Tag: European Union

The social media giant said it will require political advertisers to confirm they are located in an EU country. That’s on top of a previously announced requirement that ad buyers must confirm their identities. Ads that don’t comply will be blocked starting in mid-April. Silicon Valley tech companies are facing rising pressure from EU authorities to do more to prevent their platforms being used by outside groups to meddle in elections. EU officials in January singled out Russia as a prime source of disinformation in Europe. Hundreds of millions of people are set to vote for more than 700 EU parliamentary lawmakers on May 23-26. “We recognize that some people can try and work around any system but we are confident this will be a real barrier for anyone thinking of using our ads to interfere in an election from outside of a country,” Richard Allen, Facebook’s vice president of global policy solutions, said in a blog post. Facebook said earlier this year that EU political ads will carry “paid for by” disclaimers. Clicking the label will reveal more detailed information such as how much money was spent on the ad, how many people saw it, and their age, gender and location. The ad transparency rules have already been rolled out in the U.S., Britain, Brazil, India, Ukraine and Israel.

The Independent Group (TIG) of MPs has applied to become a political party to take part in European elections in May if they go ahead. The government has warned that unless the EU withdrawal agreement is approved later, the UK risks having to take part in May's European Parliament polls. The Independent Group, currently made up of eight former Labour and three ex-Tory MPs, has said it had applied to register as a political party in time for it to take part in those polls under the name "Change UK - The Independent Group". AdChoices If the elections watchdog approves its application and the polls go ahead, it said it would field a substantial number of candidates from backgrounds outside of politics to try and "shake up the two-party system". Ms Allen, a former Conservative MP, told the BBC that the European elections would be a "weathervane moment for the country" and a "proxy for another referendum". "It is real opportunity," she said. "The country is crying out for someone to lead and say we can just stay." She claimed there was enormous support for a new political movement but she did not underestimate the challenges involved. "This is David and Goliath stuff. She said there had no squabbling over her appointment as interim leader and it felt a "nice fit" for her to take the role alongside Chuka Umunna, who is acting as the group's principal spokesman.

The Independent Group (TIG) of MPs has applied to become a political party to take part in European elections in May if they go ahead. The government has warned that unless the EU withdrawal agreement is approved later, the UK risks having to take part in May's European Parliament polls. The Independent Group, currently made up of eight former Labour and three ex-Tory MPs, has said it had applied to register as a political party in time for it to take part in those polls under the name "Change UK - The Independent Group". AdChoices If the elections watchdog approves its application and the polls go ahead, it said it would field a substantial number of candidates from backgrounds outside of politics to try and "shake up the two-party system". Ms Allen, a former Conservative MP, told the BBC that the European elections would be a "weathervane moment for the country" and a "proxy for another referendum". "It is real opportunity," she said. "The country is crying out for someone to lead and say we can just stay." She claimed there was enormous support for a new political movement but she did not underestimate the challenges involved. "This is David and Goliath stuff. She said there had no squabbling over her appointment as interim leader and it felt a "nice fit" for her to take the role alongside Chuka Umunna, who is acting as the group's principal spokesman.

European press and commentators switched on the TV, pulled out the popcorn and sat back to watch the latest preposterous episode in Britain’s Brexit psychodrama with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. So, cue uproar in the house, and the credits start running. ‘Order,’ roars John Bercow. Please do not adjust your set: we’ll be back right after the break.” After a day in which Theresa May offered to step down as prime minister if MPs backed her twice-rejected Brexit deal, and parliament failed dismally to agree on any one of eight possible ways forward, the paper’s incredulous front page headline was: “All against all, and all against everything.” Anyone blaming Britain’s present impasse on May had been proved wrong, the paper said: “Parliament is no smarter than the prime minister: lesson one. It has engulfed the political institutions and shaken the whole conventional order.” The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wondered despairingly whether “this moment of madness” might soon be behind us, “so that for all those involved, on both sides of the Channel, we can get back to talking about other important things”. Following “yet another chaotic day in parliament”, it did at least look like “the last chance for May’s Brexit deal” was approaching, the paper said. And business is growing seriously alarmed.” Thus, Britain’s Brexit impasse “has never looked more insurmountable than after this crazy day of 27 March – the day that was supposed to unblock the situation”, said France’s Le Monde. But nothing now appears less certain.” It was “another day rich in plot twists, but without a proper ending”, the paper said. On the other hand, it knows what it doesn’t want: neither the exit deal agreed with the EU, nor eight other possible ways out of this mess.” In the Netherlands, de Volkskrant also reckoned the prime minister had “sacrificed herself for ‘her’ Brexit, but is far from sure to get parliament to vote for it”. May “has now tried everything to sell her deal”, the paper said, “from handing out knighthoods to opponents to promising money to MPs from leave-voting constituencies”.

