Brexit LIVE: UK ordered to follow EU law before showdown - 'There are consequences!'

BRITAIN has been warned there will always be consequences to Brexit by Maros Sefcovic ahead of a crunch meeting.

Brexit: UK 'had wool pulled over their eyes' says Mummery

The vice-President of the EU Commission will meet today to discuss the trade issues experienced in Northern Ireland with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove. Despite the UK asking for an extension to the grace period on goods flowing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the EU official insisted not "everything can be solved". Northern Irish officials will attend the committee on Wednesday in support of extending the grace period until 2023. 

Ahead of the crunch meeting on Wednesday, Mr Sefcovic said: "Not everything can be solved. There are inevitable consequences of Brexit, and simply we have to follow EU law, we have to follow the agreement we just signed.

"The EU will always remain constructive and solution-driven, but I've also reminded my British partners that this must be a two-way street.

"We've had a very intense session in December to make sure entry points would be up and ready by the middle of this year.

"That we would have real-time access to the IT customs systems which would smooth further customs formalities, that we would more information on how the trusted trader scheme is working for GB distributors to make sure supermarkets in NI are properly supplied."

EU

Brexit news: UK warned there will be consequences to EU departure (Image: GETTY)

As part of the protocol, Northern Ireland remains in the EU's single market for goods and enforces some of its customs arrangements.

From January 1 a grace period began, meaning that not all of the EU's rules and regulations have yet been applied. 

This grace period runs out on April 1 with Mr Gove asking for it to be extended to 2023 in a letter earlier this month. 

As stated by the EU official, Brussels has made certain demands to see certain IT data information and port infrastructure created in order for the grace period to be extended. 

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EU

Brexit news: Key moments which led to Brexit (Image: Express)

6.40am update: EU's self-destructive row with London could put City 'at top of global financial industry'

The EU’s attitude towards London could backfire, with the creation of a euro-euro market, which would cement the City at the top of the global financial services industry, political commentators and economists have claimed.

After months of fraught Brexit talks, new rules for trade were finally agreed on Christmas Eve, just days before the end of the transition period.

However, in a document spanning over 1,200 pages, there was very little mention of financial services: a sector that accounts for seven percent of the UK’s economy and 10 percent of its tax receipts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself admitted the trade deal struck with the EU had failed to meet his ambitions on financial services.

The City of London’s most influential lobby group CityUK is urging Brussels to grant regulatory equivalence to the sector, as it is “in the interests of customers and clients in the EU”.

5.15am update: Angela Rayner and Remainers told to 'look in mirror' after criticising Trump supporters

Angela Rayner and other Remainers should "look in the mirror" after their "hypocritical" tirade against former US President Donald Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol, a party insider told Express.co.uk.

Ms Rayner and other Remain-backing Labour MPs who condemned the storming of the US Capitol should "take a look in the mirror", Express.co.uk was told.

It comes as the Labour Party was yesterday accused of a "stitch-up" after it scrapped its all-female shortlist for the next Mayor of Liverpool.

One candidate has since come forward and threatened legal action if the decision is not reversed.

3.30am update: Tony Blair's sneaky plot to adopt euro even after it was panned – new explosive revelation

Tony Blair continued to make plans for the UK to adopt the Euro, even after his government ruled out joining the currency.

Mr Blair became prime minister in May 1997 and vowed to put the UK "at the heart of Europe".

The Labour leader was keen for Britain to come more closely integrated with Europe and pledged to hold a referendum on joining the euro if the Treasury found in favour of such a move.

However, despite the prime minister's best efforts, Chancellor Gordon Brown firmly ruled out the UK joining the euro.

After being told joining the euro was a no-go, Mr Blair continued to prepare to adopt the EU's official currency.

2.05am update: Yanis Varoufakis claimed EU 'poisoned politics of European democracy'

Yanis Varoufakis said the EU had "poisoned politics" across Europe in a chilling analysis of the bloc's operation.

