5th Mar 2019 https://nfind.uk/brexit_cliff_edge/index.php/newsletter=17 brexit_cliff_edge

Jobs at Risk

Financial Times One of Toyotas top executives has warned a nodeal Brexit would make it extremely complicated to build new models at its British plants in the latest blow to the health of the UK car industry. The warning by Japans biggest carmaker that nodeal makes it less likely it will manufacture additional models in the UK follows Nissans recent reversal of a 2016 decision to build a sport utility vehicle in Sunderland and Hondas planned Swindon closure. It also comes against a backdrop of steep falls in investment in the UK car industry. https://www.ft.com/content/368a3b68-3ea4-11e9-9bee-efab61506f44 5th Mar 2019

Jobs at Risk

Small Business Prices Here are the key stats last updated 22022019 Total Jobs Lost 213943 Total Annual Wages Lost 6135243411 Reduction in Annual Income Tax National Insurance Receipts 1837528614.41....Job Losses By Region Midlands 20320 London 19507 South West 10646 Wales 10166 North East 9751 Scotland 5647 North West 3972 South East 3358 East of England 2663 Gibraltar 1000 Southern England 870 Northern Ireland 462 Nationwideunknown 125581 https://smallbusinessprices.co.uk/brexit-index/ 1st Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Professional Pensions As many as 15 of UK fundsschemes have a valuation date of 31 March 2019 which is a Sunday this year but their funding position will likely be impacted by the UKs planned departure from the European Union EU on 29 March. Valuations on 31 March will therefore be driven by market conditions at the close of markets on Brexit Day which could be an atypical day on the financial markets. The firm warned that if no action is taken now then this could lead to more difficult valuation negotiations. https://www.professionalpensions.com/professional-pensions/news/3071998/schemes-with-brexit-day-valuations-must-review-options-warns-aon 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times The issue of contract continuity has been particularly difficult. Many UKbased insurers have sold longterm policies to customers elsewhere in the EU and vice versa using the free movement of services rules. But there have been concerns that Brexit will stop insurers paying out on those policies as free movement of services will no longer apply. So UKbased insurers have been setting up subsidiaries elsewhere in the EU and going through a courtapproved process called a part VII transfer to shift the old policies into them. In February for example Aviva moved 9bn of business to Dublin. According to the Association of British Insurers 36 insurance companies have issued part VII transfer notifications covering 29m contracts. George Swan partner at law firm Freshfields said Therell be a flurry of part VII transfers over the next few weeks. Some have hearings scheduled for the last few days of March. It has cost millions of pounds to get these transfers done which insurers justify by saying they needed to remove any uncertainty for their customers. Unfortunately it turns out that this process too might turn out to be unnecessary https://www.ft.com/content/b04ce08a-3ab8-11e9-b856-5404d3811663 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times The flow of new debt and equity deals hitting markets slowed to a trickle in January and the following month has shown little sign of a pickup particularly in the UK suggesting that Brexit is weighing heavily on companies plans to raise money. For the opening two months of 2019 the number of new bond deals in the UK was 40 the lowest since 1995 and a drop of twofifths compared with the same period last year according to data from Refinitiv. Total proceeds reached 26bn down by almost a half. https://www.ft.com/content/a67767ba-3e78-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aece 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Express.co.uk Research by Make UK and business advisors BDO LLP revealed business are stockpiling goods which is driving part of their production. But the report warned exports have been unable to pick up since dropping last year with Brexit uncertainty throughout Europe continuing to mount. Employment plans have been ramped up indicating that rather than making longterm investments manufacturers are opting to hire a flexible workforce in the shortter https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1095179/brexit-news-latest-theresa-may-deal-manufacturer-orders-job-losses-stockpiling 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Irish Independent Motorists in the north are being issued green card insurance documents to ensure they are covered when driving across the border in the event of a nodeal Brexit. Following a warning from the Association of British Insurers ABI last month that anyone planning to cross the border will need to get a Green Card to cover their trip http://www.irishnews.com/news/brexit/2019/03/05/news/insurance-firms-to-begin-issuing-northern-motorists-with-green-cards-for-cross-border-travel-in-event-of-no-deal-brexit-1565318/ 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Reuters French electricity grid operator RTE has prepared an auction mechanism which would permit continuity in dayahead electricity auctions between Britain and France in case there is no deal for Britain to leave the European Union on March 29. RTE said in a note to power market participants it had submitted market terms and conditions to the French energy market regulator CRE and would be able to implement the new terms of the auction from March 30. It added that a nodeal Brexit would have no impact on yearly monthly and intraday FranceEngland power capacity auctions because the auctions are carried out on a bilateral platform dedicated to the FrenchEnglish border. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-electricity/french-grid-operator-readies-hard-brexit-day-ahead-power-auction-plan-idUKKCN1QM05N?feedType=RSS&ampfeedName=businessNews 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Economist Overseas students from EU countries make up around 5 of those in England and are treated the same way as local ones. They pay at most 9250 12230 a year for tuition and have access to generous stateprovided loans to meet the cost. The government has promised to extend this support to EU students starting courses in 2019 but hasnt said what will happen after then. In the event of a nodeal Brexit it would have little incentive to extend financial support to EU students. https://www.economist.com/britain/2019/03/04/what-would-a-no-deal-brexit-mean-for-universities-and-research 5th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Daily Record Children in South Lanarkshire could lose out on education services as a result of a nodeal Brexit. Risk registers have been updated across the council with the education department one of the latest to add a Brexit risk. A report to the education resources committee on Tuesday February 19 about the updated risk register and control plan marked Brexit as a top council risk. The report stated Failure to agree a deal could have significant impacts on funding and finance workforce and employment procurement and legislation. A nodeal Brexit could place additional demand on services due to reduced growth higher unemployment inflationary and other budget pressures supply chain interruption customs and regulatory issues. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/no-deal-risk-south-lanarkshire-14086633 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

