The scale of damage to UK trade with the EU inflicted by Brexit has been laid bare in official figures which showed goods exports to the bloc in the first quarter of 2021 down by 18 per cent compared to the last three months of 2020.
Trade with the EU continued to recover from the precipitous collapse in January – when UK exports fell by 42 per cent – with sales to the continent in March up 8.6 per cent (£1bn) and imports up 4.5 per cent (£800m) compared to February.
But Thomas Sampson of the London School of Economics said that today’s figures suggest that the “incomplete bounceback” seen in February has now stalled.
Elsewhere, Gordon Brown said Boris Johnson will be remembered as the prime minister who oversaw the break-up of the United Kingdom if Scotland presses ahead with an independence referendum and votes to leave.
The former prime minister accused Mr Johnson of failing to understand the union, and criticised his government for failing to make it a priority in yesterday’s Queen’s speech.
In an interview with Times Radio on Wednesday, the ex-Labour leader said: “I don’t think he’s thought about it, I don’t think he understands it, I think he’s got to start beginning to understand it.”
Convicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic will serve the rest of his sentence in a UK jail
The Bosnian Serb wartime leader was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for his part in the atrocities committed during the 1992-95 war.
Karadzic was convicted in March 2016 on 10 counts including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as the political mastermind behind Serb crimes in the 1992-95 Bosnian war and sentenced to 40 years, later increased to life.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Radovan Karadzic is one of the few people to have been found guilty of genocide.
“He was responsible for the massacre of men, women and children at the Srebrenica genocide and helped prosecute the siege of Sarajevo with its remorseless attacks on civilians.
“We should take pride in the fact that from UK support to secure his arrest, to the prison cell he now faces, Britain has supported the 30-year pursuit of justice for these heinous crimes.”
Is Angela Rayner’s admission about Keir Starmer the honesty Labour needs to win back the Red Wall?
Could the tension between Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner be a force for good within Labour?
Our columnist takes Andrew Grice takes a look at the recent row between the two leaders, and what it could be mean for the future of the party:
Andy Burnham urges authorities to give jab to all over-16s amid India variant surge
Health chiefs in Greater Manchester have requested permission to vaccinate everyone over the age of 16 after a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases among young people in Bolton.
Andy Burnham, the region’s mayor, said he and officials had made the plea amid concerns the spike – seemingly driven by the India variant – could grow out of control without decisive action.
Our north of England correspondent Colin Drury reports:
We’re looking into PM’s county court judgement, Downing Street says
Downing Street has said it is “looking into” Boris Johnson’s county court judgement over an unpaid debt.
“I have seen that report, we are looking into this issue,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
“I can confirm it is nothing to do with the refurbishment of the Downing Street estate, where all such bills have been duly paid either by the government or the prime minister personally.”
Asked whether the prime minister could be trusted with the nation’s finances if he could not manage his own, the spokesman said: “I think our record on the economy is very clear.”
Asked whether there should be concerns about the prime minister’s personal finances, Mr Johnson’s press secretary said: “You should not be concerned, no.”
Earlier today it was revealed Mr Johnson is facing a court judgement over an unpaid debt of £535:
Trade with EU increases but remains below pre-Brexit levels
The scale of damage to UK trade with the EU inflicted by Brexit has been laid bare in official figures which showed goods exports to the bloc in the first quarter of 2021 down by 18 per cent compared to the last three months of 2020.
Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock has the story:
DUP’s Foster staying tight-lipped on who should replace her as party leader
Outgoing DUP leader Arlene Foster says she will vote in the party’s leadership contest to replace her.
But the first minister would not be drawn on whether she would back Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the Lagan Valley MP, or Edwin Poots, Stormont’s agriculture minister to take up the role.
“I will be voting, one should always use your vote regardless of what the election is. I will be voting on Friday,” she said.
“I won’t be saying who I’m voting for because I think that would be incredibly unfair,” she said.
Next winter may bring even more Covid suffering from variants, warns Johnson
Boris Johnson has issued an extraordinary warning of even “greater suffering” next winter than the public endured this year, if new Covid-19 variants take root. Rob Merrick reports:
Pandemic inquiry delayed till spring, PM says
Boris Johnson has announced a public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic will begin from spring next year.
The prime minister said the probe will be held under the 2005 Inquiries Act — meaning it will have powers to compel witnesses to give advice.
He told MPs the inquiry would be able to take oral evidence under oath and will place “the state’s actions under the microscope”.
He said the government has an “obligation” to learn every lesson from the crisis, adding: “The government will establish an independent public inquiry on a statutory basis”.
Suggesting there was a “high likelihood of a surge” in the winter, he said the right moment for an inquiry to begin would be spring 2022.
“It is my strong view that the country wants to see an independent inquiry into the pandemic last year,” he said.
Keir Starmer questioned Mr Johnson on why the inquiry could not start earlier and whether spring 2022 would be setting it up or to start taking evidence. Ashley Cowburn reports:
Immigrants to be stripped of right to challenge deportation using judicial review
Immigrants and refugees will be stripped of the right to challenge deportation orders in the High Court, under a new crackdown to speed up “removals”.
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick reports:
Stories on Tory ‘sleaze’ and Johnson’s Covid comments only affected those most ‘politically engaged’
Stories about Tory sleaze and Boris Johnson’s alleged ‘bodies pile high’ comments did have an impact on voting intention at last Thursday’s elections – but only among those who are politically engaged, a YouGov poll suggests.
Findings of survey below:
