Brexit news – live: Joe Biden victory won’t stop UK-US trade deal, claims ambassador to Britain

‘I see the light ahead’, says PM amid gloom

Boris Johnson has promised “better days before us” ahead of this Thursday’s second lockdown for England.

Speaking to his cabinet meeting, the PM said the city-wide trial of rapid testing in Liverpool could be “possibly decisive” in defeating the virus. The government hopes regular mass testing can begin being rolled out if the trial is successful.

“Amid the uncertain gloom of November, I see light ahead and I’m absolutely certain that we will have better days before us,” he told his ministers.

GB-NI trade will involve 30 million annual customs declarations

The new GB-NI border created at the end of the Brexit transition period will involve as many as 30 million customs declarations each year.

Government adviser Frank Dunsmuir gave the figure during a briefing to businesses in Northern Ireland on Monday.

Dunsmuir works for a consortium offering Trader Support Service (TSS) to businesses in Northern Ireland – which has now opened for registration.

No detail from Treasury on furlough for Scots, says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has had more to say on the furlough issue for Scottish businesses, after mixed messages from UK ministers and Downing Street spokespeople.  

“The prime minister appears to have agreed yesterday that access to the furlough scheme at the higher level of 80% of wages will be available to Scotland after 2 December if that is required,” she said at her lunchtime briefing. “I welcome that commitment, though I do so with a necessary degree of caution.

“We haven’t yet seen any detail of what that commitment means … we have not yet had confirmation from the Treasury that continuation of furlough in Scotland beyond 2 December would be at the 80% level.”

UK hasn’t prepared for ‘radicalism’ of second Trump term, says expert

The UK in a Changing Europe think tank, based at King’s College London, is holding an interesting discussion on the potential impact of the US election result.

The FT’s Gideon Rachman said a Trump victory would be bad news for both the UK and the EU. “The British haven’t factored in the potential radicalism of a second Trump term – Trump would play much rougher … Trump is actively hostile to the EU. US support for central and eastern members is seen in Berlin as an attempt to build up a US bloc within the EU.”

The current US ambassador to the UK, Robert “Woody” Johnson, claimed earlier that a UK-US deal would happen regardless of the presidential election result. “I’m confident our countries can get this done no matter what happens today.”

Some progress on level playing field issues, says Irish minister

Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Tuesday said that some progress has been made in on the so-called level playing field issues in Brexit talks – but agreement on one of the most persistent areas of disagreement was far from concluded.

“If there is not a basic set of rules around fair competition that both sides commit to complying with and if there is not a governance structure that can deal with disputes, then in my view there will not be a trade deal,” Coveney told an online conference.

“My understanding is there is some progress being made in this area but it’s far from concluded yet,” he said, adding that he was confident a deal could be reached but that time may run out to strike one.

Will Scotland get furlough support? ‘Of course’ says No 10

No 10 has said the UK government would “of course” provide economic support should Scotland require its own lockdown after 2 December.  

The PM’s official spokesman said “furlough has always been a UK-wide scheme, and, as the PM has said, the government will always be there to provide support to all parts of the United Kingdom”  

Pressed on whether this ruled out a Wales or Scotland-only furlough scheme, the spokesman said: “As the PM said, if other parts of the UK decide to go into measures which require direct economic support, of course we will make that available to them as we have done throughout the pandemic.”

Communities minister Robert Jenrick appeared hesititant when asked if support would be there beyond the end of England’s lockdown on 2 December.

Brexit talks ‘stuck’ on fishing quotas – and other blockages

Brexit trade talks have so far failed to agree on any of three persistent disagreements – fisheries, level playing field issues and a mechanism for settling disputes – sources have said.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost are still locked in discussions in Brussels, but a breakthrough does not appear to be imminent. Sources from both sides told Reuters there was no agreements on the big issues.

An EU diplomat said disagreement persisted over the divvying up of fish stocks, including Britain’s demand for annual quota negotiations. “That’s where we are stuck. They haven’t moved beyond these items on fisheries.”

Barnier may brief the 27 national envoys on the progress (or lack of it) on Wednesday afternoon.

No 10 hopes for ‘satisfactory outcome’ on legal row

An update now on the passing of EU Commission’s deadline for Boris Johnson to explain why he is planning to break international law with his Internal Market Bill.

Asked why UK hadn’t responded to the EU’s formal letter, a government spokesperson said: “We are committed to working through the Joint Committee process to find a satisfactory outcome for both sides.

“That is our overriding priority. We will respond to the next stages of this process in due course, as required.”

Meanwhile, a European Commission spokesman said on Tuesday that Britain had failed to reply and that the Commission would therefore now consider the next step in the legal dispute which is a reasoned opinion.

Our correspondent Jon Stone has more on the brewing row:

Patel set to ban protests of ‘more than two’ during lockdown

Demonstrations of more than two people could be banned during the month-long lockdown in England – with ministers set to remove an exemption that has allowed protests to take place in recent months.

Priti Patel is reported to have briefed chief constables over plans for tougher enforcement measures.

Human rights barrister Adam Wagner described the development as “worrying” on Twitter, adding: “Obviously there is a balance to be struck between preventing the virus and basic right – but with the government using unprecedented executive powers to impose restrictions, protest is hugely important.”

Police scramble to rescue files of suspected criminals amid Brexit fears

Police are scrambling to save the vital details of suspected criminals and missing people in case a vital database is “switched off” by a no-deal Brexit.

Thousands of names are being hurriedly “double keyed” into the Interpol system, amid fears the UK will lose all access to the Schengen Information System (SIS II) if there’s no agreement with the EU by the end of 2020.

Richard Martin, the deputy assistant commissioner at the Met in charge of Brexit preparations, warned of the “massive impact” on policing of a no-deal.

And, on SIS II, he revealed: “We are either not in it not in it, for want of a better word –there is no sort of halfway house.”

“We’re putting the most important alerts that we have on SIS also onto the Interpol system, so that – if it is literally switched off at 2300 hours on the 31st – then policing will still have access to those alerts that we consider to be the most important,” he has just told a parliamentary inquiry.