Markus Andrews

Britain announced Thursday that it is postponing until the end of 2023 some checks on imports from the European Union that are required under post-Brexit trade rules, citing economic disruption caused by the war in Ukraine.It’s the fourth time the U.K. has delayed checks it agreed to as part of its divorce deal with the EU. The two sides have been bickering since Britain left the 27-nation bloc about the new arrangements, with a set of special rules for Northern Ireland proving a particularly tough sticking point that risks sparking a trade war.Since Britain left the EU’s single market at the end of 2020, imports from the bloc are supposed to be subject to the same checks as goods from everywhere else in the world. But while some controls have been introduced by the U.K., others have been delayed.The British government said measures that were due to take effect from July 1 — including physical checks on fresh food and a ban on EU sausages and chilled meats — “will no longer be introduced this year.”It said “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the recent rise in global energy costs, have had a significant effect on supply chains that are still recovering from the pandemic,” and checks would put a further burden on struggling businesses.Britain said it would aim to bring in the new measures “in an improved way” at the end of 2023.Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Max Blain, said Britain was “not introducing the checks as planned” and was “working on a new model” that would use the latest data and technology to ease burdens on businesses.Like other countries, Britain has experienced months of sporadic supply problems, with gaps on supermarket shelves, fast-food outlets running out of chicken and some pubs running dry of a full selection of beer. Experts cite a perfect storm of factors, including Brexit and COVID-19, leading to worker shortages in key areas such as trucking. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has driven up cost of essentials including fuel and cooking oil, has made things worse.U.K.-EU talks on resolving differences over trade rules have made limited progress. Britain’s Conservative government has accused the 27-nation bloc of being needlessly “purist” in its approach to the rules for Northern Ireland, while the EU says Britain is failing to honor a legally binding deal that Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed toBritain has threatened to act unilaterally to suspend parts of the divorce deal if progress is not made.___Follow AP’s Brexit coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit More

The Labour MP and former minister Liam Byrne faces a two-day suspension from the Commons for bullying a former staff member, an independent disciplinary panel has recommended.Following an investigation, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, upheld an allegation of bullying against the MP by a former member of his constituency staff.The Independent Expert Panel, which hears appeals against decisions made by the commissioner, said the case involved a “serious breach” of the bulling and harassment policy.The panel said the Birmingham Hodge Hill MP abused his position of power and ostracized the staff member by ceasing personal contact with him for several months and denying him access to his Parliamentary IT account.“The impact of this behaviour was compounded by the first period of lockdown when the complainant was physically separated from work colleagues, uncertain of his future work status and had undergone a period of ill health”.It claimed Mr Byrne “sought to present his actions as a reasonable HR strategy in response to this incident,” but added: “We disagree. It was bullying. He should, as he now accepts, have tackled any misconduct through a proper disciplinary process not by ostracising the complainant”.The panel recommended the former minister to be suspended for two sitting days — a sanction that must be agreed by a motion in the the House of Commons.They also concluded that Mr Byrne should make a written apology to the former staff member and “undertk training and other actions to address the causes of his behaviour and the weaknesses in the management of his office”.Mr Byrne said he was “profoundly sorry” and the situation had been a “valuable lesson for me and one I am determined to learn”.In a statement he said: “Two years ago at the beginning of lockdown, following a workplace dispute that led me to send the complainant home… I did not resolve the dispute correctly with a proper disciplinary process, and having nevertheless extended the complainant’s contract, thereby failed to fulfil my obligations as an employer and Parliament’s behaviour code.“This constituted an ostracism which was a breach of Parliament’s behaviour code which I strongly support, and caused distress for which I am profoundly sorry. I have apologised in full to the individual concerned.“I’m incredibly grateful to the panel for recognising the genuine remorse I felt about the impact on the individual concerned, the steps I have already taken to ensure this never happens again along with the work still to do, and for concluding that I did not deliberately act to delay the investigation.“This has been a valuable lesson for me and one I am determined to learn as me and my team seek to offer the best possible service and voice for the residents of Hodge Hill.”A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party fully supports the recommendations of this independent report, including the proposed sanction.” More

