Politics

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed suspicions aired in the Commons last night that nothing has fundamentally changed in relation to the backstop in the withdrawal agreement. Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary waved a fat wad of legal papers in the chambers last night and asked: "Is a single word of the Withdrawal Agreement different now to the document that was agreed on November 25?" Having studied the documents, he confirmed this morning that there is unlikely to be changes sufficient to...

UK automotive industry puts the record straight on ‘no deal’ Brexit impact, as Parliament debates the meaningful vote Many commentators and politicians cite the automotive industry in Brexit discussions so, as Parliament debates the meaningful vote, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has today published a clear rebuttal of some of the many arguments that have been used about the sector in recent years. The clock is ticking down to 29 March and automotive businesses are in paralysis....

The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell has said that the Chancellor has shown “cowardice” over Brexit. McDonnell claims Philip Hammond could have done more to ensure Brexit isn't hugely damaging to the economy. He made the comments at a speech at Bloomberg today. McDonnell said: "The position of the chancellor of the exchequer comes with a responsibility which I think Philip Hammond actually has abdicated in his current role. If Brexit ends up leading to even half of what the government’s...

Esther McVey was called out for propagating out-dated Brexit myths this weekend after tweeting a 2014 claim by the Telegraph that all EU members would have to adopt the euro by 2020. The tweet, which has been deleted after garnering thousands of likes and retweets, questioned whether the public was aware of what "the EU has planned for its member states", despite the source being over four years old and based on inaccurate assumptions. The UK has a permanent opt-out...

Chancellor Philip Hammond is being urged to use next week's Spring Statement to end the freeze on working-age benefits after a new report revealed some 200,000 Brits have been pushed into poverty due to the cutbacks. The freeze on DWP benefits is due to start its fourth year in a row from April 8 after MPs signed off the cost-cutting sanctions in a vote earlier this week. But social reform think tank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has urged Hammond...

Karl Busch has missed about 75 per cent of Mid Devon council meetings over the past 18 months

Jeremy Hunt is reportedly holding secret breakfast meetings with ministers to woo MPs to back him to replace Prime Minister Theresa May. A senior Tory figure has told The Sun that Hunt has been asking senior ministers what jobs they want in his Cabinet in exchange for their backing in secret morning meetings. Despite Savid Javid being widely tipped to become the next PM troubles over knife crime and illegal migrants in the Channel could hand the keys to number 10 to...

A business owner had to fight back the tears after discussing the impact Brexit uncertainty will have on operations and the livelihood of her staff.  Speaking to BBC News Sue Wynn-Jones, a horticulturist who runs Crug Farm Plants in North Wales, said two-thirds of their business is in Europe and that a turbulent departure from the union could close the company.  As she begins to tell the reporter what impact the uncertainty is having on her business she had to...

Remember Tory arch Brexiteer and trouble-maker Mark Francois? Many accused the MP for Rayleigh and Wickford of racism when he reacted to Airbus CEO Tom Enders warning about the implications of a no-deal Brexit for the aerospace firm's UK operations by snapping: “Mr Enders’ intervention is a classic example of the sort of Teutonic arrogance, which is one of the reasons why many people voted to leave the European Union.” Today the MP was involved in another race row live...