A new British political party inspired by French President Emmanuel Macron`s rise to power launched a national electoral campaign on Monday aimed at stopping Brexit.

The Renew party, which was founded last year after Macron`s En Marche! movement propelled him to power, said it would seek to stoke debate on Brexit and accused Britain`s main parties of losing touch with voters who feel abandoned by the elite.

&quot;We intend to be tough on Brexit and tough on the causes of Brexit,&quot; said James Torrance, the party`s head of strategy. &quot;We&rsquo;ll pressure MPs to consider the national interest and put Remain back on the table in a vote on the final EU deal.&quot;

In the United Kingdom&rsquo;s 2016 referendum, 51.9 per cent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while 48.1 per cent, or 16.1 million, voted to stay.

Since then, supporters of EU membership have been exploring a range of legal and political methods to prevent what they see as the biggest mistake in post-World War Two British political history.

Prime Minister Theresa May, whose government and party is divided over Brexit, has just eight months to strike a withdrawal deal with the EU but insists Britain will leave at 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019.

Opponents of Brexit are trying to garner enough support in the lower house of parliament, the House of Commons, to block any possible withdrawal deal May brings back from Brussels in October.

Supporters of Brexit say any attempt to prevent Brexit will thrust Britain into a constitutional crisis.

Among those who have called for Brexit to be halted are former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and George Soros, who made a fortune by betting against the British pound in 1992.

The Renew party, which was founded last year after Macron`s En Marche! movement propelled him to power, said it would seek to stoke debate on Brexit and accused Britain`s main parties of losing touch with voters who feel abandoned by the elite

A new British political party inspired by French President Emmanuel Macron`s rise to power launched a national electoral campaign on Monday aimed at stopping Brexit. The Renew party, which was founded last year after Macron`s En Marche! movement propelled him to power, said it would seek to stoke debate on Brexit and accused Britain`s main parties of losing touch with voters who feel abandoned by the elite. "We intend to be tough on Brexit and tough on the causes of Brexit," said James Torrance, the party`s head of strategy. "We’ll pressure MPs to consider the national interest and put Remain back on the table in a vote on the final EU deal." In the United Kingdom’s 2016 referendum, 51.9 per cent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while 48.1 per cent, or 16.1 million, voted to stay. Since then, supporters of EU membership have been exploring a range of legal and political methods to prevent what they see as the biggest mistake in post-World War Two British political history. Prime Minister Theresa May, whose government and party is divided over Brexit, has just eight months to strike a withdrawal deal with the EU but insists Britain will leave at 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019. Opponents of Brexit are trying to garner enough support in the lower house of parliament, the House of Commons, to block any possible withdrawal deal May brings back from Brussels in October. Supporters of Brexit say any attempt to prevent Brexit will thrust Britain into a constitutional crisis. Among those who have called for Brexit to be halted are former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and George Soros, who made a fortune by betting against the British pound in 1992.

New British party inspired by France's Macron seeks to overturn Brexit

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday.

&quot;We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit,&quot; Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference.

&quot;I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday. "We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit," Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference. "I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to," he said.

Don't tangle up Brexit, security issues, EU tells UK

Government delays, uncertainty and under-resourcing have left the British borders and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, according to a parliamentary report on Wednesday.

Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens in the UK and putting already overstretched immigration officials in an impossible position, it added.

&quot;The government does not seem to appreciate the immense bureaucratic challenge they are facing or how much time and resources they need to plan on Brexit,&quot; it said.

The report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee criticised delays in publishing a so-called White Paper outlining the government`s post-Brexit immigration plans.

Prime Minister Theresa May`s office has said it is considering various options for the post-Brexit immigration system and will set out its initial plans &quot;as and when they are ready.&quot;

But the committee said failure to set out immigration objectives soon will deny parliament and those affected the chance to debate plans before they are finalised.&nbsp;

&quot;That is unacceptable,&quot; it added. &quot;We had expected these questions to be answered in the much-delayed White Paper but its publication has been delayed further and it may not now appear until the end of this year at the earliest.&quot;

May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period before leaving the bloc.

Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

&quot;With little more than a year to go, the government is still failing to set out crucial details on the registration of current (EU) residents,&quot; the report said.

Failure to set out detailed plans for the registration of foreign nationals and the transition period soon will make it impossible for immigration and border officials to do their job properly, it warned. 
The government needed to clarify urgently whether it wants additional border checks after March 2019 when Britain leaves.

It should aim to agree transitional arrangements with the EU which involve no practical change to customs operations, it added. &quot;Removing border staff from security or immigration checks to do additional customs checks would be unacceptable.&quot;

&quot;Government drift is putting everyone in an impossible position,&quot; said committee chair Yvette Cooper. &quot;The lack of detail with just over a year to go is irresponsible.&quot;

Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens

Government delays, uncertainty and under-resourcing have left the British borders and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, according to a parliamentary report on Wednesday. Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens in the UK and putting already overstretched immigration officials in an impossible position, it added. "The government does not seem to appreciate the immense bureaucratic challenge they are facing or how much time and resources they need to plan on Brexit," it said. The report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee criticised delays in publishing a so-called White Paper outlining the government`s post-Brexit immigration plans. Prime Minister Theresa May`s office has said it is considering various options for the post-Brexit immigration system and will set out its initial plans "as and when they are ready." But the committee said failure to set out immigration objectives soon will deny parliament and those affected the chance to debate plans before they are finalised. "That is unacceptable," it added. "We had expected these questions to be answered in the much-delayed White Paper but its publication has been delayed further and it may not now appear until the end of this year at the earliest." May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period before leaving the bloc. Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe. "With little more than a year to go, the government is still failing to set out crucial details on the registration of current (EU) residents," the report said. Failure to set out detailed plans for the registration of foreign nationals and the transition period soon will make it impossible for immigration and border officials to do their job properly, it warned. The government needed to clarify urgently whether it wants additional border checks after March 2019 when Britain leaves. It should aim to agree transitional arrangements with the EU which involve no practical change to customs operations, it added. "Removing border staff from security or immigration checks to do additional customs checks would be unacceptable." "Government drift is putting everyone in an impossible position," said committee chair Yvette Cooper. "The lack of detail with just over a year to go is irresponsible."

UK border and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, says Report

Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservatives and the Social Democrats sealed a deal Wednesday on a new coalition, officials close to the talks said, potentially ending four months of political standstill in Europe&#39;s top economy.

The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel&#39;s fourth term.

Public broadcaster ARD said the final disputes had centred around &quot;ministry remits and personnel questions&quot;.&nbsp;

The breakthrough will come as a relief to Germany&#39;s EU partners as the bloc faces tough negotiations on migration and Brexit.&nbsp;

Merkel, Europe&#39;s most experienced leader, has seen her standing at home and abroad weakened by the longest stretch of coalition-building in the country&#39;s postwar history.

But before she can be sworn in, a final hurdle looms: the hard-fought pact between her CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party must still be approved by the SPD&#39;s sceptical rank-and-file .

The agreement for a renewed &quot;grand coalition&quot; comes after days of marathon talks in which negotiators from all three parties haggled over everything from foreign policy to labour issues and healthcare.

SPD holds the keys&nbsp;

Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September&#39;s inconclusive general election saw mainstream parties bleed support to the far-right AfD, which tapped into anger over Merkel&#39;s liberal refugee policy.

Merkel, in power for over 12 years, at first tried to cobble together a novel three-way coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats, but those efforts collapsed in November.

Faced with snap elections that could further boost the AfD or the prospect of heading an unstable minority government, she opted to woo back the SPD -- her junior partner for two of her three terms since 2005.

SPD leader Martin Schulz then abandoned his post-election vow to renew the party in opposition -- a U-turn that angered many.

Merkel&#39;s fate now lies in the hands of the SPD, as Schulz has promised to give his party&#39;s 460,000 members the final say on whether to accept the coalition pact.

Observers expect the referendum to be tight, with the SPD&#39;s left and youth wings fiercely opposed to another four years governing in Merkel&#39;s shadow.

The party&#39;s fiery youth chief Kevin Kuehnert has led a campaign against another &quot;GroKo&quot;, as the grand coalition is known.

The referendum will be held by postal ballot, with the result expected to be announced in early March.

A green light could see a new Merkel-led government in place by the end of next month.

A thumbs-down could spell disaster for Merkel and Schulz, whose political lives hang in the balance, and see the country headed for fresh elections.

Hard-won concessions&nbsp;

With so much at stake, Schulz was determined to extract as many concessions as possible from the tortuous coalition talks to win over sceptics.

While details of the final agreement have yet to be released, former European Parliament chief Schulz has put a fairer Europe at the heart of his efforts, insisting that Berlin must join French President Emmanuel Macron&#39;s push to deepen eurozone integration.

In a draft version of the coalition pact seen by AFP, the parties agreed to support Macron&#39;s reform drive and tentatively backed his idea of a eurozone investment budget.

On the hot-button topic of migration, the two camps said they would aim to limit the annual intake to 180,000-220,000 people, a key CSU demand.

The SPD however won assurances that family reunifications for refugees would resume in August, albeit restricted to 1,000 people a month.

It was not immediately clear how the final sticking points in the negotiations were resolved, such as the SPD&#39;s insistence on limiting short-term contracts and overhauling the two-tier healthcare system.

On defence spending too, both sides remained at odds as the finish line neared with the conservatives more open than the SPD to raising military spending closer to NATO targets, as pushed for by US President Donald Trump.

But the protracted haggling has left its scars, and surveys suggest both camps have much to fear from fresh elections in case of a &quot;no&quot; vote from SPD members.

A recent Insa poll found that support for the CDU/CSU had fallen from 33 to 30.5 per cent, while the SPD slipped from September&#39;s historic low of 20.5 per cent to 17 per cent.

The AfD meanwhile scored a record 15 pe rcent.

The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel's fourth term

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats sealed a deal Wednesday on a new coalition, officials close to the talks said, potentially ending four months of political standstill in Europe's top economy. The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel's fourth term. Public broadcaster ARD said the final disputes had centred around "ministry remits and personnel questions". The breakthrough will come as a relief to Germany's EU partners as the bloc faces tough negotiations on migration and Brexit. Merkel, Europe's most experienced leader, has seen her standing at home and abroad weakened by the longest stretch of coalition-building in the country's postwar history. But before she can be sworn in, a final hurdle looms: the hard-fought pact between her CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party must still be approved by the SPD's sceptical rank-and-file . The agreement for a renewed "grand coalition" comes after days of marathon talks in which negotiators from all three parties haggled over everything from foreign policy to labour issues and healthcare. SPD holds the keys Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September's inconclusive general election saw mainstream parties bleed support to the far-right AfD, which tapped into anger over Merkel's liberal refugee policy. Merkel, in power for over 12 years, at first tried to cobble together a novel three-way coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats, but those efforts collapsed in November. Faced with snap elections that could further boost the AfD or the prospect of heading an unstable minority government, she opted to woo back the SPD -- her junior partner for two of her three terms since 2005. SPD leader Martin Schulz then abandoned his post-election vow to renew the party in opposition -- a U-turn that angered many. Merkel's fate now lies in the hands of the SPD, as Schulz has promised to give his party's 460,000 members the final say on whether to accept the coalition pact. Observers expect the referendum to be tight, with the SPD's left and youth wings fiercely opposed to another four years governing in Merkel's shadow. The party's fiery youth chief Kevin Kuehnert has led a campaign against another "GroKo", as the grand coalition is known. The referendum will be held by postal ballot, with the result expected to be announced in early March. A green light could see a new Merkel-led government in place by the end of next month. A thumbs-down could spell disaster for Merkel and Schulz, whose political lives hang in the balance, and see the country headed for fresh elections. Hard-won concessions With so much at stake, Schulz was determined to extract as many concessions as possible from the tortuous coalition talks to win over sceptics. While details of the final agreement have yet to be released, former European Parliament chief Schulz has put a fairer Europe at the heart of his efforts, insisting that Berlin must join French President Emmanuel Macron's push to deepen eurozone integration. In a draft version of the coalition pact seen by AFP, the parties agreed to support Macron's reform drive and tentatively backed his idea of a eurozone investment budget. On the hot-button topic of migration, the two camps said they would aim to limit the annual intake to 180,000-220,000 people, a key CSU demand. The SPD however won assurances that family reunifications for refugees would resume in August, albeit restricted to 1,000 people a month. It was not immediately clear how the final sticking points in the negotiations were resolved, such as the SPD's insistence on limiting short-term contracts and overhauling the two-tier healthcare system. On defence spending too, both sides remained at odds as the finish line neared with the conservatives more open than the SPD to raising military spending closer to NATO targets, as pushed for by US President Donald Trump. But the protracted haggling has left its scars, and surveys suggest both camps have much to fear from fresh elections in case of a "no" vote from SPD members. A recent Insa poll found that support for the CDU/CSU had fallen from 33 to 30.5 per cent, while the SPD slipped from September's historic low of 20.5 per cent to 17 per cent. The AfD meanwhile scored a record 15 pe rcent.

Germany's top parties 'reach deal' on Merkel coalition

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU&#39;s top court.

&quot;We refer the questions to the European Court of Justice,&quot; judge Floris Bakels said in a written verdict issued by the Amsterdam District Court, in the case which could have far-reaching implications for about a million British citizens living in Europe.

The judges are referring two preliminary questions to the Luxembourg-based ECJ for an answer about the group&#39;s rights as EU citizens after Brexit, their lawyer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm said.

The questions are: &quot;Does Brexit mean that Britons automatically lose their European citizenship or do they maintain their rights, and if so, under what conditions?&quot; Thijm said.

Five British expats and two expat organisations last month took the Dutch government to court, arguing they have independent rights as EU citizens, over and above being citizens of any specific EU member country -- including Britain.

The group insist their legal rights as EU citizens -- including freedom of movement -- should therefore remain and be protected by The Netherlands even after Britain withdraws from the 28-member body on March 29, 2019. 
They asked the Dutch judges to refer the matter to the European court for clarification &quot;as to what exactly being a European citizen means,&quot; said one of the plaintiffs, Stephen Huyton.

&quot;I am shocked and delighted with the decision,&quot; he told AFP, shortly after the verdict was issued.

&quot;But we have to realise that this is just the first step to eventually getting clarity about our status,&quot; he added.

Judge Bakels gave lawyers a week to comment on the decision and to add any other preliminary questions to be put to the ECJ.

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU's top court

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU's top court. "We refer the questions to the European Court of Justice," judge Floris Bakels said in a written verdict issued by the Amsterdam District Court, in the case which could have far-reaching implications for about a million British citizens living in Europe. The judges are referring two preliminary questions to the Luxembourg-based ECJ for an answer about the group's rights as EU citizens after Brexit, their lawyer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm said. The questions are: "Does Brexit mean that Britons automatically lose their European citizenship or do they maintain their rights, and if so, under what conditions?" Thijm said. Five British expats and two expat organisations last month took the Dutch government to court, arguing they have independent rights as EU citizens, over and above being citizens of any specific EU member country -- including Britain. The group insist their legal rights as EU citizens -- including freedom of movement -- should therefore remain and be protected by The Netherlands even after Britain withdraws from the 28-member body on March 29, 2019. They asked the Dutch judges to refer the matter to the European court for clarification "as to what exactly being a European citizen means," said one of the plaintiffs, Stephen Huyton. "I am shocked and delighted with the decision," he told AFP, shortly after the verdict was issued. "But we have to realise that this is just the first step to eventually getting clarity about our status," he added. Judge Bakels gave lawyers a week to comment on the decision and to add any other preliminary questions to be put to the ECJ.

What happens to us after Brexit, ask British expats in Europe

By Syed Muntasir<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/Syed%20Muntasir%20Mamun">&nbsp;</a>Mamun &amp;&nbsp; Yashasvi Nain*&nbsp;

Ahead of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in London in April, old debates have come alive over the relevance and importance of the Commonwealth of Nations and its involvement in world affairs. As alternative to the European Union post Brexit, the United Kingdom sees the Commonwealth as a global trading and international affairs network. In the absence of China, the organization provides a platform to demonstrate the credibility of aspiring global leaders like India.

A visit by Prince Charles in November 2017 to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit to discuss&nbsp;India&rsquo;s role in the organization&nbsp;shows the importance Britain bestows upon India&rsquo;s strategic ambit. Subsequent visits from Tim Hitchens, chief executive of the Commonwealth Summit Unit, and Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary general, further reinforced this position.

Trade statistics&nbsp;from 2016&nbsp;show that the&nbsp;UK imports from the Indian subcontinent,&nbsp;which encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, totalled &pound;15.2 ($21) billion, and&nbsp;exports &pound;7.7 ($10) billion. Within the rest of the Commonwealth there is a marked propensity for an Indo-centric focus in trade. For instance, trade between India and South Africa now stands at around $20 billion, and between India and Nigeria at around $10 billion. Adding up trading configurations between other African and South Asian countries would definitely prove what is more obviously felt than said &mdash; that the trading heart of the old empire is still evolving.

In 2016, during the&nbsp;House of Commons debate, former Defense Minister Lord Archie Hamilton asserted that the limitations in the&nbsp;EU competence clause&nbsp;is the biggest obstacle in the UK-India trade, and that after Brexit its removal will boost bilateral trade between the two countries. India is seen as a preferred partner by the UK for obvious reasons. According to the joint statement released after the India-UK Summit in New Delhi in November 2016,&nbsp;India was the third largest investor in the UK&nbsp;and the second largest international job creator: Indian companies having created over 110,000 jobs in Britain. Furthermore, India is also considered a key target market, with recent forecasts by the London Chamber of Commerce suggesting that a deal could&nbsp;boost UK exports to the country by 50%. Furthermore, if one considers trade statistics,&nbsp;Brexit doesn&rsquo;t appear to have much of an effect&nbsp; on India-UK trade.

As per the&nbsp;House of Commons briefing paper on migration&nbsp;issued in October 2017, in 2015 43% people immigrating to the UK were nationals of other EU countries, while 44% came from outside the European Union. Around&nbsp;17% of all migrants are from three countries alone: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Indian subcontinent is by far the most strategic region driving the dynamics of the Commonwealth. What happens here is more relevant to the future of both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as a whole.

COINCIDENCE OR GOOD TIMING?

Britain&rsquo;s triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty following the June 23, 2016, referendum came almost a year after the Malta CHOGM of 2015. The 2018 London CHOGM comes almost one year ahead of Britain&rsquo;s final departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. In the absence of a clear government strategy, the EU referendum decidedly put the UK on a rough, and apparently unstable, path of destiny. But it does not have to be that way. While the immediate aftershock of the referendum was that of a freefalling pound, which remained at a historic 10% low against the US dollar and at 15% against the euro, it seems that the immediacy of the doomsday predictions were balanced with a steadier economic growth (1.8% in 2016), second only to Germany&rsquo;s 1.9% in the G7. The&nbsp;UK economy has continued to grow&nbsp;at almost the same rate in 2017. Crucial negotiations centering around what Brexit would mean in reality are still in the making.

With this backdrop, CHOGM 2018 opens a window of opportunity for both the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth cousins to essentially rebuild the Commonwealth in such a manner as to transform both in ways hitherto unimagined. The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an&nbsp;annual growth in excess of 4%,&nbsp;provides a perfect platform for achieving these aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain.

The UK, thanks to historic and institutionalized connections with its former colonies, is better positioned as a ring leader, capable of successfully integrating international trade &mdash; particularly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking new markets &mdash; into a global trade regime than most other countries, except maybe the United States. It would be wise to not forget that the Commonwealth can boast the fact that half of the&nbsp;top 20 global emerging cities&nbsp;are located within its jurisdiction and that average&nbsp;trade costs between Commonwealth countries will be lowered by 19%.

As a strategic recourse to the systemic uncertainties and instabilities caused by Brexit, the United Kingdom can now act strategically and utilize its position as the chair of the Commonwealth to create a system that&nbsp;will assist member states in integrating more fully into a fairer and more equitable global trading regime. Opening markets and by ensuring mobility of productive factors across a fair, value-based ecosystem will help UK SMEs and financial institutions to enter new markets and boost innovation, growth and job creation.

THE ROADMAP

There are talks going on to host a&nbsp;Commonwealth trade hub in India&nbsp;to promote commerce and investment across the organization. But it is high time that the Commonwealth leadership wakes up to the fact that the systems that govern the prospects of individual prosperity ought not to be only economic in nature. Rather, prosperity is the ability of the state system to enable the individual to live with pride and human dignity. Access to nutrition, shelter, health, education and an otherwise decent living is all part of the prosperity that we understand.

If the UK wants to make the Commonwealth more relevant under its leadership, it must focus on the following areas that will play an important role in making the idea of the Commonwealth work for the people of the Commonwealth. First on the list is employment. With the desire to be connected to the global networks of talent and productivity, everyone is both wary and eager for employment, not only in the service industry, but also as entrepreneurs. The Commonwealth could be a platform that gives structural support for building and connecting markets for both. For instance, more than half of the small nations within the Commonwealth (31 out of 52) are&nbsp;Small Island Developing States, where development is being adversely affected by their remote locations.

This leads to the second point, connectivity: People want to travel and connect. This is a rising vector of an inalienable right in the global consciousness. The Indian subcontinent is well connected to global networks, but attention is needed for upgrading the existing land-based transport infrastructure such as roads and railways, among the Commonwealth countries. It will not only affect social development but will also give much needed structures for an economic boost in the region. Also, post-Brexit, the UK will not be bound by the&nbsp;free movement of workers laws, and there is an opportunity to ease visa restrictions to fill the skill gap from the Commonwealth countries. At the very least, visas for students and professionals from the Commonwealth looking for job in the UK could be fast-tracked.

Third, power and energy: Both people and institutions are energy-hungry. At this moment, countries in the Indian subcontinent depend on a&nbsp;single source&nbsp;to provide more than 50% of total their individual electricity generation. Thus, India produces 67.9% of the region&rsquo;s coal, Nepal nearly 100% of the subcontinent&rsquo;s hydropower, Bangladesh provides 91.5% of its natural gas and Sri Lanka 50% of its oil. Sustainable, eco-friendly, affordable and accessible energy needs have to be met if systemic balances are to be achieved in the long run.

Fourth, technology: Any institution that wants to be relevant to the people and, consequently, draw mandates for representing them, ought to carry with itself a tangible promise of technology. This doesn&rsquo;t mean the internet alone, but also applications and system support to develop ideas with solid financial underwriting.

Fifth, ecological sustainability: With 1.7 billion people, the Indian subcontinent has more people than the whole of Europe and both Americas combined. Unfortunately, that does not translate into wealth. More people are going hungry in South Asia than in Africa. There is substantial inequality in the region, especially when it comes to food supply.&nbsp;It is also vulnerable to the impact of&nbsp;global warming and climate change. Preventing the creation of more climate refugees should be a priority for the Commonwealth, with many of its small island nations particularly affected by rising sea levels. Hence, comprehensive measures and plans for the future need to be laid out, and Britain can lead the way with sustainable development and technological advancement to tackle the environmental crisis.

Sixth, a safer world and a safer Commonwealth:&nbsp;Attacks on civil liberties, free speech and restrictions on civil society&nbsp;are growing across the Indian subcontinent. Based on basic human freedoms, rights and the rule of law, a society free from fear and persecution should be a steady goal throughout the Commonwealth. The organization should work harder to enforce the practical realizations of the core values of human rights enshrined in its charter.&nbsp;The Commonwealth as an institution has been rather successful in setting democratic, legal and human rights standards for the world to follow. But it is time that the Commonwealth wakes up to the desires of the ambitious young minds of its member states and takes cognizance of the need to both contribute and belong.

BALL IN ST. JAMES&rsquo; COURT

It is impossible for the governments to do everything. There has to be a partnership between the private and the public sectors to optimize the resources and possibilities available at our disposal. Instilling a component of trust among the nations party to such a grand design is crucial in this regard. The Commonwealth leadership must demonstrate a determined and forward-looking approach to bringing peace and prosperity to the Indian subcontinent, which, despite its glorious past, remains the least integrated in the world. The&nbsp;Commonwealth Charter&nbsp;has already taken note of civil society. It is time that innovation &mdash; both as an idea and a platform &mdash; is taken as an operational pivot.

Brexit is looming ever larger. New negotiations and new priorities are being conceptualized. This is the best time for the United Kingdom to repackage the Commonwealth as an organization &ldquo;for the members, by the members and of the members.&rdquo; The seed of a plausible sense of ownership among member states &mdash; in particular for the imagination of the youth &mdash; needs to be sown, and it should not be perceived as if benefiting just the UK or a handful of prosperous countries. Existential issues central to the people of the Commonwealth need to be addressed. Learning from the Indian subcontinent and what is happening there, and reflecting the substance of that learning across the plethora of&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;and institutions that the Commonwealth provides, could help create a mechanism that can solve problems for the long term.

There was an ancient proverb, &ldquo;You are, therefore, I am; and since I am, therefore, you are.&rdquo; The best network is not a cartel of petrochemicals and weapons. Rather, it is the network of intelligent minds working together.

&nbsp;

*&nbsp;Yashasvi Nain&nbsp;is an international lawyer for humanitarian justice and inclusive development.&nbsp;

This<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/united-kingdom-brexit-indian-subcontinent-commonwealth-news-analysis-53219/"> article </a>is originally published in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an annual growth in excess of 4%, provides a perfect platform for achieving growth aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain.

