An extended Brexit transition period is not an alternative to the EU’s backstop proposal, Irish premier Leo Varadkar has warned. The Taoiseach said he is open to the idea of an extension but it fails to resolve the border issue.
The Conservative Party has been put under “existential strain” by Brexit and some friendships and relationships will “never be healed”, according to a former cabinet minister. Nicky Morgan, the Tory chairwoman of the Treasury Committee, laid bare the personal toll on MPs divided over the merits of the UK’s departure from the European Union as she insisted she still believes the party can come back together.
Moody's has cut Italy's credit rating by a notch over concerns about plans for larger deficits and the high public debt load as the country's populist government clashes with Brussels over its budget. The European Commission formally warned Italy late Thursday that its budget plans for 2019 are a serious concern, launching a high-stakes process that could see Rome hit with unprecedented sanctions for breaking commitments to Brussels.
The woman tasked with attracting City workers to Paris as Brexit rolls on is stepping up her charm offensive, with plans for a new private English school to cater for the wealthy. Marie-Celie Guillaume, the chief executive of La Defense – the business district in the west of Paris – is banking on family life being the key that unlocks a raft of new relocations from Britain to France.
Brexit is making it difficult for firms to decide whether to import or export, hampering British trade, according to a new survey. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) indicated that half of businesses have to consider uncertainty over Brexit when deciding whether to trade internationally.
Leading Conservative members of parliament have warned that voters will not forgive British prime minister Theresa May if she surrenders to Brussels in the Brexit negotiations.
The United Kingdom has done “all it can” unilaterally to cushion the blow of a no-deal Brexit for banks and financial firms, a Bank of England deputy governor has said. Sir Jon Cunliffe seemed to place the ball firmly back in the EU’s court, after suggesting that British authorities had made significant efforts through the likes of banking stress tests and a temporary permissions regime to prepare the financial sector for a cliff-edge exit.
Angela Merkel said on Wednesday in a statement at the European Union's summit in Brussels that she wants Britain to remain a close and trustworthy partner after splitting from the bloc.
The British Government has appointed Hugh Elliott as its new Ambassador to Spain in succession of Simon Manley. According to a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mr Elliott will take up the role during the summer of 2019.
The United States administration has formally confirmed it intends to pursue a trade deal with the UK “as soon as it is ready” after leaving the EU. Donald Trump’s trade representative Robert Lighthizer notified Congress of plans to open negotiations with the UK, as well as with the EU and Japan.