Tag: Brexit

• Saturday, February 16th 2019 - 11:12 UTC

  Brexit “has raised tensions again and brought back a lot of the rhetoric of the past” warns ex Irish premier

  

  Brexit has “raised tensions” on the island of Ireland and “complicated” progress towards a lasting peace, one of the authors of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has told MPs. The former premier of the Republic of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, said people were worried that a no-deal UK withdrawal from the EU would be the start of a “slippery slope” to a hard border, with checkpoints and troops.

• Saturday, February 16th 2019 - 11:10 UTC

  Brexit has cost UK economy some £80 billion since the 2016 vote, says BoE policymaker

  

  Brexit has cost the British economy at least £80 billion since the referendum and the shock of a no-deal divorce could see interest rates slashed, according to a Bank of England policymaker. Gertjan Vlieghe, an external member of the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, said that, since the June 2016 vote, 2% has been shaved off GDP.

• Saturday, February 16th 2019 - 11:06 UTC

  UK retired diplomats call on PM May to delay Brexit or a second referendum

  

  A group of retired diplomats have issued a plea to Theresa May to delay Brexit to allow more time to establish a clearer plan or allow for a second referendum. In a statement to The Times, more than 40 former ambassadors and Foreign Office mandarins warned that if the Prime Minister secured agreement on her plan, it would not mark the end of uncertainty but the start of years of negotiations.

• Saturday, February 16th 2019 - 10:46 UTC

  Theresa May sticks to her Brexit strategy despite Tories row and Commons defeat

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May is sticking to her Brexit strategy, despite her party rowing in the wake of her latest Commons defeat. MPs rejected a motion endorsing her approach by 303 to 258, with 66 Tory MPs abstaining, leading one minister to accuse Brexiteer rebels of “treachery”.

• Friday, February 15th 2019 - 08:57 UTC

  Netherlands mock Brexit with a giant Muppet-style monster

  

  The Dutch government sees Brexit not as the elephant in the room but as a giant Muppet-style monster lying on a desk. That is the picture tweeted by Foreign minister Stef Blok, with the warning: “make sure Brexit doesn't sit - or lie - in your way”. There is a link to an official website where Dutch firms can see the potential impact of Brexit on their business.

• Friday, February 15th 2019 - 08:49 UTC

  PM's May approach to Brexit talks again rejected in Parliament: 303 to 258

  

  Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another Commons defeat after MPs voted down her approach to Brexit talks. MPs voted by 303 to 258 - a majority of 45 - against a motion endorsing the government's negotiating strategy.

• Thursday, February 14th 2019 - 10:25 UTC

  Parliament to vote on Valentine's Day a raft of Brexit amendments

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May is hoping parliament will show her some love on Valentine's Day by backing a motion reiterating its support for her Brexit strategy and rejecting amendments that would force her hand. Lawmakers in the UK will vote on May's latest motion on Thursday and could be asked to vote on five other amendments brought forward by MPs.

• Thursday, February 14th 2019 - 09:19 UTC

  Brexit no-deal would be catastrophic, says Ford and warns it would do “whatever necessary” to protect the business

  

  Ford has said a no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for the firm's manufacturing operations in the UK and that it would do “whatever is necessary” to protect its business. The comments come after a report the carmaker was stepping up preparations to move production out of the UK.

• Thursday, February 14th 2019 - 09:13 UTC

  UK January inflation at at two-year low and below target

  

  British annual inflation hit a two-year low point in January, undershooting the Bank of England’s 2.0 per cent target on falling oil and other energy costs, official data showed on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, February 13th 2019 - 07:59 UTC

  Bank of England urges Parliament to secure a good Brexit withdrawal deal and a smooth transition.

  

  Bank of England governor Mark Carney has urged MPs to solve the Brexit impasse in a speech warning of growing threats to the global economy. He said a no-deal Brexit would create an “economic shock” at a time when China's economy is slowing and trade tensions are rising.