Boris Johnson has threatened to suspend parts of the Brexit deal unless the EU agrees to ease checks on goods crossing between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The Prime Minister vowed yesterday to do ‘everything we need to do’ to ensure trade is conducted as smoothly as possible across the Irish Sea … Read more
Furious Keir Starmer confronted Boris Johnson and ‘ranted’ at him after they clashed over his Brexit record at PMQs, it was claimed today. Witnesses said the Labour leader ‘lost it’ after Mr Johnson accused him of wanting to stay in the European Medicines Agency – which has been slated for dragging its heels over vaccine … Read more
Boris Johnson today promised Arlene Foster the UK Government will ‘do everything we can’ to make trade to Northern Ireland smoother as he demanded the EU take ‘urgent action’ to relax checks on goods. The PM spoke to the First Minister of Northern Ireland this morning amid a worsening row over post-Brexit customs checks which … Read more
Customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain Northern Ireland is operating different regulatory and customs arrangements to the rest of the UK, as the region is remaining in the EU Single Market for goods and applying EU customs rules at its points of entry – Belfast Port, Larne Harbour, Warrenpoint Port, Foyle Port, … Read more
Nicola Sturgeon‘s plans for Scottish independence were dealt a savage blow today as a new study revealed leaving the UK would damage the nation’s economy more than Brexit – and rejoining the EU would make little difference. The economic damage from leaving both unions would be the equivalent of an income loss of between £2,000 … Read more
Michael Gove is set to hold crisis talks with Brussels today in a bid to defuse growing tensions in Northern Ireland in the wake of last week’s vaccine exports fiasco. The Minister for the Cabinet Office is expected to call for post-Brexit trading arrangements between Britain and Northern Ireland to be relaxed. It comes after … Read more
All Brexit checks on animal and food products arriving at ports in Northern Ireland have been suspended over safety fears for staff. Import inspections at Belfast and Larne were stopped ‘with immediate effect’ last night as Stormont’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) assessed risk to workers at the sites. The decision came after a … Read more
Philip Hammond has launched a savage attack on Theresa May, claiming she had no idea what Brexit should look like when she became PM in July 2016. The former Tory chancellor said Mrs May ‘didn’t know’ what kind of relationship she wanted the UK to have with the European Union when she moved into Number … Read more
The EU has agreed to reset its relations with Northern Ireland ‘to put the people first’ after it backed down from its decision to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to Michael Gove. The Cabinet Office minister said the union had ‘recognised they made a mistake’ in pursuing Article 16 – which … Read more
Europe’s vaccine drive has been thrown off course by a shortage of supplies that has left member states reeling and leaders in Brussels thrashing out at big pharma. Constant comparisons between Britain’s well-oiled rollout and the bloc’s own sluggish delivery has stoked frustrations on the Continent, which reached a crescendo last night when the Commission … Read more