Kamikaze Brexiteers may end up in a hell of their own making February 8, 2019 Hell hath no fury like a Brexiteer scorned. From the backlash this week, you would have thought that European Council president Donald Tusk had suggested that the EU get custody of the Queen in the Brexit divorce. “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a [...]
Brexit latest: Juncker refuses to reopen Brexit negotiations in ‘robust’ talks with May February 7, 2019 Brexit cannot be renegotiated, insisted European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker today at a meeting with the Prime Minister described as “robust but constructive”. However, UK and EU negotiators will continue to search for a path through parliament for Theresa May’s Brexit deal as they seek to save the agreement, the leaders said today. Read more: [...]
Italy set to ban Huawei equipment from its 5G rollout plans February 7, 2019 Italy is set to ban Huawei equipment from its 5G network plans as international pressure on the Chinese firm continues to build. The Italian government is prepared to use so-called golden powers allowing it to back out of contracts without having to pay fines, Reuters reported, citing local media. Read more: Huawei cannot address UK [...]
Merkel calls for Huawei security guarantees ahead of 5G rollout February 5, 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Huawei must offer guarantees about the security of its technology if the Chinese firm is to be involved in the country’s 5G network. During a visit to Japan Merkel raised the issue of security fears surrounding the telecoms company, saying she wanted to speak with Chinese authorities so “the [...]
Theresa May travels to Northern Ireland to warn of ‘concerning time’ over Brexit February 4, 2019 Theresa May will head to Northern Ireland on Tuesday in a bid to win support for her Brexit renegotiation strategy as the row over the Irish border backstop intensifies. The Prime Minister has vowed to seek “alternative arrangements” to stop a hard border on the island of Ireland if a UK/EU trade deal isn’t ready when [...]
Angela Merkel urges UK to explain how it will replace the Irish backstop February 4, 2019 Angela Merkel has urged the UK to set out exactly how it wants to avoid a hard border with Ireland in the absence of a trade deal as she called for “creative” conversations to solve the Brexit deadlock. Speaking on Monday morning, the German Chancellor tried to strike an upbeat tone as she insisted a [...]
Editor’s Notes: Why we cannot take no-deal off the table February 1, 2019 There has been no shortage of ludicrous Brexiter outbursts lately as they see their project imperilled by political reality. One Tory backbencher railed against the CEO of Airbus (who had warned against a no-deal Brexit) on the grounds that he is German. He even invoked the Second World War to make a point about not [...]
If Britain looks outward, it will find Nigeria open for business January 29, 2019 As the vote on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement looms, parliament is at an impasse. The likelihood of a no-deal Brexit is increasing – in Germany, it is now seen as the most probable outcome, while in France, a “hard Brexit” contingency plan has been triggered. Deal or no deal, however, Brexit gives the UK the [...]
DEBATE: Will the new Franco-German pact help heal the EU’s divisions? January 28, 2019 Will the new Franco-German pact help heal the EU’s divisions? Dr Andrew W M Smith, historian of modern France at the University of Chichester, says YES. From its inception, European integration revolved around the axis of Franco-German unity. In 1963, Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer tied the knot at the Elysee palace, and Emmanuel [...]
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier rules out time-limited Irish backstop in radio interview January 24, 2019 Michel Barnier has ruled out putting a time limit on the so-called Irish backstop as part of Britain’s revised withdrawal deal from the EU. The bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator said a time-limited backstop would defeat its purpose as a guarantee against a hard border in Ireland. “We have to maintain the credibility of this reassurance,” [...]