Boris Johnson news: Queen signs Brexit bill into law as PM warned against ‘foolish’ attempt to rush trade deals with US and EU
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson’s Brexit legislation has cleared all stages in parliament after it received royal assent. It follows an EU warning of “sanctions” if Mr Johnson’s government fails to implement controversial goods checks in the Irish Sea after Brexit.
Opposition MPs warned the government it would be “foolish” to rush trade deals with both the EU and the US this year. Trump official Steven Mnuchin said Washington expects a US-UK trade deal to be done in 2020 – despite a growing row over No 10’s planned “tech tax”.
Elsewhere, Keir Starmer paused his Labour leadership campaign after his mother-in-law was admitted to hospital, while a formal bullying complaint has been filed against former speaker John Bercow by his most senior Commons clerk.
To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below
Downing Street says coronavirus tests in Scotland are 'purely precautionary'
Responding to the announcement that tests for coronavirus were taking place in Scotland, a Downing Street spokesman said: “These measures are purely precautionary. Nobody has tested positive.
“We remain in close contact with the World Trade Organisation and other international partners.
“We are well prepared and well equipped and officials and ministers will keep the situation under continuous review. The prime minister is being kept updated.”
The spokesman said it was believed that the four people undergoing tests are Chinese nationals.
Calls for overhaul to US-UK extradition rules
UK government struck a 'truly dreadful agreement' with the US on extradition, says former cabinet minister David Davis.
'We now risk another serious miscarriage of justice', he warns, over the case of Dr Mike Lynch, who founded a leading data processing company called Autonomy, which was later sold to Hewlett Packard.
Speaking in the Commons, Davis says the US are doggedly pursuing his extradition on fraud charges - despite an ongoing civil case in the UK - and this case is 'characteristic' of the way it 'favours US business'.
Davis says 135 British nationals have been surrendered to the US since 2007 - 99 of them for non-violent crimes. During the same period, the US has surrendered 11 people to the UK.
He urges the home secretary to use every legal mechanism available to delay extradition until a UK trial has concluded. He also says the UK must reset its extradition relationship with the US as talks begin on post-Brexit trade.
'Maybe we should mimic Israel and refuse to extradite British citizens on anything other than violent crimes and terrorism', he says.
Minister Kit Malthouse praises him for efforts but says he cannot confirm or deny any extradition request. He says the treaty has worked effectively and the US has never refused a request from the UK. Nor does it guarantee any UK citizen will be extradited, he says.
The EU’s Brexit ‘sanctions’ threat shows the UK should not expect them or the US to be friendly over trade
Far from having our trade-related cake and eating it under Brexit, we may well end up with no cake at all, writes the Independent's Sean O'Grady.
Read his column here:
Boris Johnson's Brexit deal clears first hurdle in European Parliament
Boris Johnson's Brexit deal has cleared its first hurdle in the European Parliament after it was approved by a key committee of MEPs.
The withdrawal agreement was overwhelmingly backed on the parliament's Constitutional Affairs committee by 23 votes in favour to three against.
It means the treaty will head to a vote for all MEPs next Wednesday, just two days before the UK is set to leave the EU.
Tory MP wants fireworks display visible from France and ‘We love UK’ banner on White Cliffs of Dover for Brexit day
A Conservative MP has called for Brexit to be marked next week with a firework display that can be seen from France and a huge banner hanging from the White Cliffs of Dover.
Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, has urged the UK to celebrate its exit from the European Union by hanging a banner displaying the words “We love the UK” on 31 January.
The newly elected Conservative has suggested the banner should replace a rival 150 square metre “We still love EU” banner which is being crowdfunded by Liberal Democrat MEP Antony Hook.
Tory MP mocked for claiming Labour is 'culturally appropriating' trade union event
A Conservative MP was ridiculed for claiming Labour is “culturally appropriating” the Durham Miners’ Gala – when it was set up and is run by trade unions.
Richard Holden came under fire as he vowed he and other new Tory MPs in the area would defy a ‘ban’ on them attending the tradition-soaked event addressed by leading Labour figures.
“I think there’s a danger of some parts of the Labour party almost culturally appropriating these working-class traditions, which have become cultural institutions,” he told the BBC's Politics Live programme.
Nicky Morgan confirms she will stand down from the cabinet in upcoming reshuffle
The former Loughborough MP quit the Commons in the December election but was given a seat in the Lords by Boris Johnson - and retained her ministerial role.
Baroness Morgan of Cotes told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast: "I made the decision to leave the House of Commons and to leave ministerial life in December.
"I achieved one of those goals, I haven't quite achieved the other one but I do intend, when the reshuffle comes, that - although I love being Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Secretary - it is time for various reasons to take a step back from ministerial life."
She said she took the decision because of a "culmination of things", but that there was "one particular incident" when she was recommended to sit near the front of the train when travelling back to her constituency by a guard amid heightened tensions in Westminster over Brexit.
"I just thought, actually, is this really where I want to be in terms of the way I'm living my life, and so for me that crystallised it."
Sajid Javid moves to stem business alarm over alignment with EU rules
Chancellor Sajid Javid has moved to stem business alarm over the government’s determination to avoid alignment with EU rules and standards after Brexit by declaring that the UK will not “diverge for the sake of it”.
The comment, in a speech to the CBI in Davos, marked a retreat from his insistence in a weekend interview that there would be no alignment and businesses would have to “adjust”.
His remarks to the Financial Times sparked concern among businesses in key sectors like car manufacturing and agriculture, who fear that breaking away from EU rules will mean costly delays which would force prices up for consumers.
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