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May arrives in Brussels to seal Brexit deal

Theresa May has finally secured breakthrough in efforts to secure deal with EU
Negotiators worked ov..

Published

5 years ago

December 8, 2017

Europe Disk

Theresa May has finally secured breakthrough in efforts to secure deal with EU
Negotiators worked overnight to finalise agreement with Ireland, DUP and EU
PM travelled to Brussels to meet Jean-Claude Juncker and confirmed the deal
EU leaders are now set to sign off starting trade talks at a summit next week

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline and Martin Robinson Chief Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 01:03 EST, 8 December 2017 | Updated: 03:07 EST, 8 December 2017

Theresa May finalised a deal with the EU today that will unlock talks on trade after frantic night-long negotiations.

At a dramatic early morning press conference, a bleary eyed PM and Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed agreement had been reached.

'I believe we have now made the breakthrough we need,' Mr Juncker said.

Mrs May said the settlement was 'in the best interests of the whole of the UK'. Despite criticism of an estimated £50billion divorce payment, she also said it was 'fair to the British taxpayer'.

But tempering the 'personal victory' for Mrs May, European Council chief Donald Tusk immediately started making demands about the next phase of talks.

He said during a mooted two-year transition period Britain will have to keep making financial contributions and respect all EU laws, including new laws, even though it will have no say over how they are decided.

There is also set to be a backlash over the huge divorce bill and pledges to accept the power of European Courts for years to come.

In a scathing assessment, ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: 'A deal in Brussels is good news for Mrs May as we can now move on to the next stage of humiliation.'

A bleary eyed PM and Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed agreement had been reached at a press conference in the Belgian capital this morning

Mrs May and Mr Juncker both stressed how hard they had needed to work to get this far - and pointed out there was still much more to do

Mrs May and Mr Juncker both stressed how hard they had needed to work to get this far – and pointed out there was still much more to do

The relief for Mr Juncker and Mrs May was clear as the pair greeted each other with a hug as she arrived at the European commission building

The PM and Jean-Claude Juncker were smiling as they shook hands for the cameras

In a scathing assessment, ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage condemned the way Mrs May was handling the talks

After days of stalemate, British and European officials said late last night they were 'within touching distance' of hammering out a 'divorce agreement' after plans collapsed on Monday when the DUP raised alarm that they risked splitting Northern Ireland from the UK.

Intensive discussions found a new wording for the text which DUP leader Arlene Foster said satisfied her there would be no border in the Irish sea.

Mr Juncker's chief aide Martin Selmayr tweeted a picture of white smoke this morning – a reference to the Vatican's famous signal that agreement has been reached on a new Pope.

The relief for Mr Juncker and Mrs May was clear as the pair greeted each other with a hug as she arrived at the European commission building.

Mr Juncker said he would be recommending to leaders of the bloc that they agree 'sufficient progreess' has been made at a key summit next week.

'I would like to thank the prime minister for her determination. The Prime Minister says this has the backing if the UK government,' Mr Juncker said.

Giving a separate statement later after meeting Mrs May, European Council chief Donald Tusk said he was 'satisfied' with the agreement and branded it a 'personal victory' for Mrs May.

But he warned of a tougher task to come. 'We all know that breaking up is hard. But breaking up and forming a new relation is harder.'

As if to illustrate his point, he immediately set down demands about a mooted two-year transition period after the UK formally leaves the bloc.

Brexit deal: What has been agreed today?

Citizens' rights

The 3million EU citizens in the UK and the 1million UK citizens living in the EU can stay for their 'lifetime', the Brexit phase one deal document has revealed.

EU citizens in Britain and Northern Ireland will continue to have access to free healthcare and the benefits system after the UK cuts its ties with Brussels.

EU citizens with family outside the UK will also be able to bring them to the UK after Brexit.

Irish border

Theresa May has guaranteed that there will be no hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland when Britain leaves the EU.

The PM also promised no border in the Irish Sea.

But the document does reveal that if Britain left the EU with 'no deal' the UK 'will maintain full alignment' with the EU on matters that 'support North-South cooperation'.

This mean the 140 areas where North and South work together, such as energy, will continue.

Brexit bill

Britain are rumoured to have agreed to pay the EU around £40billion as part of the divorce package.

The document does not reveal the price but sets out the timescale but says it will be be paid in euros.

The document says: 'The UK will contribute its share of the financing of the budgetary commitments outstanding at 31 December 2020'.

