Tory minister repeatedly refuses to apologise for government’s Covid-19 response
Brexit minister David Frost has used his speech in Lisbon today to accuse the EU of using Northern Ireland to try to reverse the 2016 referendum result.
The minister said that the Northern Ireland Protocol is the “biggest source of mistrust” between the UK and EU as he called for the protocol to be revised.
“I do understand why the EU finds it difficult to come back to an agreement that was reached only two years ago. Though obviously, that in itself is far from unusual in international relations,” Lord Frost said.
“Equally, there’s a widespread feeling in the UK that the EU did try to use Northern Ireland to encourage UK political forces to reverse the referendum result, or at least to keep us closely aligned with EU.”
It came as eleven European countries signed a declaration criticising the UK over its “inappropriate” stance towards post-Brexit fishing arrangements – the government of Jersey announced in late September that only a small number of French vessels would be given fishing permits to work in its waters.
Ministers should stop picking ‘needless fights’ with EU, Lib Dem official says
The UK government should work with “our friends and neighbours” in Europe instead of picking “needless fights” with the EU, the Liberal Democrats have said in response to Lord Frost’s speech this afternoon.
Liberal Democrat home affairs and Northern Ireland spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said on Tuesday that Boris Johnson’s government was “playing out like a badly written farce”.
“The same minister who just months ago was trumpeting the government’s botched Brexit deal now says it’s intolerable and has to be changed,” Mr Carmichael said.
“After all the upheaval British businesses have suffered and all the challenges they face now, they need certainty and support from the government, not more pointless posturing.
“The solution to disruption and shortages is working together with our friends and neighbours, not picking needless fights.”
Conrad Duncan12 October 2021 17:20
Relations with EU will stay poor until Brexit deal is rewritten, Lord Frost says
The UK government has set a diplomatic collision course with Brussels this afternoon after Brexit minister Lord Frost accused the EU of being “disreputable” and “disrespectful” to Britain.
In his speech in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday, Lord Frost warned that the “fractious” relations with the EU would not improve unless Brussels rewrites the Brexit deal to suit the UK government.
Our reporter, Jon Stone, has the full story below:
Conrad Duncan12 October 2021 17:02
Lord Frost says UK would ‘prefer’ not to trigger Article 16
Brexit minister Lord Frost has said that the UK government would “prefer” not to trigger Article 16 to suspend parts of the withdrawal agreement with the EU, but it will “look seriously” at the option.
“It’s not what we would prefer to do, you know, we would much prefer to find the consensus on this subject, that’s absolutely clear, and as I said, of course, we will look seriously at what the commission proposes,” he said on Tuesday.
“I know that a lot of effort will have gone into what we get tomorrow from the commission, we take that very seriously.”
The minister added: “We will, of course, look at it seriously and we very much want to get into talks about it, as well as what we have put on the table, so that is the best way forward.
“If we can find consensus that is much better for everybody, but it’s got to be a consensus that deals with the situation. If it doesn’t, there are other tools in the protocol.”
Conrad Duncan12 October 2021 16:52
Hard Brexit was only way to give UK freedom, Lord Frost claims
A hard Brexit was the only way to give the UK freedom from the EU, Lord Frost has claimed, arguing that this was what the British public expected when they backed leaving the bloc in 2016.
“History shows us that it is genuine competition – regulatory and commercial – between states which has typically been the most reliable driver of innovation and progress,” the Brexit minister said.
“That’s why what some people call, I quote, ‘hard Brexit’ – in its original sense of leaving the EU customs union and single market – was essential.
“It was the only form of Brexit that allowed us freedom to experiment and freedom to act.”
He added: “In Britain people voted for change, that’s what they expect and that’s what’s happening.”
Lord Frost also said that it would be up to the EU to decide if it wanted to have a trade war with the UK over the potential triggering of Article 16 to unilaterally take action over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“It would be for the EU to decide whether it makes sense to retaliate,” the minister said.
“I don’t think it would make the situation any better by doing so, it won’t help the situation in Northern Ireland but obviously that’s not in our hands.”
Conrad Duncan12 October 2021 16:38
Lord Frost accuses the EU of not wanting UK to succeed
Lord Frost said the UK is “constantly faced with generalised accusations that can’t be trusted.”
