Brexit News

Britain's aerospace industry has criticised the government after the transport secretary confirmed the UK will leave the European aviation safety regulator by the end of the year. Grant Shapps said British membership of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will come to an end at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. The minister said powers would revert to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). "We will […]

The UK should consider the trade-offs it is willing to make in a post-Brexit deal, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says. She said the closer the UK's access to the single market - which it is leaving - the more it must adhere to EU rules. But cabinet minister Michael Gove said the UK "would regain its economic and political independence" and any deal "would need to reflect […]

The government has responded to an EU call to "make up its mind" by revealing plans to publish a draft post-Brexit trade deal within the next nine days. David Frost, the prime minister's EU adviser who is leading the UK's negotiating effort, on Monday said he would unveil a draft free trade deal before next week's next round of talks with Brussels. This would be included among other "legal texts" […]

Is the new UK passport blue? Or is the colour really closer to black? The Home Office has issued pictures of the post-Brexit passport, describing it as a return to the "iconic blue" used for UK passports before 1988. Experts in the science of colour - and instant experts on social media - are unconvinced, saying they look more like black. But a Home Office spokesman says the colours of […]

An inquiry examining the impact of new customs arrangements on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been set up by a Westminster committee. The Brexit deal has major implications for Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland will still be part of the UK's customs territory at the end of the transition period but will also continue to follow EU customs rules. That is likely to mean new bureaucracy for trade […]

The government's previous preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit stand it in "incredibly good stead" to help firms deal with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, the former business secretary has told Sky News. Andrea Leadsom told Sky's political editor Beth Rigby that there was a "huge amount" that ministers could do to "ensure that businesses are protected". Ms Leadsom continued: "Ironically, I think a lot of the work we […]

There remain "serious" differences between the UK and EU after the first round of trade talks, the bloc's chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier said "very difficult" areas needed to be resolved, but a "good agreement for both sides" remained possible. He said there were disagreements over competition rules, police co-operation, and how a deal would be enforced. Mr Barnier also dismissed UK proposals on fishing as "impractical". A UK […]

A Tory MP has called for a new June bank holiday to celebrate the 2016 Brexit referendum. Peter Bone wants an annual “United Kingdom Day” on the Friday closest to 23 June, the day the European Union poll was held. He said the referendum’s anniversary should be officially marked as it “invigorated the country”, but added the government has been “sniffy” about the idea. The backbencher told the Commons on […]