Tag: Guy Verhofstadt

• Thursday, August 29th 2019 - 10:00 UTC

  Furious reactions, political and in the streets to the suspension of Parliament

  

  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson manoeuvred on Wednesday to give his political opponents even less time to block a chaotic no-deal Brexit before the Oct. 31 withdrawal deadline, winning Queen Elizabeth II’s approval to suspend Parliament, but his critics were outraged.

• Tuesday, July 23rd 2019 - 18:42 UTC

  Boris Johnson promises to deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn

  

  Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next UK prime minister. He beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival's 46,656. The former London mayor takes over from Theresa May on Wednesday.

• Tuesday, April 2nd 2019 - 07:28 UTC

  Brexit: Parliament rejects all alternatives; Tuesday urgent cabinet meeting; new vote on Wednesday

  

  Members of Parliament on Monday once again failed to find a majority on any alternative Brexit plan before them, leaving Britain's chaotic path towards leaving the EU mired in uncertainty less than two weeks before its departure date. Brussels has set Britain an Apr 12 deadline to agree to the divorce terms Prime Minister Theresa May has struck with the bloc, find an alternative or crash out of the European Union.

• Thursday, October 4th 2018 - 08:23 UTC

  Juncker insists the EU wants a deal with the UK, despite all the bitter exchanges

  

  European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has issued a fresh warning to Theresa May that there must be agreement on the Irish border if she wants a Brexit deal.

• Friday, August 31st 2018 - 08:46 UTC

  Decisive Brexit meeting in Brussels ahead of the October EU summit

  

  Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is preparing for six hours of talks with the EU's chief negotiator. He will meet Michel Barnier in Brussels on Friday for the extended session ahead of an EU summit on 17 October. Both sides are hoping to agree a divorce deal and a statement on future trading relations before the summit.

• Wednesday, October 4th 2017 - 08:09 UTC

  Good Friday agreement must not be damaged by Brexit, says EU parliament coordinator

  

  European Parliament's Brexit coordinator has said he got a “shock” on his recent visit to Belfast when he saw the city's peace walls. Guy Verhofstadt described Northern Ireland as having a “frozen conflict”, and said the Good Friday Agreement must not be damaged by Brexit.

• Thursday, September 21st 2017 - 16:05 UTC

  European Parliament Brexit negotiator visits Ireland to address border issue

  

  The European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, has said it is up to the UK to find a way to avoid new controls on the Irish border, which echoes the position already laid out by the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Mr. Verhofstadt is in Northern Ireland to meet political leaders at Stormont ahead of a visit to the Irish border.

• Wednesday, August 16th 2017 - 10:29 UTC

  UK post-Brexit customs plan “is almost laughable” says Scottish First Minister Sturgeon

  

  First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed the UK government's plans for a post-Brexit customs deal with the EU as a “daft 'have cake and eat it' approach”. UK ministers have set out plans for an “ambitious new customs arrangement” with the EU after the UK leaves.

• Tuesday, July 11th 2017 - 05:49 UTC

  European Parliament rejects point blank PM May offer on citizens' rights

  

  European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt has rejected Theresa May’s offer on citizens’ rights, claiming it was casting a “dark cloud” over people’s status. In a joint article with a cross-party group of senior MEPs, Mr Verhofstadt said the Prime Minister’s plan was a “damp squib” which carried a risk of creating “second-class citizenship”.

• Monday, June 19th 2017 - 14:51 UTC

  UK starts Brexit negotiations from a weakened position

  

  Talks between the United Kingdom and the European Union to finalise Britain's exit from the continental block started Monday in Brussels, about one year after Britons voted that their country is to leave the bloc by March 30, 2019. But Europe is determined to set an example so that other countries will not be attracted to the idea, even if it includes leaving an open door for Britain to stay.