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Sabtu, 26 Desember 2020

Brexit trade deal 'moment of national renewal', says Lord Frost - BBC News

The chief Brexit negotiators for the UK and EU, Lord Frost and Michel Barnier

The UK's new trade deal with the EU marks "the beginning of a moment of national renewal", Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator has said.

The agreement was announced on Christmas Eve, after months of fraught talks on issues such as fishing rights and business rules.

Lord Frost described it as "one of the biggest and broadest" ever.

MPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK to exit existing trading rules on 31 December.

The European Parliament also needs to ratify it, while EU ambassadors received a Christmas Day briefing on the trade deal from EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

A 1,246-page document, which has been published on the UK government's website, sets out the post-Brexit relationship with the EU and includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Lord Frost said: "There's no more role for the European Court of Justice, there's no direct effects of EU law, there's no alignment of any kind, and we're out of the single market and out of the customs union just as the manifesto said we would.

"All choices are in our hands as a country and it's now up to us to decide how we use them and how we go forward in the future."

Senior members of the UK negotiating team added the deal allowed for a "managed divergence" from EU rules and standards.

A free trade agreement usually rules out tariffs being applied to imported goods. Under the terms of this deal if either party acts in a way the other views as anti-competitive, they can go to an independent arbitrator. If that doesn't resolve the complaint, either party can impose tariffs.

The French Minister for Europe Clément Beaune said: "There is no country in the world that will be subject to as many export rules to us as the UK."

But the UK negotiators described the rules as "standard" for third party trade deals.

'This deal or no deal'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said the deal did not provide adequate protections for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and was "not the deal the government promised".

But with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between "this deal or no deal", he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as "fair" and "balanced", saying it was now "time to turn the page and look to the future".

Analysis box by Iain Watson, political correspondent

Lord Frost certainly isn't underselling the agreement with Brussels, describing it as representing the "beginning of a moment of national renewal".

Members of the Conservatives' European Research Group , or ERG - which includes many prominent Brexiteers - have sounded positive about the deal, as outlined by the PM.

But some believe that the devil is in the detail.

ERG lawyers - including the veteran Eurosceptic MP Sir Bill Cash - are set to dissect the contents of the agreement between now and Parliament's recall on Wednesday.

But the former Brexit Secretary David Davis has said one day of scrutiny in Parliament isn't enough - and has accused the EU of having a habit of inserting "little quirks" into its treaties.

The basics

A Brexit deal has been agreed, days before a deadline. It means that the UK and the EU can continue to trade without extra taxes being put on goods - but we don't know all the details yet.
What took so long? The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and actually left on 31 January 2020, but leaders had until the end of 2020 to work out a trade deal.
There are big changes ahead. Although it's a trade deal that has been agreed, there will also be changes to how people travel between the EU and UK, and to the way they live and work.

What happens next with Brexit?

Meanwhile, writing in the Times, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the UK and EU would be able to enjoy a "special relationship" as a result of the new deal.

He said the deal would give UK businesses "certainty and the ability to plan for growth and investment".

"We can develop a new pattern of friendly co-operation with the EU, a special relationship if you will, between sovereign equals," he added.

But Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused the government of "selling out" Scottish fishing with the deal.

She tweeted: "The Tories have sold out Scottish fishing all over again.

"Promises they knew couldn't be delivered, duly broken."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey told BBC Breakfast that the post-Brexit trade deal meant more of the red tape "we all feared", "far more bureaucracy" and was a "defeat for those who wanted frictionless trade".

He said the deal was "bad for business", "less safe" for families and it was therefore "insupportable".

Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, who voted for Brexit, told the same programme that "many prime ministers" had returned from negotiations with Brussels with deals that appear to "do the right thing and then closer scrutiny demonstrates that they are not as good as first billed".

"I hope that we have finally seen the pattern broken and I hope that this is a deal that I can support, but it is important that we scrutinise that detail carefully and take some expert advice on it," she said.

Meanwhile, the Department for Education has announced further details of the Turing scheme which will replace the Erasmus student exchange from September 2021.

It will provide funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools in the UK to go on placements and exchanges overseas, stretching beyond Europe with £100m set aside for 2021/22, the DfE said.