Greece's former finance minister, has spent years speaking out against the bloc and the way it operates.

In 2018, he argued that the EU had "poisoned" democracy on the continent.

He said this had been highlighted during the 2008 financial crash, which devastated many countries in the bloc, including his own.

12.30am update: Michel Barnier makes thinly veiled threat to UK if EU boats are shut out of British waters

Michel Barnier issued a thinly veiled threat to the UK saying its waters must remain open or Britain risks losing access to the EU's electricity markets.

Giving evidence to the Federal Parliament of Belgium’s European Affairs Committee, the former EU chief negotiator hinted Britain's access to the European Energy Market is guaranteed on that condition. 

Mr Barnier said fishing was one of the most difficult elements of the four-year negotiations.

He made clear there were “several preventative measures in the agreements to deter the British from shutting off much of their waters.”

 

Arlene Foster

The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster (Image: Getty)

Wednesday 24 February 

10pm update: Devastating poll exposes UK's splintering Brexit trade

Two-thirds of British retailers plan to stop selling to Northern Ireland, a devastating poll has indicated, exposing the problems at the heart of the Brexit deal with the EU.

The poll of 1,000 British retailers, conducted by e-commerce marketing firm iakoe, found the majority plan to halt sales to Northern Ireland by April.

This is due to problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, which has caused fury and backlash in Westminster and Belfast.

9.15pm update: Brexit statement released: Gove and EU chief to hold urgent summit

Michael Gove is set for showdown talks with the EU aimed at thrashing out a solution for the current problems affecting goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

But Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland's First Minister and leader of the DUP, has questioned the bloc's commitment to resolving the difficulties - while urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol.

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said on Wednesday he had a "constructive" meeting on trade issues affecting Northern Ireland with Mr Gove. 

The meeting "committed to the proper implementation of Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol and focused on pragmatic solutions to make it work", Mr Sefcovic said in a brief statement on social media.

8.30pm update: 'Committed to fight Brexit!' Remainers plot campaign to Rejoin EU

Remainers have launched a new campaign laying the groundwork for the UK to rejoin the EU, with a Facebook group vowing to purge any pro-Brexit comments.

Remainers are still not satisfied with the outcome of the 2016 EU referendum and with the UK having formally left the bloc last year, the campaign group continue to call for Britain to Rejoin the EU.

As part of their latest efforts to galvanise support they have launched a Facebook Group titled 'Action to RejoinEU', which has a strict set of rules.

One ProEU campaigner advertised the group on her Twitter account, and said: "It will take years before we #RejoinEU.

"So we need to be doing the groundwork now!

7.45pm update: Nicola Sturgeon's EU dream crushed

Scotland would not be able to rejoin the EU and would face difficulties from Boris Johnson and the UK Government in doing so, German politicians have admitted.

Bavarian politicians from the Christian Democratic Union in Bavaria (CDU) in the Landtag published a policy paper titled “Bavaria and Scotland - a long-term partnership that connects beyond Brexit" expressing the German region should establish close ties with Scotland.

The Landtag of Bavaria is the Parliament of Bavaria, one of Germany’s federal states.

The paper, published by the Committee on Federal and European Affairs and Regional Relations of the Bavarian Parliament, states “Bavaria and Scotland have long had a close, partnership-based relationship.”

Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon's hopes for rejoining the EU have been dealt another blow (Image: Getty)

7pm update: EU insiders hint bloc may BAN UK tourists due to OWN jab fiasco

British holidaymakers face being banned from the continent this summer because of the European Union's bungled vaccine scheme.

Diplomats and officials have claimed EU borders could remain closed to Britons until the bloc has fully vaccinated 70 percent of its 450 million population.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this should be achieved by September 21 at the latest.

But some European capitals already feel they are falling behind schedule as supplies of the life-saving vaccines are scarce across the bloc.

6.15pm update: Proud explodes in value as traders bet on Britain’s recovery

The Pound surged in value to hit $1.43 on international money markets as traders gave a vote of confidence in Britain's economic prospects.

