Brexit

The House of Lords could face the prospect of fundamental reform if peers attempt to hamper Brexit, prominent Tory hardliner Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned. The upper chamber would be left looking “ridiculous” if peers tried to push for a second referendum, he claimed. The Hard Brexiteer, who has been tipped as a potential Conservative leader, […]

European Council president Donald Tusk has demanded more clarity from prime minister Theresa May over her plans for Brexit – and again held open the possibility of the UK changing its mind. Addressing MEPs in Strasbourg, Mr Tusk said: “If the UK government sticks to its decision to leave, Brexit will become a reality – […]

Theresa May has been accused of lying to the British people by a senior ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel over the plan to restore dark blue British passports after Brexit. German MEP Manfred Weber mocked the focus on changing the colour of the travel document and pointed out that it would have been possible […]

Boris Johnson has said the Brexit campaign’s claim of an extra £350m a week to spend on the NHS was an underestimate – but his working out shows why the original figure was a lie. The foreign secretary claimed the official Vote Leave campaign could have used a higher figure as the UK’s gross contribution […]

Boris Johnson’s comment that the Leave campaign under-estimated when it claimed Brexit would allow an extra £350m to be spent on the NHS weekly has been branded “ridiculous”. Leading health expert Professor Sir Michael Marmot said the Brexit campaign’s highly controversial claim has already been confirmed “a lie”. The academic also said the history books […]

Ukip leader Henry Bolton has ended his “romantic relationship” with his controversial model girlfriend, but still faces a backlash from senior figures within his party. Mr Bolton admitted that his relationship with Jo Marney was “obviously quite incompatible” with his position as party chief after it was reported she made racist remarks about Meghan Markle. […]

Scotland’s first minister has described delays to amendments to key Brexit legislation as “absolutely disgraceful”. Nicola Sturgeon said the EU Withdrawal Bill should be changed to take account of the concerns of the devolved administrations “without further delay”. The Scottish and Welsh governments have said they could not recommend that the legislation be granted consent […]

A senior Conservative MP demands Theresa May appoints a ‘minister for Hard Brexit’ to her team as he claims she had “promised”. Former minister Sir Edward Leigh told the House of Commons the role was promised before the reshuffle and asked whether or not such a minister would respond to questions when key Brexit legislation […]

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage has said that “maybe” there should be a second referendum on EU membership to “kill it off for a generation”. Speaking to Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, Mr Farage said: “What is for certain is that the Cleggs, the Blairs, the Adonises will never, ever, ever give up. “They will […]

Theresa May has been accused of “capitulating” to Hard Brexiteers after appointing an influential Tory Europhobe as a minister in the Brexit department. Suella Fernandes, who chairs the European Research Group (ERG) of Hard Brexiteer Tories, has joined the government as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) […]

Theo Paphitis has launched an blistering attack on the government, branding Theresa May’s administration as “incompetent” and accusing it of posing a threat to the high street. The entrepreneur behind Ryman, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue said retailers were “getting it right in the neck” as the sector struggled with labour costs, the apprenticeship levy, […]

The appointment of a “no deal” Brexit minister is a sign that the UK is “hurtling towards retreat and isolation”, MPs have heard. SNP MP Stephen Gethins (North East Fife) told ministers the creation of the post would impact on the government’s ambitions for “a global Britain”. The new minister is likely to be based […]

David Davis has been accused of “extraordinary moaning” after attacking the EU for preparing for a no-deal Brexit while setting aside £3.7bn ready for the scenario himself. In a letter to Theresa May, the Brexit secretary said he would urge the EU to drop measures and guidance that could require UK companies to relocate to […]

Jeremy Corbyn has snubbed a cross-party summit at the Houses of Parliament on retaining UK membership of the single market and customs union. The talks, co-ordinated by SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, will involve the leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Greens, the party said. The SNP also said there would also […]

The chair of the Commons Treasury Committee has called for more clarity on what impact Brexit will have on VAT bills for firms importing goods from the EU. Former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, who was a leading figure in the Remain campaign, has written to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to seek guidance on […]

Chancellor Philip Hammond has refused to rule out Britain being part of a customs union with the European Union after Brexit. The Remain supporter, whose opposition to a hard exit from the bloc has angered some of his colleagues, left the door open to the UK signing up to an agreement that could restrict international […]

Who will be at the heart of the storm this year as Brexit resumes its place as the British family argument that will not die? This year’s New European Brexit Power List, our highly unscientific and unapologetically subjective take on those – from both sides – who will most influence the debate, provides a clue. […]

In another important intervention, TONY BLAIR lashes out at a deeply divided Tory government and a feeble opposition while highlighting the damage Brexit is already causing 2018 will be the year when the fate of Brexit and thus of Britain will be decided. 2017 was too early in the negotiation. By 2019, it will be […]

Our editor-at-large ALASTAIR CAMPBELL on the influence wielded by Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, on Brexit ‘Only one more Brexmas to Brexit,’ taunted one of my few remaining Brexit-supporting friends. ‘Happy New Year.’ Happy New Year? Fat chance, unless 2018 is the year the Brexit Blunderbus is brought to a halt or, failing […]

RICHARD PORRITT on the week’s big stories, including stern warnings in Greece, unlikely heroes in Rome and Denmark’s most unfortunate taxi driver Sir Vince Cable’s vow to use the House of Lords in a bid to stop the UK leaving the EU will likely irk many Brexiteers. The Lib Dems have long called for reforms […]

Labour’s “timidity” will usher in Brexit if the party continues to go along with leaving the European Union and insists on withdrawing from the single market, Tony Blair has said. The former prime minister criticised Labour’s position and urged the party he once led to instead “make Brexit the Tory Brexit”. Mr Blair said he […]

A former Treasury minister has described Boris Johnson as “ludicrous” as he criticised the government’s approach to future trade deals after Brexit. Lord O’Neill of Gatley said it was “mad” that international trade secretary Liam Fox and the foreign secretary “spend half of their time travelling to New Zealand” instead of building relationships with the […]

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has defended plans to use his party’s strength in the House of Lords to fight Brexit, even though he views the unelected chamber as a “bad system” that he did not want to be a member of. Sir Vince said the Lords had limited political impact, but the upper […]

Lord Adonis has quit the government’s infrastructure role delivering a scathing verdict on the handling of Brexit and claiming the PM has become an ally of UKIP and the Tory hard right. The Labour peer resigned as chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, saying he was ‘duty bound’ to oppose the Government’s European Union (Withdrawal) […]

Tory peer and former deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine has suggested that a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn would be less damaging for the country than Brexit. In the claims, which will surprise some within the Conservative Party, he said that although he believed a Labour government would be bad for the country, Brexit […]

Remain politicians have poured scorn on plans to bring back the blue cover for the British passport. The spat was sparked by a Home Office announcement that British passports will again have blue covers once the UK has left the EU in 2019. The new design, which will no longer include the EU insignia, will […]

The Brexit department has been mocked after publishing ‘sectoral analyses’ revealing that electricity is vital for light and heating, fishing is important to coastal communities and postal services are used to supply goods. The reports also explain what an aeroplane is and how they are useful for conducting trade between countries, and features some sections […]

Editor-at-large ALASTAIR CAMPBELL on how William Shakespeare, the King of Word-Invention, provides us with the language to describe Brexit I learned a terrific new French word recently. I like learning new words. Some new words are awful, like Brexit, which did not exist even a few years ago, and now is one of the most […]