Babak Belurs

Kamis, 17 Oktober 2019

UK and EU strike new Brexit deal after last-ditch talks - CNBC

Negotiators from the U.K. and EU have reached a draft Brexit deal in the eleventh hour of talks, although there are serious doubts that the agreement will be approved by U.K. lawmakers back in Westminster.

Sterling rose on news after the U.K. made concessions over the Irish border, an issue that had proven to be the biggest obstacle to a deal up to that point. The pound was 0.8% higher against the dollar, at $1.2929, reaching a five-month high.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "we have a great new Brexit deal" via Twitter. He called on British lawmakers to back the deal when it's put before Parliament on Saturday.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the deal was a "fair and balanced" one.

Discussions to hammer out a "Withdrawal Agreement" — that will now be put before EU leaders at their summit on Thursday and Friday, and then U.K. lawmakers at the weekend — had continued late into the night Tuesday and into Wednesday. The EU Parliament will also have to ratify the deal at an, as yet, unspecified date.

Speaking after the deal was announced, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said the deal was the result of intense work from both negotiating teams. "We have delivered together," he said.

Giving further details on the deal, Barnier said that Northern Ireland will remain part of the U.K.'s customs territory and would be the entry point into the EU's single market. He said there would be no regulatory or customs checks at the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (a part of the U.K.) — removing a factor that had been a key concern for both sides. He added that Northern Ireland would remain aligned to some EU rules, notably related to goods.

The deal also covers the protection of citizens' rights and a transition period which will last until the end of 2020. Barnier also iterated that the EU and U.K. would work toward an "ambitious free trade deal with zero tariffs and quotas."

Deal already in doubt

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is legally bound to request an extension to the current Brexit departure date of October 31 if no deal is reached, or rejected, by October 19.

Whether the deal will be approved in Westminster is in doubt, however, with opposition parties already criticizing it.

While details of the new deal remain scant, the U.K. opposition Labour party said in a statement that "from what we know, it seems the Prime Minister has negotiated an even worse deal than Theresa May's, which was overwhelmingly rejected." The pro-Remain Liberal Democrats also said they were determined to stop Brexit altogether and still advocated a second referendum. The leader of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, said the deal should not be supported. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has also said it will not vote for the deal.

A key ally of the government, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has already responded by saying that it cannot support the deal.

The U.K. government, which does not have a majority in the British Parliament, needs the DUP's support (and votes) if it is to have a chance to get a deal over the line when (and if) Parliament votes on Saturday to approve any deal.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) poses with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prior to a meeting at a restaurant on September 16, 2019 in Luxembourg.

Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The DUP said in a statement earlier Thursday that it's unhappy with proposed customs and consent arrangements (designed to give Northern Ireland a say over its relationship with the EU post-Brexit) within the proposals. The DUP has repeatedly opposed any plans that would see it treated differently from the U.K. after Brexit.

British MPs had rejected a Brexit deal arrived at by previous Prime Minister Theresa May three times because of objections to the Irish "backstop" issue. This was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland if the U.K. and EU can't agree a trade deal in a post-Brexit transition period.

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2019-10-17 10:55:46Z
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UK and EU strike new Brexit deal after last-ditch talks - CNBC

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) poses with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prior to a meeting at a restaurant on September 16, 2019 in Luxembourg.

Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Negotiators from the U.K. and EU have reached a draft Brexit deal in the eleventh hour of talks and ahead of a crucial EU summit on Thursday.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "we have a great new Brexit deal" via Twitter. He called on British lawmakers to back the deal when it's put before Parliament on Saturday.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the deal was a "fair and balanced" one.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is legally bound to request an extension to the current Brexit departure date of October 31 if no deal is reached, or rejected, by October 19.

Whether the deal will be approved in Westminster is in doubt, however, with the future status of Northern Ireland still a sticking point for some.

A key ally of the government, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has already responded by saying that it cannot support the deal.

It's unclear whether the Brexit deal struck between the EU and U.K. contains the same proposals or whether more concessions have been made.

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2019-10-17 09:41:36Z
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New Brexit deal agreed, says Boris Johnson - BBC News

A Brexit deal has been agreed between UK and EU negotiating teams before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "We've got a great new deal that takes back control."

The two sides have been working on the legal text of a deal, but it will still need the approval of both the UK and European parliaments.

The DUP has cast doubt on its sign off, saying they still cannot support it.

The Northern Irish party earlier released a statement saying they could not back proposals "as things stand", and - after the PM's announcement - said their statement "still stands".

But European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said it was a "fair and balanced agreement".

Both he and Mr Johnson have urged their respective parliaments to back the deal.

Mr Johnson's proposals for a new Brexit deal hinged on getting rid of the controversial backstop - the solution negotiated between Theresa May and the EU to solve issues around the Irish border after the UK leaves.