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2020-12-26 16:57:00Z
52781259169935

Brexit trade deal 'moment of national renewal', says Lord Frost - BBC News

The UK's new trade deal with the EU marks "the beginning of a moment of national renewal", Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator has said.

The agreement was announced on Christmas Eve, after months of fraught talks on issues such as fishing rights and business rules.

Lord Frost described it as "one of the biggest and broadest" ever.

MPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK to exit existing trading rules on 31 December.

The European Parliament also needs to ratify it, while EU ambassadors received a Christmas Day briefing on the trade deal from EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

A 1,246-page document, which has been published on the UK government's website, sets out the post-Brexit relationship with the EU and includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes.

"All choices are in our hands as a country and it's now up to us to decide how we use them and how we go forward in the future."

Senior members of the UK negotiating team added the deal allowed for a "managed divergence" from EU rules and standards.

The French Minister for Europe Clément Beaune said: "There is no country in the world that will be subject to as many export rules to us as the UK."

But the UK negotiators described the rules as "standard" for third party trade deals.

'This deal or no deal'

But with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between "this deal or no deal", he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as "fair" and "balanced", saying it was now "time to turn the page and look to the future".

Lord Frost certainly isn't underselling the agreement with Brussels, describing it as representing the "beginning of a moment of national renewal".

Members of the Conservatives' European Research Group , or ERG - which includes many prominent Brexiteers - have sounded positive about the deal, as outlined by the PM.

But some believe that the devil is in the detail.

ERG lawyers - including the veteran Eurosceptic MP Sir Bill Cash - are set to dissect the contents of the agreement between now and Parliament's recall on Wednesday.

But the former Brexit Secretary David Davis has said one day of scrutiny in Parliament isn't enough - and has accused the EU of having a habit of inserting "little quirks" into its treaties.

The basics

A Brexit deal has been agreed, days before a deadline. It means that the UK and the EU can continue to trade without extra taxes being put on goods - but we don't know all the details yet.
What took so long? The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and actually left on 31 January 2020, but leaders had until the end of 2020 to work out a trade deal.
There are big changes ahead. Although it's a trade deal that has been agreed, there will also be changes to how people travel between the EU and UK, and to the way they live and work.

What happens next with Brexit?

Meanwhile, writing in the Times, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the UK and EU would be able to enjoy a "special relationship" as a result of the new deal.

He said the deal would give UK businesses "certainty and the ability to plan for growth and investment".

"We can develop a new pattern of friendly co-operation with the EU, a special relationship if you will, between sovereign equals," he added.

But Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused the government of "selling out" Scottish fishing with the deal.

She tweeted: "The Tories have sold out Scottish fishing all over again.

"Promises they knew couldn't be delivered, duly broken."

He said the deal was "bad for business", "less safe" for families and it was therefore "insupportable".

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UK weather: Storm Bella to bring more severe gales and rain after flooding forces people from homes - Sky News

Storm Bella is forecast to bring yet more strong gales and heavy rain to the UK and Ireland, a day after parts of England saw severe flooding.

Winds reaching up to 70mph are expected in coastal areas on Boxing Day, along with further downpours.

The Met Office has predicted that 15-25mm of rain will fall in Wales and southwest England, reaching 40-60mm over some hills.

There is also expected to be a period of heavy rain affecting western and southern areas.

Some areas are already saturated after recent rainy weather and flooding.

On Christmas Day, residents in more than 1,300 homes along the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire were asked to leave by police after it burst its banks, causing bridges and roads to be flooded.

A local resident in Bedford told Sky News the area often gets flood alerts, but she hasn't seen the water rise this high over the last two decades.

She said: "People were staying awake all night, obviously not knowing whether it’d come over the road."

She added that everyone in the community "rallied around" to help curb the flooding by "digging trenches, bringing sandbags" and pulling out trees through the night and into the early hours of the morning.

The widespread rainfall which caused the flooding has passed, but the Environment Agency (EA) has warned that a significant flood risk remains - with river levels in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire remaining significantly high.