By Syed Muntasir Mamun & Yashasvi Nain* Ahead of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in London in April, old debates have come alive over the relevance and importance of the Commonwealth of Nations and its involvement in world affairs. As alternative to the European Union post Brexit, the United Kingdom sees the Commonwealth as a global trading and international affairs network. In the absence of China, the organization provides a platform to demonstrate the credibility of aspiring global leaders like India. A visit by Prince Charles in November 2017 to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit to discuss India’s role in the organization shows the importance Britain bestows upon India’s strategic ambit. Subsequent visits from Tim Hitchens, chief executive of the Commonwealth Summit Unit, and Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary general, further reinforced this position. Trade statistics from 2016 show that the UK imports from the Indian subcontinent, which encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, totalled £15.2 ($21) billion, and exports £7.7 ($10) billion. Within the rest of the Commonwealth there is a marked propensity for an Indo-centric focus in trade. For instance, trade between India and South Africa now stands at around $20 billion, and between India and Nigeria at around $10 billion. Adding up trading configurations between other African and South Asian countries would definitely prove what is more obviously felt than said — that the trading heart of the old empire is still evolving. In 2016, during the House of Commons debate, former Defense Minister Lord Archie Hamilton asserted that the limitations in the EU competence clause is the biggest obstacle in the UK-India trade, and that after Brexit its removal will boost bilateral trade between the two countries. India is seen as a preferred partner by the UK for obvious reasons. According to the joint statement released after the India-UK Summit in New Delhi in November 2016, India was the third largest investor in the UK and the second largest international job creator: Indian companies having created over 110,000 jobs in Britain. Furthermore, India is also considered a key target market, with recent forecasts by the London Chamber of Commerce suggesting that a deal could boost UK exports to the country by 50%. Furthermore, if one considers trade statistics, Brexit doesn’t appear to have much of an effect on India-UK trade. As per the House of Commons briefing paper on migration issued in October 2017, in 2015 43% people immigrating to the UK were nationals of other EU countries, while 44% came from outside the European Union. Around 17% of all migrants are from three countries alone: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian subcontinent is by far the most strategic region driving the dynamics of the Commonwealth. What happens here is more relevant to the future of both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as a whole. COINCIDENCE OR GOOD TIMING? Britain’s triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty following the June 23, 2016, referendum came almost a year after the Malta CHOGM of 2015. The 2018 London CHOGM comes almost one year ahead of Britain’s final departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. In the absence of a clear government strategy, the EU referendum decidedly put the UK on a rough, and apparently unstable, path of destiny. But it does not have to be that way. While the immediate aftershock of the referendum was that of a freefalling pound, which remained at a historic 10% low against the US dollar and at 15% against the euro, it seems that the immediacy of the doomsday predictions were balanced with a steadier economic growth (1.8% in 2016), second only to Germany’s 1.9% in the G7. The UK economy has continued to grow at almost the same rate in 2017. Crucial negotiations centering around what Brexit would mean in reality are still in the making. With this backdrop, CHOGM 2018 opens a window of opportunity for both the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth cousins to essentially rebuild the Commonwealth in such a manner as to transform both in ways hitherto unimagined. The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an annual growth in excess of 4%, provides a perfect platform for achieving these aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain. The UK, thanks to historic and institutionalized connections with its former colonies, is better positioned as a ring leader, capable of successfully integrating international trade — particularly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking new markets — into a global trade regime than most other countries, except maybe the United States. It would be wise to not forget that the Commonwealth can boast the fact that half of the top 20 global emerging cities are located within its jurisdiction and that average trade costs between Commonwealth countries will be lowered by 19%. As a strategic recourse to the systemic uncertainties and instabilities caused by Brexit, the United Kingdom can now act strategically and utilize its position as the chair of the Commonwealth to create a system that will assist member states in integrating more fully into a fairer and more equitable global trading regime. Opening markets and by ensuring mobility of productive factors across a fair, value-based ecosystem will help UK SMEs and financial institutions to enter new markets and boost innovation, growth and job creation. THE ROADMAP There are talks going on to host a Commonwealth trade hub in India to promote commerce and investment across the organization. But it is high time that the Commonwealth leadership wakes up to the fact that the systems that govern the prospects of individual prosperity ought not to be only economic in nature. Rather, prosperity is the ability of the state system to enable the individual to live with pride and human dignity. Access to nutrition, shelter, health, education and an otherwise decent living is all part of the prosperity that we understand. If the UK wants to make the Commonwealth more relevant under its leadership, it must focus on the following areas that will play an important role in making the idea of the Commonwealth work for the people of the Commonwealth. First on the list is employment. With the desire to be connected to the global networks of talent and productivity, everyone is both wary and eager for employment, not only in the service industry, but also as entrepreneurs. The Commonwealth could be a platform that gives structural support for building and connecting markets for both. For instance, more than half of the small nations within the Commonwealth (31 out of 52) are Small Island Developing States, where development is being adversely affected by their remote locations. This leads to the second point, connectivity: People want to travel and connect. This is a rising vector of an inalienable right in the global consciousness. The Indian subcontinent is well connected to global networks, but attention is needed for upgrading the existing land-based transport infrastructure such as roads and railways, among the Commonwealth countries. It will not only affect social development but will also give much needed structures for an economic boost in the region. Also, post-Brexit, the UK will not be bound by the free movement of workers laws, and there is an opportunity to ease visa restrictions to fill the skill gap from the Commonwealth countries. At the very least, visas for students and professionals from the Commonwealth looking for job in the UK could be fast-tracked. Third, power and energy: Both people and institutions are energy-hungry. At this moment, countries in the Indian subcontinent depend on a single source to provide more than 50% of total their individual electricity generation. Thus, India produces 67.9% of the region’s coal, Nepal nearly 100% of the subcontinent’s hydropower, Bangladesh provides 91.5% of its natural gas and Sri Lanka 50% of its oil. Sustainable, eco-friendly, affordable and accessible energy needs have to be met if systemic balances are to be achieved in the long run. Fourth, technology: Any institution that wants to be relevant to the people and, consequently, draw mandates for representing them, ought to carry with itself a tangible promise of technology. This doesn’t mean the internet alone, but also applications and system support to develop ideas with solid financial underwriting. Fifth, ecological sustainability: With 1.7 billion people, the Indian subcontinent has more people than the whole of Europe and both Americas combined. Unfortunately, that does not translate into wealth. More people are going hungry in South Asia than in Africa. There is substantial inequality in the region, especially when it comes to food supply. It is also vulnerable to the impact of global warming and climate change. Preventing the creation of more climate refugees should be a priority for the Commonwealth, with many of its small island nations particularly affected by rising sea levels. Hence, comprehensive measures and plans for the future need to be laid out, and Britain can lead the way with sustainable development and technological advancement to tackle the environmental crisis. Sixth, a safer world and a safer Commonwealth: Attacks on civil liberties, free speech and restrictions on civil society are growing across the Indian subcontinent. Based on basic human freedoms, rights and the rule of law, a society free from fear and persecution should be a steady goal throughout the Commonwealth. The organization should work harder to enforce the practical realizations of the core values of human rights enshrined in its charter. The Commonwealth as an institution has been rather successful in setting democratic, legal and human rights standards for the world to follow. But it is time that the Commonwealth wakes up to the desires of the ambitious young minds of its member states and takes cognizance of the need to both contribute and belong. BALL IN ST. JAMES’ COURT It is impossible for the governments to do everything. There has to be a partnership between the private and the public sectors to optimize the resources and possibilities available at our disposal. Instilling a component of trust among the nations party to such a grand design is crucial in this regard. The Commonwealth leadership must demonstrate a determined and forward-looking approach to bringing peace and prosperity to the Indian subcontinent, which, despite its glorious past, remains the least integrated in the world. The Commonwealth Charter has already taken note of civil society. It is time that innovation — both as an idea and a platform — is taken as an operational pivot. Brexit is looming ever larger. New negotiations and new priorities are being conceptualized. This is the best time for the United Kingdom to repackage the Commonwealth as an organization “for the members, by the members and of the members.” The seed of a plausible sense of ownership among member states — in particular for the imagination of the youth — needs to be sown, and it should not be perceived as if benefiting just the UK or a handful of prosperous countries. Existential issues central to the people of the Commonwealth need to be addressed. Learning from the Indian subcontinent and what is happening there, and reflecting the substance of that learning across the plethora of platforms and institutions that the Commonwealth provides, could help create a mechanism that can solve problems for the long term. There was an ancient proverb, “You are, therefore, I am; and since I am, therefore, you are.” The best network is not a cartel of petrochemicals and weapons. Rather, it is the network of intelligent minds working together. * Yashasvi Nain is an international lawyer for humanitarian justice and inclusive development. This article is originally published in the Fair Observer (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Post Brexit, Indian subcontinent can be vital role for the UK

Britain has ruled out staying in any customs union with the European Union after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May`s spokesman said on Monday as the government prepares for a crunch week of Brexit talks.

The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union - which binds members into a trade bloc with common external tariffs - has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party.

Membership of the, or a, customs union after Brexit, would prevent London from striking trade deals with countries outside the EU in future.

&quot;The key point, as the prime minister has said on many many occasions, is that we need to have our own independent trade policy and be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world,&quot; May`s spokesman told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;We will be leaving the EU and the customs union and it is not government policy to be members of `the` customs union or `a` customs union.&quot;&nbsp;

He said the official negotiating stance had been set out in a document published in August giving: &quot;two possible options and they are: a highly streamlined customs arrangement, and a new customs partnership with the EU.&quot;

The spokesman said Britain was still looking at both options, and no deadline for a decision on which one to pursue had been set.

With just a year left before Britain`s March 2019 exit from the European Union, May`s party remains deeply divided over what sort of relationship should be built between the world`s biggest trading bloc and the world`s sixth-largest economy.

Such are the divisions within May`s government, that the debate over the extent of Britain`s post-Brexit participation in a EU customs union has taken place in public with key ministers offering a range of views.

Brexit Tariff?

While May has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the customs union, some ministers had hoped that Britain could remain in some sort of bespoke customs arrangement with the EU after Brexit.

But supporters of Brexit say one of the main benefits of leaving the bloc will be the ability to strike trade deals with other, faster-growing countries around the world.&nbsp;

The Confederation of British Industry has called for Britain to stay in a customs union and finance minister Philip Hammond last month also left open the possibility of Britain joining a new customs union.

A customs union means that its members apply the same tariff to goods imported into their territory from elsewhere and apply no tariffs to goods from other members. It also limits checks and other bureaucracies at borders between members.

Unless Britain negotiates a new trade deal with the EU, its exports would run into the union`s external tariffs, which average about 5 percent across all goods, including 10 percent for cars and over 200 percent on certain types of poultry.

But May is under pressure from eurosceptic members in her party to quit the trading arrangement because for them the key prize is chance to sign new trade deals with other nations such as the US, China and India.

Britain and the EU are due to hold their first formal discussions about what their future relationship will look like after Britain leaves the EU this week.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet his opposite number, Brexit Secretary David Davis, in London on Monday for the first time since EU leaders told Barnier to negotiate a post-Brexit transition period to ease Britain`s departure.&nbsp;

May will hold two cabinet meetings on Wednesday and Thursday at which she will try to heal the deep divisions among her ministers over the best way to leave the EU.

If no deal is reached by October of this year, many businesses fear Britain could face a disorderly exit that would weaken the West, disrupt the peace in Northern Ireland, imperil Britain&rsquo;s $2.7 trillion economy and undermine

London&rsquo;s position as the only financial centre to rival New York.&nbsp;

A disorderly Brexit as a result of Britain misjudging the &quot;self-preservation&quot; instincts of the European Union could lead to a further downgrade of the UK`s sovereign credit rating, S&amp;P Global also said on Monday.

The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party

Britain has ruled out staying in any customs union with the European Union after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May`s spokesman said on Monday as the government prepares for a crunch week of Brexit talks. The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union - which binds members into a trade bloc with common external tariffs - has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party. Membership of the, or a, customs union after Brexit, would prevent London from striking trade deals with countries outside the EU in future. "The key point, as the prime minister has said on many many occasions, is that we need to have our own independent trade policy and be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world," May`s spokesman told reporters. "We will be leaving the EU and the customs union and it is not government policy to be members of `the` customs union or `a` customs union." He said the official negotiating stance had been set out in a document published in August giving: "two possible options and they are: a highly streamlined customs arrangement, and a new customs partnership with the EU." The spokesman said Britain was still looking at both options, and no deadline for a decision on which one to pursue had been set. With just a year left before Britain`s March 2019 exit from the European Union, May`s party remains deeply divided over what sort of relationship should be built between the world`s biggest trading bloc and the world`s sixth-largest economy. Such are the divisions within May`s government, that the debate over the extent of Britain`s post-Brexit participation in a EU customs union has taken place in public with key ministers offering a range of views. Brexit Tariff? While May has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the customs union, some ministers had hoped that Britain could remain in some sort of bespoke customs arrangement with the EU after Brexit. But supporters of Brexit say one of the main benefits of leaving the bloc will be the ability to strike trade deals with other, faster-growing countries around the world. The Confederation of British Industry has called for Britain to stay in a customs union and finance minister Philip Hammond last month also left open the possibility of Britain joining a new customs union. A customs union means that its members apply the same tariff to goods imported into their territory from elsewhere and apply no tariffs to goods from other members. It also limits checks and other bureaucracies at borders between members. Unless Britain negotiates a new trade deal with the EU, its exports would run into the union`s external tariffs, which average about 5 percent across all goods, including 10 percent for cars and over 200 percent on certain types of poultry. But May is under pressure from eurosceptic members in her party to quit the trading arrangement because for them the key prize is chance to sign new trade deals with other nations such as the US, China and India. Britain and the EU are due to hold their first formal discussions about what their future relationship will look like after Britain leaves the EU this week. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet his opposite number, Brexit Secretary David Davis, in London on Monday for the first time since EU leaders told Barnier to negotiate a post-Brexit transition period to ease Britain`s departure. May will hold two cabinet meetings on Wednesday and Thursday at which she will try to heal the deep divisions among her ministers over the best way to leave the EU. If no deal is reached by October of this year, many businesses fear Britain could face a disorderly exit that would weaken the West, disrupt the peace in Northern Ireland, imperil Britain’s $2.7 trillion economy and undermine London’s position as the only financial centre to rival New York. A disorderly Brexit as a result of Britain misjudging the "self-preservation" instincts of the European Union could lead to a further downgrade of the UK`s sovereign credit rating, S&P Global also said on Monday.

