British tourists could have to pay to visit Europe after Brexit as part of a US-style visa waiver system, the immigration minister has said. Robert Goodwill told MPs the EU was considering adopting a version of America's Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) but it was too early know if this would apply to UK residents after withdrawal. Mr Goodwill pointed out that the US system was not journey specific and some ESTAs lasted for ten years. The ESTA costs $14 (£11) and lets British visitors go to the USA for less than 90 days without a visa. It is required even if a traveller is just passing through the US in transit. SNP member of the European Scrutiny Committee Alan Brown told the minister that Leave advocates in the referendum campaign had said there would be no need for visa-like travel schemes after Brexit. He added: "An ESTA still takes time and costs money and it is something people have to repeat." Mr Goodwill said: "We are at a very early …
Brexit
Britons may need to apply for online clearance to visit Europe post-Brexit
British tourists could be required to register for a Europe-wide visa after 2020 following a European Union plan to introduce an American-style visa-waiver scheme. The proposals, which have been backed in the past by Britain, will require all non-EU citizens to pay 5 euros (£4.30) and fill out an online form to obtain clearance to travel within Europe's 26-nation ID check-free area. The checks, which will see applicants cross-checked against visa, criminal and stolen document databases, will apply to people from 60 countries, including the US, who are currently granted visa-free travel to the EU for business and tourism. Whether or not Britain is exempted from the scheme would depend on the outcome of the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with Europe, British officials said, but conceded it would logically apply once the UK has become a third country, outside the EU. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said in a BBC interview last September that she could not rule out that Britons …
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Emmanuel Macron snubbed by French in Brexit row: ‘I don’t blame England’
Emmanuel Macron warned of 'trouble' from UK by host Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have rejected the prospect of attending a summit with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Times has reported that the French government has rebuffed attempts by diplomats to arrange a date for a meeting between the two leaders. A senior diplomatic source told the newspaper: “The Government has reached out to try to arrange a summit but the French aren’t interested. Related articles Switzerland provides warning to UK for Brexit 'war of attrition' EU countries 'depend on UK tourism' as bloc warned of …
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Meddling SNP demands ‘urgent new path’ in Brexit row – Frost urged to ‘explain’ himself
Brexit: David Davis warns of 'three more years' of negotiations Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Northern Ireland Protocol - agreed in the Brexit deal - is designed to avoid customs checks along the Irish border. But, trust was badly damaged in January when the EU moved to block the export of COVID-19 vaccines to Northern Ireland. Related articles 'They hate it when lies are exposed!' Britons tear into EU Brexiteers tear apart 'petty' EU's anti-Brexit visa fees plot Tensions across Northern Ireland reached boiling point and the nation was rocked by street violence in April. Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to rip up …
GB News’ Dan Wootton’s admission as he claimed UK faces ‘hard time’ after Brexit
Nicola Sturgeon ‘trying to cash in on pandemic’ says Dan Wootton Sign up for FREE now for the biggest moments from morning TV SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The journalist, 38, has become one of the main presenters on GB News, Andrew Neil’s new TV news channel, which launched in June. The Daily Mail columnist and former Sun executive editor presents his own programme, ‘Tonight Live with Dan Wootton ’. The show features interviews with some of the biggest names in news, sport and entertainment, while Dan also offers his owns views on the hottest topics. Related articles Michael Johnson handed back Olympic gold medal with furious outburst Brexiteers ordered not to congratulate Team GB: 'Reeks of …
Don’t need EU! UK to storm ahead with post-Brexit Erasmus rival for 40,000 students
Brexit: David Davis warns of 'three more years' of negotiations Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Boris Johnson’s Turing Scheme will allow more than 40,000 students to study and work abroad when it launches next month. Named after wartime codebreaker Alan Turing, it will be open to more than 120 universities as well as over 200 schools and further education (FE) colleges across the UK. Related articles Brexiteers ordered not to congratulate Team GB: 'Reeks of desperation' Homeowner's fury as huge stone blocks dumped outside his address Its £110million annual purse will fund successful applicants to live and study in …
Ireland warned to brace for ‘double whammy’ of no deal Brexit and coronavirus cash crisis
Dublin: Crowds gather on Grafton Street ahead of lockdown Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Gabriel Makhlouf said Ireland would be the eurozone’s biggest loser if Britain leaves the EU without a trade agreement on December 31, with the lucrative food and agriculture sectors facing the hardest hits. The UK accounts for 38 percent for agricultural and food products exported from Ireland and the figure is even higher for beef. Dublin fears a no deal Brexit could put between £1.22bn and £1.36bn of tariffs on exports to the UK. Related articles Irish PM reveals Council granted Barnier key wish to get 'fair' Brexit Ireland accused …
UK’s post-Brexit blue passports to be printed by Franco-Dutch company
British passports issued in traditional blue covers after Brexit will be manufactured in France, according to the current UK-based manufacturer. The head of De La Rue, which makes the Burgundy documents used by the UK since the late 1980s, said his firm had been undercut by another bidder. “I’m going to have to go and face [the print] workers, look them in the whites of the eyes and try and explain to them why the British government thinks it’s a sensible decision to buy French passports not British passports,” De La Rue CEO Martin Sutherland told BBC radio. The Telegraph , The Financial Times , The Sun and The Times all reported that Gemalto, based in France and the Netherlands had won the deal. Public procurement rules do not allow the government to discriminate against companies from other EU countries. Theresa May announced in December the UK would revert the colour of its passports to dark blue, describing the move as an "expression of our independence …
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After Brexit, musicians fear that it is not just live shows – but a way of life – that is over
On one tour that Leeds-native and musician Luke Antonik-Yates organised to Europe in 2016, one of the artists liked the continent so much he never came home. After reaching Europe via the Channel Tunnel, the convoy of four solo artists played a run of European dates before eventually winding up in Vienna, Austria. From there, three of them headed back north, but Michael Dey, a singer song-writer from Bradford, stayed on. The move was not completely unplanned, Dey had wanted to move to Vienna for some time and the tour was partly designed to get him there as cheaply as possible. As their convoy moved across northern Europe, microphones, guitars and amps sat alongside bags stuffed with Dey’s clothes. He didn’t have a visa and, as a European citizen, he didn’t need one. Dey’s odyssey is a storied one. Long before David Bowie tore up 1970s Berlin, musicians from the UK were crossing the English Channel, guitars slung over their shoulders, to ply their trade and often …
Music tours ‘unviable’ in EU: UK stars blast government over ‘gaping hole’ in Brexit trade deal
Some of Britain's biggest music stars from both the pop and classical worlds are among more than 100 industry figures who have lambasted the UK government over a "gaping hole" for musicians in the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. In a letter to The Times , they say the end of visa-free touring in Europe "will make many tours unviable, especially for young emerging musicians" already struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The deal done with the EU has a gaping hole where the promised free movement for musicians should be: everyone on a European music tour will now need costly work permits and a mountain of paperwork for their equipment," the letter says. "This negotiating failure will tip many performers over the edge." Signatories to the letter include figures from across the musical spectrum and spanning the generations: from Ed Sheeran, Sting, Sir Elton John and the Sex Pistols to conductor Sir Simon Rattle, violinist Nicola Benedetti and composer Judith …