Related video: Watch as Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel make a joint statement
Angela Merkel has raised the prospect of fully vaccinated Britons visiting Germany after holding talks with Boris Johnson at Chequers, amid concerns over plans to restrict travel to the EU.
The German chancellor declined to immediately lift controls and pointed out that the UK had also imposed rules of its own on German travellers, but said restrictions may be eased for those who have had both doses of a Covid jab in the “forseeable future”.
“We have adopted certain protective measures when we were not, as yet so familiar with a Delta variant,” the chancellor told reporters at a press conference.
The chancellor also said she was “optimstic” about a solution being found to problems in Northern Ireland relating to the post-Brexit trading arrangement.
She said she believed that “pragmatic solutions” could be found so that both the integrity of the single market is maintained and “acceptable solutions” are created. “I think I’m optimistic that this can happen,” she said.
Batley and Spen has chosen hope over division – but really not by much
“The people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and voted for hope.” At least, that’s what the people of Batley and Spen’s new MP, Kim Leadbeater, reckons. They didn’t reject division by much, though. Division, in the form of Tory candidate Ryan Stephenson, came just 323 votes behind hope, on 12,973 vs 13,296. And if you chuck the 8,000 votes for George Galloway into the mix as well, then overall, it was a very strong night for division.
Here’s Tom Peck on yesterday’s suspenseful by-election:
Batley and Spen has chosen hope over division – but really not by much
“The people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and voted for hope.” At least, that’s what the people of Batley and Spen’s new MP, Kim Leadbeater, reckons. They didn’t reject division by much, though. Division, in the form of Tory candidate Ryan Stephenson, came just 323 votes behind hope, on 12,973 vs 13,296. And if you chuck the 8,000 votes for George Galloway into the mix as well, then overall, it was a very strong night for division.
Here’s Tom Peck on yesterday’s suspenseful by-election:
Merkel says she ‘makes the best of it’ with Johnson
German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken about how she feels about British counterpart.
When asked about how she feels about Boris Johnson as a person, Ms Merkel said: “We look at each other, we look at how different people can be and we make the best of it.”
From the Business Insider’s senior politics editor:
Sturgeon says she wishes fewer football fans had travelled to London for Euros
Nicola Sturgeon has said she wishes fewer football fans had travelled to London for the Scotland v England match, after hundreds of coronavirus cases were linked to fans to the capital for the 18 June game.
The first minister said the Scottish government’s advice to fans ahead of the game had been “explicit”, with supporters told to avoid travelling if they did not have a ticket for the Wembley match or a place to watch it “safely”.
However, she said it is “absolutely not … entirely the explanation for what we’re dealing with now”, amid surging cases in Scotland.
Nearly 1,300 Scottish Covid-19 cases reported previously travelling to London for a Euro 2020-related event.
Watch the full Johnson-Merkel press conference
Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel touched on post-Brexit ties and Covid travel during a joint statement from Chequers on Friday afternoon.
To watch the full press conference, follow the link:
Watch: Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel make a joint statement from Chequers
Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel made a joint statement from Chequers on Friday afternoon.The prime minister welcomed Chancellor Merkel to his Buckinghamshire residence for the final time, as she is stepping down from the position later this year.Johnson spoke following Labour’s win in the Batley and Spen by-election, which saw Kim Leadbeater hold off Conservative Party candidate Ryan Stephenson by just 323 votes.He has already announced a new award for British and German women in science in the chancellor’s honour.
Johnson says defeated Tory candidate did ‘very well’
Boris Johnson said Conservative Ryan Stephenson fought an “incredibly positive campaign” and “all things considered did very well to reduce a longstanding Labour majority several decades old to only 323”.
He said it was the “third biggest swing in favour of the government since the war”.
Merkel says Germany could lift travel restrictions on double-jabbed Britons in ‘foreseeable future’
Germany could lift travel restrictions on British travellers who have had both their Covid jabs in “a foreseeable future”, Angela Merkel has said.
Speaking on a visit to the UK the chancellor declined to immediately lift controls and pointed out that the UK had also imposed rules of its own on German travellers.
Here is the story:
Merkel ‘optimistic’ solution can be found to Northern Ireland Protocol
Angela Merkel said she believes that “pragmatic solutions” can be found on the issue of the Northern Ireland protocol so that both the integrity of the single market is maintained and “acceptable solutions” are created.
“I think I’m optimistic that this can happen,” she said.
Germany and UK agree to regular inter-governmental meetings
Angela Merkel has said Germany and the UK have agreed to establish regular inter-governmental consultations.
Following talks with Boris Johnson at Chequers, she said Germany wanted to underpin it with a new co-operation treaty.
“It is, now that Britain has left the European Union, a good opportunity to open a new chapter in our relationship,” she told a joint press conference.
On Germany’s defeat in Euro 2020, she said: “Obviously this was not a voluntary offer on my side to create the right mood for this visit but I have to accept it.
“You deserved it but we were a little bit sad but now the best of luck to the British team.”
Johnson jokes with Merkel over England win
Boris Johnson has joked with Angela Merkel that Germany had broken with its tradition of beating England in football tournaments.
Noting Ms Merkel’s 22 visits to the UK during her time in power, the prime minister told a press conference following their meeting at Chequers: “In the course of that time some things have changed beyond recognition but for much of your tenure it was certainly a tradition, Angela, for England to lose to Germany in international football tournaments.
“I’m obviously grateful to you for breaking with that tradition, just for once.”