UK rules out being in a customs union with the EU after Brexit

Britain will not &quot;surrender&quot; in its fight to win a bespoke deal with the European Union that would offer tariff-free trade as well as control over immigration, a minister said on Sunday before a crunch week for the government in Brexit negotiations.

Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU.

With reports in the local media suggesting that pro-Brexit ministers are being urged to get ready to replace May, Rudd tried to play down the deep divisions in government, saying there was more unity than so-called Brexiteers thought.

&quot;We want to have a bespoke agreement. Now we`re not going to surrender before we have that battle,&quot; Rudd told the BBC when asked whether ministers were pursuing what the EU has already ruled out as &quot;having its cake and eating it&quot; - demanding tariff-free access to the EU`s market while controlling immigration.

She also told the Andrew Marr Show she supported May in demanding that EU citizens arriving after Brexit Day in March 2019 should have settlement rights different to those who came before that date - something the EU has opposed.

Asked whether Brexit campaigners were right to say that some in her cabinet were trying to blunt prospects for a wholesale departure from with the EU, Rudd said: &quot;I have a surprise for the Brexiteers, which is the committee that meets in order to help make these decisions ... is more united than they think.&quot;

Her words come at the beginning of a week when the government will flesh out some of its demands in negotiations with the EU on their future relationship and Brexit negotiations start in earnest again.

The government`s Brexit sub-committee of ministers will also meet twice this week, Rudd said, adding: &quot;I think that we will arrive at something which suits us all.&quot;

Another new row

Other Conservative lawmakers backed her message, with junior housing minister Dominic Raab saying there wasn`t &quot;a fag (cigarette) paper&quot; between ministers on their stance on the future relationship.&nbsp;

But the choreographed display of unity did little to mask a growing dispute over a leaked document suggesting the economy will be worse off after Brexit whether Britain left with a free trade deal, with access to the EU`s single market, or with no deal at all.

The leak, which bolstered arguments from some lawmakers to stay in the EU`s customs union to protect the economy, prompted allegations from Brexit campaigners that the civil service was trying to undermine Britain`s departure.

A former head of the civil service, Gus O`Donnell, said the allegations were unfounded and offered up by those who did not like what they heard.

&quot;If you`re selling snake oil, you don`t like the idea of experts testing your product,&quot; he told ITV`s Peston on Sunday. &quot;And I think that`s what we`ve got - this backlash against evidence and experts is because they know where the experts will go.&quot;&nbsp;

Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU

Britain will not "surrender" in its fight to win a bespoke deal with the European Union that would offer tariff-free trade as well as control over immigration, a minister said on Sunday before a crunch week for the government in Brexit negotiations. Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU. With reports in the local media suggesting that pro-Brexit ministers are being urged to get ready to replace May, Rudd tried to play down the deep divisions in government, saying there was more unity than so-called Brexiteers thought. "We want to have a bespoke agreement. Now we`re not going to surrender before we have that battle," Rudd told the BBC when asked whether ministers were pursuing what the EU has already ruled out as "having its cake and eating it" - demanding tariff-free access to the EU`s market while controlling immigration. She also told the Andrew Marr Show she supported May in demanding that EU citizens arriving after Brexit Day in March 2019 should have settlement rights different to those who came before that date - something the EU has opposed. Asked whether Brexit campaigners were right to say that some in her cabinet were trying to blunt prospects for a wholesale departure from with the EU, Rudd said: "I have a surprise for the Brexiteers, which is the committee that meets in order to help make these decisions ... is more united than they think." Her words come at the beginning of a week when the government will flesh out some of its demands in negotiations with the EU on their future relationship and Brexit negotiations start in earnest again. The government`s Brexit sub-committee of ministers will also meet twice this week, Rudd said, adding: "I think that we will arrive at something which suits us all." Another new row Other Conservative lawmakers backed her message, with junior housing minister Dominic Raab saying there wasn`t "a fag (cigarette) paper" between ministers on their stance on the future relationship. But the choreographed display of unity did little to mask a growing dispute over a leaked document suggesting the economy will be worse off after Brexit whether Britain left with a free trade deal, with access to the EU`s single market, or with no deal at all. The leak, which bolstered arguments from some lawmakers to stay in the EU`s customs union to protect the economy, prompted allegations from Brexit campaigners that the civil service was trying to undermine Britain`s departure. A former head of the civil service, Gus O`Donnell, said the allegations were unfounded and offered up by those who did not like what they heard. "If you`re selling snake oil, you don`t like the idea of experts testing your product," he told ITV`s Peston on Sunday. "And I think that`s what we`ve got - this backlash against evidence and experts is because they know where the experts will go."

UK will not 'surrender' over bespoke Brexit deal with EU: Minister

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period.

Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc.

But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently.

&quot;People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation,&quot; May told reporters on her way to China.

&quot;I&#39;m clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU.&quot;

This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union.

Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019.

But May dismissed some of those concerns.

&quot;They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU,&quot; she said. &quot;What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit.&quot;

&nbsp;

Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period. Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe. The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc. But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently. "People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation," May told reporters on her way to China. "I'm clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU." This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union. Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019. But May dismissed some of those concerns. "They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU," she said. "What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit."

UK and EU set for clash over citizens' rights during transition

Brexit minister David Davis rekindled a debate about the credibility of the government&rsquo;s own forecasts by saying on Thursday that every economic prediction on the British economy since the EU referendum has been wrong.

Davis made the comments in parliament after being asked about leaked analysis, drawn up by government officials, which suggests Britain would be worse off after Brexit under a wide range of potential scenarios.

He questioned the value of such research, saying the work is &ldquo;incredibly difficult&rdquo; and that every institution that had tried it had failed.

&ldquo;Every forecasting model on the performance on the British economy post the referendum by every major organization, the banks, the government organizations and, indeed, international organizations has proven wrong,&rdquo; Davis said.

&ldquo;One of the ways it has been proven wrong is because employment in this country has grown despite the forecasts to record levels today. We will be seeking to do the best we can to ensure that growth record is maintained.&rdquo;

Bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have raised their forecasts from gloomy predictions made around the time of 2016 referendum. However, Britain&rsquo;s economy has underperformed many of its peers and is likely to lag global growth this year.

In the same debate, junior Brexit minister Steve Baker suggested government officials may be undermining government policy by calibrating their work to show only the downside of Brexit.

When asked by another Member of Parliament whether he had heard claims that Treasury officials had &ldquo;deliberately developed a model&rdquo; to show that leaving the EU customs union was damaging to influence policy, Baker said he agreed.

&ldquo;I&lsquo;m sorry to say that my honorable friend&rsquo;s account is essentially correct,&rdquo; Baker said, adding that this was &ldquo;quite extraordinary&rdquo;.

British officials are legally obliged to remain impartial on policy.

The minister then quickly clarified that he had not suggested the accusation itself was correct.

&ldquo;To be absolutely clear, I&rsquo;ve said it was correct that the allegation was put to me,&rdquo; Baker said. &ldquo;I did not in any way seek to confirm the truth of it.&rdquo;

Some of the most vocal advocates of a total separation from the EU, known as a hard Brexit, have repeatedly suggested that the machinery of government was biased against Brexit and working behind the scenes to sabotage it.

Brexit minister David Davis rekindled a debate about the credibility of the government’s own forecasts by saying on Thursday that every economic prediction on the British economy since the EU referendum has been wrong

Brexit minister David Davis rekindled a debate about the credibility of the government’s own forecasts by saying on Thursday that every economic prediction on the British economy since the EU referendum has been wrong. Davis made the comments in parliament after being asked about leaked analysis, drawn up by government officials, which suggests Britain would be worse off after Brexit under a wide range of potential scenarios. He questioned the value of such research, saying the work is “incredibly difficult” and that every institution that had tried it had failed. “Every forecasting model on the performance on the British economy post the referendum by every major organization, the banks, the government organizations and, indeed, international organizations has proven wrong,” Davis said. “One of the ways it has been proven wrong is because employment in this country has grown despite the forecasts to record levels today. We will be seeking to do the best we can to ensure that growth record is maintained.” Bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have raised their forecasts from gloomy predictions made around the time of 2016 referendum. However, Britain’s economy has underperformed many of its peers and is likely to lag global growth this year. In the same debate, junior Brexit minister Steve Baker suggested government officials may be undermining government policy by calibrating their work to show only the downside of Brexit. When asked by another Member of Parliament whether he had heard claims that Treasury officials had “deliberately developed a model” to show that leaving the EU customs union was damaging to influence policy, Baker said he agreed. “I‘m sorry to say that my honorable friend’s account is essentially correct,” Baker said, adding that this was “quite extraordinary”. British officials are legally obliged to remain impartial on policy. The minister then quickly clarified that he had not suggested the accusation itself was correct. “To be absolutely clear, I’ve said it was correct that the allegation was put to me,” Baker said. “I did not in any way seek to confirm the truth of it.” Some of the most vocal advocates of a total separation from the EU, known as a hard Brexit, have repeatedly suggested that the machinery of government was biased against Brexit and working behind the scenes to sabotage it.

All Brexit economic forecasts were wrong, British minister says

The UK government was under pressure Tuesday to publish its latest Brexit analysis after a leaked internal report said Britain would be worse off whatever deal it strikes with the EU.

The economic impact assessment, drawn up for the Brexit ministry and seen by the BuzzFeed News website, showed growth would be lower under a range of potential scenarios.

The leak comes as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to fly out on a three-day trade mission to China and as parliament`s upper House of Lords begins scrutinising the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, a key plank of Brexit legislation.

The January 2018 study, titled &quot;EU Exit Analysis&quot;, examined three of the most plausible Brexit scenarios.

If found that if Britain remained in the European single market, growth would be two percent lower over the next 15 years compared to current forecasts.

Under a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union, growth would be five percent lower, it said.

And if London and Brussels end up with a &quot;no deal&quot; scenario and revert to World Trade Organization rules, growth would be reduced by eight percent over the same period, the report said, according to BuzzFeed News.

Responding to the leak, a government source said officials across the ministries were undertaking &quot;a wide range of ongoing analysis&quot;.

&quot;An early draft of this next stage of analysis has looked at different off-the-shelf arrangements that currently exist,&quot; the source said.

&quot;It does not, however, set out or measure the details of our desired outcome -- a new deep and special partnership with the EU.

&quot;It also contains a significant number of caveats...significantly more work needs to be carried out to make use of this analysis.&quot;

Opposition Labour lawmaker Chris Leslie, part of the Open Britain group -- the continuity Remain campaign from Britain`s 2016 referendum on EU membership -- urged the government to make its assessment public.

&quot;The government must now publish their analysis in full so that MPs and the public can see for themselves the impact that Brexit will have and judge for themselves whether it is the right thing for our country,&quot; he said.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs from May`s governing Conservative Party, said the findings were &quot;highly speculative&quot;.

Meanwhile, parliament`s foreign affairs scrutiny committee said Britain`s diplomatic network was spread too thinly and needed to be bolstered to cope with Brexit.

The panel of MPs said British representation in EU capitals, particularly Berlin and Paris, needed to be significantly increased to help maintain influence in Europe.

The January 2018 study, titled "EU Exit Analysis", examined three of the most plausible Brexit scenarios

The UK government was under pressure Tuesday to publish its latest Brexit analysis after a leaked internal report said Britain would be worse off whatever deal it strikes with the EU. The economic impact assessment, drawn up for the Brexit ministry and seen by the BuzzFeed News website, showed growth would be lower under a range of potential scenarios. The leak comes as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to fly out on a three-day trade mission to China and as parliament`s upper House of Lords begins scrutinising the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, a key plank of Brexit legislation. The January 2018 study, titled "EU Exit Analysis", examined three of the most plausible Brexit scenarios. If found that if Britain remained in the European single market, growth would be two percent lower over the next 15 years compared to current forecasts. Under a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union, growth would be five percent lower, it said. And if London and Brussels end up with a "no deal" scenario and revert to World Trade Organization rules, growth would be reduced by eight percent over the same period, the report said, according to BuzzFeed News. Responding to the leak, a government source said officials across the ministries were undertaking "a wide range of ongoing analysis". "An early draft of this next stage of analysis has looked at different off-the-shelf arrangements that currently exist," the source said. "It does not, however, set out or measure the details of our desired outcome -- a new deep and special partnership with the EU. "It also contains a significant number of caveats...significantly more work needs to be carried out to make use of this analysis." Opposition Labour lawmaker Chris Leslie, part of the Open Britain group -- the continuity Remain campaign from Britain`s 2016 referendum on EU membership -- urged the government to make its assessment public. "The government must now publish their analysis in full so that MPs and the public can see for themselves the impact that Brexit will have and judge for themselves whether it is the right thing for our country," he said. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs from May`s governing Conservative Party, said the findings were "highly speculative". Meanwhile, parliament`s foreign affairs scrutiny committee said Britain`s diplomatic network was spread too thinly and needed to be bolstered to cope with Brexit. The panel of MPs said British representation in EU capitals, particularly Berlin and Paris, needed to be significantly increased to help maintain influence in Europe.