Britain will get around 12 installments of 300m euros back from the European Investment Bank from 2020.

An earlier outline of a deal on the key divorce issues was torpedoed by the DUP on Monday. The party objected to plans for 'regulatory alignment' between Northern Ireland and the Republic to maintain a soft border, arguing it would amount to the drawing of a new frontier with the UK mainland.

However, in the early hours of this morning Mrs Foster said she was now satisfied there would be no 'red line down the Irish sea'.

Mrs Foster told Sky News the PM had a text to present in Brussels in the 'national interest', although she also made clear she was not entirely happy with the outcome.

The agreement published today sets out that there will be enough 'regulatory alignment' to keep a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and 'support North-South cooperation'.

But it also specifies that there will be no 'regulatory barriers' between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The PM told the press conference that the agreement would guarantee the rights of three million EU citizens in the UK 'enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts'.

She said that it included a financial settlement which was 'fair to the British taxpayer' and a guarantee that there will be 'no hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic, preserving the 'constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom'.

Mrs May said getting to this point had 'required give and take from both side'. She insisted EU citizens in the UK would be able to go on living as before, and there would be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

In a nod to the painful way the talks developed, Mrs May said: 'Today's result is of course a compromise.'

Mr Juncker said negotiations had been 'difficult for both the UK and the EU'.

He said he had been assured by Mrs May that the arrangements had the 'backing of the UK government'.

The EU has been increasingly alarmed at the prospect of Mrs May being ejected from Downing Street and replaced by a harder line Brexiteer such as Boris Johnson.

Mr Juncker added: 'On the basis of the mandate which was given to me by the European Council, the Commission has just formally decided to recommend to the European Council that sufficient progress has now been made on the strict terms of the divorce.'

In a potentially controversial passage of the text, the government has agreed that British courts will be able to refer issues about EU citizen's rights to the European Court of Justice for eight years after Brexit.

The document also sets out in detail how the divorce bill will be calculated.

Billions of pounds will be returned to the UK from investments and other assets over the coming years – but it will be dwarfed by the liabilities Britain will cover.

The leaders appeared to be delighted to have made progress after an earlier outline of a deal on the key divorce issues was torpedoed by the DUP on Monday

The PM has been working through the night to strike a deal with the EU for trade talks to start

Mr Juncker's top aide Martin Selmayr tweeted a picture of white smoke in another sign that a deal has been done

The UK will honour the commitments the EU entered into while it was a member on the basis of 'a percentage calculated as ratio between own resources made available by UK from the year 2014—2020 and own resources made available by all Member States, including UK, during same period'.

As the news unfolded overnight, European Council president Donald Tusk announced he would make a statement on Brexit in Brussels this morning, fuelling speculation a deal was close.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker held calls with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar then Mrs May yesterday evening.

His chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas said a morning meeting between Mr Juncker and Mrs May that would allow negotiations to move forward was 'possible'. He said: 'We are making progress but not yet fully there. Talks are continuing throughout the night.'

No 10 said Mrs May had also spoken to Mr Varadkar. The late-night talks came as Boris Johnson yesterday warned the PM not to make further compromises on Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary said he backed Mrs May to achieve a breakthrough – but warned that she must not make any concessions that would prevent the UK 'taking back control of our laws, borders and cash' after Brexit.

Theresa May, Brexit Minister David Davis (left) and EU President Jean-Claude Juncker (second right) having a working breakfast at the EU Commission in Brussels

DUP leader Arlene Foster made clear she is now content with the version of the divorce deal text, but said she had wanted to spend longer working it through

European Council president Donald Tusk (pictured) last night announced he would make a statement on Brexit in Brussels this morning, fuelling speculation a deal was close

He said any deal must stick to the spirit of the Leave campaign he led, and the UK had already met the EU 'more than halfway' by offering a divorce payment of up to £40billion.

IRISH BORDER DEAL MEANS NO 'RED LINE' INSIDE THE UK

The issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic threatened to collapse the talks.

The agreement published today sets out that there will be enough 'regulatory alignment' to keep a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and 'support North-South cooperation'.

But it also specifies that there will be no 'regulatory barriers' between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said she was now satisfied there would be 'no red line in the Irish sea' after sox substantive changes were made.

Asked if he was comfortable with a widespread 'regulatory alignment' between the UK and EU after Brexit, he added: 'You can take it from me that whatever comes up, whatever the solution that we come to, whatever we devise getting on to the body of the talks, it's got to be consistent, it's got to be consistent with the whole of the United Kingdom taking back control.'