The Brexit minister listed tensions between the two sides including the vaccine ban earlier this year, threats to energy supplies and a “needless ban on the import of most shellfish to the EU, causing significant pain to our fishermen.”
Lord Frost said: “So, with all this in mind, we can’t help taking it with a pinch of salt when we are told that the EU has stopped thinking about the UK and it is we who are still obsessed with Brexit.
“Actually we are not. There is no electoral dividend in endlessly talking about Brexit, quite the reverse. That is why the PM barely mentioned it in his party conference speech last week.”
“What we do see instead is an organisation that doesn’t always look like it wants us to succeed.”
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 16:22
Lord Frost accused the EU of using Northern Ireland to try to reverse the referendum result
The Brexit minister said: “The Northern Ireland Protocol is the biggest source of mistrust between us and for all kinds of reasons we need to fix this problem.
“I do understand why the EU finds it difficult to come back to an agreement that was reached only two years ago. Though obviously, that in itself is far from unusual in international relations,” he said.
Lord Frost added: “Equally, there’s a widespread feeling in the UK that the EU did try to use Northern Ireland to encourage UK political forces to reverse the referendum result, or at least to keep us closely aligned with EU.
Lord Frost added that the protocol, formerly hailed a great deal by Boris Johnson “represents a moment of EU overreach” when the UK’s negotiating hand was tied.
Lord Frost said the deal cannot continue to exist in its current form.
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 15:57
No contradiction between ‘pursuing own prosperity’ and ‘deep relationships’ with EU, Frost says
In his speech, David Frost has also said the UK’s influence on the EU “now comes through the power of example”.
The Brexit minister added that the UK has no interest in “coalition building” across the EU, but wanted EU members to prosper.
“Brexit will likely strengthen our interest in deep engagement with the traditionally more transatlanticist countries like Portugal, but also the countries in central and eastern Europe that bear the direct burden of the pressure from Russia,” Lord Frost said.
On the relationship with France, he said: “Despite the very visible current difficulties, we will always look to have a construct and productive relationship with France.”
“There is of course no contradiction between these deep relationships based on fundamental interests and pursuing our own prosperity in our own way.”
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 15:52
UK has a ‘somewhat fractious relationship with EU’ says Brexit minister
Brexit minister Lord Frost has said the UK has a “somewhat fractious relationship” with the EU following Brexit.
Delivering a speech in Lisbon, Lord Frost said: “And now, as we look at Europe from the UK, now that we’ve left the EU and its rules, the geopolitics of Britain’s position as an offshore island with particular allies, but global interests, come back to the forefront.
“Brexit has changed our international interests and hence will change our patterns of European relationships. Not necessarily fundamentally, but significantly.”
He said the UK would be “setting a different path on economic policy” because “Brexit means competition” and it was “a democratic project that’s bringing politics back home”.
“Fixing the very serious problem we have in the Northern Ireland Protocol is a prerequisite for getting to that better place,” he added.
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 15:42
One of the world’s largest shipping firms has said it has begun diverting ships from the UK due to a backlog of cargo caused by the HGV driver shortage.
The Financial Times reported that shipping giant Maersk has stopped deliveries to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest commercial port.
“We had to stop operations on a ship because there was nowhere to discharge the containers,” Maersk head of global ocean network, Lars Mikael Jensenhe said.
“Felixstowe is among the top two or three worst-hit terminals. We are having to deviate some of the bigger ships away from Felixstowe and relay some of the smaller ships for the cargo,” he added.
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 15:22
Labour leader says government must apolgise for Covid failings
Sir Keir Starmer has said Borish Johnson must apologise for the failings of the government’s coromavirus handling.
Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to a HGV training provider near Oldham, Greater Manchester, Sir Keir said: “The Prime Minister should take responsibility because the responsibility is his, and he should apologise.
“But I’d like to just start by acknowledging just how difficult a day this will be for the bereaved families learning what they will learn in this report, which is a damning indictment of the Government and the flaws and errors and failures of the Government running down the NHS before the pandemic, being far too slow to respond, with the price being paid by those bereaved families, chaotic track and trace.
“And I think the least the Prime Minister could do is address the families, apologise, and bring for the public inquiry just as quickly as possible.”
Thomas Kingsley12 October 2021 15:04