New Statesman Leavers and Remainers alike in the coastal community are concerned about the outcome of Westminsters recent dramas. The New Statesman looks at Hartlepool how the years of austerity have the city and how it would react to the various Brexit scenarios https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/03/there-ll-be-uprising-hartlepool-life-brexit-town-no-deal-sight 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Bloomberg Thered at least be plenty of meat and potatoes but forget fiveaday fruit and vegetables. And with months until U.K. harvests traditional Sunday roast dinners would be light on the trimmings for a while. Well have food but the supply chains and logistics would need to handle a major change said Sue Pritchard director at the Food Farming and Countryside Commission at the Royal Society of Arts. Maybe well need to revive the British tradition of a good meat and three veg roast https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-03-04/here-s-what-british-people-would-eat-in-a-worst-case-brexit 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Financial Times The Financial Times lays out how no deal would affect three vital sectors ports food and policy response this year. The analysis indicates that predictions of chaos are likely to prove an exaggeration but that disruption is almost certain. There would be ripple effects across the economy. https://www.ft.com/content/27e7a1cc-3b57-11e9-b72b-2c7f526ca5d0 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Irish Times Irish businesses are racing to prepare for Brexit and most are expecting it to be a No Deal Brexit so are activating plans for the worst case scenarios https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/brexit-we-are-all-racing-to-this-march-29th-deadline-1.3812917 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Independent The UK is set to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019. Brexit has profound implications for travellers. The Independent updates its readers on what it knows about changes to travel after the Brexit deadline is reached https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/brexit-eurostar-eurotunnel-ferries-trains-sea-rail-a8805986.html 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Nottingham Post A business owner who supported Leave in the 2016 EU referendum is among a group of Nottinghamshire small business leaders and sole traders demanding an opportunity to vote once more on whether the UK should leave the European Union https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/business/businessman-who-voted-leave-calls-2600002 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Daily Mail A poll of 450 high net worth investors based in these four countries indicated that 85 per cent of those invested in either residential or commercial property were still keen on the asset class and looking for new investment opportunities in Britain. The cost of buying British property has been pulled down since the Brexit vote by the fall in the pound however a tax crackdown has made it more expensive. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-6677845/A-quarter-UK-property-investors-say-Brexit-invest-UK.html 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

