Category Archives: Brexit

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage holds a press conference at the Foreign Press Association in London. (SOPA)

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who once vowed to leave the country if Brexit turned out to be a disaster, has stated: "Brexit has failed."

Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC's Newsnight the right-wing commentator said Brexit had led to increased regulation of businesses and concluded the move had been a failure.

I mean what Brexit has proved, Im afraid, is that our politicians are about as useless as the commissioners in Brussels were," he said after Derbyshire read him a poll showing one in five leave voters regretted their decision.

Asked whether the UK would have been better staying in the EU economically - given "the OBR forecasts a 4% hit to the economy over the medium term" - Farage responded: "I don't think that for a moment."

But what I do think is we haven't actually benefitted from Brexit economically when we could have done," he added. "What Brexit has proved, I'm afraid, is that our politicians are as useless as the commissioners in Brussels were.

"We have mismanaged this totally and if you look at simple things, simple things such as takeovers, such as corporation tax, we are driving business away from our country.

Arguably, now were back in control, were regulating our own businesses even more than they were as EU members. Brexit has failed."

"Frankly, we've not delivered on borders, we've not delivered on Brexit - the Tories have let us down very, very badly," he added.

His comment prompted eagle-eyed social media users to point out Farage's former pledge to leave the country if Brexit went wrong.

Speaking on his LBC show in 2017, Farage told a caller: "If Brexit is a disaster, Ill go and live abroad.

He said at the time: "It isnt going to be a disaster. Weve just managed to get ourselves in a lifeboat off the Titanic. The EU does not work."

While the admission from a long-time Brexiteer that the UK's departure from the EU has failed may raise eyebrows among some, the sentiment is shared by much of the general public - a recent poll showed 52% of people think Brexit was a mistake.

And recent analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that the post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU will reduce long-run productivity by 4% compared with if the UK had remained in the EU, while it estimates imports and exports will be 15% lower in the long term than if the UK had remained in the EU.

However, pro-Brexit figures argue that not enough time has passed to tell whether trade will bounce back or become stronger than it was pre-Brexit.

In 2022, the UK government touted its Brexit wins so far - including putting a crown stamp on pint glasses, having blue passports, taking back control of fishing waters, and making it tougher for EU criminals to enter the UK, among others.

Originally published 16 May 2023 at 7:12 am

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Nigel Farage, who pledged to leave UK if Brexit failed, says Brexit has failed - AOL UK

SIR Keir Starmer today boasted he'll reopen Brexit negotiations AGAIN if made PM, just months after Rishi Sunak signed a new deal with Brussels.

The Labour leader sparked fury as he insisted "we need a better Brexit deal" because the Windsor Framework isn't working.

Sir Keir told BBC Breakfast: "We will make Brexit work.

"The deal we've got, it was said to be oven-ready, it wasn't even half-baked."

The opposition chief said he doesn't want the UK to rejoin the EU single market or customs union.

But Tory MPs accused him of secretly wanting to drag Brits back under Brussels control.

This week the Labour leader sparked fury after admitting he wants to give EU citizens living in the UK the chance to vote in general elections.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: Sir Keir Starmer wants to rig British elections so EU nationals can vote for the British government.

"It is obvious why. He wants to re-open Brexit, hand power back to Brussels and surrender to uncontrolled, unlimited immigration after all this is what hes campaigned for his entire political career."

Sir Keir's pledge to reopen Brexit talks came after Vauxhall's parent company Stellantis told MPs it can't commit to making electric vehicles in the UK unless changes are made to the Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the EU.

Stellantis, the world's fourth biggest car maker, committed to making electric vehicles at its Ellesmere Port and Luton plants two years ago.

But in a submission to the Commons Business and Trade Committee, the company said Mr Sunak's Brexit deal was a "threat to our export business and the sustainability of our UK manufacturing operations".

The Windsor Framework was signed by EU chiefs and ministers in February.

It was hailed by Tory MPs as a fair compromise that will finally end trade friction between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Sir Keir said: "I don't think many people look at that deal and think it's working very well."

