstop will continue indefinitely “unless and until” the UK and the EU are able to agree alternative customs arrangements. Brexit legal advice and threat of contempt of parliament – explainer Read more The document, which falls short of the full legal advice demanded by the Commons last month, is likely to provoke a row in parliament. Cabinet sources have repeatedly said that the full legal advice contains stark warnings about the backstop that are not included in the summary. Over the weekend it emerged that Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, had written to cabinet ministers warning: “The [backstop] protocol would endure indefinitely.” On Monday afternoon he will give a statement to MPs and take questions about the controversial backstop and whether the UK can get out of it easily. The summary document says that the backstop will continue to apply “unless and until its provisions are superseded by a subsequent agreement between the UK and the EU establishing alternative arrangements”. The entire treaty, meanwhile, “does not contain any provision on its termination,” the official document says, meaning that “it is not possible under international law for a party to withdraw from the Agreement unilaterally.” Labour and the DUP have both threatened to complain to the Speaker of the Commons that ministers are in contempt of parliament for failing to release the full legal advice, after the government was defeated in a vote on 13 November, where MPs successfully demanded to see the whole legal advice. Labour is expected to push for the government to be found in contempt of parliament if that is not published by Monday night. Exiting the backstop would be by mutual agreement between the UK and the EU, via a joint committee made up of equal number of representatives of both sides. If the committee cannot agree, the matter would be referred to a five-strong arbitration panel with five members, two from each side and an independent member. That panel would consider if either sides had acted “in good faith” in refusing to agree an end to the backstop – but adds that it would be difficult to prove the contrary.