BBC The Scottish government said the UK leaving the EU without a deal would be catastrophic. Phil Stocker of the National Sheep Association said efforts were being made to grow the domestic market and there had been some successes in selling UK lamb to Japan and countries in the Middle East. But he told BBC Radios Good Morning Scotland programme there was not enough time to create a market big enough to handle the amount of lamb produced. He said If you think of the volume that goes into the European market and think of the time if takes to agree trade deals it is going to take some years six eight 10 years to open up equitable markets across the world. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-47441182 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

Forbes After looking at how Brexit will affect young women more latest research exclusive to Forbes shows that there is a worrying racial lens to Brexit. Ethnic minorities in the U.K. are more concerned about the negative impact of Brexit on their careers than their white counterparts. In fact 52 of ethnic minorities surveyed feel that Brexit will negatively impact their career progression compared to only 16 of their white counterparts. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniechiu/2019/03/04/britains-ethnic-minorities-worry-about-their-careers-after-brexit/ 4th Mar 2019

Administrative Fall Out

The Telegraph With more young people dying across the UK in knife crime and numbers rising sharply the Daily Telegraph ponders whether legislators obsession with Brexit has led to them taking their eye off the ball with regard to dealing with knife crime https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/03/brexit-cannot-excuse-politicians-ignore-knife-crime-epidemic/ 3rd Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Guardian As part of what he called a roadmap to European renewal he put forward a range of proposals for change including tougher joint action on internet hate speech the supervision of internet giants new competition rules a minimum European wage and a new defence treaty. He also proposed that panels of European citizens should be consulted on EU reforms not just during election periods. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/04/eu-must-learn-from-brexit-and-reform-says-emmanuel-macron?CMP=share_btn_tw 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mirror Theresa May is braced for a Tory row after reports the government has abandoned a key demand to change her Brexit deal. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is said to have dropped a push for certain changes to the Irish backstop a clause in the 585page Brexit deal that could trap the UK under EU customs rules from 2021. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-uk-abandons-key-backstop-14083982 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Reuters Prime Minister Theresa Mays top lawyer will try to clinch a Brexit compromise with the European Union this week in a lastditch bid to win over rebellious British lawmakers before crunch votes that could delay the divorce. May is hoping to win over enough MPs to pass it by agreeing a legal addendum with the EU on the deals most controversial element a backstop to ensure no hard border between EUmember Ireland and Britishruled Northern Ireland. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu/theresa-mays-lawyer-seeks-legal-fix-to-the-brexit-riddle-idUKKCN1QL13G 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

The Telegraph Britains boomingvoiced Attorney General returns to Brussels this week as he launches a renewed campaign to secure concessions on the Irish backstop. Geoffrey Cox will meet with Michel Barnier the EUs chief Brexit negotiator on Tuesday to hold further talks on how the backstop can be tweaked adjusted or clarified to suit the demands of Eurosceptic MPs. Mr Coxs negotiations could hold the key to securing a Brexit deal by the end of the month but only if he manages to extract some major concessions from EU officials which continues to look highly unlikely. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/04/geoffrey-coxs-backstop-showdown-could-shape-brexit-talks/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Politics Home Attorney General Geoffrey Cox risks fresh anger from Conservative Brexiteers amid reports he has shelved attempts to try and put a time limit or unilateral exit clause on the controversial Northern Ireland backstop. According to the Telegraph the Cabinet minister who has been leading efforts to secure changes to Theresa Mays Brexit deal has conceded that the two major demands of Tory eurosceptics are too blunt and will not be accepted by the European Union. Ministers briefed on Mr Coxs thinking said he is instead trying to secure an independent arbitration mechanism allowing Britain or Brussels to serve notice that the backstop should come to an end. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/news/102227/geoffrey-cox-ditches-uk-demand-brexit 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Channel 4 News The government has unveiled a new pot of money to be spent on struggling towns in England. Theresa May said the Stronger Towns Fund was aimed at areas that had missed out on prosperity. But Labour said the government was trying to bribe MPs into supporting its Brexit deal and added that the fund should have been much larger. There were also grumbles from Conservative backbenchers who suspect the money is being targeted at Labour areas rather than their own. https://www.channel4.com/news/post-brexit-fund-set-up-for-struggling-english-towns 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

