Irish premier Leo Varadkar has claimed the EU will have the upper hand in post-Brexit trade talks, saying the bloc has a “stronger team” than the UK. He also said Britain would be welcome to re-join the EU if Brexit does not “work out”.
It comes as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo warned Boris Johnson allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei to help build 5G infrastructure would put British “sovereignty” at risk, as the Trump administration piles on the pressure in an 11th-hour bid to sway the PM.
Elsewhere, Labour leadership candidate Keir Starmer is calling for greater powers for Scotland, Wales and the English regions within a “federal UK”, while deputy leadership hopeful Rosena Allin-Khan told The Independent she had suffered “horrific” sexual harassment.
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Labour deputy candidate reveals ‘horrific’ harassment before becoming MP
Labour deputy leadership hopeful Rosena Allin-Khan has vowed to stamp out sexual harassment in the party as she revealed she had been victim of inappropriate behaviour as a junior doctor.
Ms Allin-Khan, who is still a practising A&E doctor, said she had endured harassment before becoming an MP, describing how the “horrific” experience made her “dread coming to work”.
The Tooting MP said she had felt her career would be over if she spoke out and it would be “absolutely unacceptable” for anyone to be placed in that position in the Labour Party.
One in 19 deaths in largest cities and towns linked to air pollution, report finds.
The Centre for Cities think tank’s latest report estimates that just one air pollutant, PM2.5, is linked to more than one in 19 deaths in the UK’s largest cities and towns.
Research also found that 95 per cent of the monitored roads in the UK that are breaching the legal limits for NO2 are in the UK’s largest cities and towns.
Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy said: “It is truly shocking that 1 in 19 deaths in our largest cities and towns are linked to air pollution when we can and should do much more to prevent this.”
Green MP Caroline Lucas said it was “deeply shocking”.
Sturgeon calls for devolved Scottish visa system
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon wants a new, unique “Scottish visa” system set up, calling for “distinctive Scottish solutions to a distinctive Scottish challenge”.
She worries Westminster’s “restrictive” immigration rules will be “deeply damaging to our economy and prosperity”.
PM urges suspect to return to UK in Harry Dunn case
Boris Johnson has called for the wife of an American diplomat to return to the UK to face charges over the death of Harry Dunn.
Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after Mr Dunn, 19, died in a crash outside RAF Croughton in August last year. She left the UK shortly after the incident, claiming diplomatic immunity.
The prime minister’s spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “We believe that this is a denial of justice and the individual concerned should return to the UK.”
It follows similar statements by the foreign secretary Dominic Raab and business secretary Andrea Leadsom, the Dunn’s family’s constituency MP, last week.
Brexit Department shutting down on Friday, says No 10
The government’s Brexit Department will cease to exist when the UK exits the EU on January 31, the prime minister official spokesman has confirmed.
He told a Westminster briefing that a 40-person government “task force”, headed by David Frost, would lead trade negotiations with the EU.
The UK’s representation at the EU (Ukrep) will be renamed the UK Mission in Brussels, and permanent representative Sir Tim Barrow will become the UK’s ambassador to the EU.
It’s unclear whether there will be a place in cabinet for Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay at next month’s reshuffle.
The PM’s spokesman was also asked about comments made by Leo Varadkar about the UK trading access to fishing waters for access to financial services in the EU.
Earlier today the Irish premier told the BBC: “You may have to make concessions in areas like fishing in order to get concessions from us in areas like financial services, and that’s why things tend to be all in the one package.”
The PM’s spokesman said: “We are taking back control of our waters.”
No 10 says government ‘exploring options’ for Britons in China
Asked what measures were being taken to bring home UK nationals stuck in China during the coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The Foreign Office have said this morning that they are exploring options for British nationals leaving the province.
“The Foreign Office are in close contact with international partners, including the US and European countries, to investigate possible solutions.
“Complex issues are involved but the safety of British nationals is our top priority.”
Asked whether an airlift of UK nationals was being considered, the spokesman said: “We are exploring options.”
Barnier praises Varadkar’s ‘courage’ in forging Brexit deal
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the withdrawal agreement would not have been possible without the unified approach of people and politicians in Ireland. He singled out Mr Varadkar and his team for particular praise.
“So the moment has finally come, the UK leaving the EU on Friday,” he said.
“Thankfully, it is leaving with a deal. It was not easy to get here. Over the past three years we negotiated respectfully, openly and fairly with the UK to ensure that it leaves the EU, our union, in an orderly manner. To ensure that the rights of our citizens are protected and to ensure peace and stability on this island.
“We now have a withdrawal agreement that brings legal certainty. And I wanted to make one point about this today. It certainly wouldn’t have been possible to reach this agreement without the hard work, passions and unity of everybody here in Ireland.”
Thanking politicians in the Irish parliament and the civil servants, he added: “And I want to thank you, Leo, for the leadership, for the courage you have shown throughout this negotiation, in particular in the last few months at the end of last year.
