European union

SPAIN is looking at introducing UK travel corridors again this summer for Brits if the vaccine passport scheme doesn't go ahead. Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés said if the immunisation certificate does not succeed, Spain is willing to consider bilateral agreements and corridors "with third countries", according to the Spanish press. This would include the UK. He explained: "The way to allow travel in Europe must be decided at the level of the European Union but if those decisions cannot be taken, we will think of other solutions such as corridors, green corridors with third countries that can help us to restart tourist flows." He said that the vaccination rollout in the UK meant that the summer is looking likely for Brits to return . Bookings to Spanish hotspots are already soaring following Boris Johnson's announcement of his roadmap to freedom which could see life return to normal by June 21. Mr. Valdés said decisions on allowing travel must … [Read more...] about Boost for Spanish holidays as country plans ‘green corridors’ for UK travel if vaccine passports don’t go ahead

When can I go on holiday? Is Cornwall really overrated? We asked our readers Everything you need to know about hotel quarantine Key dates in the lockdown exit roadmap 20 UK self-catering holidays with availability from April 12 Sign up to the Telegraph Travel newsletter S pain could introduce its own ‘green corridor’ for vaccinated British holidaymakers, if there is no collective EU decision on vaccine passports, the country’s Tourism Minister Fernando Valdés has said. Mr Valdés confirmed that Spain was in “discussions” with the UK and told Bloomberg: “For us the British market is our main market. But obviously since we are a member of the European Union, the solutions have first to be part of the discussions in the EU. “And obviously if that cannot be reached, we will be thinking of other corridors like green corridors with third countries that can help us restart tourism flows.” The news comes after European Commission President Ursula von … [Read more...] about Spain considering ‘green corridor’ for British tourists

The UK has defended its unilateral action over the Northern Ireland protocol, calling the move "temporary and technical steps" which "largely" continue measures already in place. It comes after the European Union said it will take legal action over Britain's decision to continue Irish Sea border grace periods until October. European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said the UK's move amounted to a violation of its post-Brexit obligations. The first of the light-touch regulation schemes on goods from the rest of the UK transiting to Northern Ireland had been due to expire at the end of March. Supermarkets would have had to produce export health certificates for all shipments of animal products since Northern Ireland is part of the EU's single market. Advertisement Cabinet member Lord David Frost said the UK's intervention should allow time for positive discussions with counterparts in Brussels. In an effort to ensure there is no hard … [Read more...] about UK’s unilateral action on Northern Ireland protocol ‘temporary steps’ as EU vows legal move

The budget was chock full of announcements - including on the furlough scheme, Universal Credit and stamp duty. But there were some things missing from Rishi Sunak's big economic statement to MPs on Wednesday. Sky News takes a look at what was not in the 2021 Budget . Budget 2021: All the key points NHS The health service has never been far from the headlines over the last year as Britain battles coronavirus. Advertisement But there were just two mentions of the NHS in Mr Sunak's budget speech: the chancellor said it was "deserving of immense praise" for the vaccine rollout and cited the government's previous promise to "keep our NHS strong". There was no mention of funding for the health service, although Mr Sunak said in his autumn statement in November that the NHS's core budget would increase by £6.6bn in the next year and a further £3bn would be provided to support its recovery. More from Budget 2021 … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: What wasn’t in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s economic statement

Rishi Sunak today presented yet another £65billion of Covid support in his annual Budget. The Chancellor extended most schemes until September and gave businesses another shot in the arm as they wait for a vaccine. But all that help comes at a cost, and we're not just talking about a hike in Corporation Tax. A stealth tax hike on working Brits will raise £8bn a year and schemes could run out in September while 2million are still furloughed. The Budget speech is always a triumphant affair, burying the awkward details to a few lines or none at all. To get a real feel for what's going on, you must read the hundreds of pages of documents slipped out when the Chancellor sits down. We're still trawling through the mammoth pile of Budget documents, including analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog (OBR). But here are the biggest surprises in the small print that have leaped out at us so far. 1. NHS spending overall looks set to be cut Rishi Sunak said … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: 11 surprises hidden in the small print from ‘NHS cut’ to Brexit