Bedfordshire is one of three areas that have been issued severe flood warnings, meaning there's danger to life, as more rain is expected on Sunday and Monday.

Cogenhoe Mill caravan site and Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park, which are both on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, are at risk, too.

Amber wind warnings have been issued, with the Met Office saying travel could be disrupted for parts of South Wales and across southern England from Saturday night until Sunday morning.

People have been warned that buildings could be damaged in the storm and debris could cause injury or risk to life.

Many areas within Northern Ireland have also been issued yellow warnings of rain and wind from midday on Saturday until the evening, with conditions potentially causing disruption to travel.

Yellow warnings of wind have been issued for the whole of England, Wales and the far south of Scotland from 3pm.

Scotland, Wales and most of the north and southwest of England have been given a yellow warning for rain - many of these areas have already experienced recent flooding.

And Met Eireann has also issued a country-wide status yellow wind and rain warning in Ireland, which is in force until 4am on Sunday.

As of Saturday morning, England has 78 flood warnings and 99 flood alerts. Wales has two warnings and five alerts, while seven warnings and 13 warnings have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Ben Lukey, flood duty manager at the EA, said: "The flood risk will remain in impacted areas through the weekend, with rain on Saturday evening likely to bring the possibility of further flooding to the South West, South East, West Midlands and north of England overnight on Saturday and into Sunday morning.

"Our thoughts are with those affected. Environment Agency teams are working 24/7 alongside the emergency services and local partners to check and operate defences and support those who have been flooded, reduce the risk of further flooding and keep communities safe through the festive period."

The warnings mark what stands to be a very wet festive period for many, although some were treated to a picturesque white Christmas on the big day, with snowfall recorded in Yorkshire and Suffolk.

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2020-12-26 15:09:53Z
52781268039805

How Brexit deal has different impact for Northern Ireland: Country is still subject to some EU rules - Daily Mail

How Brexit trade deal has different impact for Northern Ireland: Country is still in the single market and subject to some EU rules but DUP MP says agreement is 'golden opportunity' for fishing industry

Jim Shannon said deal could help create jobs for the province's fishing industry
Meanwhile, Tory MP John Redwood demanded more details on the agreement
Britain today published text of its narrow trade agreement with European Union

By Katie Weston For Mailonline

Published: 14:20 GMT, 26 December 2020 | Updated: 15:56 GMT, 26 December 2020

Northern Ireland is still in the single market and subject to some EU rules but a DUP MP believes the agreement is a 'golden opportunity' for the fishing industry.

Jim Shannon, the MP for Strangford, said yesterday that the Brexit deal could help to create jobs for the province's fishing industry, but warned the 'devil is in the detail'.

Britain today published the text of its narrow trade agreement with the European Union just five days before its exit.

The text includes a 1,246-page trade document, as well as agreements on nuclear energy, exchanging classified information, civil nuclear energy and a series of joint declarations.

Jim Shannon (pictured), the MP for Strangford, said yesterday that the Brexit deal could help to create jobs for the province's fishing industry, but warned the 'devil is in the detail'

Boris Johnson pictured in his office in Number 10 briefing the Cabinet after speaking to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on December 23

Meanwhile, Tory MP John Redwood urged Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove to flesh out further details on the agreement relating to the province this morning.

The MP for Wokingham tweeted: 'Will Michael Gove publish the details of his agreement on the Northern Ireland issues? We need a detailed text to see how he thinks it is going to work.'

But Mr Shannon told the Belfast Telegraph: 'It's a golden opportunity to create jobs in the fisheries sector, and for something good to come out of this deal.

'I'm glad there's a deal - but at the same time I am waiting to see the small print. The devil is in the detail.'

The province will have to follow single market rules to ensure its border with Ireland remains open, and there will be physical checks on some plant and animal products, but not at the border.

There will also be customs procedures for goods crossing the Irish Sea, as Northern Ireland will have access to the EU customs union while remaining in the UK customs union.

Ulster, one of the provinces in the north of Ireland, will also remain subject to many EU rules overseen by the European Court of Justice.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin expressed relief on Thursday after neighbouring Britain agreed a last-minute trade deal with the European Union which he said was the 'least bad version of Brexit possible'.

