Migration flow rises across Channel to Britain as political tension rises

British border agents brought ashore migrants in the port of Dover on Monday (10 August) after picking them up from an inflatable boat as they crossed the Channel, the latest in a surge of crossings that is causing political tensions with France.

UK armed forces asked to help deal with migrant boats crossing Channel

Britain's armed forces have been asked to help deal with boats carrying migrants across the Channel from France, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday (8 August) after a spate of arrivals on the southern English coast.

UK says it’s confident of Brexit trade deal as EU changing tone

Britain's top minister overseeing Brexit talks said on Friday (7 August) he was confident a free trade deal would be clinched with the EU as there had been a distinct change of tone from the bloc in recent weeks.

Britain seeks to smooth post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade disruption

Britain announced a 200 million pound (€221 million) scheme to help smooth post-Brexit trade disruption for businesses in Northern Ireland when European Union freedom of movement rules cease to apply at the end of the year.

German minister urges UK to be more ‘realistic’ in Brexit talks

Britain needs to be more "realistic and pragmatic" in Brexit negotiations with the European Union, Germany's European affairs minister told AFP in an interview Thursday (6 August).

Japanese FM in UK for post-Brexit trade talks

Japan's foreign minister on Wednesday (5 August) began a three-day trip to Britain in a bid to wrap up negotiations on a post-Brexit trade agreement.

EU’s Barnier believes deal with post-Brexit Britain is possible

The EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier expressed confidence at a closed-door meeting with member state envoys to the bloc last Friday that a new deal with Britain was possible, diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

UK and Norway to open trade pact talks amid warnings of new trade barriers

The UK and Norway will begin trade talks within the coming weeks in a bid to minimise disruption and lost business after the UK leaves the EU single market at the end of 2020.

The Brief – Poking the Bear

It only took a few short months for the accusation that the 2016 Brexit referendum was rigged, unfair and corrupt to start doing the rounds. This week, Boris Johnson’s government finally published the Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee report, which...

EU-UK trade pact ‘unlikely’ this year, warns Barnier

A trade agreement between the EU and the Uk is increasingly unlikely to be reached this year, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Thursday (23 July) following the last round of formal negotiations before a three-week summer break.

UK government failed to probe Russian ‘meddling’, say MPs

British lawmakers slammed the government on Tuesday (21 July) for failing to look into possible Russian meddling in UK politics, particularly the divisive 2016 Brexit referendum, as they released a long-awaited report into the issue. The document by parliament’s Intelligence...

UK WTO nominee plays down Brexit row

The UK’s nominee to lead the World Trade Organisation insisted on Friday (17 July) that Brexit would not derail his prospects, as the eight candidates to head the Geneva-based body made their first pitches for the job.

Britain publishes plans to keep internal trade flowing after Brexit

Britain publishes plans on Thursday (16 July) to keep trade flowing freely between its constituent nations when regulatory powers are reclaimed from the European Union at the end of the year and redistributed to devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

UK unveils post-Brexit border plans and ad campaign

Britain on Monday (13 July) launched another Brexit advertising blitz and unveiled its first detailed proposals for managing the country's borders after cutting ties with the European Union.

UK unveils €800m EU border spending plan

The UK unveiled plans on Sunday (12 July) to spend £705 million (€800m) on new infrastructure at its ports and border points to help smooth the flow of traffic after it leaves the EU single market on 31 December.

Step up ‘no deal’ planning, Barnier warns EU firms

The EU’s chief negotiator on future relations with the UK warned EU businesses on Thursday (9 July) to step up their planning for a ‘no deal’ scenario when the UK leaves the Single Market at the end of 2020.

EU nationals shut out from UK welfare scheme, report warns

EU citizens in the UK risk being shut out of accessing the country’s welfare system as a result of a little-known test that requires them to prove that they are permanently in the UK, according to research published on Thursday (9 July).

UK faces extra €2bn EU pensions bill

The UK faces being slapped with a surprise €2 billion EU pensions bill, as a result of a 21% increase in EU officials' pension liabilities.

Post-Brexit trade pact suffers setback as ‘disagreements’ end talks early

The prospects of a post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal being brokered this year suffered a new setback on Thursday (2 July) as the first round of in-person talks since the coronavirus pandemic broke up a day earlier with both sides citing ‘significant disagreements’.

The Brief – Global Britain: We’re just not that into EU

As vacuous slogans go, ‘Global Britain’, launched when Theresa May took over Brexit Britain from David Cameron in 2016, has been hard to beat. In 2018, UK lawmakers urged the government to set out what its international partners could expect...

Merkel kicks off EU presidency with Brexit warning

The European Union must prepare for the possibility that talks with Britain on their post-Brexit relationship could fail, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday (1 July) as Germany took the helm of the bloc's rotating presidency.

COVID-19 pandemic poses new risks to EU citizens in UK, rights groups warn

The coronavirus pandemic risks creating new problems and uncertainty for potential applicants to the UK's EU Settlement Scheme and those who have already been given pre-settled status, citizens’ rights groups have warned Boris Johnson's government.

EU-UK cross-border data flows: New digital walls for the economy?

Data needs to continue to flow between the UK and the EU. The EU should limit safeguards to only those needed to protect personal data,  writes Andrea Giuricin.

UK sets September deadline for EU trade deal

The UK has earmarked September as its deadline for agreeing on a new trade deal with the EU after negotiators held their first face-to-face meetings since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.