The UK is handing control of Europe's destiny to Germany by leaving the EU, Lord Heseltine has claimed. The Tory peer, sacked as a government adviser after defying the whip over Brexit, said the Germans had lost World War Two but the UK was now giving them the “opportunity to win the peace”.
Spain will support a Brexit deal that allows British expatriates to remain on the Costas with their benefits intact, including access to healthcare, it was reported. According to The Times, Madrid would “in principle” favour an agreement that would allow Britons living in Spain and other parts of the EU to retain existing rights.
Goldman Sachs will move jobs away from London and bulk up its European presence by “hundreds of people”, a senior executive has said. The US bank's European chief executive, Richard Gnodde, said it would begin the process before the UK leaves the European Union.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will trigger EU withdrawal talks under Article 50 on March 29, Downing Street has announced. The Prime Minister’s letter officially notifying the European Council of the UK’s intention to quit will set in train a two-year negotiation process expected to lead to Britain leaving the EU on 29 March 2019.
The UK government is to reject calls for a Scottish independence referendum before Brexit after Theresa May said now is not the time. The prime minister said the focus should be on getting the best Brexit deal for the whole of the UK.
Prime Minister Theresa May has claimed that Scotland will be leaving the European Union regardless of whether or not it votes for independence. Speaking during an exchange with the SNP's Angus Robertson, Theresa May also warned against constitutional game-playing.
Support for Scottish independence is at its highest-ever level, according to an academic study, but the Scottish Social Attitudes survey also suggested the popularity of the European Union has fallen. The researchers said this suggested focusing on EU membership may not be the best way to swing more voters towards independence.
The British Parliament passed on Monday the Brexit bill, paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50 so the UK can leave the European Union. Peers backed down over the issues of EU residency rights and a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal after their objections were overturned by MPs. The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law on Tuesday.
UK secretary David Davis has urged MPs to back the Brexit bill and insisted the UK would be prepared, if it has to leave the EU with no deal in place. The Brexit secretary urged MPs not to “tie the prime minister's hands” over MPs getting a final vote on the deal and on EU citizens' rights in the UK.
British trade minister Liam Fox has urged ministers from more than 30 Commonwealth countries to resist “seductive” trade protectionism on Thursday, eyeing the network of mostly former colonies as a way to boost post-Brexit trade.