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Fury as Sir Keir Starmer says he wants to reopen Brexit negotiations AGAIN just months after new Rishi deal... - The Sun

The former UKIP chief and arch Brexiteer failed to rule out a return to frontline politics as he issued a scathing assessment of the Government's handling of EU withdrawal

Brexit has failed, Nigel Farage has sensationally admitted as he hinted at a political comeback.

The former UKIP leader, widely seen as the architect of Britain quitting the EU, said that leaving the bloc had failed as he blasted the Tories handling of withdrawal.

He told BBC2s Newsnight: What I do think is that we havent actually benefited from Brexit, economically, what we could have done.

What Brexit has proved, Im afraid, is that our politicians are about as useless as the commissioners in Brussels were.

We have mismanaged this totally and if you look at simple things such as takeovers, such as corporation tax, we are driving business away from our country.

Arguably, now were back in control we are regulating our own businesses even more than they were as EU members.

Brexit has failed.

But, challenged by TV host Victoria Derbyshire that economically, the UK would have been better off staying in (the EU), the former MEP insisted: I dont think that for a moment.

Mr Farage, 59, who presents a nightly show on GB News, also paved the way for a return to frontline politics.

The Mirror revealed in February how insiders at his latest political vehicle, Reform UK, believe the publicity-hungry showman could be tempted to throw his hat into the ring if he believed he could win.

If you can't see the poll, click here

In December, we told how he will not stand for Parliament for an eighth time having failed on seven previous occasions to win a Commons seat.

Quizzed on Monday night that his assessment of Brexit could mean a comeback for you then, he said: I wouldnt rule it out.

He added: Its not top of my bucket list but frankly weve not delivered on borders, weve not delivered on Brexit.

The Tories have let us down very, very badly.

Lib Dem foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran fumed: "Farages hypocrisy is astounding.

The number one cheerleader for wrecking our relationship with Europe now seems to have finally realised the disastrous impact its had on our economy and on families up and down the country."

The UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU in a crunch referendum on June 23, 2016.

The decision triggered David Camerons resignation as Prime Minister, ushered in Theresa Mays premiership - which ended with her unable to drive her withdrawal deal through a deadlocked Parliament - and led to Boris Johnson entering No10.

He won an 80-seat Commons majority with his 2019 election campaign slogan Get Brexit Done.

The UK formally left the EU on January 31, 2020.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of the Best for Britain internationalist campaign group, told the Mirror: Brexit has been a stain on our global standing, a drag on our economic growth, and a disaster for millions of EU citizens here and Brits in Europe.

"Finally, its main cheerleader admits the project has failed so its high time that both Government and opposition commit to repairing the damage, and fast.

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Nigel Farage admits Brexit has FAILED as he hints at political comeback - The Mirror

The world's fourth-biggest carmaker by sales has warned of a potential existential threat to large parts of the British car industry unless the government moves to alter the terms of its post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the supply of batteries for electric vehicles released Wednesday, the parent company of Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall said it may not be able to keep its commitment to manufacture its new fleet of vehicles in the UK without changes to the terms of the deal. It also urged the government to invest heavily in domestically produced batteries.

Stellantis said the deal represented a threat" to its export business and the "sustainability" of its manufacturing operations. The company employs around 5,000 people in the UK and committed to make electric vehicles in the country two years ago.

The stark warning is likely to pile pressure on the Conservative government to seek changes to the trade deal that came into force at the start of 2021 when the UK formally left the economic structures of the EU, including the frictionless single market and customs union. Executives from Stellantis are due to meet with Britain's business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, on Wednesday.

Though the trade deal ensured that tariffs would not be slapped on the export of goods from the UK to the EU, an array of often-complex non-tariff barriers has made it more difficult, and often more costly, for British businesses to sell their wares in the 27-nation bloc. Many manufacturers, such as BMW, Ford and Honda, have already scaled back or closed their operations in the UK in recent years.

Some of these barriers are being phased in over time. Stellantis said it wanted the current phase-in period to be extended until 2027, a move that would require the trade deal to be revised.

