Politics

DUP leader Arlene Foster has said it is “very important” Britain leaves the European Union by October 31, but she refused to back either candidate to become the next prime minister. She said the Government must keep a no-deal Brexit on the table and claimed repeated extensions are fuelling public discontent. Tory leadership favourite Boris Johnson has pledged to leave by the Halloween deadline, but his rival for Number 10 Jeremy Hunt has left the option of an extension open....

Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman has denied the Labour leader is in hock to unions over Brexit. Claims by Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett that unions and Mr Corbyn’s aides are preventing the party shifting to support Remain were dismissed as “laughable” by his spokesman. Veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret told the BBC Today programme that people around Mr Corbyn “don’t give a toss” what Labour members think about Brexit and would be happy to leave with no deal. She said: “I’m...

Britain is currently scheduled to leave the European Union on October 31. The date is a contentious issue between the Tory leadership candidates, with Boris Johnson stating he will get the UK out of the EU on Halloween “come what may”. Johnson claimed the chances of a no-deal Brexit happening are a "million to one". Yet the EU has repeatedly insisted that it would not renegotiate the EU Withdrawal deal that Johnson described as Britain donning a "suicide vest." Meanwhile,...

Jeremy Hunt has spoken of his love of lambada dancing in the latest insight into the pastimes of the Tory leadership contenders. The Foreign Secretary said it was “quite an intimate dance” and the music “brings back some happy memories”. His comments came after Boris Johnson revealed a passion for making and painting model buses. On BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show, Mr Hunt had the track Lambada by Kaoma played in his honour. He said: “When I was elected...

Bank of England boss Mark Carney has warned that a “notable” increase in no-deal Brexit fears and ongoing uncertainty is damaging Britain’s economy. The Bank’s governor told MPs the lack of any progress towards a deal and the extended Brexit deadline is leaving firms in limbo in terms of preparations and investment. In a hearing with the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Carney said there has been a “notable increase” in market expectations of no deal. He said this uncertainty in...

Brexit hinges on the question of the Irish backstop, but what is it and how can the obstacle be overcome?

The trouble with being a journalist is your recorded words can often come back and bite you on the bum years later.

Ireland's fast growing economy could suddenly contract if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal, a prospect that has become more likely, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday. Ireland's finance ministry reiterated its forecasts on Tuesday that gross domestic product growth would fall to anywhere between zero and 1% in 2020 if Britain crashes out of the bloc later this year, rather than growing by the forecast 3.3 percent if its neighbour secures an orderly Brexit....

Banks in Britain are showing signs of restarting preparations for a no-deal Brexit after a lull in the shift of financial services jobs and capital from Britain to the European Union in the past few months, consultants EY said on Wednesday. EY's Brexit Tracker of public announcements from 222 of the largest financial services firms in the three months ending May 31 found that the 7,000 planned job and a trillion pounds in capital relocation to new EU hubs was...