Brexit
Post-Brexit talks hit new delay after Barnier official gets COVID-19
Talks on an EU-UK trade deal face a new delay after a senior member of EU negotiator Michel Barnier’s team tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday (19 November).
Does Brexit free Europe to seek closer union?
British politicians often speak of Brexit as an opportunity to escape Brussels' shackles but does the divorce also free Europe to go its own way?
Post-Brexit talks enter crunch week with failure looming
British and EU negotiators launched a desperate final stretch of trade talks Sunday (15 November), with both sides determined not to give ground, despite the looming threat of failure.
‘Chaos’ in Johnson’s team could derail EU-UK deal, EPP leader warns
‘Chaos’ at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government could present another barrier to agreement on an EU-UK trade deal, a senior EU political leader has warned.
The Brief – The triumph of the political will
With wearisome predictability, the talks on a post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal will come down to one final last week of negotiations, with a summit in Brussels at the end of it, on 19 November. Both sides say they are nearly there. A deal “is there to be done”, says UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
UK Lords defeat controversial bill breaking EU agreement on Northern Ireland
Boris Johnson’s government suffered a series of defeats to his controversial Internal Market bill on Monday (9 November) after the House of Lords on Monday removed the sections of the bill that would break international law.
UK PM Johnson says EU trade deal is ‘there to be done’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday (8 November) a trade deal with the European Union was "there to be done", suggesting his view that the agreement's broad outline was already "pretty clear" was shared in Brussels.
Fish and Brexit chips
Boris Johnson's government should beware of pinning an entire EU-UK trade deal on fisheries, the issue of energy is far more serious and important, writes Alexander Temerko.
UK unprepared for Brexit even if new trade deal is agreed, warns think tank
UK government authorities and businesses will not be prepared for life outside the EU’s single market regardless of whether talks on a post-Brexit trade deal bear fruit, the Institute for Government (IfG) think tank said on Tuesday (3 November).
‘Special Relationship’ faces reset as UK watches US polls
Having set great store in its ‘special relationship’ with the United States, the UK will be watching the US presidential polls with great interest, and none more so than Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government.
Nigel Farage set to relaunch Brexit Party as anti-lockdown party
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage will relaunch the group as an anti-lockdown party called Reform UK in an attempt to fight anti-coronavirus measures imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government.
UK has more to lose from no deal Brexit, say voters
Two in five UK adults say that the UK has more to lose than the EU if Brexit negotiations fail, compared to just a quarter who think the EU stands to lose more, according to a poll published on Wednesday (28 October).
Brexit talks no closer to a deal, say insiders
Britain and the European Union are still a long way from a post-Brexit trade deal, several European sources told AFP Sunday (25 October), as both sides prepared to resume talks this week.
Britain signs first major post-Brexit trade deal with Japan
Britain and Japan formally signed a trade agreement on Friday (23 October), marking the UK's first big post-Brexit deal on trade, as it continues to struggle to agree on a deal with its closest trading partners in the European Union.
‘Every day counts’, says Barnier as EU-UK trade talks re-start
"Every day counts," the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters as he re-started face-to-face negotiations with UK counterpart David Frost in London on Thursday (22 October).
Belgium dusts off 1666 charter for post-Brexit fishing rights
Belgium may resort to a 17th century charter granted by a British king to retain fishing rights in Britain's coastal waters if London and the European Union fail to agree a trade deal by the end of this year.
‘Bucket of cold sick’: firms scorn UK over Brexit plans
Hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, UK businesses face a double-whammy from Brexit and are furious at the government for insisting the onus lies on them to get ready for life outside the EU.
UK unveils new rules to bar entry to EU criminals
Britain said it would introduce new rules from January to bar entry to people from the European Union with a criminal record, meaning those from the bloc would be treated the same as the rest of the world.
UK-EU Brexit talks restart with just weeks to seal deal
Britain and the European Union will resume fraught post-Brexit trade talks on Thursday (22 October) after seven days lost to threats and brinkmanship, and with just weeks left to salvage an agreement.
Brexit waves threaten to wreck Belgian fishing
Britain's departure from the European single market will disrupt many long-standing economic relationships and could yet devastate one of the oldest – the Belgian fishing fleet's work in UK waters.
The Channel Tunnel: the other Brexit border?
On 8 October 2020, the European Parliament approved legislation to ensure safe Channel Tunnel operations post-Brexit transition. In addition to COVID-19, Brexit will have far-reaching consequences for cross-Channel border connections. History highlights what is at stake.
Brexit trade talks back on after Barnier holds out olive branch
In a significant volte-face on Monday (19 October), EU and UK trade negotiators looked set to return to the table and resume talks on a post-Brexit trade deal, only a day after both sides appeared on the brink of abandoning the effort.
UK says door remains ‘ajar’ for post-Brexit trade deal
Britain still wants to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union despite the current deadlock, a senior government minister insisted ahead of fresh talks Monday (19 October).