Britain worse off under any Brexit scenario: Report

Japan&#39;s businesses must realise Britain&#39;s membership of the European Union is &quot;over,&quot; French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative.

&quot;The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over,&quot; he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan.

&quot;I felt that there were maybe some voices saying &#39;perhaps it...&#39; No! It&#39;s over,&quot; he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain&#39;s departure from the EU.

&quot;In March 2019, it will be the end,&quot; he said at a conference on the last day of his trip.

Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain&#39;s June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit.

But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

"The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said

Japan's businesses must realise Britain's membership of the European Union is "over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative. "The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan. "I felt that there were maybe some voices saying 'perhaps it...' No! It's over," he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain's departure from the EU. "In March 2019, it will be the end," he said at a conference on the last day of his trip. Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain's June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit. But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

Britain's EU days are 'over', French FM tells Japan firms

The EU adopted red lines Monday for a transition period that binds Britain by the bloc&#39;s laws for nearly two years after Brexit without having any policy-making power.

The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a &quot;vassal state&quot; of Brussels.

European affairs ministers took just two minutes to green-light instructions for the EU&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on the transition, which the bloc wants to run from March 29, 2019 -- when Britain leaves the EU -- until December 31, 2020.

Barnier&#39;s deputy Sabine Weyand said a meeting of European affairs ministers in Brussels &quot;adopts guidelines for Brexit negotiations within two minutes: status quo transition without institutional representation, lasting... to 31 December 2020&quot;.

The so-called negotiating directives say Britain would retain access to the EU&#39;s single market during that time, but in return must follow EU rules &quot;as if it were a member state&quot;, without any voting rights.

Irish European affairs minister Helen McEntee meanwhile ruled out Britain having any power to vet EU laws passed during the transition, the Financial Times newspaper reported, saying London could not be allowed to undermine the single market.&nbsp;

&quot;When the UK leaves the European Union they will not be a voice around the table,&quot; she said.

Transition talks with Barnier&#39;s counterpart David Davis could begin as early as this week, with the aim of completing them by March so negotiations on future trade ties can start, European sources said.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose country holds the EU&#39;s rotating presidency, meanwhile urged Britain to agree &quot;as soon as possible&quot; on the legal text of December&#39;s in-principle agreement on the terms of the divorce.

That deal paved the way for the EU and Britain to move on to discussing the transition.

Britain asked for a transition period of around two years to ease the impact of Brexit on people, public services and businesses, and to provide more time to conclude any eventual EU-UK trade pact.

But May&#39;s Downing Street office warned the talks could be tough.

&quot;This will be a negotiation and there will naturally be some distance in the detail of our starting positions,&quot; the prime minister&#39;s spokesman said.

With dangerous rifts emerging openly in May&#39;s government over the plan and eurosceptic MPs baying for blood, Davis and other top ministers tried to show a united front at the weekend.

Despite previous differences, Davis, finance minister Philip Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark wrote a joint letter saying the transition would be &quot;strictly time-limited&quot; and that Britain is still leaving the bloc.

But Jacob Rees-Mogg -- who leads a group of more than 50 Conservative Brexiteer MPs and made the &quot;vassal state&quot; comment -- warned that staying closely aligned to the EU risked reducing Brexit to a &quot;damage limitation exercise&quot;.

US President Donald Trump added to the pressure on May, saying in remarks aired Sunday that if he was in charge of the Brexit negotiations he would have &quot;negotiated it differently&quot; and taken a &quot;tougher stand&quot;.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian meanwhile touted his country as a post-Brexit alternative, telling Japanese businesses on Monday they must realise that Britain&#39;s EU days are &quot;over&quot;.

Some member states have called for the transition itself to be extendable if the EU and Britain have still not managed to sort out a future relationship deal when it ends in 2020.

But France has led opposition to the idea, and the guidelines say the transition must be &quot;clearly defined and precisely limited in time&quot;.

Davis is meanwhile on a collision course with the EU over his claim last week that Britain could negotiate and even sign its own free trade deals around the world during the transition period.

EU officials insist Britain can negotiate but not conclude any deals.

The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a 'vassal state' of Brussels

The EU adopted red lines Monday for a transition period that binds Britain by the bloc's laws for nearly two years after Brexit without having any policy-making power. The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a "vassal state" of Brussels. European affairs ministers took just two minutes to green-light instructions for the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on the transition, which the bloc wants to run from March 29, 2019 -- when Britain leaves the EU -- until December 31, 2020. Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand said a meeting of European affairs ministers in Brussels "adopts guidelines for Brexit negotiations within two minutes: status quo transition without institutional representation, lasting... to 31 December 2020". The so-called negotiating directives say Britain would retain access to the EU's single market during that time, but in return must follow EU rules "as if it were a member state", without any voting rights. Irish European affairs minister Helen McEntee meanwhile ruled out Britain having any power to vet EU laws passed during the transition, the Financial Times newspaper reported, saying London could not be allowed to undermine the single market. "When the UK leaves the European Union they will not be a voice around the table," she said. Transition talks with Barnier's counterpart David Davis could begin as early as this week, with the aim of completing them by March so negotiations on future trade ties can start, European sources said. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, meanwhile urged Britain to agree "as soon as possible" on the legal text of December's in-principle agreement on the terms of the divorce. That deal paved the way for the EU and Britain to move on to discussing the transition. Britain asked for a transition period of around two years to ease the impact of Brexit on people, public services and businesses, and to provide more time to conclude any eventual EU-UK trade pact. But May's Downing Street office warned the talks could be tough. "This will be a negotiation and there will naturally be some distance in the detail of our starting positions," the prime minister's spokesman said. With dangerous rifts emerging openly in May's government over the plan and eurosceptic MPs baying for blood, Davis and other top ministers tried to show a united front at the weekend. Despite previous differences, Davis, finance minister Philip Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark wrote a joint letter saying the transition would be "strictly time-limited" and that Britain is still leaving the bloc. But Jacob Rees-Mogg -- who leads a group of more than 50 Conservative Brexiteer MPs and made the "vassal state" comment -- warned that staying closely aligned to the EU risked reducing Brexit to a "damage limitation exercise". US President Donald Trump added to the pressure on May, saying in remarks aired Sunday that if he was in charge of the Brexit negotiations he would have "negotiated it differently" and taken a "tougher stand". French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian meanwhile touted his country as a post-Brexit alternative, telling Japanese businesses on Monday they must realise that Britain's EU days are "over". Some member states have called for the transition itself to be extendable if the EU and Britain have still not managed to sort out a future relationship deal when it ends in 2020. But France has led opposition to the idea, and the guidelines say the transition must be "clearly defined and precisely limited in time". Davis is meanwhile on a collision course with the EU over his claim last week that Britain could negotiate and even sign its own free trade deals around the world during the transition period. EU officials insist Britain can negotiate but not conclude any deals.

UK Brexit: European Union sets 2020 redline

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892" target="_blank">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892" target="_blank">: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind</a>

After Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Rajasthan is the fourth state to officially ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s&nbsp;Padmaavat. The film, that is scheduled to release in theaters on January 25th will not be releasing in Rajasthan, a notice by the Rajasthan government said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-arrests-ex-cia-official-linked-to-spying-for-china-29896" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-arrests-ex-cia-official-linked-to-spying-for-china-29896" target="_blank"> arrests ex-CIA official linked to spying for China</a>

A former CIA official who lives in Hong Kong was arrested by US authorities in New York airport on Monday after FBI agents allegedly found classified information in his hotel room, including two small books containing information on details of true names and numbers of spy recruits and covert CIA employees.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/spike-anti-tank-missile-deal-with-india-back-on-track-netanyahu-29889" target="_blank">Spike anti-tank missile deal with India back on track: Netanyahu</a>

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a four-day visit to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-cancels-spike-anti-tank-guided-missiles-deal-with-israel-28444">India confirmed the Spike anti-tank missile&nbsp;</a>deal which was scrapped by India a fortnight ago was back on track, Israel media reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-lawmakers-back-brexit-legislation-stiffer-tests-yet-to-come-29888" target="_blank">British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come</a>

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government&#39;s legislative blueprint for&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1-bsf-soldier-killed-3-civilians-injured-in-ceasefire-violation-in-jk-29887" target="_blank">J&amp;K: 1 BSF soldier killed, 3 civilians injured as Pak troops open fire along LoC</a>

A BSF soldier lost his life after a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-troops-fire-at-loc-posts-in-poonch-army-captain-injured-29759" target="_blank">ceasefire violation by the&nbsp;Pakistan forces</a>&nbsp;in the R S Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp; The firing by Pakistan troops also hit neighbouring villages injuring 3 civilians

Padmaavat: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind After Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Rajasthan is the fourth state to officially ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. The film, that is scheduled to release in theaters on January 25th will not be releasing in Rajasthan, a notice by the Rajasthan government said. US arrests ex-CIA official linked to spying for China A former CIA official who lives in Hong Kong was arrested by US authorities in New York airport on Monday after FBI agents allegedly found classified information in his hotel room, including two small books containing information on details of true names and numbers of spy recruits and covert CIA employees. Spike anti-tank missile deal with India back on track: Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a four-day visit to India confirmed the Spike anti-tank missile deal which was scrapped by India a fortnight ago was back on track, Israel media reported. British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come British lawmakers voted in favour of the government's legislative blueprint for Brexit on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union. J&K: 1 BSF soldier killed, 3 civilians injured as Pak troops open fire along LoC A BSF soldier lost his life after a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan forces in the R S Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The firing by Pakistan troops also hit neighbouring villages injuring 3 civilians

WION Morning News brief, January 18, 2018

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government&#39;s legislative blueprint for&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union.

But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament&#39;s largely pro-EU upper house, where May&#39;s party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was approved by a 324 to 295 vote in the lower house - a milestone on the long road towards cementing the legal foundations of Britain&#39;s departure from the bloc.

The bill repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of the EU and transfers EU laws into British ones.

&quot;This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union,&quot;&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;minister David Davis told parliament before the vote.

&quot;It ensures that on day one we will have a statute book that works, delivering the smooth and orderly exit desired by people and businesses across the United Kingdom and being delivered by this government.&quot;

The bill has become the focal point for months of divisive debate about what type of EU divorce Britain should seek, severely testing May&#39;s ability to deliver on her exit strategy without a parliamentary majority.

But despite one embarrassing parliamentary defeat, several government concessions and rebellion from within her own party, May&#39;s Conservative lawmakers overcame opposition from the Labour Party and others.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn instructed his lawmakers to vote against passage of the bill because the government had not met conditions set out by the party, demanding safeguards on a range of issues including workers and consumer rights.

&quot;This bill has never been fit for purpose,&quot; said Labour&#39;s&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;policy chief, Keir Starmer, describing any attempt to persuade the government that the legislation needed to change as &quot;talking to a brick wall&quot;.

Lords scrutiny&nbsp;

The upper house, the House of Lords, will now begin months of scrutiny of the bill before it can become law. Any changes made by the lords will require approval from the lower house, and the whole process could take until May to complete.

The House of Lords contains a diverse, largely unelected, mix of political appointees, experts, and members who inherited their positions. Many lords are opposed to&nbsp;Brexit.

Some of those figures are expected to try to soften the&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;approach to include remaining in the EU&#39;s single market or a second public vote, but the most likely areas for changes involve technical and constitutional issues.

May has ruled out a second vote and says Britain will be leaving. Labour&#39;s Corbyn is also committed to following through with&nbsp;Brexit, albeit pushing for different priorities and aims.

Nevertheless, calls for a second referendum are expected to persist, particularly as both pro- and anti-EU politicians have mooted the possibility recently.

EU officials and some member states have said they would welcome a change of heart from Britain.

But, barring a major change of policy from one of the country&#39;s two largest political parties, Britain remains on course to leave the bloc in March 2019.

But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament's largely pro-EU upper house, where May's party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce.

