Downing Street to seek parallel financial services talks with US March 2, 2020 Downing Street is looking at whether a financial services deal can be done in tandem with a broader free trade agreement with the US. The UK will begin talks with counterparts in Washington in the middle of this month, and today published an 184-page document setting out its mandate, which will prioritise industries such as [...]
Coronavirus latest: UK to set out nationwide plan as Johnson warns spread ‘looks likely’ March 2, 2020 The UK government has agreed a plan for dealing with the coronavirus during an emergency Cobra meeting this morning, as the number of cases in the UK is expected to rise throughout the next few weeks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to “go about business as usual” and that the country was “very, very [...]
UK-US trade deal set to devalue UK’s financial services sector March 2, 2020 The government has admitted a free trade deal with the US is likely to lead to a drop in the value of the UK’s financial services sector, as other parts of the UK economy begin to expand. Number 10 this morning published its negotiating mandate for talks with Washington. Those discussions, expected to be spearheaded [...]
Cancelled Budget forces OBR to run two forecasts in two days February 27, 2020 The cancellation of last autumn’s Budget, in place of one next month, means the OBR will now publish two sets of economic forecasts within two days of each other, to avoid falling foul of the law. The Office for Budget Responsibility is legally required to produce two forecasts annually, tied to a fiscal event. However [...]
Brexit trade talks: Six key takeaways from the UK’s negotiating mandate February 27, 2020 The UK government published its negotiating mandate for Brexit trade talks today, setting out what Boris Johnson’s chief sherpa David Frost will be seeking when talks kick off next week. But what are the key takeaways from that document? Here’s six of the most important points. 1. No UK-EU alignment This should be no surprise [...]
UK threatens to walk away from EU trade talks if no progress by June February 27, 2020 Downing Street will demand autonomy over “our own laws and political life” in a future trade deal with the EU – and will walk away from talks as early as June if it appears that an agreement is not likely, according to the UK’s negotiating mandate. The 30-page mandate, published minutes ago, clearly sets out [...]
Exclusive: MPs warn over scrutiny as Downing Street prepares to ‘anoint’ friendly face in key role February 26, 2020 Downing Street is considering a controversial move to appoint its own chair of a powerful parliamentary committee – subverting parliamentary convention. The move would be seen as the latest attempt by Number 10 to avoid scrutiny after recent brouhahas over journalists’ access to key briefings. The chair of the Liaison Committee – the only committee [...]
Brexit: EU calls Downing Street’s bluff on standards February 26, 2020 Brussels accepts Downing Street’s pledge not to cut red tape in a bid to become “some sort of Singapore-on-Thames” – but there must still be common “ground rules” in order to strike a trade deal, Michel Barnier has said. In a shift away from increasingly hostile briefings ahead of talks next week, the EU’s chief [...]
Sajid Javid issues PM a warning over fiscal rules and urges him to ‘balance the books’ February 26, 2020 Former chancellor Sajid Javid has issued a warning to the government not to allow spending to get out of hand, telling Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak the country’s fiscal rules are “critical”. Speaking in the Commons for the first time since he quit during the reshuffle, in the unusual move of giving a personal statement [...]
Stage set for new Brexit collision as UK and EU clash over level-playing field February 25, 2020 The stage is set for a head-on collision during the first round of trade talks between the UK and EU next week, with both sides standing firm over the level-playing field. Brussels published its negotiating mandate this afternoon, having been signed off by the EU27 member states, reaffirming its position that the UK must agree [...]