On Monday Boris Johnson laid out the UK’s roadmap out of coronavirus lockdown which should see all restrictions removed by June 21. 

Britain has vaccinated a far higher proportion of its population than any EU member state making this possible.

Sterling reached $1.43 shortly after 2pm, before falling slightly to $1.41 at 4pm.

Sir John Redwood

“The last thing we need is a tax rise”, Sir John Redwood warns the Chancellor (Image: Getty)

5.30pm update: Brexiteer warns Sunak: ‘Tax rises will backfire horribly’

Rishi Sunak has been warned tax increases could "backfire horribly" - and jeopardise the UK's ability to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brexiteer Sir John Redwood has urged the Chancellor to be “bold” in his forthcoming Budget by unveiling proposals which get Britain back to work - warning: “The last thing we need is a tax rise”. 

Mr Sunak is widely expected to announce his plan to increase Corporation Tax to 19 pence in the pound on March 3 in a move he hopes will raise an extra £3billion for the Treasury in 2021, and will also unveil plans to increase it to 23 percent eventually.

However, Sir John, the Tory MP for Wokingham and a member of the eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG), told Express.co.uk: "No new taxes, no increase in tax rates - it’s a very simple message."

4.45pm update: Macron fury: France demanded 'UK can't be better off' after Brexit

Emmanuel Macron's tough Brexit stance was followed by French lawmakers, who demanded the UK must not be better off after Brexit.

France and the UK have endured bitter feuds since the Brexit process began in 2016, with fishing, trade and borders all points of contention.

This week, French vessels were warned they could be banned from fishing in Jersey waters as a feud continued between their respective governments.

Following the Brexit trade talks, a new set of rules will be implemented in May, meaning that French vessels will have to prove they have fished in the Channel Islands for ten days in any of the last three years in order to be granted a licence.

Mark Carney

Mark Carney, a former Governor of the Bank of England (Image: Getty)

4pm update: Remainer banker Mark Carney U-turned on Brexit panic

Mark Carney, the former Bank of England (BoE) governor, finally admitted there could be positives to take from Brexit, after claiming an EU split may cause mayhem for the UK.

Mr Carney divided opinion during his seven years at the BoE, and particularly sparked anger from those on the Leave campaign for comments he made during the referendum debate five years ago.

His involvement in the conversation saw accusations the Bank was becoming "too political”.

These suggestions were shot down by Mr Carney who told a House of Lords committee in 2016 "it would be political to suppress important judgements".

3.15pm update: Brexit causes revenue fall for hauliers in Northern Ireland 

Hauliers based in Northern Ireland saw revenues fall by up to 30% in January, an industry representative has said.

Too many trailers were being brought back to Belfast empty after extra paperwork required by the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol left freight companies struggling for return loads.

He said this risked interfering with the servicing of continuing strong demand for Northern Ireland's products from the rest of the UK.

EU

Brexit news: The EU has been attacked for destroying French coastal communities (Image: GETTY)

2.25pm update: 'EU's laughing at us!' Britons furious as UK agrees to delay Brexit deal sign-off

Britain has reluctantly agreed to delay the full implementation of the Brexit trade deal after an EU request, sparking fury among Britons desperate to rubber-stamp the UK's exit from the bloc.

This week, Brussels requested the Trade and Cooperation Agreement remains only provisionally applied until at least April 30 due to holdups in its attempts to translate the document into the bloc's more than 20 languages.

But news of the delay has sparked outrage among Express.co.uk readers with many telling the Government to ban "all EU imports" until they "sort themselves out".

1.41pm update: London 'controls EU markets' as Brussels left 'concerned' by Brexit

London will maintain its central role in the world of finance as an expert outlines how the City has huge influence on EU markets even after Brexit.

Brexit has sparked debate surrounding the future of the City of London in recent months as the EU and UK clash over financial services.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has today published an analysis of the Government’s Brexit trade deal from a London perspective by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).