The company said cars made in Britain and exported to the EU face an onerous 10% tariff if the rules of origin aren't met, making them uncompetitive against exports from other major car-producing regions such as Japan and South Korea.

To reinforce the sustainability of our manufacturing plants in the UK, the UK must consider its trading arrangements with Europe, Stellantis said in its submission. We need to reinforce the competitiveness of the UK by establishing battery production in the UK.

Car production in the UK remains way below levels before the pandemic at just over 775,000 units in 2022, compared with around 1.3 million in 2019, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The trade body's chief executive, Mike Hawes, backed up Stellantis' warning regarding the rules of origin for batteries, which he said pose a significant challenge to manufacturers in the UK and in the EU as higher tariffs could diminish the pace at which consumers transition towards electric vehicles.

At a time when every country is accelerating their transition to zero emission transport, and global competitors are offering billions to attract investment in their industries, a pragmatic solution must be found quickly, he said

The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the post-Brexit trade deal needed revision, but insisted he wasnt calling for the UK to rejoin the EU or its frictionless economic arrangements.

That doesnt mean reversing the decision and going back into the EU but the deal weve got, it was said to be oven-ready. It wasn't even half-baked, he told the BBC.

In 2016, the UK narrowly voted to leave the EU in a referendum. A general election has to take place by early 2025, with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to be the largest party.

Excerpt from:

Automaker warns over UK operations and calls for Brexit trade deal renegotiation - Japan Today

One of the worlds largest carmakers has said it will be unable to keep their commitment to make electric vehicles in the UK without changes to the Brexit deal.

Stellantis the parent company of Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat which employs more than 5,000 people in the UK told a Commons inquiry into supply of batteries for EV manufacture that their UK investments were in the balance due to the terms of the trade deal.

The worlds fourth biggest car maker committed to making electric vehicles at its Ellesmere Port and Luton plants two years ago.

But in a submission to the inquiry, the company said the Brexit deal was a threat to our export business and the sustainability of our UK manufacturing operations.

Electric vans (left) at Vauxhalls plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire (Peter Byrne/PA)

It called on the Government to reach agreement with the EU to maintain existing rules until 2027, rather than next years planned changes which state 45% of an electric cars value should originate in the UK or EU to qualify for trade without tariffs.

Stellantis said the rise in the cost of raw materials during the pandemic and energy crisis meant it was unable to meet these rules of origin.

It said the upcoming rules would see 10% tariffs on trade with the EU and make domestic production and exports uncompetitive with Japan and South Korea.

The company said that would mean manufacturers will not continue to invest and will relocate.

To reinforce the sustainability of our manufacturing plants in the UK, the UK must consider its trading arrangements with Europe, Stellantis told the inquiry, listing Hondas closing of its site in Swindon and investment in the US as examples of its impact.

Stellantis said there will be insufficient battery production in the UK or Europe to meet government targets in phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2025 and 2030.

It we are unable to rely on sufficient UK or European batteries, we will be at a major competitive disadvantage. In particular against Asian imports, they said.

We need to reinforce the competitiveness of the UK by establishing battery production in the UK.

Electric cars and batteries were among the final parts of the Brexit deal agreed between then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in 2020.

Originally published 17 May 2023 at 0:28 am

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Car giants urge Government to change Brexit deal for electric vehicle manufacturing - AOL UK

LONDON LONDON (AP) The world's fourth-biggest carmaker by sales has warned of a potential existential threat to large parts of the British car industry unless the government moves to alter the terms of its post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the supply of batteries for electric vehicles released Wednesday, the parent company of Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall said it may not be able to keep its commitment to manufacture its new fleet of vehicles in the U.K. without changes to the terms of the deal. It also urged the government to invest heavily in domestically produced batteries.

Stellantis said the deal represented a threat" to its export business and the "sustainability" of its manufacturing operations. The company employs around 5,000 people in the U.K. and committed to make electric vehicles in the country two years ago.