By removing it, he hoped to secure the support of Brexiteers in his own party and the DUP - which could hold the key to getting the numbers for a successful vote in the Commons.

However, it is understood the new plan would see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK - something the DUP, among others, has great concerns about.

The DUP has been in a confidence and supply agreement with the Conservative Party since the 2017 election, which, in the past, gave the government a working majority.

But after resignations and the removal of the party whip from more than 20 Tory MPs in recent weeks, Mr Johnson now could face a tough battle to get his deal through Parliament.

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2019-10-17 09:56:15Z
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Rabu, 16 Oktober 2019

Brexit: U.K and Europe edge closer to deal — but are not there yet - The Washington Post

Francisco Seco AP Michel Barnier has been leading negotiations for the European Union.

BRUSSELS — British and European Brexit negotiators blew way past a midnight deadline and continued talks Wednesday to try to reach a deal to split Britain from the European Union.

With negotiations ongoing, Britain appeared willing to make major concessions, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions. And policymakers on both sides seemed more optimistic than they had in months that a deal might be imminent.

But the mood in Brussels was changing hour to hour, and everyone remained wary.

Not only does Johnson have to strike a bargain that can get the approval of 27 other E.U. countries — itself a difficult task — he then must sell it at home. British domestic politics can be unforgiving. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, made a deal with Brussels only to have it defeated three times in Parliament.

On Wednesday morning, Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters, “Issues remain to be resolved.”

There was furious wheeling and dealing at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, with lawmakers coming and going.

All eyes were on the hardline Brexiteers in Johnson’s Conservative Party and a group of 10 lawmakers from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, whose support is crucial.

The new British premier has staked his political future on leading his country out by Oct. 31 — or at least on being seen to have tried his utmost.

But even if the foundations of a deal are agreed this week, E.U. diplomats said an extension may be necessary to finalize the details.

[The queen gives her speech in Parliament as Brexit talks stall in Brussels]

In a series of briefings, European diplomats said any deal agreed in principle must be put into detailed legal text, then translated, then briefed to European leaders in time for an E.U. summit that begins on Thursday — and there just did not appear to be enough time.

E.U. leaders who will meet in Brussels have been expecting to either sign off on a deal, agree to delay the Brexit date beyond October or brace for a sudden and uncontrolled British departure from the bloc.

But diplomats in Brussels who spoke with The Washington Post said it was possible that European leaders at the summit may be able to offer Johnson a non-binding “political statement” offering support for a deal in principle.

The Europeans don’t want to actually negotiate the details at the summit. “No appetite” for that, said one senior diplomat.

Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told Sky News he had spoken with Johnson on Wednesday and that a short delay — and another E.U. summit later this month — might be needed.

A senior European diplomat in Brussels told The Post, “there are these high expectations that a deal can be made, that we can make it, but of course the timing is crucial.”

Francisco Seco

People shelter against the rain as they walk past the E.U. headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.

E.U. Council President Donald Tusk told a Polish broadcaster that the “basic foundations of an agreement are ready” and “theoretically [on Thursday] we could accept this deal with Great Britain.”

“Everything is going in the right direction,” Tusk said, “But you will have noticed yourselves that with Brexit and above all with our British partners anything is possible.”

The key sticking point in the closed-door talks in Brussels has been what happens to the border between Northern Ireland, which will leave with the rest of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, which will remain a member of the E.U.

The border has proved to be one of the most vexing issues facing negotiators over the past three years.

Today, the boundary is mostly invisible. A driver whizzing between Belfast and Dublin is not required to stop for any customs check or security control. There are no tollbooths, no cameras, not even a signpost.

The promise of an open border was central to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the Troubles, as the 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland are known.

Both the U.K. and the E.U. say they want to keep the border open to preserve the hard-won peacee. But they have disagreed about how to achieve that.

The Europeans have said Northern Ireland would have to remain tightly aligned E.U. rules, to protect the customs union and single market and prevent smuggling.

May had said “no U.K. prime minister would ever agree to” a proposal that would create a customs border in the Irish Sea. And Johnson agreed with her at the time. But on Tuesday, he seemed to be moving far closer to European demands in a bid to push the talks to a conclusion.

[Boris Johnson’s office spins call with Merkel, says Brexit breakthrough ‘essentially impossible’]

By some counts, compared to May, Johnson would face an even tougher vote in the House of Commons. His Conservative Party no longer holds a majority, and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has warned that his Labour Party will not support Johnson’s “Tory Brexit,” no matter the details (though some Labour rebels have signaled they might just back a deal).

The most hard-line Brexiteers, known as the “Spartans,” may also rise up against any deal that crosses their red lines.

But there were signals that the Tories might rally behind their new prime minister.