Mrs May has faced a backlash from some Tory Eurosceptics after it emerged she had offered to guarantee some sectors of the economy would remain 'aligned' with EU regulations.

One DUP MP said: 'We've got loads of Tories coming up to us saying, 'Keep going, hang in there.' Theresa's problems aren't with us, they're with her own side.'

Government sources insist the plan would never be needed as the border issue will be solved by a comprehensive trade deal or a technological solution.

Mrs May told MPs this week that she was not compromising on her Brexit principles. But critics fear any concession could make it harder for Britain to strike free trade deals.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (right) held calls with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar then Mrs May last night

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar DUP leader Arlene Foster

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar (pictured left) and DUP leader Arlene Foster (right)

Senior Tories are also concerned about proposals that could allow the European Court of Justice to have an indirect role in overseeing the rights of 3million EU citizens in the UK.

The Government is thought to be seeking to limit the role to five years, but Brussels is pushing for it to last at least 15.

Labour MP Gisela Stuart, another leading Leaver, also warned against concessions that could limit flexibility. She said following rules dictated by Brussels would be 'single-market membership in all but name'.

One senior Eurosceptic MP said it was time for Mrs May to put pro-Remain Whitehall mandarins 'back in their box'. They said: 'There needs to be much more direction, conviction and certainty from the top.'

Jean-Claude Juncker praises Theresa May's 'determination' after Brexit deal is done at the death

Theresa May and Jean-Claude-Juncker met as a deal was done in Brussels today

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker thanked Theresa May 'for her determination' as he announced the Brexit breakthrough.

He also praised the 'extremely hard and skillful work over the last weeks and months' of chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier, the UK's Brexit Secretary David Davis and their teams.

Here is what he told reporters about their early morning meeting in Brussels:

'We discussed the joint report agreed by the two negotiators.

'Prime Minister May has assured me that it has backing of the UK Government. On that basis I believe we have now made the breakthrough we needed.

'Today's result is of course a compromise. It is the result of a long and intense discussion between the Commission negotiators and those of the UK.

'As in any negotiation, both sides have to listen to each other, adjust their position and show a willingness to compromise.

'This was a difficult negotiation for the European Union as well as for the United Kingdom.

'On Wednesday, last Wednesday, the College of Commissioners gave me a mandate to conclude the negotiation of the joint report.

'And it had to be concluded today, not next week, today because next week we have the European Council and in order to allow our partners to prepare in the best way possible the meeting of the European Council, we had to make the deal today.

'On the basis of the mandate which was given to me by the European Council, the Commission has just formally decided to recommend to the European Council that sufficient progress has now been made on the strict terms of the divorce.'

Original Article

Daily Mail

Australia

Australia: Scott Morrison saga casts scrutiny on Queen’s representative

Published

5 months ago

August 27, 2022

Europe Disk

In the past fortnight, Australia has been gripped by revelations that former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to several additional ministries.

The move has been labelled a “power grab” by his successor as prime minister, and Mr Morrison has been scolded by many – even his own colleagues.

But the scandal has also dragged Australia’s governor-general into the fray – sparking one of the biggest controversies involving the Queen’s representative in Australia in 50 years.

So does Governor-General David Hurley have questions to answer, or is he just collateral damage?

‘Just paperwork’

Governors-general have fulfilled the practical duties as Australia’s head of state since the country’s 1901 federation.

Candidates for the role were initially chosen by the monarch but are now recommended by the Australian government.

The job is largely ceremonial – a governor-general in almost every circumstance must act on the advice of the government of the day. But conventions allow them the right to “encourage” and “warn” politicians.

Key duties include signing bills into law, issuing writs for elections, and swearing in ministers.

Mr Hurley has run into trouble on the latter. At Mr Morrison’s request, he swore the prime minister in as joint minister for health in March 2020, in case the existing minister became incapacitated by Covid.

Over the next 14 months, he also signed off Mr Morrison as an additional minister in the finance, treasury, home affairs and resources portfolios.

Mr Morrison already had ministerial powers, so Mr Hurley was basically just giving him authority over extra departments.

It’s a request the governor-general “would not have any kind of power to override or reject”, constitutional law professor Anne Twomey tells the BBC.

“This wasn’t even a meeting between the prime minister and the governor-general, it was just paperwork.”

