Brexit
Britain calls for 800 foreign butchers to avoid pig cull
Britain will offer six-month emergency visas to 800 foreign butchers to avoid a mass pig cull, after farmers complained that an exodus of workers from abattoirs and meat processors had left the pork sector fighting for survival.
EU offers deal on British trade to Northern Ireland but leaves Court role unchanged
The European Union offered the UK on Wednesday (13 October) a package of measures aimed at brokering a compromise to the long–running dispute over trade to Northern Ireland but without meeting London's demands on the role of the European Court of Justice.
EU to unveil measures to ease British goods flow to Northern Ireland
The European Commission will on Wednesday (13 October) put to Britain a package of measures to ease the transit of goods to Northern Ireland, while stopping short of the overhaul London is demanding of post-Brexit trading rules for the province.
Overhauling Irish protocol is ‘prerequisite’ to return to ‘normal’ relations, says UK minister
UK Brexit minister David Frost warned on Tuesday (12 September) that overhauling the Northern Ireland protocol was a “prerequisite” for repairing the current “fractious” relations between the UK and Brussels.
Protocol row reopens Unionist fears of another Northern Ireland sell–out
Sell–out, betrayal and sacrifice are all key words in the lexicon of Northern Irish politics for both the nationalist and unionist communities, and those in between. Brexit, and the Northern Ireland protocol, in particular, have brought them back into popular use.
Stop the poison, UK’s Frost tells the EU over post-Brexit deal
British Brexit minister David Frost made an impassioned plea to the European Union on Tuesday (12 October) to allow for "significant change" to post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, saying only that could draw the poison from their relations.
Britain and Ireland argue on Twitter over Brexit deal
Britain and Ireland traded barbs on Twitter on Sunday (10 October) after British Brexit negotiator David Frost restated his view that the EU must agree "significant change" to the Northern Ireland protocol that governs trade and border rules in the province.
EU will go to ‘enormous lengths’ on Irish protocol, says Sefcovic
The European Union will table new proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol next week, European Commission Vice President Maros Šefčovič said on Thursday (7 October).
London at heart of global tax-dodging network: NGO
Campaigners are calling on the government in London to take tougher action against tax havens, after the Pandora Papers shone a light on British overseas territories in a global tax-dodging network.
Most Brits see Brexit as a failure, poll reveals
Just over half of UK adults say that leaving the EU has been a failure, according to a new opinion poll published on Tuesday (5 October).
Brexit cold turkey: UK tries to kick 25-year imported labour habit
The United Kingdom's 25-year-old model of importing cheap labour has been up-ended by Brexit and COVID-19, sowing the seeds for a 1970s-style winter of discontent complete with worker shortages, spiralling wage demands and price rises.
UK close to suspending Irish protocol, warns Brexit minister
The UK is moving closer to suspending the Irish protocol, which keeps Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods, in its Brexit agreement, Brexit minister David Frost warned on Monday (4 October).
The Brief, powered by The Greens/EFA — Island of lost content
Few people in Britain (or Europe, for that matter) understand Northern Ireland. Even fewer understand its politics. That perhaps explains why so little attention was paid to the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland during the referendum campaign in 2016.
Chaos in the UK: pumps dry, medicines disrupted and pig cull fears
More than two thousand British gas stations were still dry on Thursday due a shortage of drivers which was starting to disrupt deliveries to pharmacies, while farmers warned a lack of butchers could lead to a massive cull of pigs.
France vows action against UK, Jersey over fishing rights refusals
France warned on Wednesday (29 Septembre) of retaliation in Brussels against the United Kingdom and Jersey over their refusal of many post-Brexit fishing licences, as trawlermen threatened fresh protests and even a blockade on cross-Channel exports.
UK denies fishing permits to three-quarters of small French boats
France accused Britain of playing politics with post-Brexit fishing rights on Wednesday after London granted licenses to fish in its territorial waters to only 12 small French boats out of 47 applications.
‘No thank you, Prime Minister’, Polish trucker says to British Christmas visa offer
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's proposed three-month working visa for European truckers just isn't a sweet enough deal to convince 35-year-old Polish truck driver Jakub Pajka to go back to Britain. And he's not alone.
Home Office must protect EU citizens’ rights even for late applicants, says agency
The agency responsible for safeguarding the rights of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom has urged the Home Office to ensure that citizens who have applied late to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) must have their rights upheld by UK public bodies.
Unionist parties back joint declaration to scrap Irish protocol
The four main unionist parties in Northern Ireland have formed an alliance to scrap the Irish protocol, agreed by the EU and the UK to maintain a smooth flow of goods on the island, as the UK government steps up its attempts to renegotiate it.
UK puts army on standby as fuel pumps run dry
Britain on Monday (27 September) put the army on standby to help with the ongoing fuel crisis as fears over tanker driver shortages led to panic buying, leaving many of the country's pumps dry.
Long queues and fuel rationing as Britain faces truck driver shortage
Lengthy queues of vehicles snaked their way to gas stations in Britain where an acute shortage of truck drivers has led to fuel rationing and some pumps running dry, and prompted the government to consider issuing temporary work visas.
New York, London keep top spots in global financial centres index
New York easily kept the top spot in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), while London held on to second place as Chinese cities slipped, according to the ranking published on Friday.
EU must respond to UK’s demand on Brexit deal urgently, minister says
The European Union must respond urgently to Britain's demands for changes to the deal overseeing problematic post-Brexit trade involving Northern Ireland, British Brexit Minister David Frost said on Thursday.