The stark warning is likely to pile pressure on the Conservative government to seek changes to the trade deal that came into force at the start of 2021 when the U.K. formally left the economic structures of the EU, including the frictionless single market and customs union. Executives from Stellantis are due to meet with Britain's business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, on Wednesday.

Though the trade deal ensured that tariffs would not be slapped on the export of goods from the U.K. to the EU, an array of often-complex non-tariff barriers has made it more difficult, and often more costly, for British businesses to sell their wares in the 27-nation bloc. Many manufacturers, such as BMW, Ford and Honda, have already scaled back or closed their operations in the U.K. in recent years.

Some of these barriers are being phased in over time. Stellantis said it wanted the current phase-in period to be extended until 2027, a move that would require the trade deal to be revised.

The company said cars made in Britain and exported to the EU face an onerous 10% tariff if the rules of origin aren't met, making them uncompetitive against exports from other major car-producing regions such as Japan and South Korea.

To reinforce the sustainability of our manufacturing plants in the U.K., the U.K. must consider its trading arrangements with Europe, Stellantis said in its submission. We need to reinforce the competitiveness of the U.K. by establishing battery production in the U.K.

Car production in the U.K. remains way below levels before the pandemic at just over 775,000 units in 2022, compared with around 1.3 million in 2019, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The trade body's chief executive, Mike Hawes, backed up Stellantis' warning regarding the rules of origin for batteries, which he said pose a significant challenge to manufacturers in the U.K. and in the EU as higher tariffs could diminish the pace at which consumers transition towards electric vehicles.

At a time when every country is accelerating their transition to zero emission transport, and global competitors are offering billions to attract investment in their industries, a pragmatic solution must be found quickly, he said

The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the post-Brexit trade deal needed revision, but insisted he wasnt calling for the U.K. to rejoin the EU or its frictionless economic arrangements.

That doesnt mean reversing the decision and going back into the EU but the deal weve got, it was said to be oven-ready. It wasn't even half-baked, he told the BBC.

In 2016, the U.K. narrowly voted to leave the EU in a referendum. A general election has to take place by early 2025, with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to be the largest party.

View original post here:

Automaker warns over UK operations and calls for Brexit trade deal renegotiation - WRAL News

Published: May 17, 2023 at 8:25 a.m. ET

Stellantis, the worlds fourth-biggest carmaker by sales has warned of a potential existential threat to large parts of the British car industry unless the government moves to alter the terms of its Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the supply of batteries for electric vehicles released Wednesday, the parent company of Citron, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall said it may not be able to keep its commitment to manufacture its new fleet of cars in the U.K. without changes to...

Stellantis, the worlds fourth-biggest carmaker by sales has warned of a potential existential threat to large parts of the British car industry unless the government moves to alter the terms of its Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the supply of batteries for electric vehicles released Wednesday, the parent company of Citron, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall said it may not be able to keep its commitment to manufacture its new fleet of cars in the U.K. without changes to the terms of the deal.

Stellantis STLA STLAM said the deal represented a threat to its export business and the sustainability of its manufacturing operations. The company employs around 5,000 people in the U.K. and committed to make electric vehicles in the country two years ago.

The stark warning is likely to pile pressure on the Conservative government to seek changes to the trade deal that came into force at the start of 2021 when the U.K. formally left the economic structures of the EU, including the frictionless single market and customs union.

Executives from Stellantis are due to meet with Britains business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, on Wednesday.

Though the trade deal ensured that tariffs would not be slapped on the export of goods from the U.K. to the EU, an array of often-complex non-tariff barriers has made it more difficult, and often more costly, for British businesses to sell their wares in the 27-nation bloc. Some of these barriers are being phased in over time.

As a result, Stellantis said it wanted the current phase-in period for the requirement to be extended until 2027, a move that would require the trade deal to be revised.

The company said cars made in Britain and exported to the EU faced an onerous effective 10% tariff, making them uncompetitive against exports from other major car-producing regions such as Japan and South Korea.

To reinforce the sustainability of our manufacturing plants in the U.K., the U.K. must consider its trading arrangements with Europe, Stellantis said in its submission. We need to reinforce the competitiveness of the U.K. by establishing battery production in the U.K.