Steve Baker, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG), left a meeting Tuesday at 10 Downing Street telling reporters outside that he was “optimistic that it is possible to reach a tolerable deal that I am able to vote for.”

The former leader of the ERG and now leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, pleaded with fellow Conservatives to trust Johnson because — unlike May — he is a true Brexiteer, a leader of the winning June 2016 campaign to leave the European Union.

Rees-Mogg said Parliament was desperate for a deal.

Even tougher for Johnson and any deal he crafts are the 10 lawmakers from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from Northern Ireland, who have opposed any kind of Brexit deal that would see the Irish province treated differently than England, Wales and Scotland, their fellow nations in the U.K.

“Discussions continue,” DUP lawmaker Arlene Foster tweeted Wednesday. “Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support.”

Meg Russell, a politics professor at University College London, said an extension was “highly likely” even if a deal got a thumbs up in an emergency session in the House of Commons on Saturday. Legislation would still need to pass through both Houses of Parliament. That yet-to-be-published legislation would likely be lengthy, complicated and controversial, she said.

“So that means that even if there is a deal, an extension is necessary,” she said.

Karla Adam in London and Quentin Ariès in Brussels contributed to this report.

The ‘rebel alliance’ teamed up to thwart Boris Johnson’s plans. Can it stay united to steer Brexit?

He defied Boris Johnson. Now the prime minister’s party is gunning for his seat, with Brexit on the line.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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2019-10-16 16:37:00Z
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U.S. security chief 'heaped pain' on grieving parents of UK teen: lawyer - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s national security adviser heaped pain and grief on the parents of a British teenager killed in a car crash by trying to hold a meeting at the White House between them and a U.S. diplomat’s wife who was involved, the parents’ lawyer said.

FILE PHOTO: Tim Dunn and Charlotte Charles, parents of British teen Harry Dunn who was killed in a car crash on his motorcycle, allegedly by the wife of an American diplomat, speak during a interview in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 15, 2019. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn were invited to a surprise meeting with the U.S. president at his office on Wednesday where they were further shocked to learn that Anne Sacoolas, the American woman involved in the fatal crash, was in the building.

Mark Stephens, the lawyer for Charles and Dunn, said national security adviser Robert O’Brien had the idea of overseeing a coming together of the families before they would then hug in front of an assembled media.

“(O’Brien has) heaped grief and pain on the family by making them go through this but not allowing them to get the closure they need by talking to Mrs Sacoolas before they can go onto the grieving stage,” Stephens told BBC radio on Thursday.

Harry Dunn, 19, died after a car driven by Sacoolas collided with his motorbike near RAF Croughton, an air force base in Northamptonshire in central England used by the U.S. military.

His parents want Sacoolas, who left Britain under a disputed claim of diplomatic immunity, to return to England to speak to the police. Through her lawyers, Sacoolas has said she is “devastated” and is willing to meet Dunn’s family.

Dunn’s parents said Trump had been responsive at their meeting but the planned encounter with Sacoolas had come as a bombshell.

“He said he was sorry about Harry and then he sprung the surprise that Mrs Sacoolas was in another room in the building and whether we want to meet her there and then,” Tim Dunn said.

“We said no because as we’ve been saying from the start we want to meet Mrs Sacoolas but we want to do it in the UK so the police can interview her. We didn’t want to be sort of railroaded, not into a circus as such, but a meeting we weren’t prepared for.”

While Trump and O’Brien had ruled out Sacoolas returning to Britain, Charles said Trump had taken her hand and promised to try to look at the issue from another angle. Stephens said that offer had left open the opportunity for a political solution.

“We have said for a long time the family needs to meet, they need to meet in private, away from the media and not curated by politicians, spies or indeed lawyers,” he said.

“Most sensible folk and not a nincompoop in a hurry would understand that.”

Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Toby Chopra

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-10-16 10:38:00Z
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Senin, 14 Oktober 2019

Queen's Speech opens new session of UK Parliament amid Brexit deadlock: Live updates - CNN

The first and most important piece of legislation announced by the Queen is the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which will lay out the plans for Britain’s departure from the EU.

“My government’s priority has always been to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on 31 October,” the Queen says, at the start of her speech. “My government intends to work towards a new partnership with the European Union, based on free trade and friendly cooperation.”

Johnson plans to put the bill before MPs next week, once debate on the Queen’s Speech has wrapped up -- but it’s not clear if he’ll get the chance, given that his perilous position in Parliament means he is at risk of losing the vote on his agenda.

Even more pressing is the fact that Johnson is yet to agree any deal with the EU. If he hasn’t done so by the EU summit at the end of this week, he’s mandated by law to request another Brexit extension.

"An immigration bill, ending free movement, will lay the foundation for a fair, modern and global immigration system," the speech adds.