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government's legislative blueprint for Brexit on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union. But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament's largely pro-EU upper house, where May's party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce. The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was approved by a 324 to 295 vote in the lower house - a milestone on the long road towards cementing the legal foundations of Britain's departure from the bloc. The bill repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of the EU and transfers EU laws into British ones. "This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union," Brexit minister David Davis told parliament before the vote. "It ensures that on day one we will have a statute book that works, delivering the smooth and orderly exit desired by people and businesses across the United Kingdom and being delivered by this government." The bill has become the focal point for months of divisive debate about what type of EU divorce Britain should seek, severely testing May's ability to deliver on her exit strategy without a parliamentary majority. But despite one embarrassing parliamentary defeat, several government concessions and rebellion from within her own party, May's Conservative lawmakers overcame opposition from the Labour Party and others. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn instructed his lawmakers to vote against passage of the bill because the government had not met conditions set out by the party, demanding safeguards on a range of issues including workers and consumer rights. "This bill has never been fit for purpose," said Labour's Brexit policy chief, Keir Starmer, describing any attempt to persuade the government that the legislation needed to change as "talking to a brick wall". Lords scrutiny The upper house, the House of Lords, will now begin months of scrutiny of the bill before it can become law. Any changes made by the lords will require approval from the lower house, and the whole process could take until May to complete. The House of Lords contains a diverse, largely unelected, mix of political appointees, experts, and members who inherited their positions. Many lords are opposed to Brexit. Some of those figures are expected to try to soften the Brexit approach to include remaining in the EU's single market or a second public vote, but the most likely areas for changes involve technical and constitutional issues. May has ruled out a second vote and says Britain will be leaving. Labour's Corbyn is also committed to following through with Brexit, albeit pushing for different priorities and aims. Nevertheless, calls for a second referendum are expected to persist, particularly as both pro- and anti-EU politicians have mooted the possibility recently. EU officials and some member states have said they would welcome a change of heart from Britain. But, barring a major change of policy from one of the country's two largest political parties, Britain remains on course to leave the bloc in March 2019.

British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come

Britain could lose almost 500,000 jobs and 50 billion pounds ($67.41 billion) investment over the next 12 years if it fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union, according a report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Cambridge Econometrics, an economics consultancy, looked at five different Brexit scenarios, from the hardest to the softest form of Brexit, and broke down the economic impact on nine industries, from construction to finance.

The study said that in a no-deal scenario, the industry that fares the worst will be financial and professional services, with as many as 119,000 fewer jobs nationwide.

&quot;If the Government continue to mishandle the negotiations we could be heading for a lost decade of lower growth and lower employment,&quot; Khan said. &quot;Ministers are fast running out of time to turn the negotiations around.&quot;

Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship, after settling the broad terms of their divorce settlement last month.

A stand-off between Britain and the EU over the future access to single market for London&#39;s vast financial services industry is shaping up to be one of the key Brexit battlegrounds before Britain is due to leave the bloc in March 2019. 
&nbsp;

Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship

Britain could lose almost 500,000 jobs and 50 billion pounds ($67.41 billion) investment over the next 12 years if it fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union, according a report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Cambridge Econometrics, an economics consultancy, looked at five different Brexit scenarios, from the hardest to the softest form of Brexit, and broke down the economic impact on nine industries, from construction to finance. The study said that in a no-deal scenario, the industry that fares the worst will be financial and professional services, with as many as 119,000 fewer jobs nationwide. "If the Government continue to mishandle the negotiations we could be heading for a lost decade of lower growth and lower employment," Khan said. "Ministers are fast running out of time to turn the negotiations around." Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship, after settling the broad terms of their divorce settlement last month. A stand-off between Britain and the EU over the future access to single market for London's vast financial services industry is shaping up to be one of the key Brexit battlegrounds before Britain is due to leave the bloc in March 2019.

'No deal' Brexit could cost Britain about 500,000 jobs: London mayor Sadiq Khan

British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s long-awaited government reshuffle Monday was branded ineffectual and shambolic after she promoted few fresh faces to her top team and a minister resigned rather than accept a new post.

Education Secretary Justine Greening became the fourth minister to leave the Cabinet since November, after resisting a request to move to the welfare and pensions ministry.

Meanwhile, health minister Jeremy Hunt convinced May at the last minute to scrap plans to move him to the business department, according to media reports.&nbsp;

Most of her senior ministers also kept their jobs in the reshuffle, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit minister David Davis and finance minister Philip Hammond.

The prime minister carried out what her office called a &quot;refresh&quot; of the government after sacking her deputy Damian Green last month in a row over pornography found on his computer in 2008.

His departure followed those of the defence and aid ministers in unrelated scandals the previous month.

May hoped the shakeup would help her reassert authority ahead of crunch Brexit negotiations this year, and following a torrid 2017 in which she lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election last summer.

An interim deal on Brexit in December appeared to give her new impetus, and the much-anticipated reshuffle was arranged.

But the day began in a farcical fashion when her Conservative party announced a new chairman on Twitter, only to delete the tweet and later name another lawmaker for the post.

&quot;No wonder Theresa May&#39;s struggling to negotiate Brexit -- she can&#39;t even organise a reshuffle,&quot; opposition Labour MP Stephen Kinnock swiftly tweeted.

Following Hunt&#39;s reported refusal to move and Greening&#39;s resignation later Monday, Britain&#39;s newspapers were quick to lambast May&#39;s reboot.

The Times&#39;&nbsp;front page called the reshuffle &quot;shambolic&quot; while The Daily Telegraph declared it the &quot;night of the blunt stiletto&quot;.&nbsp;

Some Conservative lawmakers appeared to agree, with Tory grandee Nicholas Soames tweeting: &quot;I don&#39;t mean to be rude or to be seen to be disloyal but there needs to be a major improvement to the reshuffle tomorrow.&quot;

May is expected to announce a reshuffle of her lower government ranks on Tuesday. Greening&#39;s resignation is likely to be viewed as a challenge to the prime minister&#39;s already fragile authority.

She was offered the welfare ministry &quot;but declined to take it,&quot; a Downing Street source said.

&quot;The prime minister is disappointed but respects her decision to leave the government&quot;, the source added.

For her part, Greening said in a tweet that educational issues like social mobility matter &quot;more than my ministerial career&quot;, and vowed to continue to work for young people as a member of parliament.

May&#39;s room for manoeuvre is limited by heading a minority government and the need to maintain a delicate Cabinet balance of eurosceptic and pro-European ministers as major Brexit decisions loom.

After starting the two-year withdrawal process in March last year, Britain struck a deal in December on the financial settlement with Brussels, as well as on expatriate rights and the Irish border.

Negotiations on a transition deal begin this month, while the toughest talks, on Britain&#39;s future relationship with the EU including trade, are set to start in March.

Johnson, a leading Brexit supporter, kept his job at the foreign office, despite challenging May&#39;s strategy last year, as did fellow eurosceptic Liam Fox, the international trade minister.

Finance minister Hammond and interior minister Amber Rudd, who campaigned to stay in the EU, continue as before.

Former justice secretary David Lidington took over the policy coordination role previously held by Green but did not inherit the title of May&#39;s deputy.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who failed to secure a deal to restore the power-sharing government in Belfast after it collapsed a year ago, stepped down for health reasons Monday and has been replaced by culture minister Karen Bradley.

The former Conservative party chairman, Patrick McLoughlin, lost his job after the disastrous snap election.

It was one of several low points last year for the prime minister, who took office in July 2016 after the referendum on leaving the EU and began her tenure strongly with a bold Cabinet reshuffle.

Education Secretary Justine Greening became the fourth minister to leave the Cabinet since November

British Prime Minister Theresa May's long-awaited government reshuffle Monday was branded ineffectual and shambolic after she promoted few fresh faces to her top team and a minister resigned rather than accept a new post. Education Secretary Justine Greening became the fourth minister to leave the Cabinet since November, after resisting a request to move to the welfare and pensions ministry. Meanwhile, health minister Jeremy Hunt convinced May at the last minute to scrap plans to move him to the business department, according to media reports. Most of her senior ministers also kept their jobs in the reshuffle, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit minister David Davis and finance minister Philip Hammond. The prime minister carried out what her office called a "refresh" of the government after sacking her deputy Damian Green last month in a row over pornography found on his computer in 2008. His departure followed those of the defence and aid ministers in unrelated scandals the previous month. May hoped the shakeup would help her reassert authority ahead of crunch Brexit negotiations this year, and following a torrid 2017 in which she lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election last summer. An interim deal on Brexit in December appeared to give her new impetus, and the much-anticipated reshuffle was arranged. But the day began in a farcical fashion when her Conservative party announced a new chairman on Twitter, only to delete the tweet and later name another lawmaker for the post. "No wonder Theresa May's struggling to negotiate Brexit -- she can't even organise a reshuffle," opposition Labour MP Stephen Kinnock swiftly tweeted. Following Hunt's reported refusal to move and Greening's resignation later Monday, Britain's newspapers were quick to lambast May's reboot. The Times' front page called the reshuffle "shambolic" while The Daily Telegraph declared it the "night of the blunt stiletto". Some Conservative lawmakers appeared to agree, with Tory grandee Nicholas Soames tweeting: "I don't mean to be rude or to be seen to be disloyal but there needs to be a major improvement to the reshuffle tomorrow." May is expected to announce a reshuffle of her lower government ranks on Tuesday. Greening's resignation is likely to be viewed as a challenge to the prime minister's already fragile authority. She was offered the welfare ministry "but declined to take it," a Downing Street source said. "The prime minister is disappointed but respects her decision to leave the government", the source added. For her part, Greening said in a tweet that educational issues like social mobility matter "more than my ministerial career", and vowed to continue to work for young people as a member of parliament. May's room for manoeuvre is limited by heading a minority government and the need to maintain a delicate Cabinet balance of eurosceptic and pro-European ministers as major Brexit decisions loom. After starting the two-year withdrawal process in March last year, Britain struck a deal in December on the financial settlement with Brussels, as well as on expatriate rights and the Irish border. Negotiations on a transition deal begin this month, while the toughest talks, on Britain's future relationship with the EU including trade, are set to start in March. Johnson, a leading Brexit supporter, kept his job at the foreign office, despite challenging May's strategy last year, as did fellow eurosceptic Liam Fox, the international trade minister. Finance minister Hammond and interior minister Amber Rudd, who campaigned to stay in the EU, continue as before. Former justice secretary David Lidington took over the policy coordination role previously held by Green but did not inherit the title of May's deputy. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who failed to secure a deal to restore the power-sharing government in Belfast after it collapsed a year ago, stepped down for health reasons Monday and has been replaced by culture minister Karen Bradley. The former Conservative party chairman, Patrick McLoughlin, lost his job after the disastrous snap election. It was one of several low points last year for the prime minister, who took office in July 2016 after the referendum on leaving the EU and began her tenure strongly with a bold Cabinet reshuffle.

British PM's cabinet reshuffle marred by resignation

An EU agreement with Britain on relations after Brexit could serve as a model for ties with other countries that want to be as close as possible to the bloc but are not yet ready to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey, Germany&#39;s foreign minister said.

Britain secured the go-ahead from Brussels to start talks on its future relationship with the EU earlier this month, with London saying it aspires to a closer relationship as a former member than that of any other third country.

In an interview with the Funke newspaper group published on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members.

&quot;I can&#39;t imagine Turkey or Ukraine becoming EU members in the next few years,&quot; he said. &quot;If we get a smart agreement with Britain regulating relations with Europe after Brexit, that could be a model for other countries - Ukraine and also Turkey.&quot;

Turkey, a candidate for EU membership for decades, already has a customs union with the EU which allows the trade of most goods without tariffs.

One possibility would be to offer Ankara a &quot;new, closer form of the customs union&quot;, Gabriel said, although he also said such a project would have to wait for changes in Turkey&#39;s political environment.

Thousands of people, including German citizens, have been detained in Turkey as part of a government crackdown since a failed coup in 2016.

An agreement between the EU and Ukraine on a &quot;deep and comprehensive free trade area&quot; formally came into force in September, aimed at allowing free trade of goods, services and capital, and visa-free travel for people for short stays.

Ukraine&#39;s desire for closer ties with the EU was one of the driving forces behind a popular revolt that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014, leading Moscow to seize Ukraine&#39;s Crimea peninsula and back pro-Russian separatists in a still-unresolved conflict in the east of the country.

Gabriel&#39;s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is preparing for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives on governing together for another four years.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members.

An EU agreement with Britain on relations after Brexit could serve as a model for ties with other countries that want to be as close as possible to the bloc but are not yet ready to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey, Germany's foreign minister said. Britain secured the go-ahead from Brussels to start talks on its future relationship with the EU earlier this month, with London saying it aspires to a closer relationship as a former member than that of any other third country. In an interview with the Funke newspaper group published on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members. "I can't imagine Turkey or Ukraine becoming EU members in the next few years," he said. "If we get a smart agreement with Britain regulating relations with Europe after Brexit, that could be a model for other countries - Ukraine and also Turkey." Turkey, a candidate for EU membership for decades, already has a customs union with the EU which allows the trade of most goods without tariffs. One possibility would be to offer Ankara a "new, closer form of the customs union", Gabriel said, although he also said such a project would have to wait for changes in Turkey's political environment. Thousands of people, including German citizens, have been detained in Turkey as part of a government crackdown since a failed coup in 2016. An agreement between the EU and Ukraine on a "deep and comprehensive free trade area" formally came into force in September, aimed at allowing free trade of goods, services and capital, and visa-free travel for people for short stays. Ukraine's desire for closer ties with the EU was one of the driving forces behind a popular revolt that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014, leading Moscow to seize Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and back pro-Russian separatists in a still-unresolved conflict in the east of the country. Gabriel's Social Democratic Party (SPD) is preparing for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives on governing together for another four years.

Brexit deal could be template for EU ties to Ukraine, Turkey: German foreign minister

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say.