But Mr Morrison’s appointments were not publicly announced, disclosed to the parliament, or even communicated to most of the ministers he was job-sharing with.

Australia’s solicitor-general found Mr Morrison’s actions were not illegal but had “fundamentally undermined” responsible government.

But the governor-general had done the right thing, the solicitor-general said in his advice this week.

It would have been “a clear breach” for him to refuse the prime minister, regardless of whether he knew the appointments would be kept secret, Stephen Donaghue said.

Critics push for investigation

Ultimately, Mr Hurley had to sign off on Mr Morrison’s requests, but critics say he could have counselled him against it and he could have publicised it himself.

But representatives for the governor-general say these types of appointments – giving ministers the right to administer other departments – are not unusual.

And it falls to the government of the day to decide if they should be announced to the public. They often opt not to.

Mr Hurley himself announcing the appointments would be unprecedented. He had “no reason to believe that appointments would not be communicated”, his spokesperson said.

Emeritus professor Jenny Hocking finds the suggestion Mr Hurley didn’t know the ministries had been kept secret “ridiculous”.

“The last of these bizarre, duplicated ministry appointments… were made more than a year after the first, so clearly by then the governor-general did know that they weren’t being made public,” she says.

“I don’t agree for a moment that the governor-general has a lot of things on his plate and might not have noticed.”

The historian says it’s one of the biggest controversies surrounding a governor-general since John Kerr caused a constitutional crisis by sacking Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975.

Prof Hocking famously fought for transparency around that matter – waging a lengthy and costly legal battle that culminated in the release of Mr Kerr’s correspondence with the Queen.

And she says the same transparency is needed here.

The Australian public need to know whether Mr Hurley counselled the prime minister against the moves, and why he didn’t disclose them

The government has already announced an inquiry into Mr Morrison’s actions, but she wants it to look at the governor-general and his office too.

“If the inquiry is to find out what happened in order to fix what happened, it would be extremely problematic to leave out a key part of that equation.”

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – Mr Morrison’s predecessor – has also voiced support for an inquiry.

“Something has gone seriously wrong at Government House,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“It is the passive compliance along the chain… that did undermine our constitution and our democracy… that troubles me the most. This is how tyranny gets under way.”

PM defends governor-general

Prof Twomey says the criticism of Mr Hurley is unfair – there’s was no “conspiracy” on his part to keep things secret.

“I don’t think it’s reasonable for anyone to expect that he could have guessed that the prime minister was keeping things secret from his own ministers, for example.

“Nobody really thought that was a possibility until about two weeks ago.”

Even if he had taken the unprecedented step to publicise the appointments or to reject Mr Morrison’s request, he’d have been criticised, she says.

“There’d be even more people saying ‘how outrageous!'” she says. “The role of governor-general is awkward because people are going to attack you either way.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also defended Mr Hurley, saying he was just doing his job.

“I have no intention of undertaking any criticism of [him].”

A role fit for purpose?

Prof Hocking says it’s a timely moment to look at the role of the governor-general more broadly.

She points out it’s possible the Queen may have been informed about Mr Morrison’s extra ministries when Australia’s parliament and people were not.

“It does raise questions about whether this is fit for purpose, as we have for decades been a fully independent nation, but we still have… ‘the relics of colonialism’ alive and well.”

Momentum for a fresh referendum on an Australian republic has been growing and advocates have seized on the controversy.

“The idea that the Queen and her representative can be relied upon to uphold our system of government has been debunked once and for all,” the Australian Republic Movement’s Sandy Biar says.

“It’s time we had an Australian head of state, chosen by Australians and accountable to them to safeguard and uphold Australia’s constitution.”

But Prof Twomey says republicans are “clutching at straws” – under their proposals, the head of state would also have been bound to follow the prime minister’s advice.

“It wouldn’t result in any changes that would have made one iota of difference.”

Read from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62683210

Australia

Australia election: PM Morrison’s security team in car crash in Tasmania

Published

10 months ago

April 16, 2022

Europe Disk

A car carrying the Australian prime minister’s security team has crashed in Tasmania during an election campaign visit.

Four police officers were taken to hospital with “non-life threatening injuries” after the car and another vehicle collided, authorities said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was not in the car, but the accident prompted him to cancel the rest of his campaign events on Thursday.

The other driver involved was not hurt.

Tasmania Police said initial investigations suggested the second car had “collided with the rear of the police vehicle, while attempting to merge”. It caused the unmarked security vehicle to roll off the road.

