Brexit news - live: UK and EU commit to ‘proper implementation’ of Northern Ireland protocol

Northern Tory MPs have written to the leader of Cumbria Country Council, saying that a decision to not open a controversial coal mine would pose a “serious risk” to the region’s economy.

This comes after the development at Whitehaven was strongly condemned for breaching the government’s climate change commitments.

As a result, the council said on 9 February that it would reconsider the proposal it had initially approved.

Keir Starmer has harked back to the spirit of 1945 in a speech outlining his economic vision for the UK.

In his address, the Labour leader said that his party was best placed to lead the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

“It was there in 1945 after the sacrifice of war and it is there again now - it is there in the determination that our collective sacrifice must lead to a better future,” he said.

“We can’t return to business as usual, certainly not to an economy rooted in insecurity and inequality,” the Labour leader added.

Keir Starmer has attacked the Conservatives for failing to tackle inequality in British society.

In a speech laying out his party’s vision, he said that the Tories “simply don’t believe that it’s the role of government to tackle inequality or insecurity”.

The Labour leader also took aim at successive Conservative prime minister’s rhetoric of change, including its ‘levelling up’ slogan. “But all it ever adds up to is a few soundbites and the odd photo opportunity,” he said.

“The truth is, whoever their Prime Minister is, the Conservatives simply don’t believe that it’s the role of government to tackle inequality or insecurity.”

The Labour leader Keir Starmer has proposed a new British Recovery Bond to raise billions of pounds to invest in local communities, jobs and businesses.

In a keynote speech on Thursday morning, he said the Bond would provide financial security for millions of people.

Mr Starmer also called for start-up loans for 100,000 new businesses across the UK to help the economy recover.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the details:

Stena Line’s head of UK port authorities has said customers are generally “more accepting” of the reality of Brexit now, but warned “small traders” are the ones still suffering.

Stena runs one of the most popular Britain-Ireland services available.

Speaking to the Brexit and Northern Ireland Committee on Thursday, Ian Davies said: “The amount of work companies are putting in to adapt their businesses [to post-Brexit bureaucracy] is phenomenal.

“I work for a big business, I know how much resources we have put into this.”

But, he said, “the smaller trader is really, really struggling”.

Mr Davies added that although customers had a newfound “willingness” and “acceptance” of the changes Brexit brought about, smaller freight businesses simply “have not had enough time to adapt after this so-called transition period”.

The UK’s transition period ended on 31 December 2020 - at which point various border issues arose across the country.

Incase you missed this, from our deputy political editor Rob Merrick, yesterday:

Talks to rebuild security cooperation with the EU must restart now after the Brexit deal left the UK “less safe and less secure”, a Conservative group says.

Boris Johnson is accused of “not being ambitious enough” after the agreement shut down access to vital criminal databases, including records of stolen identities and wanted people.

Ejection from the European Arrest Warrant system means “some criminals will not be extradited”, while leaving Europol means the UK will lose crucial influence, a report says.

Read the full story here:

Boris Johnson’s approval rating seems to have climbed five percentage points while Sir Keir Starmer’s has fallen, according to the latest Savanta ComRes poll. 

Some 43 per cent believe the current PM makes the best leader compared with 27 per cent who named Sir Keir.

The poll also found that more people believe Sir Keir’s Labour Party is doing “badly” vs “well” in trying to win back voters lost in the 2019 general election (35 per cent vs 24 per cent), uniting the Labour Party (37 per cent vs 24 per cent), and looking like a government in waiting (36 per cent vs 26 per cent).

Mr Johnson’s boost in ratings is likely due to the Covid vaccine programme being rolled out across the UK, which has so far seen over 15 million people immunised against the virus.

The director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium has called for the UK and the EU to both show pragmatism in helping the business community in the territory.

Aodhan Connolly made the remark following a virtual meeting between European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic, cabinet office minister Michael Gove and Northern Irish traders on Thursday.

He described the meeting as “important”, adding that it should be “the start of a comprehensive dialogue” between the UK and the EU, helped by the expert advice of business leaders.

Mr Connolly warned that “unprecedented presure” could be heaped onto supply chains when a number of grace periods elapse on 1 April.

Here’s the full statement from the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium after today’s meeting with the European Commission and the UK government.

Director Aodhan Connolly said the business community in Northern Ireland needs four things: stability, simplicity, certainty and affordability.

Ministers should launch a compensation scheme for frontline staff who have long Covid, MPs have said.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus urged Boris Johnson to recognise it as an occupational disease, as some long Covid sufferers find it difficult to return to work.

APPG chairwoman Layla Moran described it as “the hidden health crisis of the pandemic”, one which would probably have an “enormous impact” on society in the future.

“When it comes to frontline NHS, care and key workers, they were specifically asked to go to work and save lives while everyone else was asked to stay at home,” she added.