Tory MP John Redwood (pictured above, in September last year) urged Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove to flesh out further details on the agreement relating to Northern Ireland

Mr Gove pictured arriving at the Whitehall entrance of the Cabinet Office in central London on December 21. Britain today published the text of its narrow trade agreement with the EU

He said: 'There is no such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland, but... I believe the agreement reached today is the least bad version of Brexit possible, given current circumstances.'

Arlene Foster, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, also welcomed the Brexit deal following Boris Johnson's announcement on Christmas Eve.

She said: 'We have consistently urged both sides to achieve a deal.

'We will, of course, examine the details both of the trade deal itself as well as other issues such as security where agreement will be particularly important from the Northern Ireland viewpoint.

'Given the Government's Northern Ireland Protocol, a sensible trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union was always the most favourable outcome for Northern Ireland.

'Moving forward, we will continue to work to seize the opportunities and address the challenges which arise from the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.'

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill also tweeted on Thursday: 'We voted against Brexit, it is being foisted upon us against our will. Todays deal will be welcomed across the island.

Arlene Foster (pictured above), the First Minister of Northern Ireland, welcomed the Brexit deal following Boris Johnson's announcement on Christmas Eve

'The Good Friday Agreement has been protected, there will be no hardening of the border and protections for the all-island economy are in place.'

However, Steve Aiken, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, warned that the deal should 'not be spun as a success'.

He said: 'With over 2000 pages of text to closely examine it will take time to fully understand if there are any, even wider implications for Northern Ireland, but no matter what, this deal at the 11th hour should not be spun as a success.

'In many ways it is the least worst option and possibly the worst of both worlds for Northern Ireland.

'2021 will be a very difficult year and there should be a period of derogation for Northern Ireland for as long as possible included in the deal.'

A lorry passes a sign on a main rad outside Newry, Northern Ireland. Britain said on Thursday an agreement had been secured on the country's future relationship with the EU (file photo)

Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Colum Eastwood added: 'While the deal may seek to mitigate the damage that leaving the European Union will have on people, businesses and communities in Northern Ireland it will not undo the damage of Brexit.

'This entire Brexit fantasy is a future that people here do not want and did not vote for. A deal is better than no-deal, but the best deal will always remain being at the heart of the European Union.'

Stephen Farry, an Alliance Party MP, also commented: 'Key considerations for us will include matters beyond just trade, such as data adequacy recognition, justice, policing and security, plus access to the full spectrum of EU programmes.

'Notwithstanding this deal, Alliance will continue to advocate the closest possible relationship for Northern Ireland with the EU and to seek further flexibilities and mitigations regarding the implementation of the Protocol.'

The 'Draft EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement' means that, from 11pm on December 31, there will be no tariffs or quotas on the movement of goods originating in either place between the UK and the EU.

The treaty explicitly recognises that trade and investment require conditions for 'a level playing field for open and fair competition.'

On financial services, which drive the British economy, the two sides simply commit 'to establish a favourable climate for the development of trade and investment between them'.

The text comprises of many detailed annexes including on rules of origin, fish, the wine trade, medicines, chemicals and security data cooperation.

How does the Brexit deal impact Northern Ireland - and what will the rules be?

Ireland, the EU member state most exposed to the fall-out from Britain's departure, was an important player during four rocky years of exit negotiations in which it sought to shelter its highly exposed agricultural sector and avoid a hard border infrastructure with the British region of Northern Ireland.

A deal on the province called the Northern Ireland protocol, which is part of the withdrawal agreement, was already in place between the UK and the EU and would have been implemented even without a Brexit trade deal.

It aims to prevent a hard border by having Northern Ireland remain in the single market and administer EU customs union rules at its ports.

From the start of January, goods from Britain will be inspected at the province's ports but those arriving to the Republic of Ireland will face no new checks.

The Northern Ireland protocol aims to prevent a hard border by having Northern Ireland remain in the single market and administer EU customs union rules at its ports

Previously, under Theresa May's Brexit agreement, a backstop which would effectively keep the UK in a customs union with the EU would come into place if a trade deal hadn't been reached with the EU by December 31 this year.

