Brexit news – live: UK to withdraw law-breaking clauses after Northern Ireland deal reached ‘in principle’

Sir Keir Starmer has revealed his Christmas card, picturing him and wife, Victoria, clapping for NHS staff, carers and key workers outside their home in London.

The Labour leader said today that “the clap for carers was a moment of huge national solidarity” and “we continue to owe our carers and key workers a huge debt of gratitude”.

“This Christmas, carers and emergency workers, alongside our Armed Forces and other key workers, will step up yet again. They will sacrifice precious time with their families to keep us safe,” Sir Keir said.

He added: “We must repay them, not just with our gratitude, but by fighting for fair pay and conditions for all those who have given so much to help our country through this pandemic.”

It came as The Labour Party made clear it will continue to campaign against the government’s proposed pay freeze for millions of public sector workers. Labour analysis has revealed the pay freeze will hit hundreds of thousands of police officers and firefighters who have taken on additional duties during the pandemic, and which will continue over Christmas, according to the party’s website.

Labour has also called for a “comprehensive national action plan” for rolling out a coronavirus vaccine as swiftly as possible, ensuring care workers and NHS staff are protected from the virus.

Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said it was a “positive development” that an “agreement in principle” has been reached on the outstanding issues on the implementation of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

He told reporters on Tuesday: “Of particular significance is the commitment by the UK to withdraw clauses 44, 45 and 47 of the Internal Market Bill, bringing it back into line with its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement.

“This positive development comes after significant and productive engagement between the EU and the UK on implementation of the protocol, as provided for under the Withdrawal Agreement.

“I look forward to an early meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee, chaired by commission vice president Maros Sefcovic and Michael Gove, to formalise the agreements reached.

“I hope this may also provide some of the positive momentum necessary to instil confidence and trust and allow progress in the wider context of the future relationship negotiations.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock was caught on camera appearing to cry on Tuesday morning as he learned that a man named William Shakespeare had become the second person in the UK to receive the approved coronavirus vaccine.

Mr Hancock was speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain when he apparently became overcome with emotion over the news, which he said made him “proud to be British”.

The 81-year-old namesake of the English playwright received his Covid-19 jab at University Hospital Coventry in Warwickshire, near the bard’s birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon, reports Conrad Duncan:

The government has said it will officially remove law-breaking clauses from the Internal Market Bill, which would have seen the UK break international law, after a vote in Westminster on Monday night seemed to indicate this would not happen. 

It comes as it was confirmed that “intensive” and “constructive” talks between Michael Gove and Maroš Šefčovič, VP of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations, had resulted in the UK and the EU reaching an “agreement in principle” in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol. 

The joint statement setting out progress in the talks led by the joint committee said: “Following intensive and constructive work over the past weeks by the EU and the UK, the two co-chairs can now announce their agreement in principle on all issues … with regard to the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“The agreement covers issues including border checks on animal and plant products, the supply of medicines and deliveries of chilled meats and other food products to supermarkets.”

In view of these “mutually-agreed solutions”, the UK government will withdraw clauses 44, 45 and 47 of the UK Internal Market Bill – which could have overridden the Withdrawal Agreement – and it will not introduce any similar provisions in the Taxation Bill.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove took to Twitter to announce he was “delighted” to have reached an agreement, including on post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border.

If the seemingly non-stop negotiations around a trade deal with the EU has you baffled, our Political Editor Andrew Woodcock is at hand to explain what the issues are:

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc is in “full unity” after being briefed on Tuesday and will “never sacrifice our future for the present” as the deadlock in trade deal talks continues.

He posted on Twitter: “Access to our market comes with conditions.

“Working closely with @DavidGHFrost and team to prepare upcoming meeting between @vonderleyen and @BorisJohnson.”

The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost, will return to London later today to discuss the remaining issues surrounding a free trade deal with Boris Johnson, No10 said.

Downing Street has not ruled out MPs being made to sit over the Christmas period to pass any Brexit deal.

Asked if there were contingency plans for the Commons to sit between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said: “We believe that should we reach a free trade agreement there is parliamentary time to put it through the House.

“I think we have seen previously Parliament’s ability to pass things at a good speed where necessary and we continue to believe that there is time to do so.”

The prime minister’s spokesperson added that time “is obviously in short supply”, but that the government wanted to reach a deal “as soon as possible”.

Boris Johnson has told Cabinet ministers that Britain will “thrive with or without” a trade deal with the EU.

His official spokesperson told a Westminster briefing that Mr Johnson provided an update to Cabinet on the negotiations with the EU this morning.

He said Mr Johnson “stated his desire to continue to try and find a way through on the remaining areas of disagreement”, adding that the PM “made clear that any deal must respect our core principles around sovereignty and control”.

“He stressed the the UK would thrive with or without a free trade agreement with the EU,” said the spokesperson.

Downing Street also said there are “no plans” for Mr Johnson to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron or German chancellor Angela Merkel.

“The readout last night confirmed that the PM will sit down with Ursula von der Leyen when he gets to Brussels.

“There are no plans for the PM to meet with president Macron or chancellor Merkel, but as I say nothing has been agreed yet in terms of the details of the meeting,” said the spokesperson.

Brussels has said that Brexit trade talks could continue beyond a “last-chance saloon” meeting between the Prime Minister and the European Commission president this week.

Our Policy Correspondent Jon Stone has the full story:

The EU has said it is prepared to carry out further negotiations with the UK in 2021 if a deal cannot be reached by the end of the transition period, according to reports by the PA news agency. 

The current trading arrangements expire on 31 December and Downing Street has ruled out resuming talks if no deal is reached.

However, European Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie said the mandate given to officials by the 27 member states and the European Parliament would permit further talks.

“If that deal is not in place on 1 January, then we have a no-deal situation,” Mr Ferrie said.

“That does not exclude that negotiations can continue – from our side – and it does not exclude that we can continue on the basis of the mandate that is given to us.”