Brexit deal ‘Within reach’ if May agrees on customs union, say Barnier

Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has told that a Brexit deal is ‘within reach’ is Theresa May agrees to a customs union.

In a speech, Barnier said that a deal could be reached by next Wednesday, but only if May put aside her red line and embraced a customs union, and accepted that the UK would be prevented from making its own trade deals with other continents.

Barnier once again expressed his opposition to Theresa May’s Chequers deal, as it would give British businesses “a huge competitive edge”, and would be “counter to our very foundations”. May insists Chequers is the only proposal which respects the result of the EU referendum, though support from her fellow Conservatives is uncertain.

If the agreed Brexit deal did not keep the whole of the UK inside a customs union, Barnier insisted than Northern Ireland would gain an advantage with regards to single market access and future trade deals with the EU.

“Our proposal is just a safety net, the backstop. It is needed because the detail of the future withdrawal with the UK will only begin after the UK withdraws.”, Barnier said.

“The future relationship itself might mitigate the checks and even make some unnecessary. For instance a veterinary agreement between the EU and the UK would mean less frequent inspections of live animals … And we are still open – we are still open – to the idea of having a customs union with the UK. Such a customs union would eliminate an important part of customs checks.”

Corbyn at PMQs: May’s claim that austerity is over is a ‘great big Tory con’

Prime Minister’s Questions is back, and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn took the opportunity to launch into an attack on Theresa May’s claim that ‘austerity is over’, calling it a “great big Tory con”.

Corbyn launched a series of attacks at May with questions on the level of austerity in various areas: mental health services in the NHS, education, and the police.

The Labour leader told the Commons that after “eight years of painful austerity, poverty is up, homelessness and deaths on our streets is up, living standards down, public services slashed, and a million elderly are not getting the care they need.” adding that “all the while, billions were found for tax giveaways for big corporations and the super rich.”

“The prime minister declared she is ending austerity, but unless the budget halts the cuts, increases funding to public services, gives our public servants a decent pay rise, then isn’t the claim that austerity is over simply a great big Conservative con?”

Whilst the PM did not repeat her claim that “austerity is over”, she did respond to Corbyn’s probing by saying: “People have made sacrifices and they need to know that their hard work has paid off. And yes, better times are ahead – under a Conservative government.”

Contracts handed out whilst guidelines breached at the Home Office

An investigation by the Guardian has revealed that hundreds of migrants were held indefinitely in detention centres in England despite being suicidal, seriously ill, or victims of torture. A survey of almost 200 detainees showed that 56% were defined as “adult at risk” – people under this classification are only supposed to be detained in extreme cases.

Responding to claim that Home Office guidelines on detention had been breached, a spokesperson from the Home Office said that detention was “an important part of the immigration system”, but said that it must be “fair, dignified and protect the most vulnerable”

Private contracts from the Home Office make unknown profit

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of contracts have been handed to private contractors to run the UK’s immigration removal centres, however no one can be certain how much profit these contracts bring. Many now suspect the profits for these private companies could be above the agreed margins set out in the contracts.

All but one of the contracts handed out go to either G4S, Mitie, Serco and the US-owned GEO Group. Commercial rules mean that neither these companies nor the Home Office are obliged to publish figures on the profits made from these contracts.

However, the biggest of these contracts, given to Mitie for various services, is believed to be worth more than £500m, according to figures released under freedom of information laws.

Gordon Brown: there will be another referendum

Former-prime minister Gordon Brown has predicted that there will be another referendum on Brexit, and that any transition period currently faced would have to be extended due to no deal being reached by March.

Speaking at the inaugural memorial lecture in Edinburgh, in memory of late motor neurone disease campaigner Gordon Aikman, Brown said that Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP would all support a second referendum at the next general election.

Brown told the audience at the lecture: “I believe there will be a referendum on Brexit. What I’m not sure about is when it will be,” he added: “It will in the end be the only way to sort out the problem.”

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