Brexit

Brexit news: Boris Johnson signs the Brexit deal (Image: GETTY)

12.01pm update: That’s why we left! Landmark Brexit deal with Japan praised - ‘Settled a lot of nerves’

Brexit Britain's trade deal with Japan has helped to settle tensions surrounding trade and will help create greater confidence in the UK, a European boss has claimed.

Speaking on Tuesday, Ian Howells, senior vice-President at Honda Motor Europe told MPs, Japanese car companies had been reassured by the trade deal signed last year.

Although admitting some issues had been experienced due to coronavirus, he insisted the lifting of tariffs on car exports by 2026 will help ease any fears over Brexit.

He told MPs during a select committee session: “We welcome very much the Japanese trade agreement which as a Japanese business was very welcome."

11.48am update: We tried to warn you! EU shamed for destroying local fishing industries - MEP lashes out

A French MEP has launched a ferocious attack on the EU, accusing it of destroying coastal communities with its Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which she said has "blocked all prospects for development".

MEP France Jamet hit out at Brussels over its fishing rules, which she claimed were squeezing the life out of local fishing industries in her country.

She accused the EU of using fishing as a "bargaining chip to satisfy a short-term European target".

Speaking in the European Parliament, she unleashed a tirade against the bloc, saying the EU must "urgently" change the terms of the grossly unpopular CFP.

She said: "Fishermen are rightly proud of their noble and ancestral trade, essential to the life of coastlines, but many of them also hope for another future for their children."

"We can understand them: it is a physical job, difficult, but above all, with prospects for development blocked for years by the Common Fisheries Policy."

Reformation: Expert draws parallels with Brexit Britain

11.13am update: Brussels nightmare: Losing UK will cost £60 billion in just two years - bombshell analysis

Brexit will cost the European Union an eye-watering £60billion over the course of the next two years, a startling new analysis has indicated.

Pro-Brexit think tank Facts4EU has concluded the EU’s economy has already shrunk by well over £2 trillion as a result of the UK’s decision to quit.

Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib has hailed the research as proof that Project Fear doubters had been wrong all along.

Facts4EU’s experts examined the European Commission’s European Economic Forecast, published earlier this month.

As a result, they concluded the cost of Brexit this year and next would be €70 billion (£60billion) as a direct result of the loss of the bloc’s second-biggest economy, with the EU’s GDP falling by 15.3 percent on January 31, 2020, the day Britain officially left the bloc.

10.14am update: EU doesn't "get Northern Ireland"

Commenting on the EU's threat to invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, the Financial Times' Peter Foster was that the EU does not understand the complexity of the country. 

In response, he said: "The EU 'mistake' on triggering A16 speaks to the fact that EU doesn't 'get' NI.

"Whether it was a sin of omission or commission hardly matters. Member states are still apparently looking to litigate wider relationship via Protocol.

"None of that - as regular readers will know - absolves the UK Govt of responsibility for poisoning the well with its actions last year on Internal Market Bill and threatening to break the law. But the Commission and member states like France are not innocent here either."


Brexit

Brexit news: A timeline of events leading to the UK's departure from the EU (Image: Express)

10.05am update: Brexit POLL: Should Boris block EU fishing ship until shellfish ban is overturned?

Boris Johnson has been told to "stop pussyfooting around the EU" and block their fishing vessels from entering British waters until Brussels overturns its shellfish ban.

Do you think the Prime Minister should ban the boats?

Mr Johnson is considering a range of ways to retaliate against the EU, insiders have indicated, including possible restrictions on imports of seed potatoes and mineral water.

Brexiteer Martin Daubney went one step further by suggesting the PM could take more decisive action by imposing an all-out ban on European trawlers in UK seas.

The former Brexit Party MEP tweeted: "The way to make the EU see sense on their shellfish blockade is simple: block EU vessels taking shellfish from British waters until they change their minds."