As was clear from proceedings in Parliament on Wednesday night, lawmakers cannot decide on a Plan B for Brexit. And yet it's highly likely that Plan A -- the Prime Minister's deal already defeated twice in the Commons -- may be completely dead after the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), on whose votes May depends, said they could never back it. The new Prime Minister's number one task will be to open the second phase of Brexit negotiations with the European Union, on a future trading relationship between the two entities. But exactly how those negotiations go will depend on the person who wins the leadership contest. Many Conservative lawmakers are insisting that the next Prime Minister must be someone who enthusiastically believes in Brexit -- such as the ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson or the one-time Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. While there will be several candidates from all wings of the party and Brexit debate, the leadership contest will be dominated by the issue of Brexit and how close a trade deal the UK should have with the EU. In theory, a staunch Brexiteer leader will likely come up with a whole new set of tough red lines for the next round of negotiations. But the most popular option, involving a softer Brexit customs union, could find its way into the post-May round of trade negotiations with the EU. What could change the metrics is, of course, a general election. Just like the Tory leadership contest, Brexit will dominate the campaign.

The EU has pencilled in April Fools’ Day 2020 as a leading option for Britain’s first day outside the bloc, should the UK government ask Brussels for a lengthy extension of article 50 in three weeks’ time, it can be revealed. The date was to be offered at the leaders’ summit last week if Theresa May had followed through on her promise to request a short extension in the event of passing her Brexit deal, and a longer one should it be rejected again by the House of Commons. A one-year extension, ending on 31 March 2020, was, however, written into internal EU papers before the summit as an offer that could be made to May should she formally seek a longer extension, sources said. “That would safeguard our work during this year and basically allow us to turn to it again early next year,” the official said. So such a time limit is not a bad idea.” Play Video 6:17 Sources emphasised that no decision had been made and it would be the subject of intense debate among the leaders at a summit, likely to be held on 10 April in Brussels, should May come back again for extra time. We want to do other things and not have this dominate.” The source added: “It may be up to two years, but that is the span of the imagination of those who are talking about a long extension. It is not up to this October because we can’t do this all the time. The European parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator said he was very pleased MPs had voted to take control of Brexit from the government. This is the first time that there is a vote for something – cross-party cooperation. We have long called for that.

Almost three years ago the UK voted in favour of leaving the EU. Trouble is, voters themselves - including not least those who voted Leave - have become deeply critical of how the UK government has handled Brexit negotiations. However, as many as 80% of Leave voters now say that it has handled Brexit negotiations badly. Remarkably, Leave voters are now just as critical of the UK government's role as they are of the EU's: 79% of Leave supporters say the EU has handled Brexit badly. Will the UK get a good deal? As many as 66% of Leave supporters now believe that the UK is faced with a bad deal - even more than the 64% of Remain voters who express that view. Do UK voters still want to leave the EU? In part, this is because Leave voters are a little less likely to say they would vote the same way again (82%), than Remain voters are (86%). How young and old would vote on Brexit now Do people support another referendum? Some polls introduce the idea of another ballot as a "people's vote", or a "public vote" and do not make it clear that remaining in the EU would be an option.