The two Tasmania Police officers and two Australian Federal Police officers were conscious when taken to hospital for medical assessment, the prime minister’s office said.

“Family members of the officers have been contacted and are being kept informed of their condition,” a statement said.

“The PM is always extremely grateful for the protection provided by his security team and extends his best wishes for their recovery and to their families.”

Australians go to the polls on 21 May. Mr Morrison – prime minister since 2018 – is hoping to win his conservative coalition’s fourth term in office.

Polls suggest the opposition Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese, is favoured to win. However, Mr Morrison defied similar polling to claim victory at the last election in 2019.

Mr Morrison’s Liberal-National coalition holds 76 seats in the House of Representatives – the minimum needed to retain power.

Political observers say the cost of living, climate change, trust in political leaders, and national security will be among key issues in the campaign.

In recent weeks, the prime minister has faced accusations of being a bully and once sabotaging a rival’s career by suggesting the man’s Lebanese heritage made him less electable. Mr Morrison has denied the allegations.

Mr Albanese stumbled into his own controversy this week when he failed to recall the nation’s unemployment or interest rates.

Read from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-61103987

Australia

Sydney airport warns delays could last weeks on third day of travel chaos

Published

10 months ago

April 9, 2022

Europe Disk

Long queues at Sydney airport’s domestic terminals have continued for a third day, with some passengers missing international connections, as the airport warns delays resulting from a surge in travellers and a shortfall in security staff could continue for weeks.

Chaotic scenes were reported in the departure halls as early as 4.30am on Saturday, with some frustrated travellers, many of whom heeded the pleas of airport chiefs to arrive at least two hours before their domestic flight was due to take off, claiming only one security line was operating.

While the queues that formed early on Saturday are understood to have cleared later in the morning, the airport apologised to affected travellers.

“Traffic numbers are picking up and the close contact rules are making it hard to fill shifts and staff the airport. We appreciate your patience,” Sydney airport said on its Twitter account.

A wave of families travelling as the term two school holidays begin this weekend, combined with close contact rules that are understood to be taking out about 20% of security shifts in any given day, are driving the problem.

Certis, the company that Sydney airport contracts for its security operations, is desperately trying to recruit personnel, while the airport has reallocated back office, IT and retail workers to the departure hall to comb queues so they can prioritise passengers at risk of missing their flight.

“We are working around the clock to resolve these issues and have teams in the terminals bringing passengers forward in order of priority,” a Sydney airport spokesperson said.

He added that the airport is “anticipating it will [be] busy right through the school holiday period and peak over the Easter and Anzac Day weekends, in some cases at 90% of pre-Covid passenger levels”.

“We’re deeply grateful to passengers for their ongoing patience and we’re sorry to everyone who has been inconvenienced,” the spokesperson said. “We would also like to thank passengers for getting to the airport early and treating staff and each other with kindness and respect.”

The Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce was forced to clarify comments he made on Friday that passengers were “not match fit” and that those forgetting to remove laptops and aerosols from their bags at the security check contributing to the delays.

“Just to be clear, I’m not ‘blaming’ passengers,” Joyce said. “Of course it’s not their fault,” he said.

Qantas shed thousands of staff during the pandemic, and outsourced ground crews in a decision that was challenged in court.

On Saturday, Qantas also apologised to a Melbourne family left stranded in Sydney, after domestic flight delays caused them to miss an international trip.

Javiera Martinez, her partner Daniel Capurro and their three children were supposed to be flying to Chile on Friday to visit relatives they had not seen in three years.

But after their 8am Qantas flight from Melbourne was delayed by half an hour, baggage handling and airport transfer delays in Sydney meant they couldn’t make their 11.30am LATAM Airlines flight to Santiago.

Martinez said the airline’s procedures at the airport were chaotic.

“We think Qantas didn’t behave appropriately. I got berated by the person at the counter – they never apologised, they never assumed any responsibility at all,” she said. “It was a rude conversation. We have been mistreated badly I would say.”

The PCR tests they need to travel have now expired and they will have to take them again as they wait for seats on the next flight to Santiago from Sunday.

The airline has apologised and paid for a night’s accommodation in Sydney.

“We sincerely apologise that the family missed their connecting flight on another airline due to delays moving through Sydney airport on Friday,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

The family is among many affected by hold ups amid the busiest travel period in two years, with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports warning passengers to arrive two hours before domestic flights.

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