Boris Johnson has appealed to hardline Eurosceptic Tory MPs to back his post-Brexit trade agreement in next week’s 11th-hour vote. The prime minister admitted “the devil is in the detail” of the more than 1,000-page treaty due to come into force from 1 January, but insisted it is “the right deal for the UK and
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The home secretary has said the UK will continue to be one of the “safest countries in the world” despite being locked out of a key crime database from next year. Priti Patel said the EU and UK have “effective tools to tackle serious crime” going forwards. From July next year, the UK will start
Boris Johnson has said the Brexit trade agreement is his Christmas present to the country – serving as “the feast” after he promised an “oven ready deal”. The prime minister also used his Christmas message to say he believes the agreement will be the basis of a “happy and successful” relationship with the EU. Speaking
So how will Europe feel about the UK finally walking out of the EU door? Well, it will mean different things to different countries, and there will be plenty who are relieved that the saga of Brexit negotiations has come to an end. Follow live updates and reaction to Brexit breakthrough Image: ‘Parting is such
When Boris Johnson stood up in the Greenwich Naval Observatory, less than 72 hours after Britain’s formal exit from the European Union on 31 January, he was unequivocal. The UK had “ended a debate that has run for three-and-a-half years” and “settled” the long-running question of sovereign authority, he said. To the sound of a
Talks between the UK and EU on a post-Brexit trade deal are in the “end phase”, an EU official has told Sky News. With both sides trying to reach an agreement before the end of the transition period next week, sources in London and Brussels have told Sky News that a Brexit deal could be
More areas could be moved into Tier 4 after Christmas given the “very worrying” new coronavirus variant, a cabinet minister has told Sky News. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the mutation “is very concentrated in London and the South East”, where full lockdown measures are already imposed. “We’ve now had time to think again about
Signs have emerged a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU is still possible – with just nine days to go until the deadline. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a secret call on Monday evening, according to Reuters. The news agency cited sources who said the two leaders
England has been put on notice for a New Year lockdown after the government’s chief scientific adviser demanded a massive extension of Tier 4 restrictions. With the new variant now surging across the UK, an announcement that large areas of England will join London and parts of southeast England in Tier 4 is expected on
Britons have been told to continue shopping normally, despite France banning freight hauliers from crossing the English Channel over fears surrounding a new strain of coronavirus. Addressing a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson said the “vast majority” of food and medical supplies are unaffected by the move. “These delays only apply to a very
Delivery of the coronavirus vaccine will not be disrupted as a result of France’s ban on freight and travel from the UK, the transport secretary has told Sky News. Grant Shapps said containers unaccompanied by hauliers are still allowed through the port of Dover, which is how most of the jabs arrive from Belgium, so
Four days ago, Boris Johnson declared: “I want to be clear, we don’t want to ban Christmas, to cancel it. “I think that would be frankly inhuman and against the instincts of many people in this country. “Nor do we want to criminalise plans people may have made for some time.” Live updates on coronavirus
People need to behave as if they already have COVID-19, especially in the new Tier 4 areas of England, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned. He said the new strain of coronavirus was “out of control” and “we need to get it under control by reducing social contact”. The five-day Christmas bubble period has been
Millions of people across southeast England will no longer be able to mix with other households at Christmas, with a new Tier 4 level of COVID restrictions – equivalent to a full lockdown – to come into force tomorrow. In a dramatic move, prompted by fears over a new strain of coronavirus, all those areas
The government has left it “very, very late” for a post-Brexit business plan, according to Brexit select committee chair Hilary Benn. It comes after the House of Commons released a report warning ministers about the “overall state of readiness” for the end of the transition period in less than two weeks. Speaking to Sky News,
Scientific advisers have warned ministers they believe the new variant of COVID-19 spreads more quickly than previous strains, Sky News understands. It is expected the SAGE advisory group will be convened on Monday to work up a series of recommendations for how Tier 3 restrictions could be strengthened in light of the increased transmissibility of