Unworkable”, “unacceptable”, “impasse”, are some of the words used to describe Brexit talks between Britain and the European Union do little to temper concerns that the two are heading for a chaotic divorce. But behind the scenes, both sides are preparing concessions as part of what one British official called “a constructive dialogue” that could yet lead to a deal.
The European Court will be asked if the UK can unilaterally revoke its Article 50 request to leave the European Union, following a “bombshell” ruling from Scotland’s highest court. In what campaigners described as a “case that could decide the fate of the nation”, the Court of Session in Edinburgh announced it would refer the question on to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU).
European Council President Donald Tusk has said a compromise with the UK over Brexit is still possible, after Theresa May warned she was prepared to walk away from talks. In a statement, Mr. Tusk said he was a true admirer of the PM.
Theresa May's proposed new economic partnership with the EU will not work, the head of the European Council has said. Speaking at the end for an EU summit in Salzburg where leaders of the 27 remaining member states discussed Brexit, Donald Tusk said the plans risked undermining the EU's single market.
Prime Minister Theresa May appealed directly to fellow European Union leaders on Wednesday to drop “unacceptable” Brexit demands that she said could rip Britain apart, urging the bloc to respond in kind to her “serious and workable” plan.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that a no-deal Brexit on World Trade Organization terms would entail substantial costs for the UK economy. IMF said that all likely Brexit scenarios would entail costs, but a disorderly departure could lead to a significantly worse outcome.
Calls for a second referendum on Brexit are mounting as Britain approaches the last six months before leaving the EU - but the sands of time could be running out for diehard Remainers. London Mayor Sadiq Khan became the latest big name to call for a vote, joining former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major and celebrities like football star Gary Lineker.
French and British fishermen agreed Monday to end their battle over access to scallop-rich waters in the English Channel, three weeks after the long-simmering conflict flared into a high-seas confrontation. The new deal is hoped to bring to a close the years-long “Scallop Wars” over fishing the prized mollusks in the fertile waters off the Baie de Seine area of Normandy in northwest France.
Some 44% of Welsh voters want a say on the outcome of the talks, polling for the People's Vote campaign found. Welsh voters backed quitting the European Union by 53% to 47%, but now 51% would vote to remain compared to 49%, the YouGov study for the group found. The usual margin of error for polling is three per cent.
A no-deal exit from the European Union would deliver a “hammer blow” to the British economy, the head of the CBI has warned. The business body’s director general Carolyn Fairbairn said the country should get behind Prime Minister Theresa May’s Chequers proposals as a blueprint for a Brexit deal.