The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country&#39;s central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away.

In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016.

Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world.

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence.

&quot;The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression&quot;, said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian.

&quot;Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions&quot;, he added.

The &quot;Brexiteers&quot; argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed.

In Barcelona, &quot;there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth&quot;, said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain&#39;s National University of Distance Education.

Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites.

For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked &quot;on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy.

&quot;On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent&quot;.

Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity.

Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

&nbsp;

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say. The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country's central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away. In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016. Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world. In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence. "The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression", said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian. "Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions", he added. The "Brexiteers" argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed. In Barcelona, "there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth", said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain's National University of Distance Education. Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites. For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked "on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy. "On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent". Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity. Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

Brexit, Catalonia test EU resolve against nationalism

British Prime Minister Theresa May was set to avoid a damaging parliamentary defeat after rebels in her party appeared to strike a compromise over the exact timing of Brexit.&nbsp;The government is trying to pass major domestic legislation to implement Brexit and had wanted to enshrine the leaving date of March 29, 2019, in British law, two years after serving its intention to withdraw.&nbsp;

But Conservative rebel MPs, who helped deliver the government a stinging Brexit defeat in parliament on Wednesday, looked set to reject the plan over fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal if talks overrun, heaping further worries on the vulnerable prime minister.

A senior EU official told AFP on Saturday that sealing a final deal by March 2019 was a daunting task, pointing out that the EU trade deal with Canada &quot;is 1,598 pages of legal text, and we have negotiated for nine months and have 19 pages of non-legal text.&quot;

May is therefore under pressure from MPs to avoid a &quot;cliff-edge&quot; divorce that would throw the economy into chaos.&nbsp;But at the same time, she is being pressed by Brexit voters and eurosceptic potential usurpers in her own party to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty.

As a result, the rebels late Friday backed a new, more conciliatory, amendment to the Brexit bill to avert another House of Commons vote loss for the government.&nbsp;While the original plan to leave in March 2019 will stay in the bill, a new amendment will give ministers the power to delay the date if talks overrun.

&#39;Time to move on&#39;

Tory MP Oliver Letwin, who tabled the new amendment, told the Guardian it would &quot;create a sensible arrangement in which the date for leaving is set&quot; while allowing &quot;a little extra time&quot; to reach a new deal if needed.&nbsp;

Rebel MP Sarah Wollaston backed the compromise, tweeting it was &quot;good to see this amendment&quot;, and attached text saying &quot;we are pleased the government has responded to our concerns and will support&quot;, although May&#39;s office would not confirm that it had officially backed the plan.

Fellow rebel Anna Soubry tweeted it was &quot;time to move on and build a consensus on Brexit&quot;.&nbsp;The two teamed up on Wednesday to help pass an amendment demanding MPs get a &quot;meaningful vote&quot; on the deal before Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.

It was May&#39;s first defeat over the legislation, which will formally end Britain&#39;s membership of the EU, as well as smooth its exit by transferring thousands of pieces of European legislation onto the UK statute books.&nbsp;It came as a body blow to May on the eve of a summit in Brussels, where EU leaders approved the terms of the interim Brexit deal agreed last week after months of tortuous negotiations.

May lost her parliamentary majority during June&#39;s snap election and had to strike a deal with Northern Ireland&#39;s DUP to stay in power.&nbsp;She has since struggled to assert her authority, with rumours swirling of a leadership challenge, but appeared to be on the more solid ground after agreeing to the interim Brexit deal.

But her domestic weakness was laid bare on Wednesday when it took only 11 rebels to defeat the government&#39;s powers to enact a Brexit deal without a parliamentary vote.

Theresa May is under pressure from MPs to avoid a "cliff-edge" divorce that would throw the economy into chaos. But at the same time she is being pressed by Brexit voters to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU's Lisbon Treaty

British Prime Minister Theresa May was set to avoid a damaging parliamentary defeat after rebels in her party appeared to strike a compromise over the exact timing of Brexit. The government is trying to pass major domestic legislation to implement Brexit and had wanted to enshrine the leaving date of March 29, 2019, in British law, two years after serving its intention to withdraw. But Conservative rebel MPs, who helped deliver the government a stinging Brexit defeat in parliament on Wednesday, looked set to reject the plan over fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal if talks overrun, heaping further worries on the vulnerable prime minister. A senior EU official told AFP on Saturday that sealing a final deal by March 2019 was a daunting task, pointing out that the EU trade deal with Canada "is 1,598 pages of legal text, and we have negotiated for nine months and have 19 pages of non-legal text." May is therefore under pressure from MPs to avoid a "cliff-edge" divorce that would throw the economy into chaos. But at the same time, she is being pressed by Brexit voters and eurosceptic potential usurpers in her own party to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU's Lisbon Treaty. As a result, the rebels late Friday backed a new, more conciliatory, amendment to the Brexit bill to avert another House of Commons vote loss for the government. While the original plan to leave in March 2019 will stay in the bill, a new amendment will give ministers the power to delay the date if talks overrun. 'Time to move on' Tory MP Oliver Letwin, who tabled the new amendment, told the Guardian it would "create a sensible arrangement in which the date for leaving is set" while allowing "a little extra time" to reach a new deal if needed. Rebel MP Sarah Wollaston backed the compromise, tweeting it was "good to see this amendment", and attached text saying "we are pleased the government has responded to our concerns and will support", although May's office would not confirm that it had officially backed the plan. Fellow rebel Anna Soubry tweeted it was "time to move on and build a consensus on Brexit". The two teamed up on Wednesday to help pass an amendment demanding MPs get a "meaningful vote" on the deal before Britain leaves the EU in March 2019. It was May's first defeat over the legislation, which will formally end Britain's membership of the EU, as well as smooth its exit by transferring thousands of pieces of European legislation onto the UK statute books. It came as a body blow to May on the eve of a summit in Brussels, where EU leaders approved the terms of the interim Brexit deal agreed last week after months of tortuous negotiations. May lost her parliamentary majority during June's snap election and had to strike a deal with Northern Ireland's DUP to stay in power. She has since struggled to assert her authority, with rumours swirling of a leadership challenge, but appeared to be on the more solid ground after agreeing to the interim Brexit deal. But her domestic weakness was laid bare on Wednesday when it took only 11 rebels to defeat the government's powers to enact a Brexit deal without a parliamentary vote.

Brexit rebel MPs compromise with UK govt over key bill

The EU has hardened its position on Brexit trade talks after &quot;unacceptable&quot; comments by a British minister that risk undermining negotiations, the European Parliament&#39;s point man Guy Verhofstadt said Tuesday.

Britain&#39;s David Davis has caused alarm by saying that a deal struck in Brussels last Friday to agree separation arrangements and open talks on future relations was a &quot;statement of intent&quot; rather than &quot;legally enforceable.&quot;

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament&#39;s Brexit coordinator, said that following Davis&#39;s remarks made on Sunday, EU leaders meeting for a summit this week would now insist on the divorce terms being legally binding.

&quot;I have seen a hardening of the position of the council (EU leaders), and there will be a hardening position of the parliament,&quot; which will vote on a Brexit motion on Wednesday, Verhofstadt told reporters at the parliament in Strasbourg, France.

&quot;It&#39;s clear that the European Council will be more strict now in saying... we want that these commitments are translated into legal texts before we make progress in the second phase.&quot;

The European Parliament itself was now adding two amendments to a resolution it will vote on Wednesday, including one that unusually mentions Davis by name and says his comments &quot;risk to undermine the good faith that has been built during the negotiations.&quot;

On Sunday, Davis told the BBC Britain would not honour its &pound;35 billion-&pound;39 billion (40-45 billion euros, $47-52 billion) divorce bill as agreed under last week&#39;s deal if it fails to secure a future EU trade agreement when it leaves in March 2019.

But the EU has said that while the text of Friday&#39;s deal sealed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is for now a &quot;deal between gentlemen&quot;, it will become legally binding as part of Britain&#39;s withdrawal agreement.

Davis took a more diplomatic tone on Tuesday, saying it was a &quot;pleasure as ever to speak to my friend Guy Verhofstadt.&quot;

&quot;We both agreed on the importance of the Joint Report (the EU-UK deal) on Friday. Let&#39;s work together to get it converted into legal text as soon as possible,&quot; he said on Twitter.

Britain like &#39;gangster&#39;

But Philippe Lamberts, the Green group&#39;s representative in the European Parliament&#39;s Brexit steering group, said Britain&#39;s attitude now would hurt its bid to reach post-Brexit trade deals with other countries.

&quot;How can Britain be taken seriously globally if it behaves like a gangster in its international relationships?&quot; Lamberts said.

The EU negotiating guidelines that national leaders are set to adopt in Brussels on Friday will say phase two talks can only start once the divorce commitments are &quot;translated faithfully in legal terms,&quot; according to a draft seen by AFP.

The guidelines had been &quot;Mr Davis-proofed&quot;, a senior EU official said.

The EU has toughened a previous draft so that it now says talks on trade will not start until March, to give the British government time to provide &quot;further clarity&quot; on what it wants from the future relationship.

On Sunday, Davis told the BBC Britain would not honour its ?35 billion-?39 billion divorce bill as agreed under last week's deal

The EU has hardened its position on Brexit trade talks after "unacceptable" comments by a British minister that risk undermining negotiations, the European Parliament's point man Guy Verhofstadt said Tuesday. Britain's David Davis has caused alarm by saying that a deal struck in Brussels last Friday to agree separation arrangements and open talks on future relations was a "statement of intent" rather than "legally enforceable." Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, said that following Davis's remarks made on Sunday, EU leaders meeting for a summit this week would now insist on the divorce terms being legally binding. "I have seen a hardening of the position of the council (EU leaders), and there will be a hardening position of the parliament," which will vote on a Brexit motion on Wednesday, Verhofstadt told reporters at the parliament in Strasbourg, France. "It's clear that the European Council will be more strict now in saying... we want that these commitments are translated into legal texts before we make progress in the second phase." The European Parliament itself was now adding two amendments to a resolution it will vote on Wednesday, including one that unusually mentions Davis by name and says his comments "risk to undermine the good faith that has been built during the negotiations." On Sunday, Davis told the BBC Britain would not honour its £35 billion-£39 billion (40-45 billion euros, $47-52 billion) divorce bill as agreed under last week's deal if it fails to secure a future EU trade agreement when it leaves in March 2019. But the EU has said that while the text of Friday's deal sealed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is for now a "deal between gentlemen", it will become legally binding as part of Britain's withdrawal agreement. Davis took a more diplomatic tone on Tuesday, saying it was a "pleasure as ever to speak to my friend Guy Verhofstadt." "We both agreed on the importance of the Joint Report (the EU-UK deal) on Friday. Let's work together to get it converted into legal text as soon as possible," he said on Twitter. Britain like 'gangster' But Philippe Lamberts, the Green group's representative in the European Parliament's Brexit steering group, said Britain's attitude now would hurt its bid to reach post-Brexit trade deals with other countries. "How can Britain be taken seriously globally if it behaves like a gangster in its international relationships?" Lamberts said. The EU negotiating guidelines that national leaders are set to adopt in Brussels on Friday will say phase two talks can only start once the divorce commitments are "translated faithfully in legal terms," according to a draft seen by AFP. The guidelines had been "Mr Davis-proofed", a senior EU official said. The EU has toughened a previous draft so that it now says talks on trade will not start until March, to give the British government time to provide "further clarity" on what it wants from the future relationship.

EU toughens Brexit stance after 'unacceptable' comments: Verhofstadt

EU President Donald Tusk warned that talks on a post-Brexit trade deal and transition period would be even more difficult than a hard-won agreement on divorce terms that was sealed on Friday.

&quot;Let us remember that the most difficult challenge is still ahead. We all know that breaking up is hard but breaking up and building a new relation is much harder,&quot; Tusk said.

Issuing guidelines for the talks ahead, Tusk said Britain will have to follow all EU laws, including new ones, during the two-year transition period London has requested to reassure businesses.

He said it must also respect budgetary commitments and judicial oversight during a transition in which the remaining 27 European Union member countries continue to meet and make decisions without Britain.

In a sign of the challenges ahead, the former Polish premier said: &quot;We need more clarity on how the UK sees our future relation after it has left the single market.&quot;&nbsp;

He warned that time was of the essence before Britain&#39;s scheduled withdrawal from the bloc on 29 March 2019.

&quot;So much time has been devoted to the easiest part of the task. Now to negotiate a transitional arrangement and the framework for our future relationship we have de facto less than a year,&quot; he said.

The first phase of negotiations began 29 June, about a year after Britain&#39;s shock vote to leave the bloc, and finally wrapped up when British Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to Brussels early Friday.&nbsp;

The European Commission, the EU executive, said it &quot;recommends sufficient progress&quot; had been made by Britain on separation issues including the Irish border, Britain&#39;s divorce bill, and citizens rights.

The agreement paves the way for EU leaders at a summit on December 14-15 to open the second phase of Brexit negotiations, covering trade talks and a transition period.

Britain voted in June 2016 to become the first state to leave the EU, after more than four decades of membership, but the talks have been slow moving and often acrimonious so far.

