Europe’s leaders demanded clarity from Theresa May on her plans for a post-Brexit trade deal, highlighting unresolved issues including Northern Ireland as their impatience over the Prime Minister’s divided Cabinet became clear.
Influential EU states such as Germany, France and Spain will block any attempt by the UK to remain within the single market for goods without freedom of movement, the Spanish Foreign Minister has said. Josep Borrell said that some smaller EU states might privately be willing to negotiate reform of the bloc’s free movement rules in order to keep easy access to UK products.
Theresa May has been warned that time is running out to secure a Brexit deal as she prepares to face the other 27 EU leaders at a summit in Brussels. The PM will brief all her counterparts for the last time before October, when both sides hope a deal will be done on the UK's March 2019 departure.
The European Union (EU) has introduced retaliatory tariffs on US goods as a top official launched a fresh attack on President Donald Trump's trade policy. The duties on €2.8bn worth of US goods came into force on Friday. Tariffs have been imposed on products such as bourbon whiskey, motorcycles and orange juice.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that “threats” by business over Brexit are “completely inappropriate”. He was responding to warnings by Airbus and BMW that investments in the UK could be jeopardized by Brexit uncertainty.
Holyrood will not give consent to any further Brexit legislation until the broken devolution system is fixed, Scotland's Brexit Minister has said. Michael Russell added the Scottish government no longer trusted UK ministers after they pushed through the Brexit bill last week. He was speaking as Nicola Sturgeon held talks in Guernsey with UK Cabinet Minister David Lidington.
Car giant BMW has followed plane-maker Airbus in warning about the consequences of Brexit uncertainty. BMW UK boss Ian Robertson says clarity is needed by the end of the summer. BMW makes the Mini and Rolls Royce and employs about 8,000 people in the UK.
Anti-Brexit campaigners who want the public to have the final say on the UK's departure will take to the streets later on Saturday to argue it is “not a done deal”. The London march comes on the two year anniversary of the 2016 vote to leave. People's Vote, which wants a referendum on any exit deal, said people must make their “voices heard” about the damage of leaving next year without agreement.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has warned the UK there will be no Brexit deal without agreement on the Irish border. On a visit to Dublin, Mr Juncker said fellow EU member states would not let Ireland be “isolated” on the impasse, insisting the demand for a resolution was a Europe-wide demand.
The head of Nato has called on Britain to continue investing in defense amid claims that Theresa May has questioned the UK’s role as a leading military power. In a speech in London, Jens Stoltenberg said he expected the UK to continue playing a major international role.