iNews Conservative Eurosceptic MP AnneMarie Trevelyan suggested her constituents would be rioting in the streets if Brexit delayed for two years beyond 29 March during an interview on Monday. Speaking on the BBCs Politics Live show the MP for BerwickuponTweed said that a lengthy extension would lead to disorder if we are going to do absolutely nothing for another two years. https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/brexit-delay-uk-tory-mp-anne-marie-trevelyan-riot-streets-warning/ 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mirror Northern Labour voters overwhelmingly back the partys shift towards a new Brexit referendum a fresh poll has found. More than 75 of people who voted Labour in 2017 and expressed a preference backed the move according to a YouGov poll for the Peoples Vote campaign. Some 35 said the policy change to push for a new Brexit vote made them feel more favourably towards Labour while 14 said it made them feel less so. The survey of 5000 voters across the North Yorkshire and Humber and the Midlands found that 76 would support staying in the EU with 24 against. If it was a choice between Remain and backing Prime Minister Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement the split would be 81 to 19 in favour of staying in the EU according to the survey. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/northern-labour-voters-back-brexit-14080600 5th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Express.co.uk The European Union has warned it will impose the stricter regulations it applies to imports and exports from other third countries if Britain leaves without a deal. But Mr Hancock said such a move would disrupt drug supplies to EU members with the Republic of Ireland particularly at risk. Taking calls on an LBC phone in this morning Mr Hancock said most medicines bound for Ireland pass through the UK on the way to their destination. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1095459/no-deal-brexit-news-matt-hancock-medicines-drugs-ireland-shortages-stockpiling 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

RTE.ie With just 25 days to go before the UK is scheduled to leave the EU Mr Varadkar has said that the talks between the UK and the EU on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement are entering a sensitive phase. Speaking earlier today the Taoiseach said Ireland was happy to offer clarifications on the backstop which is designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland but repeated it could not be timelimited or have a unilateral exit clause. https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2019/0304/1034181-barnier-brexit-meeting/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Financial Times Second time around voters might be more willing to tune in to the detail. But any version of Leave still has the edge in emotional resonance while Remain feels remote and technocratic. Few people understand global supply chains or nontariff barriers nor do they want to. And economic uncertainty plays both ways. There is a strong feeling of just get it over with. Thirty per cent of people identify with the idea that the longer the stalemate over Brexit goes on the more likely I am to support leaving the EU without a deal according to the pollsters Survation. Remainers who talk only about economics fail to connect with people whose vote was about culture and fairness. https://www.ft.com/content/d80c6f94-3b69-11e9-b856-5404d3811663 4th Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

Daily Mirror Labour members would be ordered to vote in favour of a new Brexit referendum John McDonnell has suggested. It could put the party in the unusual position of having to sack frontbenchers for both supporting and opposing the same policy within a few months of each other. I just say this and I think itll be for MPs right the way across the House in all parties now that theyve got to look to the longterm interests of the country theyve got to protect peoples jobs theyve got to protect the economy otherwise well never be forgiven in the future. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/labour-could-order-mps-vote-14080725 3rd Mar 2019

Political Shenanigans

AlJazeera Open Democracys Adam Ramsay said There are huge amounts of the money that paid for the Brexit referendum turns out to have come from powerful business lobby groups ... who seem to be very keen to take Britain away from the regulation of the EU and drag it towards the kind of unregulated space of America so they can do things like privatise the NHS so they can slash regulations so they can keep Britain as the worlds money laundry. https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2019/03/brexit-nhs-threat-dark-money-190302102323640.html 2nd Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Emmanuel Macron has blasted Brexit as an irresponsible lie less than a month before Britain leaves the EU. The French president slammed anger mongers backed by fake news for creating the biggest European crisis since the Second World War in an astonishing broadside. Nationalist retrenchment offers nothing it is rejection without an alternative. And this trap threatens the whole of Europe the anger mongers backed by fake news promise anything and everything. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/furious-emmanuel-macron-slams-brexit-14087992 5th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Herald Scotland The SNP accused the Conservatives of handing out a grubby Brexit bung with more cash for Northern Ireland while the money was dubbed as desperate bribe by shadow chancellor John McDonnell. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17474882.snp-accuse-theresa-may-of-brexit-bung-over-share-of-16bn-package/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Huffington Post UK It seems that Theresa May has found her magic money tree once again. After nine long years of Labour MPs calling for greater investment across the UK only when the Prime Minister needs to get her botched Brexit deal through the commons does she start to clear the cobwebs from the Treasury vaults. But while this gruel for deprived English towns may be pretty thin it is gruel nonetheless. But what did Wales get in todays desperate round of handouts Nothing. We didnt even figure. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stronger-towns-fund_uk_5c7d56c8e4b0e5e313cdb47b 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