“What Brexit really showed that for us in Europe it doesn’t matter whether you are big or small. We are all part of a family.”
Barnier said the EU is not ready to ask for concessions nor ready to give concessions. “The UK is leaving. It is their choice, it is not our choice. We have to first of all organise this orderly Brexit,” he added.
He added that if no agreement is reached by the end of the year it “cannot be business as usual … We are to face a risk of a cliff edge, in particular for trade”.
‘There will be a seat kept’: Varadkar says UK would be welcomed back in Brussels
The Irish premier Leo Varadkar has made clear the UK would be able to re-join the EU if Brexit does not work out well.
After a meeting with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Dublin, the Taoiseach said it was important that the remaining member states continue to be united as “Team 27” in the next phase of negotiations with the UK.
“On Friday, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, we’ll say goodbye to an old friend embarking on an adventure,” he said.
“We hope it works out for them. But if it does not, there will always be a seat kept for them at the table.”
Huawei’s tech could stay ‘peripheral’ to 5G network, says expert
James Sullivan, the head of cyber security research at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, said that from a “technical perspective” the government was right to argue that Huawei could provide “peripheral” equipment to the 5G network without jeopardising security.
Sullivan said the Chinese company could safely supply mobile phone masts and antennae while being excluded from the most sensitive elements of the network.
“The view of our research would be that this would be a practical and realistic decision that adheres to the principles of cyber risk management and reflects the expert view of the UK’s national technical authority, the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre),” he said.
“5G cyber security should depend on national context, this includes the geographic location of equipment, national cyber security experience, vendor availability and cost.”
He acknowledged however in reaching a decision other factors may come into play.
“There are also political, economic and human rights considerations. These may be overriding factors that lead to a decision to ban or partially ban a vendor from a particular nation,” he said.
Labour members don’t hate the SNP
If you missed the Labour leadership hustings over the weekend, candidate Emily Thornberry said: “I hate the SNP. I hate the SNP … I think they’re Tories wrapped up in nationalist clothing.”
But the latest YouGov survey shows most Labour members do not share her antipathy to the Scottish nationalists.
Only 10 per cent have a “very unfavourable” view of the SNP, while 51 per cent have a somewhat favourable view of the rival party.
Post-Brexit ‘Bidding war’ between EU and US will fail, says Barnier
Brussels’ chief negotiator Michel Barnier has warned Boris Johnson he will fail if he tries to play the US and EU off against each other during trade talks this year.
In a hard-hitting interview, Barnier made clear that border checks on goods will “become the norm” after Brexit – even if the UK achieves the no-tariff, no-quota agreement it seeks.
And he suggested the UK could never secure the same “respect” from the United States and China as it had as a member of the EU with “500 million consumers and 22 million businesses”.
Some hardline Tories convinced the blocs can played off against each other – but asked by the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche about a “bidding war”, the EU chief said: “There will be no overbidding on our side.”
Confusion over evacuation plans for Brits in China
The plight of British citizens stuck in China during the coronavirus outbreak has been plunged into confusion after they were urged to “get out” – but ministers refused to say they will provide airlifts.
The Foreign has issued fresh travel advice urging British citizens to leave if they can the city of Wuhan and the wider Hubei province, but ministers refused – repeatedly – to confirm reports that emergency evacuations are planned.
Priti Patel the home secretary, said the government was “looking at all options”, while Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay declined four times to explain what would be done when he appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.
More details here:
Starmer praises ‘incredible’ NHS staff caring for mother-in-law
Labour leadership Keir Starmer – returning to the campaign after his mother-in-law was admitted to hospital following an accident – has been doing the rounds this morning, appearing on Radio 4’s Today programme, BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live and Sky News.
Asked by Kay Burley for an update, he said: “She’s still in intensive care and it’s been very, very hard for my wife and her family. So a very, very difficult few days for us.”
Asked on 5 Live whether it was “racist to say there are too many foreigners in Britain”, Starmer replied: “Can I just say how uncomfortable I am about that… We’ve just spent four days in intensive care with my mother in law where there are people of every nationality giving her the most incredible care.”
On the Rebecca Long-Bailey-supporting Unite leader Len McCluskey – who has also been busy doing interviews – Starmer said they “agree on some things and disagree on others”.
On Huawei, he said: “I would be asking very many more searching questions about this. He’s done a bit of a runner, has Boris Johnson. He’s not leading from the front. He needs to come to parliament and answer questions about this.”
On the post-Brexit trade talks, Starmer told the BBC: “We are going to leave on Friday, and my concern is the government hasn’t really got a clue what’s coming next. What we haven’t done is address the underlying reasons why people voted the way that they did.
Jeremy Hunt questions ‘wisdom’ of backing Huawei
The former foreign secretary has warned against a “dependency” on Chinese company Huawei in delivering the 5G network.
Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I must admit I always wondered whether it was wise to allow ourselves to become technologically dependent on another country, whichever country, for something as critical as 5G technology.
“That is my view, but I would say if the decision goes the other way this week, as some of the signs seem to indicate it might, I hope there will also be some reflection in the US because we have never needed the Western alliance to be stronger than now.”
He said the UK “too often” gets an “America first message” when looking to the States for leadership.
He suggested that “the devil is in the detail” over whether restricted market access for Huawei could be a possible compromise.
“I do accept the word of our intelligence community that they are pretty good at protecting our core national infrastructure,” he said.
“But I think the issue is what happens if we get to the situation where no Western companies that are really able to compete with Huawei going forward and, like it or not, in a decade’s time people will look back and say ‘Was this really wise to take this decision in 2020 that has led to this dependency?’”
Huawei risks UK ‘sovereignty’, says top Trump official
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned British government against allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei to help build the UK’s 5G infrastructure.
Pompeo described the decision facing Boris Johnson and the UK’s National Security Council – expected to make the final call on Tuesday – as “momentous” in a last-ditch plea expected to make the call on Tuesday.
The Financial Times reported the meeting is expected to agree the Chinese company can play a restricted role, but the Trump administration piling on the pressure in an 11th-hour bid to sway the PM.
Pompeo wrote on Twitter on Sunday night: “The UK has a momentous decision ahead on 5G. British MP Tom Tugendhat gets it right: ‘The truth is that only nations able to protect their data will be sovereign’.
Tugendhat, the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in the last parliament, in which the MP said: “Sovereignty means control of data as much as land.”
Home secretary Priti Patel dismissed reports on Sunday that she is “on the warpath” following claims Johnson has been “bounced” by officials into letting Huawei build non-core parts of the 5G network.
On Friday the PM discussed the security of telecommunications networks in a phone call with Donald Trump, according to the White House. According to The Telegraph, Trump may tweet “in support of the UK and US working together to develop its own alternative 5G provider” ahead of Tuesday’s big meeting.
Varadkar claims EU have ‘stronger team’ ahead of trade talks – and rules out ‘piecemeal’ deal
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has warned the UK that the EU will have the upper hand in post-Brexit trade talks.
In a footballing analogy, he warned that the bloc has a “stronger team” because of its far larger population and market in comparison.
He also also suggested that Boris Johnson may run out of time to get a trade deal signed before the end of the year when the transition period finishes.
The Taoiseach, who is fighting a general election, spoke to the BBC ahead of meeting with the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Dublin.
“The European Union is a union of 27 member states. The UK is only one country. And we have a population and a market of 450 million people,” Varadkar said. “The UK, it’s about 60 (million). So if these were two teams up against each other playing football, who do you think has the stronger team?”
Johnson has repeatedly ruled out requesting an extension to the transition period past December 31. But Varadkar questioned whether it would be possible to negotiate a full trade deal in time, saying “it will be difficult to do this”.
And he warned against any attempt by the UK to broker parts of a deal over time with the EU. “When I hear people talk about piecemeal, it sounds a bit like cake and eat,” he said. “That isn’t something that will fly in Europe.”
PM accused ‘marketing gimmick’ over rebranded top talent visa
Boris Johnson has been accused of using the immigration system as “a marketing gimmick” after creating a new, uncapped visa for top scientists, researchers and mathematicians.
The “global talent visa” will allow an unlimited number of specialists to enter the country without job offers.
However, critics have said the new policy remains the same as the Tier 1 ‘exceptional talent’ visa it replaces with the main difference being the removal of a cap, currently set at 2,000 people per year.
Changing the name of a visa and removing a cap that’s never been hit is not a serious plan,” said Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine.
Labour deputy leadership candidate reveals ‘horrific’ harassment
Rosena Allin-Khan has vowed to stamp out sexual harassment in the party as she revealed she had been victim of inappropriate behaviour as a junior doctor.
The deputy leadership hopeful, who is still a practising A&E doctor, said she had endured harassment before becoming an MP, telling The Independent how the “horrific” experience made her “dread coming to work”.
The Tooting MP said she had felt her career would be over if she spoke out and it would be “absolutely unacceptable” for anyone to be placed in that position in the Labour Party.
Our correspondent Lizzy Buchan has all the details in our exclusive story.
Starmer calls for ‘federal UK’ as he resumes campaign
Labour leadership hopeful Keir Starmer will call for greater powers for Scotland, Wales and the English regions within a “federal UK”.
As he returns to the campaign trail today, the frontrunner is setting out his plan for a new devolution settlement – pledging to deliver a “radical redistribution of power, wealth and opportunity” to every corner of the UK.
“The status quo is not working,” he will say in a speech in London, ahead of visits to Scotland, the northwest and Wales over the coming days.
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