The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the post-Brexit trade deal needed revision, but insisted he wasnt calling for the U.K. to rejoin the EU or its frictionless economic arrangements.

That doesnt mean reversing the decision and going back into the EU but the deal weve got, it was said to be oven-ready. It wasnt even half-baked, he told the BBC.

In 2016, the U.K. narrowly voted to leave the EU in a referendum. A general election has to take place by early 2025, with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to be the largest party in Parliament.

Read on: Teslas decision to start advertising may be viewed as a negative, but its time for company to clarify selling points public is not aware of, analyst says

Link:

Automobile maker Stellantis warns over U.K. operations and calls for Brexit trade-deal renegotiation - MarketWatch

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Labours ex-press secretary Alastair Campbell accused a BBC presenter of allowing Brexiteers to talk utter rubbish in an angry exchange on Newsnight.

Mr Campbell was in turn accused of bullying, intimidation and thinly veiled misogyny by Alex Phillips, a former Brexit MEP with whom he appeared on the programme on Thursday.

The former spin doctor has since apologised to presenter Victoria Derbyshire after the terse exchanges were shared online and viewed by more than 4 million people.

Alastair Campell and Alex Phillips fought over which side told worse lies

(BBC)

The fiery debate about the current state of Brexit and its impact on the UK began to break down when the pair rowed over the enactment of EU laws.

Mr Campbell accused Ms Phillips of talking such rubbish when you come on these programmes, to which she replied that is just unnecessarily rude. Well, its true, he retorted.

Ms Phillips went on to argue that the current government did not have the courage or the conviction to see Brexit through and that Rishi Sunak should be seizing the opportunity to take control.

Mr Campbell replied: Will any of these people who fought so hard for Brexit ever face up to their own responsibility and face the fact that what they all promised was a pack of lies.

Directing his comments to his opponent, he continued: All your lies about taking back control, more money for the NHS, sovereignty, immigration, all the rest of it - you fall on every single one.

The former spin doctor accused Brexiteers of lies

(BBC)

Ms Phillips replied: I knew you were going to come up with the money for the NHS. Nothing to do with me, not my campaign.

Its very rich from the man who essentially was part of telling lies to invade a country to accuse me of dishonesty, referring to the Iraq war and the infamous dodgy dossier that made the case for it.

I think you may have lost the argument there, my dear, Mr Campbell said, if I may patronise you even more.

As Ms Derbyshire tried to intervene, he told her: Im sorry, you bring these people on you never challenge them. You let them talk utter rubbish about Brexit.

And it has happened on theBBCfor year after year after year.

Ms Phillips claimed she came off air shaking

(Alex Phillips)

Bringing the row to a close, the presenter said: I am not going to take that from you, with respect, Mr Campbell.

As the camera panned away, Mr Campbell huffed for gods sake and stretched an arm out onto the table in front of Ms Phillips.

Victoria Derbyshire looked shocked as Mr Campbell laid into the BBC - he later apologised

(BBC)

Tweeting about the encounter later, Ms Phillips, now an adviser to the Reform Party, claimed she came off air shaking at Mr Campbells rudeness.

Ms Phillips described his actions were quite frightening and claimed the hairs on her neck stood up.

Mr Campbell later responded on Twitter: Accepted it was not exactly disagreeing agreeably but I think every now and then people who are given a free ride to talk absolute nonsense and face no responsibility for their role in damage to the nation are challenged.

He later tweeted that he had apologised to Ms Derbyshire, adding that she was one of the best.

It is infuriating to seek to debate serious issues with people who despite all the damage their beloved Brexit has done continue to talk absolute rubbish, he added.

Ex-Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage waded into the row on Twitter, branding Mr Campbell a thug and a bully and said he should never be allowed on the BBC again.

Is that why you asked me to co-present a show with you on GBeebies? Mr Campbell retorted.

Originally posted here:

'For god's sake': Alastair Campbell in angry Newsnight exchange over Brexit 'lies' - The Independent

Noel Gallagher has raged against the current state of the UK in a brand new interview, revealing his concerns for a younger generation growing up in the shadow ofBrexitand years of Tory government.