9.21am update: Rip it up! Boris urged to scrap Brexit deal with Brits 'still governed by foreign law'

Boris Johnson has been urged to scrap the Northern Ireland protocol due to the damage it has caused post-Brexit to the country by a leading figure of the Good Friday Agreement.

Amid rising tensions over the procedure, Lord David Trimble, who served as First Minister for Northern Ireland, has joined forces with other officials calling for the protocol to be removed.

In a letter, Ben Habib a former Brexit Party MEP, former DUP MP Jim Allister, and Baroness Kate Hoey, warned the protocol causes serious damage to the Union.

Due to this, they confirmed they intend to take legal action over the matter with the support of DUP leader, Arlene Foster.

Gove

Brexit news: Michael Gove had asked for an extension to the grace period (Image: GETTY)

9.04am update: EU 'making things up' in Brexit trade dispute as MP rages ‘They are wrong’

European Union bosses have been accused of "making things up" in the ongoing Brexit trade row as Environment Secretary George Eustice declares Brussels "are wrong" over their controversial shellfish ban.

George Eustice has acknowledged some "teething problems" had caused some disruption for businesses trading with the European Union but the Minister also strongly defended the benefits of leaving the EU for farmers, fishermen and others in the food export sector.

When challenged over the EU ban on shellfish by Channel 4's Cathy Newman the Environment Secterary fumed at the EU commission, accusing them of making stuff up after the bloc announced a post-Brexit block on live oysters, clams, scallops and mussels.

Mr Eustice said: "Generally speaking it has been teething problems in terms of people's readiness to use the export health certificates and to familiarise themselves with that.

"We have had a specific issue on bivalve mollusc that is muscles and cockles and oysters in particular where they have been built on a model of going to restaurants in places like France and being purified whilst on site."

8.42am update: Angela Merkel on brink: Chancellor 'tired and no longer interested' in final months of job

Angela Merkel, who was a powerful voice in the EU's Brexit negotiations, appeared "exhausted" during a recent appearance, a political expert has warned, as the German Chancellor prepares to step down following 16 years in the position.

As she enters her final few months, the German leader is showing growing signs of fatigue and a political scientist who observed her latest movements said she appears to be "no longer interested" in the job. 

Professor Carlo Masala, a political scientist, said the energy emitted by America's new leader was a far cry from Mrs Merkel's.

He told German news website merkur.de: "Biden was very enthusiastic; Merkel, on the contrary, looked tired and exhausted.

"I got the impression she's no longer interested."

EU

Brexit news: Maros Sefcovic will meet for talks today (Image: GETTY)

7.54am update: Brexit fishing row threatens to boil over – Germany promises to take hardline over quotas

Brexit talks over this year's fishing quotas are threatening to boil over with Germany insisting its industry is protected in any fresh deal.

EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said the negotiations should be concluded as soon as possible and that an agreement can be reached on future fish catches in the coming weeks.

After consultations with the national EU ministers, Mr Sinkevicius said: "We are still confident that we can agree on final fishing quotas for 2021 before the end of March."

The current chairman of the EU Fisheries Council, Portugal's Minister for Marine Affairs Ricardo Serrao Santos, stressed that the negotiations had to be concluded as soon as possible.

7.20am update: "There will be consequences to Brexit"

Ahead of today's joint committee meeting, vice-President of the EU Commission Maros Sefcovic, has warned the UK must be prepared for the backlash from its departure from the EU. 

Mr Sefcovic will meet Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove today where the latter will ask for an extension to the grace period for good moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. 

This grace period has been in action since January 1 and means not all EU checks are applied to goods. 

Mr Gove had written to the EU asking for the period to be extended to 2023 earlier this month. 

However, in defiance of that request, Mr Sefcovic said: "Not everything can be solved. There are inevitable consequences of Brexit, and simply we have to follow EU law, we have to follow the agreement we just signed.

"The EU will always remain constructive and solution-driven, but I've also reminded my British partners that this must be a two-way street."

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