'So much time has been devoted to the easiest part of the task. Now to negotiate a transitional arrangement and the framework for our future relationship we have de facto less than a year,' Donald Tusk said

EU President Donald Tusk warned that talks on a post-Brexit trade deal and transition period would be even more difficult than a hard-won agreement on divorce terms that was sealed on Friday. "Let us remember that the most difficult challenge is still ahead. We all know that breaking up is hard but breaking up and building a new relation is much harder," Tusk said. Issuing guidelines for the talks ahead, Tusk said Britain will have to follow all EU laws, including new ones, during the two-year transition period London has requested to reassure businesses. He said it must also respect budgetary commitments and judicial oversight during a transition in which the remaining 27 European Union member countries continue to meet and make decisions without Britain. In a sign of the challenges ahead, the former Polish premier said: "We need more clarity on how the UK sees our future relation after it has left the single market." He warned that time was of the essence before Britain's scheduled withdrawal from the bloc on 29 March 2019. "So much time has been devoted to the easiest part of the task. Now to negotiate a transitional arrangement and the framework for our future relationship we have de facto less than a year," he said. The first phase of negotiations began 29 June, about a year after Britain's shock vote to leave the bloc, and finally wrapped up when British Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to Brussels early Friday. The European Commission, the EU executive, said it "recommends sufficient progress" had been made by Britain on separation issues including the Irish border, Britain's divorce bill, and citizens rights. The agreement paves the way for EU leaders at a summit on December 14-15 to open the second phase of Brexit negotiations, covering trade talks and a transition period. Britain voted in June 2016 to become the first state to leave the EU, after more than four decades of membership, but the talks have been slow moving and often acrimonious so far.

EU's Tusk says 'most difficult challenge' ahead in Brexit talks

The European Commission said on Friday enough progress had been made in Brexit negotiations with Britain to allow a second phase of talks on future relations to begin, ending an impasse over the status of the Irish border.

The Commission gave its verdict in a statement after intense talks, which resulted in British Prime Minister Theresa May taking an early-morning flight to Brussels to announce the deal alongside Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The Commission&#39;s recommendation that sufficient progress has been made will now go to the European Union summit of leaders taking place next week.&nbsp;

&quot;Prime Minister May has assured me that it has the backing of the UK government. On that basis, I believe we have now made the breakthrough we need. Today&#39;s result is, of course, a compromise,&quot; Juncker told a hastily-arranged news conference.

May said she expected a formal agreement to be approved at the summit, which begins on December 14.

&quot;I also look forward to next week&#39;s European Council meeting, where I hope and expect we will be able to get the endorsement of the 27 (member countries) to what is a hard-won agreement in all our interests,&quot; May said.

The commission said it was ready to begin work immediately on phase two talks, which cover a transitional exit period, trade and long-term relations with the bloc.

Moving to talks about trade and a Brexit transition is crucial for the future of May&#39;s premiership, and to keep trade flowing between the world&#39;s biggest trading bloc and its sixth- largest national economy after Britain leaves on March 30, 2019.

May&#39;s key parliamentary ally in Northern Ireland gave a cautious endorsement of the new terms, four days after 11th-hour objections from Belfast scuppered May&#39;s attempt to sign off on an accord over the Irish border during a lunch in Brussels on Monday.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the border agreement meant there was no way Brexit could lead to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland - what will become the only land frontier between Britain and the EU after Brexit.

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Will be on <a href="https://twitter.com/morningireland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@morningireland</a> shortly to explain and outline detail of Irish assurances on Brexit deal - very good outcome for everyone on the island of Ireland - no Hard Border guaranteed!
&mdash; Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) <a href="https://twitter.com/simoncoveney/status/939026242304540672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Very good outcome for everyone on the island of Ireland - no Hard Border guaranteed!,&quot; Coveney said on Twitter.

In the text, Britain agreed that should London and Brussels fail to agree a final Brexit deal, the United Kingdom will maintain &quot;full alignment&quot; with those rules of the internal market and customs union that help to protect north-south cooperation in Ireland.&nbsp;

It said in the absence of a trade deal, no new barriers would develop between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom unless the devolved government in Northern Ireland agree that distinct arrangements are appropriate.&nbsp;

&quot;In all circumstances, the United Kingdom will continue to ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland&#39;s businesses to the whole of the United Kingdom internal market,&quot; it said.

The commission said it was ready to begin work immediately on phase two talks, which cover a transitional exit period, trade and long-term relations with the bloc

The European Commission said on Friday enough progress had been made in Brexit negotiations with Britain to allow a second phase of talks on future relations to begin, ending an impasse over the status of the Irish border. The Commission gave its verdict in a statement after intense talks, which resulted in British Prime Minister Theresa May taking an early-morning flight to Brussels to announce the deal alongside Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The Commission's recommendation that sufficient progress has been made will now go to the European Union summit of leaders taking place next week. "Prime Minister May has assured me that it has the backing of the UK government. On that basis, I believe we have now made the breakthrough we need. Today's result is, of course, a compromise," Juncker told a hastily-arranged news conference. May said she expected a formal agreement to be approved at the summit, which begins on December 14. "I also look forward to next week's European Council meeting, where I hope and expect we will be able to get the endorsement of the 27 (member countries) to what is a hard-won agreement in all our interests," May said. The commission said it was ready to begin work immediately on phase two talks, which cover a transitional exit period, trade and long-term relations with the bloc. Moving to talks about trade and a Brexit transition is crucial for the future of May's premiership, and to keep trade flowing between the world's biggest trading bloc and its sixth- largest national economy after Britain leaves on March 30, 2019. May's key parliamentary ally in Northern Ireland gave a cautious endorsement of the new terms, four days after 11th-hour objections from Belfast scuppered May's attempt to sign off on an accord over the Irish border during a lunch in Brussels on Monday. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the border agreement meant there was no way Brexit could lead to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland - what will become the only land frontier between Britain and the EU after Brexit. Will be on @morningireland shortly to explain and outline detail of Irish assurances on Brexit deal - very good outcome for everyone on the island of Ireland - no Hard Border guaranteed! — Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) December 8, 2017 × "Very good outcome for everyone on the island of Ireland - no Hard Border guaranteed!," Coveney said on Twitter. In the text, Britain agreed that should London and Brussels fail to agree a final Brexit deal, the United Kingdom will maintain "full alignment" with those rules of the internal market and customs union that help to protect north-south cooperation in Ireland. It said in the absence of a trade deal, no new barriers would develop between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom unless the devolved government in Northern Ireland agree that distinct arrangements are appropriate. "In all circumstances, the United Kingdom will continue to ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the whole of the United Kingdom internal market," it said.

Britain and EU clinch deal to move Brexit talks forward

Asian shares rallied for a second session on Friday as economic news from China and Japan beat all expectations while bitcoin, the market&#39;s new crypto-star, tumbled more than 10 percent after a meteoric ascent in recent weeks.

Sterling briefly rose after the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU and the UK have made a breakthrough in the negotiations on how to run their post-Brexit land border and that the two sides will move to the next step of negotiation.

Beijing reported exports surged 12.3 percent in November from a year earlier, more than double the forecast, while imports climbed almost 18 percent.

Iron ore and copper imports enjoyed a stellar rebound, which could help stem a recent pullback in commodity prices.

Japan&#39;s Nikkei led the way as the yen eased on the dollar, rising 1.1 percent on top of Thursday&#39;s 1.45 percent bounce to be almost back where it started the week.

Revised data showed Japan&#39;s economy grew twice as fast as first thought as business spending jumped.

European stock futures were up, with euro Stoxx 50 futures rising 0.6 percent in early trade.

Australian stocks put on 0.3 percent while MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.7 percent.

Bidders were encouraged by a steadier performance on Wall Street, where the Dow rose 0.29 percent. The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.29 percent and the Nasdaq 0.54 percent.

Still to come as US&nbsp;nonfarm payrolls, with investors looking for 200,000 new jobs in November and much talk wages might show some welcome strength.

Sterling which briefly rose as high as $1.3521 on the Brexit accord, two cents above its low of $1.3320 on Thursday, last traded at $1.3461, down 0.1 percent for the day.

It was one of only a few currencies to gain on the US&nbsp;dollar, which was otherwise broadly firmer.

The US&nbsp;currency cleared 113.00 yen to reach 113.34, while the euro touched a two-week low at $1.1763. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar held firm at 93.848.

Digital Darling

Bitcoin crested above $16,666 on the Bitstamp exchange having doubled in value in just two weeks.

But within a few hours, it dropped almost 15 percent from that level to as low as 14,239 in volatile trade, intensifying the debate about whether it is a bubble about to burst. It last stood at $15,641, down 6 percent on the day.

The largest US&nbsp;cryptocurrency exchange has been struggling to manage record traffic, with an imminent launch of the first bitcoin futures contract further fuelling investor interest.

Some, however, warned the coming of futures might prove to be the downfall of the digital darling.

&quot;Dragging bitcoin into the futures market poses a risk of big players opening doors to short-selling hell,&quot; said Naeem Aslam, the chief market analyst at Think Markets UK.

&quot;Futures markets make it possible to short in decent size with a lot of liquidity, thus affecting the price discovery in the underlying asset market.&quot;

The spectacular rise of the cryptocurrency has stolen some thunder from gold bulls, providing an asset that is also seen as a hedge against inflation and government interference.

Gold steadied at $1,258.10, having finally breached its recent tight trading range to hit a four-month trough at $1,245.60.

&quot;Demand for gold relative to supply has had centuries to reach an equilibrium,&quot; noted Alan Ruskin, a macro strategist at Deutsche Bank. &quot;Bitcoin global demand is still finding its place relative to constrained/inelastic supply.&quot;

Oil prices had gone the other way as a threatened strike by oil workers in Nigeria forced a bout of short covering.

Brent futures were barely changed at $62.19 a barrel, having climbed 98 cents overnight. US&nbsp;crude was off 4 cents at $56.65. [O/R]

Asian shares rallied for a second session on Friday as economic news from China and Japan beat all expectations while bitcoin, the market's new crypto-star, tumbled more than 10 percent after a meteoric ascent in recent weeks

Asian shares rallied for a second session on Friday as economic news from China and Japan beat all expectations while bitcoin, the market's new crypto-star, tumbled more than 10 percent after a meteoric ascent in recent weeks. Sterling briefly rose after the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU and the UK have made a breakthrough in the negotiations on how to run their post-Brexit land border and that the two sides will move to the next step of negotiation. Beijing reported exports surged 12.3 percent in November from a year earlier, more than double the forecast, while imports climbed almost 18 percent. Iron ore and copper imports enjoyed a stellar rebound, which could help stem a recent pullback in commodity prices. Japan's Nikkei led the way as the yen eased on the dollar, rising 1.1 percent on top of Thursday's 1.45 percent bounce to be almost back where it started the week. Revised data showed Japan's economy grew twice as fast as first thought as business spending jumped. European stock futures were up, with euro Stoxx 50 futures rising 0.6 percent in early trade. Australian stocks put on 0.3 percent while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.7 percent. Bidders were encouraged by a steadier performance on Wall Street, where the Dow rose 0.29 percent. The S&P 500 gained 0.29 percent and the Nasdaq 0.54 percent. Still to come as US nonfarm payrolls, with investors looking for 200,000 new jobs in November and much talk wages might show some welcome strength. Sterling which briefly rose as high as $1.3521 on the Brexit accord, two cents above its low of $1.3320 on Thursday, last traded at $1.3461, down 0.1 percent for the day. It was one of only a few currencies to gain on the US dollar, which was otherwise broadly firmer. The US currency cleared 113.00 yen to reach 113.34, while the euro touched a two-week low at $1.1763. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar held firm at 93.848. Digital Darling Bitcoin crested above $16,666 on the Bitstamp exchange having doubled in value in just two weeks. But within a few hours, it dropped almost 15 percent from that level to as low as 14,239 in volatile trade, intensifying the debate about whether it is a bubble about to burst. It last stood at $15,641, down 6 percent on the day. The largest US cryptocurrency exchange has been struggling to manage record traffic, with an imminent launch of the first bitcoin futures contract further fuelling investor interest. Some, however, warned the coming of futures might prove to be the downfall of the digital darling. "Dragging bitcoin into the futures market poses a risk of big players opening doors to short-selling hell," said Naeem Aslam, the chief market analyst at Think Markets UK. "Futures markets make it possible to short in decent size with a lot of liquidity, thus affecting the price discovery in the underlying asset market." The spectacular rise of the cryptocurrency has stolen some thunder from gold bulls, providing an asset that is also seen as a hedge against inflation and government interference. Gold steadied at $1,258.10, having finally breached its recent tight trading range to hit a four-month trough at $1,245.60. "Demand for gold relative to supply has had centuries to reach an equilibrium," noted Alan Ruskin, a macro strategist at Deutsche Bank. "Bitcoin global demand is still finding its place relative to constrained/inelastic supply." Oil prices had gone the other way as a threatened strike by oil workers in Nigeria forced a bout of short covering. Brent futures were barely changed at $62.19 a barrel, having climbed 98 cents overnight. US crude was off 4 cents at $56.65. [O/R]

Asia cheers China trade boost, bitcoin comes off heady heights

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