The European Union economy slowed in the first quarter of the year, official Eurostat figures have showed. Economic growth in the Euro zone slowed to 0.4% for the period from January to March 2018, compared with 0.7% in the previous quarter. Growth in the 19-country single currency bloc reached 2.5% year-on-year.
Senior Brexiteer MPs have delivered an “ultimatum” demanding Prime Minister Theresa May drops one of the government's preferred post-Brexit customs options. A 30-page document passed to the BBC says a “customs partnership” would make meaningful trade deals “impossible” and render the International Trade Department “obsolete”.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said that there is “a real risk” that no agreement will be reached with the UK in talks on its withdrawal from the political bloc. Speaking on a visit to the Border area of Ireland, Mr Barnier said that the EU was preparing for all options, including the possibility that Brussels and London cannot reach a deal on the UK’s departure in March 2019.
The European Union could offer Britain a closer relationship after Brexit if Prime Minister Theresa May decides to stay in the bloc’s customs union, diplomats said. EU hopes London could change its stance on what ties it wants after Brexit after Britain’s upper house of parliament challenged the government on a key bill relating to May’s plan to quit the customs union.
The UK might have to set up its own satellite navigation system if it is thrown out of the Galileo project after Brexit, according to British officials. Galileo is a €10 billion program that was launched by the EU to rival the US global positioning system.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has suggested the UK government could consider asking for Brexit negotiations to be extended if Parliament votes down the withdrawal deal later this year. Speaking to the Exiting the EU Committee on Wednesday, Davis conceded that it would not be impossible to prolong Article 50 negotiations, having previously said that the deal would fall if MPs vote it down.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the capital’s 1.1 million EU nationals to turn out in force at next week’s local elections to try to halt a hard Brexit. Speaking ahead of campaigning in south London with Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Khan said the Windrush scandal showed the Tories’ “divisive” stance on immigration.
Britain will not get a Brexit deal better than the current single market, Japan’s ambassador to the UK has said. Koji Tsuruoka, who took up the role just over a fortnight before the referendum in June 2016, said Japanese firms are watching negotiations and will want to continue to be located in the single market after next March.
The UK government has restated its commitment to leaving the EU's custom union - ahead of a symbolic vote on the issue this week. Last Wednesday, the government suffered defeat on the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Lords - when peers voted in favor of staying in the customs union. As a result, MPs will get a chance to debate the proposal on Thursday..
Prime Minister Theresa May suffered two major defeats on Wednesday after a majority of the upper House of Parliament adopted an amendment supporting continued membership in the EU customs union after Brexit. The amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, which passed by 348 votes to 225, forces the government to report to Parliament by Oct. 31 on what steps it has taken to remain in the customs union.