Speaking exclusively to The Big Issues Jane Graham for the iconicLetter to my Younger Selffeature, theOasisand High Flying Birds singer-songwriter reflected on his childhood inManchester and argued that his pioneeringBritpopband wouldnt exist in the current social and political climate.

A subscription to Big Issue magazine means you can support some of the UK's most marginalised people and get a great read every week for a special one-off price of 6 for the first month.

In the outskirts of Manchester, where I was born, everything is boarded up, said Gallagher. I feel sorry for young people growing up in this country now, Brexit has been a fucking absolute unmitigated disaster.

And it will be a living nightmare until some politician has the balls to put a referendum in a manifesto and run on it and go back into the EU. Nothing works in this country anymore. Politics doesnt work. Social Services doesnt work.

Politics has come to a fucking dead end. I dont understand what any of them stand for any more. The Tories are going to run this country into the ground and then pass it over to Labour and say fucking good luck with that.

There is another big issue Noel Gallagher is concerned with: Theres no fucking eggs in the supermarket, he said.

Continue reading here:

Noel Gallagher says Brexit is a 'disaster' and young people are not being offered hope - The Big Issue

Debate

11:30

by Peter Franklin

Streets in Ukraine were named after Boris Johnson, not Emmanuel Macron. Credit: Getty

Ukraine: was it Brexit wot won it? Thats the suggestion made by Jacob Rees-Mogg in a weekend interview with Sky News:

- Jacob Rees-Mogg

Cue scorn from British Remainers: Insulting to the heroism of the Ukrainian armed forces, thundered Gavin Barwell. The Brexit fantasy has no limits, spluttered Will Hutton. What a balloon, guffawed Chris Daw.

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It has to be said that Rees-Moggs case is overstated. For a start, the highest honourdoes indeed belong to the Ukrainian people (though I dont think he would deny that). Next, we should thank the Russian military command for their sheer ineptitude. And, of course, theres no ignoring the military support provided by the United States of America, which greatly exceeds that of any other nation.

It is then and only then that we can assess the European contribution including that of the United Kingdom.

In this regard, Britain stands head and shoulders above France and Germany. When our Ministry of Defence was working round the clock to get weapons to Ukraine, the Germans were still blocking vital shipments. The French, meanwhile, were still negotiating with Putin long after the Brits had seen through his smokescreen.

Nevertheless, to substantiate Rees-Moggs hypothesis wed have to show that British leadership was what stiffened French and German backbones and, more importantly, what ensured Americas continuing involvement. But, of course, well never know what would have happened had the EUs appeasers gone unshamed.

The other plank of the Rees-Mogg argument is that, without Brexit, Britain would have been prevented from taking the stand that it did. In particular, he argues that, stuck in the EU, wed have been bound by the principle of sincere cooperation. This is a reference to Article 4 of the Treaty on European Union, which states that pursuant to the principle of sincere cooperation, the Union and the Member States shall, in full mutual respect, assist each other in carrying out tasks which flow from the Treaties.

This is one of those pieces of EU big-talk that simultaneously mean everything and nothing. Though it applies to the EUs common foreign and security policy, it could not have been used to force the UK to toe the EU line at least not without a new treaty.

However, it could have been used by a Europhile UK government as an excuse for German-style passivity. Then again, theres no way of telling who would have been prime minister in 2022 had we voted Remain in 2016. Both Rees-Mogg and his outraged Remainer critics are arguing over a counterfactual.

So lets concentrate on what we do know which is that when European values came under brutal attack in Eastern Europe, the country in Western Europe that leapt to their defence was Brexit Britain. As Ukraines shattered cities are rebuilt, they are naming streets after Boris Johnson, not Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz or Emmanuel Macron.

For British Remainers this is simply too much to contemplate. They should therefore thank Jacob Rees-Mogg for providing a distraction.

See the original post here:

Does Ukraine have Brexit to thank for Western support? - UnHerd