EDP 24 The east of England will get the smallest share of a 1.6bn government fund to boost rundown towns after Brexit. The move has been dubbed a Brexit bribe by political opponents who say it is aimed at trying to influence Labour MPs in Leavesupporting areas to back prime minister Theresa Mays withdrawal agreement in crunch Commons votes. The area set to benefit most was the north west which will get 281m the equivalent of 39.95 per person. While the east of England will get just 25m equal to 4.11 per person. The money which will see the investment over several years will be aimed at creating new jobs helping train local people and boosting economic activity. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/east-of-england-gets-smallest-amount-in-brexit-fund-1-5917391 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Coventry Telegraph Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the funding announcement smacks of desperation as many of the areas that will receive funding are part of Labour constituencies that voted to leave the EU. McDonnell criticised the government for overseeing a decade of cuts and said that was the reason why a number of communities were struggling. He argued that the government was resorting to bribing MPs in the hopes they would vote for Mays deal. Anna Soubry Brexit spokeswoman for the Independent Group said the prime minister was employing a desperate measure to buy votes and compared it to the funding found for Northern Ireland when the Conservatives set up their confidence and supply deal with the DUP. https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/uk-world-news/theresa-mays-stronger-towns-fund-15919604 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times Labour MPs have scorned Prime Minister Theresa Mays promise of 1.6bn for English towns as a transparent attempt to buy their support for her Brexit deal with funds so thinly spread as to make little difference to deprivation. https://www.ft.com/content/34c76dde-3e84-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aece 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC A 1.6bn government fund has been launched to boost less welloff towns in England after Brexit. The pot is split into 1bn divided in England using a needsbased formula and 600m communities can bid for. More than half of the money to be spread over seven years will go to the north of England and the Midlands. Labour called it a bribe to influence MPs to back the PMs Brexit deal and critics say it does not cover cuts to local authority funding. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47435565 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

BBC Lisa Nandy MP says she would not turn down Brexit funds for her constituency but it will not affect how she votes on a Brexit deal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-47444534/lisa-nandy-on-brexit-vote-and-cash-for-english-towns 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Sky News Downing Street unveiled a Stronger Towns Fund for less prosperous parts of England on Sunday with 1bn divided between the regions and a further 600m available for bidding by local authorities. But the amount of allocated which will be distributed over the next six financial years has been criticised. The West Midlands was awarded the second highest sum of 212m which works out at 9 per person per year. https://news.sky.com/story/may-loses-key-mps-support-over-obscene-and-derisory-pro-brexit-towns-fund-11654987 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian The government has come under immediate pressure from its own MPs over a 1.6bn funding boost for deprived English towns as it emerged the guaranteed spending in some regions would amount to as little as 58p per person per year. The money to be spent over seven years includes 1bn preallocated to various English regions ranging from 281m for the northwest to 33m for the southwest. The other 600m will be available to any region via a bidding process. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/04/tory-mps-express-unease-over-16bn-boost-for-poorer-towns?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-understand-eu-works-brexit-ivan-rogers-a8806931.html 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Guardian Theresa May and her circle of advisers did not understand how the European Union works and consequently followed a negotiating strategy in 2016 that was doomed to fail the former UK ambassador to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers has said. Speaking to the Institute for Government on Monday Rogers said the people around the prime minister at the start of the article 50 process didnt know very much about European councils or that much about the EU. Rogers who resigned a year ago and has developed a reputation for producing some of the most caustic assessments of the misunderstandings between the UK and the EU said the UK lived under the illusion that it could circumvent Brussels by making direct deals with the major capitals. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/04/theresa-may-did-not-understand-eu-when-she-triggered-brexit?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