“My Government remains committed to ensuring that resident European citizens, who have built their lives in, and contributed so much to, the United Kingdom, have the right to remain. The bill will include measures that reinforce this commitment,” she added.

“Steps will be taken to provide certainty, stability and new opportunities for the financial services and legal sectors.”

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2019-10-14 10:21:00Z
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Brexit talks continue in Brussels ahead of crunch summit - BBC News

UK and EU negotiating teams will meet later as efforts to reach a deal before a crunch summit this week continue.

After talks in Brussels this weekend, EU ambassadors were told the UK would make concessions to its post-Brexit plan for the Northern Irish border.

But the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said a "a big gap" remained over customs arrangements.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said she believed a deal could be reached by the 31 October deadline.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "[In] the last few days, we've seen a real shift in approach from the EU - and in Ireland in particular - for which we're extremely grateful and appreciative.

"I think with the negotiations ongoing... I'm an optimist, I do believe that we can get a deal by 31 October."

On Sunday, Boris Johnson told his cabinet that while he could see a "pathway" to a deal, there was "still a significant amount of work" needed to get there.

The European Commission echoed the prime minister, saying: "A lot of work remains to be done."

Both sides have said they hope to agree a deal before the EU summit on Thursday and Friday.

The government says if a plan is agreed, it will introduce a withdrawal agreement bill to be voted on next Saturday in a special Parliamentary session.

It is seen as the last chance to do this before Brexit is due to happen at 23:00 GMT on 31 October.

While efforts continue in Brussels, the Queen's Speech will take place later, outlining the government's agenda for the coming Parliament.

The government has also announced it intends to hold the Budget on 6 November, with Chancellor Sajid Javid insisting it will be "the first Budget after leaving the EU".

But Labour's shadow Commons leader, Jon Trickett, told Today he would be "surprised" if the Budget went ahead as planned as "we have no idea if they are going to get this Brexit proposal through the House or not".

The border issue

The issue of the Northern Ireland border in post-Brexit arrangements is seen as the key factor in the EU-UK talks.

Mr Johnson submitted new proposals to the EU earlier this month, and its leaders promised to examine them carefully.

However, a number of figures, including Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, said they did not form the basis of a deal.

Hope of progress were faint until Mr Johnson and Mr Varadkar met last Thursday and the Irish leader said afterwards their discussions had been "positive" and "sufficient to allow negotiations to resume in Brussels".

Mr Barnier told EU diplomats in a briefing this weekend the UK had dropped its proposals to include an up-front veto for the Stormont Assembly before any new arrangements for Northern Ireland come into force, said BBC Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming.

But he said the UK was still seeking the power for Northern Ireland to leave the arrangements at some point in the future.

According to a note of his meeting with EU ambassadors on Sunday evening, Mr Barnier also said he would be willing to accept Mr Johnson's plan for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK's customs territory but apply EU customs procedures.

However, he said he could not accept a British proposal to track goods entering Northern Ireland to determine whether they ended up in Ireland.

Adam Fleming said it appeared EU negotiators had "softened" their position by indicating they were prepared to keep talking until Wednesday - the eve of the summit - despite saying previously that a revised deal had to be ready a week in advance.

In a statement, the EU it added that the "intense technical discussions" between officials would continue on Monday before member states were updated on the progress at a meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

The Irish border has been a policy conundrum for a long, long time, but it seems now there has genuinely been a bit of push and pull, and a little bit of movement on both sides.

There are swathes and swathes of technicalities going on here. One cabinet minister, who was briefed by the prime minister on Sunday, even told me they are blind to the detail.

As far as they are concerned, that's a good sign - it means the talks are genuine and negotiators are able to get on with their work without too much political pell-mell.

But while a deal is possible, it is still a massive if.

The politicians' mood has changed very much in the last seven days, particularly since that meeting between Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson.

And getting a deal is obviously the most straightforward, politically advantageous way for the government to leave at the end of this month and keep Mr Johnson's promise that got him into No 10.

But it doesn't mean the really, really thorny policy questions have disappeared.

Timeline: What's happening ahead of Brexit deadline?

Monday 14 October - The Commons is due to return, and the government will use the Queen's Speech to set out its legislative agenda. The speech will then be debated by MPs throughout the week.

Thursday 17 October - Crucial two-day summit of EU leaders begins in Brussels. This is the last such meeting currently scheduled before the Brexit deadline.

Saturday 19 October - Special sitting of Parliament and the date by which the PM must ask the EU for another delay to Brexit under the Benn Act, if no Brexit deal has been approved by MPs and they have not agreed to the UK leaving with no-deal.

Thursday 31 October - Date by which the UK is currently due to leave the EU.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50035156

2019-10-14 07:45:19Z
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