Brexit news: Boris Johnson prepared to walk away from free trade deal, as Barnier insists UK must keep EU regulations
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has set out his stall on post-Brexit talks with Brussels – demanding a “Canada-style” free trade deal and vowing that Britain will not accept any EU rules on social protections and the environment.
The PM has said he would be willing to accept trade arrangements “more like Australia’s” if the EU does not agree. Acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey claimed Mr Johnson was simply re-branding a no-deal crash out scenario, attacking it as “no deal in all but name”.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Brussels was prepared to make an “exceptional offer” for a wide-ranging free trade agreement – but said that it was conditional on retaining EU rules across a whole set of areas to uphold a “level playing field”.
Downing Street also apparently banned a Guardian sketchwriter from Boris Johnson's speech in Greenwich earlier today.
Needless to say John Crace is a lot more critical of the PM than Quentin Letts of the Times.
Concerns about Number 10's attempt to exclude selected publications from the briefing were raised in the House of Commons by Labour Brexit spokesman Paul Blomfield.
He told MPs: "If the government is serious about bringing people together, we need reassurance that they will conduct the next stage of negotiations in an open and accountable way, and not by banning journalists from their briefings."
Dominic Raab was asked about the prime minister's decision to dismiss Claire Perry O'Neill as president of the major UN climate summit in Glasgow later this year.
He said it was "right there is full ministerial responsibility over the negotiations" - a reference to the fact Ms O'Neill ceased to be a cabinet minister in July last year (when she was appointed to the presidency of COP26 by Boris Johnson) and decided not to stand for election in December.
Ms O'Neill is reportedly considering taking legal action unless she is given a full explanation.
No plans to evacuate all 30,000 UK nationals from China, says health secretary
Matt Hancock, giving an update on Wuhan coronavirus, confirms the government is providing £20m to speed up development of a vaccine.
He says Public Health England has concluded the virus has not evolved in the last month.
The number of cases in China is currently doubling every five days and the virus "will last for some months to come", he adds.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint."
Responding to shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, Mr Hancock says: "We have no plans to evacuate all remaining UK nationals in China."
↵Sinn Fein leader to appear in final Irish election TV debate as poll shows party surging to first place
Sinn Féin have continued to surge in the polls ahead of this week's Irish general election, with one survey now showing the left-wing Republicans tied in first place, reports Jon Stone.
The party's leader Mary Lou McDonald will face down Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin in the final TV election debate on Tuesday night.
Medical staff drove across two counties to pick up a birthday present for the wife of one of the Britons quarantined in the Wirral, MPs have heard.
The example was given by Tory MP Katharine Fletcher as she paid tribute to those involved in the UK's response to the coronavirus.
Matt Hancock agreed, adding: "There have been several examples, including some of the biscuits that have been given to those who are being quarantined in Arrow Park, which have apparently gone down very well."
He says that the government are not recommending that the public wear face masks.
Justice secretary Robert Buckland is now giving a statement about the terror attack in Streatham, south London, yesterday.
He pays tribute to police and ambulance staff who ran towards the incident despite the risk to their own lives.
Streatham attacker Sudesh Amman was automatically released after serving half of his prison sentence, justice secretary Robert Buckland confirms.
"One week ago he was automatically released half way through that term," he says. "The parole board had no involvement in the matter. The law required unconditional release at that half way period."
Mr Buckland outlines the tougher measures that were announced earlier this month in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack in December - including lie detector tests, 14-year minimum sentences and and end to early release.
He also pays tribute to probation and prison staff "in the face of such deep seated ideology".
Government to introduce "emergency legislation" to prevent early release of convicted terrorists
Justice secretary Robert Buckland says that the Streatham attack means that "immediate action" must be taken to prevent offenders being released without oversight by the parole board.
Under the new measures, convicted terrorists will serve at least two-thirds of their sentence and will not be released before the end of the full term unless the Parole board Agrees, he says.
"Any release will be subject to risk assessment by the parole board," Mr Buckland adds.
The minister says that the measures will also apply to serving prisoners.
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