But the deal should make the customs union issues easier within the UK, as it removes tariffs and quotas for mainland Britain.

While Irish firms have diversified into new markets since 2016, cutting trade to Britain to 9 per cent of total Irish goods exports last year, its nearest neighbour still accounts for around one-third of its food and agricultural exports.

That sector would have been battered by heavy tariffs if Britain had left the EU on World Trade Organization terms. Ireland's large beef industry, which sells almost half of what it produces to Britain, would have been subject to tariffs of 72 per cent.

Preserving the delicate peace in Northern Ireland without allowing the United Kingdom a back door into the EU's single market through the 310-mile UK-Irish land border was one of the most difficult issues during the first phase of talks, which culminated in the Withdrawal Agreement in late 2019.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney (pictured above) said that Ireland's 'place in the single market of the EU has been protected'

The British government angered the Irish government by threatening to unilaterally scrap elements of that deal, but withdrew the threat as the outline of a trade deal emerged in recent weeks.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told RTE radio: 'The peace process had been protected, peace funding has been protected, Ireland's place in the single market of the EU has been protected.'

While Ireland's large pharmaceutical and multinational tech sector has shielded the economy from the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, around 20 per cent of its workforce is now permanently or temporarily unemployed.

That means it could ill-afford what Martin said could have been a second 'appalling' economic shock from a 'no-deal' British exit from the EU.

Ireland based its budget for 2021 on the assumption that the talks would fail. A deal could add 3-4 percentage points to the finance department's gross domestic product forecast range of +1.7 per cent to -2.1 per cent for next year, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said at the time.

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2020-12-26 14:20:00Z
52781259169935

Kent: Overflow lorry park cleared leaving hauliers free to head towards Dover again - Sky News

An overflow lorry park for freight drivers waiting to cross into France has been closed, leaving them free to head back towards Dover.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that by 9am on Boxing Day, all hauliers had left Manston airfield - the site used to manage disruption in Kent caused by France's travel and partial trade ban.

He added that 15,526 coronavirus tests have now been carried out on drivers, yielding 36 positive results which "are being verified".

"Manston now empty and lorries should no longer head there please," the cabinet minister said in a tweet.

Mr Shapps thanked "everyone who's worked tirelessly over the past few days to reduce the huge disruption".

"Police, military, planners, councils, charities, border staff - all have rallied to bring food and drink to stranded hauliers," he said.

The number of lorries still waiting to cross into France is now at a manageable enough number - around 1,600 - that they can join a queue on the M20.

Havoc was sprung on Kent's roads last weekend when a new coronavirus variant discovered in southeast England led to d ozens of countries quickly shutting their borders to Britain.

While most exempted hauliers, France did not, meaning any accompanied freight driven in a truck or lorry could not pass through for 48 hours.

Frantic negotiations were set up as the UK tried to get its neighbour to unblock the trade route - particularly vital in the run-up to Christmas and with the end of the Brexit transition period looming.

The situation worsened as a backlog of over 5,000 lorries built up, prompting fears about potential food shortages, while the government urged people not to travel to Kent ports.

An agreement was then struck allowing accompanied freight to start travelling over the Channel by ferry or train again, provided drivers returned a negative lateral flow test.

But the backlog took days to clear, with many drivers stranded away from home over the festive period and some scuffles breaking out with police.

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2020-12-26 14:08:02Z
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Sabtu, 26 Desember 2020

Brexit trade deal 'moment of national renewal', says Lord Frost - BBC News

'This deal or no deal'

The basics

Brexit trade deal 'moment of national renewal', says Lord Frost - BBC News

'This deal or no deal'

The basics

UK weather: Storm Bella to bring more severe gales and rain after flooding forces people from homes - Sky News

More from Weather

How Brexit deal has different impact for Northern Ireland: Country is still subject to some EU rules - Daily Mail

How Brexit trade deal has different impact for Northern Ireland: Country is still in the single market and subject to some EU rules but DUP MP says agreement is 'golden opportunity' for fishing industry

Kent: Overflow lorry park cleared leaving hauliers free to head towards Dover again - Sky News

More from Kent