The announcement on border checks was revealed days after the British government secured a short extension that shifts the Brexit deadline to 12 April. In an information notice, the commission confirmed that in the event of a no-deal UK nationals would have the right to visa-free travel for short stays in the EU (90 days in any 180-day period), if the UK grants the same arrangement to citizens of all EU member states. In another return to the past, British travellers may be asked by border guards to provide information on the purpose of their visit and means of subsistence during their stay. Luggage would be subject to customs checks. The British government would get a longer extension only if it agreed by that date to take part in European elections on 23 May. European commission officials have visited all 27 member states to check on no-deal plans. Countries that trade heavily with the UK are hiring hundreds of customs officers and are building border inspection posts to restart checks on animal, food and plant products. While preparations were being taken “extremely seriously”, delays could not be avoided: “Disruption will occur and nothing will be smooth … There will be frictions, it’s pretty clear.” According to the EU official, national authorities and businesses wanted no-deal over quickly, if it has to happen. And so they were telling us we want certainly, and if it has to happen so be it.” If the UK crashes out of the EU on 12 April, the government will have six days to decide whether to pay its dues into the 2019 EU budget, so enabling British farmers, researchers and other recipients to receive EU funds. The government could secure short-term participation in such programmes by agreeing to pay into the EU 2019 budget.

Liam Fox has indicated the government could ignore MPs’ views from indicative Brexit votes this week if parliament’s stated choice goes against the Conservative manifesto, insisting the real choice is still between Theresa May’s deal and no deal. The international trade secretary dismissed calls for May to be ousted, or for the prime minister to offer to resign in return for her Brexit plan being passed, as suggested to her by Tory Brexiters on Sunday. The real debate is about our future relationship with the European Union once we’ve left.” Later on Monday, after May has updated the Commons on last week’s Brussels summit, MPs will have a chance to vote for an amendment seeking to reserve Wednesday’s Commons business for a series of non-binding indicative votes on various Brexit options. I was also elected on a manifesto that specifically said no single market and no customs union. The number one constraint is that we contracted out parliament’s sovereignty on the issue of the European Union to the people.” MPs should instead, Fox said, focus on passing May’s deal at the third time of asking or else risk no deal or a further Brexit delay necessitating the UK taking part in European elections. Read more The chances of May’s deal being passed appeared to grow even more distant after a summit on Sunday at her Chequers country retreat, with Boris Johnson and other leading hard-Brexiters leaving without agreement. Tory rebels present said the prime minister repeated “all the same lines” about her deal and that nothing new emerged during the three-hour meeting, at which Jacob Rees-Mogg, Iain Duncan Smith and Dominic Raab were also present. “Clearly a number of people do not want the prime minister anywhere near the next phase of negotiations, which is the future trading relationship between ourselves and the EU,” he told Today. Oliver Letwin, the Conservative former minister who is among those who have led the amendment on the indicative votes, now signed by more than 120 MPs, told Today it could take several rounds of voting to find a consensus. The prime minister, the only woman present, also invited her effective deputy, Lidington, and the environment secretary, Gove, plus Julian Smith, the chief whip, and Brandon Lewis, the Conservative party chairman.

Strangely enough, the imminent economic catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit only came second in the reasoning to political assessments. Hence Theresa May’s demand for a short extension until June 30th, which she hoped could avoid that election participation. On the European side, too, electoral considerations carried weight. National leaders want to show their own voters the clear costs of an EU exit, which is much easier with the UK outside. The British minister failed to grasp the extent to which his country’s exit from the European order is experienced by Germany, Ireland and other EU member states as an existential political attack on the foundations of the union, to be withstood at all costs. In sum: politics above prosperity on both sides (albeit with far lower relative costs for the remaining 27 members). The Brussels machinery is utterly ill-equipped to deal with border issues. A border is pure politics: an arbitrary line between us and them. Borders, in other words, cannot be “depoliticised”, not reasoned away thanks to a legal fix or technological trick. Just as light-heartedly, London first pretended the issue could be solved with technology before running into the sand of legal explanations.