talkRADIO Speaking to talkRADIOs Matthew Wright Ms Butler said Shes doing everything she possibly can to get her deal through the house from running down the clock to now offering money for votes. Thats very dangerous for our democracy and I think people need to take this seriously. Ms Butler added that the sum of money offered was just a drop in the ocean compared to cuts made to local authority funding as part of the governments austerity measures. Its such small fry in terms of what local communities have lost and I dont think our MPs are that cheap Ms Butler added. https://talkradio.co.uk/news/dawn-butler-theresa-may-danger-democracy-19030430116 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times If in 2015 you had offered Leavers Boris Johnson and Jacob ReesMogg the outcome now available through Prime Minister Theresa Mays agreement an end to free movement of people and near total withdrawal from the primacy of European Court rulings they would have accepted it with alacrity. Yet they are now holding out over the UKs right to escape the limits on trade that are part of the Irish backstop. They have turned an independent trade policy into the wheel on which their dream may be broken. https://www.ft.com/content/f2e35268-3e68-11e9-9bee-efab61506f44 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Labour List Most of the Leave voters in Labour seats in 2016 werent our voters in the first place. Of Labour voters the vast majority around two thirds voted Remain in 2016. As Brexit has unfolded Labour voters are the group most likely to have shifted from Leave to Remain. Labour is a Remain party with a Remain voter base. For the Leave voters we have left polls show that Brexit is not a priority their main goal is a Labour government. https://labourlist.org/2019/03/voting-for-mays-deal-solves-nothing/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Conservative Home How are the lastminute negotiations are likely to break Theresa May is on clear record as saying that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But she does not want No Deal as it would run the political risk of breaking up the Conservative Party. She has now delayed the meaningful vote in the Commons until March 12th at the latest when the Prime Ministers deal will be the only option. It is also clear that there is no parliamentary majority for even a managed No Deal. https://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2019/03/howard-flight-the-brexit-deal-i-suspect-we-will-end-up-being-presented-with-a-last-minute-fudge.html 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Tory MPs must vote down any deal that fails to deliver a proper Brexit or the people will never forgive us https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/04/tory-mps-must-vote-deal-fails-deliver-real-brexit-people-will/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/07120972-3e51-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aece 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Telegraph Geoffrey Cox has switched his attention to trying to secure an enhanced arbitration mechanism to allow the UK to leave the Irish border backstop after failing to meet the Brexit demands of Eurosceptics. The Attorney General has given up trying to secure a way of avoiding a hard border and placate the hardline Brexiteers https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/04/brexit-latest-news-geoffrey-cox-shifts-focus-giving-eurosceptic/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

The Independent Beleaguered transport secretary Chris Grayling faced fresh criticism when the health secretary instead answered MPs questions about the Brexit ferries fiasco. Matt Hancock fielded queries in the Commons over Fridays shock 33m payment to Eurotunnel to settle controversy over crossChannel contracts. Labour condemned the decision claiming Mr Hancock would be acting as Mr Graylings human shield on Monday. But Downing Street said the supply of medicines was a key part of the nodeal cargo that the ferries would bring to Britain. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/grayling-brexit-ferries-statement-transport-avoid-mps-health-secretary-a8806626.html 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Euronews Speaking at a party conference on Saturday Rasmussen said it would be irresponsible for Denmark to follow in the UKs footsteps to withdraw from the European Union. It would be completely irresponsible to toy with the idea of copying the circus that is playing out in Britain at the moment he said. With an economy thats suffering...With a paralysed political system that is melting down. https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/04/danish-pm-it-s-irresponsible-to-copy-britain-s-brexit-circus 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Politico.eu The British government was taken hostage by Cabinet ministers who forced Theresa May into offering MPs a mechanism to delay Brexit said former minister George Eustice. Eustice who resigned Thursday from his post as junior agriculture minister told Sky News Ridge on Sunday that May was strongarmed into allowing MPs a vote on delaying Brexit which would damage her negotiating hand with Brussels. https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-delay-cabinet-ministers-took-theresa-may-hostage-george-eustice/ 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk It will be a peaceful march to show the Government just the strength of feeling that Brexiteers have out there. If they ratify the withdrawal agreement I think the sense of anger that the Government has put the country into a straight jacket and given the key to the padlock to eurocrats in Brussels so that they can unlock us at their timing people will be very very angry about that and will have an opportunity to express that. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1095405/Brexit-news-update-Richard-Tice-Theresa-May-Brexit-march-Leave-Means-Leave 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Politics Home The Governments Brexit legislation timetable has been thrown into chaos after ministers were forced to pull a key bill because it was facing a humiliating defeat. The bill which is one of several pieces of crucial legislation required to be passed before the UK leaves the EU will now have to be rescheduled for debate in the Commons. Up to 22 Conservative MPs were set to defy the Government to vote for a crossparty amendment aimed at forcing new tax transparency rules on British Overseas Territories. https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/foreign-affairs/brexit/news/102238/fresh-brexit-chaos-government-shelves-financial-services 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Conservative Home A long extension of 21 months would have the same practical result as the implementation period in the deal except the UK would be much better off than under the deal because we would still have a vote and representation in EU institutions and the European Parliament. Unlike the deal we would be free to leave on 1st January 2021 without being trapped in the backstop Protocol.Our financial liabilities during the 21 month extension would be the same as under the deal but unlike the deal we would have no obligations afterwards. Unlike under the deal we would not be subject to indefinite ECJ jurisdiction after 2020. https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2019/03/martin-howe-it-is-far-better-to-risk-extending-article-50-than-to-accept-mays-bad-deal.html 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

