Eu brexit

Thousands of tonnes of fruit and vegetables are being left to rot in UK fields because of a shortage of pickers and packers in the face of continuing Brexit uncertainty. Overseas workers, who account for the vast majority of the horticultural labour force, have been unwilling to come to the UK or have returned home early because of fears about their status in the event of a chaotic exit from the EU. With farmers reporting a shortage of workers of 30% or more last month, some of those with autumn-harvesting crops including berries, apples and beans have been forced to leave their produce in fields and orchards. According to the trade journal The Grocer, some farmers are having to shut down operations six weeks early because they do not have enough workers. Chris Chinn, a blueberry and bean grower in Herefordshire, said he would have to walk away from half his potential October crop because he only had half the workers he needed. “The shortage of workers is the biggest threat to … [Read more...] about Tonnes of crops left to rot as farms struggle to recruit EU workers

brexit countdown_bg Created with Sketch. Boris Johnson today warned his Cabinet there is still 'a significant amount of work to be done' to thrash out a Brexit deal, saying the UK must be ready to leave at Halloween with no agreement The Prime Minister told his senior team there was a 'good way forward' as he updated them on progress in a conference call.  He said the package being sktetched out could 'secure all our interests', get rid of the hated Irish border backstop, and honour the Good Friday Agreement. But Mr Johnson cautioned there was no guarantee of success, and the government had to keep preparing to leave by his 'do or die' October 31 deadline. The guarded optimism came as a backlash from Tory hardliners and the DUP threatened to derail his fledgling deal. A moment of truth is looming within the next 48 hours, after negotiations were dramatically brought back from the dead.  The sides are now in intensive negotiations on a new 'best of both worlds' … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson tells Cabinet his new Brexit deal could get rid of the Irish backstop while honouring the Good Friday agreement but warns there is ‘still a lot of work to be done’ as DUP and Tory hardliners threaten to derail his fledgling blueprint

As a political economist, I have been critical of the Tony Blair-led era of neoliberal governance and his support for the Iraq war and I find some of Will Hutton’s criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn unfair. But I appreciate both of them for having argued very cogently in different ways that the only way to avoid the looming tragedy of Brexit is to build a broad political alliance to facilitate a second referendum on Brexit (“The EU was crucial to securing peace in Ireland. This plan puts it in peril” and “There is only one route out of the Brexit maze and Jeremy Corbyn must lead the way”, Comment). Hutton’s advice to the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, to set aside her reservations on Corbyn is absolutely appropriate at this juncture. And Blair is right that, with three years of accumulated experience and knowledge, people would be able to make a more informed judgment in the second referendum than was possible in the first. The outcome of such a … [Read more...] about Letters: there is only one way out of Brexit

Amelia Gentleman’s piece on claiming EU settled status (The long read, 8 October) was helpful and revealing but overlooked the organisation that is probably best placed to steer claimants through the process: Citizens Advice. I am a volunteer adviser and have seen for myself how complicated a business it can be, especially for older people. My conclusion is: don’t try this at home – unless you are very computer-literate. We have far more branches than there are local authorities, and as long as clients have brought all the necessary bits and pieces, they can often get the job done on a single visit. It would benefit a large number of people if you could publicise this.Les MastersBleadon, Somerset • To add to the debate about the status of EU citizens in the UK, the British government has just seen fit to write individually to all of its citizens resident in Europe and in receipt of UK state pensions, thus entitling us to reciprocal healthcare rights in our … [Read more...] about A minefield for both UK and EU migrants

For now, we know very few details of what Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar agreed at their private summit in Wirral yesterday. We do, however, know that it was enough for the UK and EU sides to enter the “negotiation tunnel” this weekend – an intensive period for hammering out the details of a potential new deal. Think the Channel tunnel, only this time you’re trying to drag two close partners further apart. When we take a step back from Brexit’s daily developments, it’s clear that nothing really changes. The position in Dublin and Brussels has not fundamentally moved since the day of the referendum. Namely, the EU cannot agree to a scenario which necessitates border infrastructure on the island of Ireland, now or at any point in the future. Theresa May’s deal satisfied that demand, because it kept Northern Ireland in both the EU’s customs union and single market for goods, and ensured the arrangement could not lapse without the consent of … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson has next to no chance of passing a Brexit deal by his deadline