@TNewtonDunn The Financial Services Bill is the 1st of 6 bills that Govt must pass thru both houses by March 29 to make No Deal possible. It was due to leave Commons tonight. So yet another Brexit timetabling disaster. https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1102536637333073928 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Hours after an anonymous insider called the extremists of the Conservative Party a death cult Downing Street denied saying it. That often happens when something is true. ERG deputy Steve Baker is reputedly the inspiration for this new cult despite lacking any obvious charisma. A bornagain Christian he was most upset to find out about his unwanted promotion while at church on Sunday and No10 offered clarification that the claim had nothing to do with them. Which does not mean that the original comment was not made by someone else. And this is what we have come to 25 days before what we are assured is apocalypse and the provisional wing of the Tory Party is getting its knickers in a twist not about the backstop but about being called names. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-death-cult-thats-killing-14084832 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Daily Mirror Theresa Mays trip to Salisbury today to mark the one year anniversary of the Novichok attack got off to a rocky start when she appeared to pay tribute to the wrong town. Twelve months on from the chemical attack on Russian defector Sergei Skripal 66 and his daughter Yulia 33 Downing Street took to Twitter to praise the resilience of the people of Salisbury. There was just one problem they tweeted a picture of Bath instead. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-twitter-tribute-salisbury-14085291 4th Mar 2019

Political Setbacks

Express.co.uk Up to 17 shadow ministers have spoken out about the effects they believe a second vote could have on the UK. In the past 6 months 13 of these ministers have publicly opposed a second referendum. Mr Corbyn could face mass resignations if he continues take the plan to a Commons vote according to The Daily Telegraph. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1095225/Brexit-news-Jeremy-corbyn-labour-party-second-referendum-peoples-vote 4th Mar 2019

Trade Deals/Negotiations

Sky News More Japanese companies may relocate away from the UK in the coming months if Britain does not seal a promising postBrexit deal the Japanese ambassador has warned. In an exclusive interview with Sky News Koji Tsuruoka said Japanese companies had been cutting back on investment in the UK amid the uncertainty. Although both companies emphasised that neither decision was due to Brexit Mr Tsuruoka said many of Japans 1000 or so UKbased companies were now considering how to adapt to postBrexit life. https://news.sky.com/story/japan-issues-corporate-warning-over-no-deal-brexit-11655086 4th Mar 2019

EU Funding Benefits

Leeds Live The millions of EU grants handed to causes and companies around Leeds have been revealed by new research. Figures show the city has secured at least 263m in European Union grants in recent years most of which has gone to the city centre area. But the real figure could be much higher as Leeds institutions such as the universities have taken part in some 2.2bn of EU funded projects with the exact amounts dished out directly to the city not always clear. Research by proRemain groups MyEU and Best For Britain shows the bureaucrats in Brussels gave large chunks of money to Leeds City Council the Leeds based West Yorkshire Combined Authority our hospitals and the citys two major universities. https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/millions-eu-cash-spent-leeds-15900389 4th Mar 2019