Here is a guide to when to expect the key results and events after polls close in the local elections on Thursday 5 May.All declaration times are estimates and could change.Thursday 5 May, 10pm: Polls close in the 200 local authorities across Britain holding elections. Counting begins for 75 councils in England.Friday 6 May, from 12am: First results expected. Labour is hoping to do well in Conservative-run Bolton in Greater Manchester. The Tories could make gains in Basildon in Essex. Results from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, South Tyneside and Wigan will indicate if Labour’s vote is holding up in its northern strongholds.From 2am: Sunderland has been run by Labour since 1973 but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are hoping to make enough gains to leave the council in no overall control. Both Labour and the Tories are battling for control of Hartlepool and Peterborough. Stevenage in Hertfordshire could show if Labour is making gains in commuter territory.From 3am: First key results from London. Westminster is a Labour longshot and has been run by the Conservatives continuously since 1964. In both Hammersmith & Fulham and Redbridge the Tories are fighting to hold on to a dwindling number of councillors. Elsewhere Hull is a two-way fight between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.From 4am: Two crucial results are due from the West Midlands. The Conservatives are defending a slim majority in Dudley and a larger one in Nuneaton & Bedworth; Labour hopes to make progress on both councils. Hillingdon is another Labour longshot in London and contains within its boundary the constituency of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.From 5am: Labour is hoping to retake Southampton from Conservative control and make gains in Derby. The Conservatives are defending Wandsworth in London which they have held since 1978.By 7am: The final result is due from Conservative-run Barnet, Labour’s top target in London. All outstanding overnight results are also due.Around 9am: Counting begins for a further 71 councils in England and all councils in Scotland and Wales.From 12pm: Results likely to resume in England. The Green party is hoping to make gains in Conservative-controlled Solihull. Labour is hoping to do likewise in Tory-run Walsall. First results are also due from Scotland and for the mayoral elections in Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Watford.From 2pm: Two key councils in West Sussex are due to declare: Worthing, a top Labour target; and Crawley, where both the Tories and Labour are hoping to gain control. The Liberal Democrats could make gains in West Oxfordshire. East Renfrewshire is a three-way battle between the Conservatives, Labour and the SNP. First results are due from Wales.From 3pm: Another key Conservative-Labour battleground, Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, is due to finish counting. In Wales, Labour is looking to take control of Blaenau Gwent from a group of Independents, while Flintshire is a test of Tory popularity in an area in which they did well at the 2019 general election. Aberdeenshire will be a measure of Conservative support in Scotland, while all parties hope to pick up seats in Edinburgh.From 4pm: The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are fighting for control of the new unitary authority in Somerset. In Glasgow, the SNP is looking to hold off any sign of a Labour resurgence. The Lib Dems hope to strengthen control of St Albans and the Tories want to keep control of Pendle in Lancashire. The result of the South Yorkshire mayoral election is also due.From 5pm: The Lib Dems hope to cause an upset in Tory-run Gosport in Hampshire. Labour is defending a slim majority in Cardiff. The result in Labour-run Wakefield could offer clues to the outcome of the expected parliamentary by-election in the city later this year, after Conservative MP Imran Khan was convicted of sexual assault. Tower Hamlets in London is due to declare the result of its mayoral election. Renfrewshire is the last result due from Scotland.Friday evening: North Hertfordshire could see both Labour and the Lib Dems gaining from the Conservatives. Labour is hoping to improve its majority in Bury in Greater Manchester. Vale of Glamorgan is the final result due from Wales. In London, the Croydon mayoral result is expected.Saturday 7 May, around 9am: Counting continues for the council election in Tower Hamlets in London.Around 5pm: Final result due from Tower Hamlets. More

Boris Johnson’s government has scrapped the introduction of planned post-Brexit inspections on food coming into the UK from the EU, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced.In a written statement to the Commons, the Brexit opportunities minister said the controls set to come into force on 1 July would not be enforced during 2022.“No further import controls on EU goods will be introduced this year – businesses can stop their preparations for July now,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.Mr Rees-Mogg suggested the government planned a complete overhaul of its border check plans – revealing that end of 2023 was the target for a brand new “controls regime”.The Independent revealed last month that the government was set to push back the import controls because of growing fears they will exacerbate the cost of living crisis.Mr Rees-Mogg pointed to living cost pressures as a major reason for the move – but blamed rising costs on “Russia’s war in Ukraine and in energy prices”.The Brexit opportunities minister added: “It would therefore be wrong to impose new administrative burdens and risk disruption at ports and to supply chains at this point.”The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks planned for on 1 July would have seen checks on imported agri-food and plant imports, adding an estimated £1bn to the costs of trade.There were also concerns that British ports do not have the necessary infrastructure – or veterinary experts – needed for the rigorous new checks, which involve random physical inspections.The Cold Chain Federation and the British Meat Processors were among the industry groups calling for the checks – already delayed there times – to be pushed back again this year, calling the extra controls a “nightmare” for small firms.The Federation of Small Businesses welcomed the government’s decision on Thursday. “This move will give them more time to prepare for future changes and reassess supply chains,” said chair Martin McTague. Despite spending millions on Border Control Posts, Mr Rees-Mogg said the government would “accelerate” plans to “digitise Britain’s borders” in an attempt to reduce ongoing trade fiction.Cold Chain Federation chief Shane Brennan also backed the government U-turn, saying the checks “would have made a bad situation much worse”. He welcomed Mr Rees-Mogg’s commitment to “rethink the way these controls work”. Meanwhile, Europe minister James Cleverly told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that the UK and EU are at an impasse over changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.“The truth is that we have come to something of an impasse, and I don’t think that’s through a lack of goodwill, and I think it’s more through what we regard in the UK as an overly limited (EU) negotiating mandate,” he said.Of the protocol, Mr Cleverly said: “It is not working. It is not doing what it was meant to do … and that by extension is causing community tensions in NI, which we feel need to be addressed.”Warning of potential violence ahead, Mr Cleverly said: “Many of us lived through The Troubles. We are absolutely determined to protect Good Friday Agreement and not go back to that point in time.”But the minister would not give away any details of the draft bill reportedly being drawn up to unilaterally “tear up” parts of the protocol that Mr Johnson’s government doesn’t like.“We’re looking at a range of options about what we can do to ease these tensions – I don’t want to go further than that,” he said. More

A female Labour MP has claimed that a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s frontbench team made vulgar sexual comments about men wanting to sleep with her.The unnamed Welsh MP told the BBC that the incident happened at an event where she was complimented on being a “rising star” of her party.She claimed a male shadow cabinet member then described her as “a secret weapon. Women want to be her friend and men want to **** her. She is a vote winner”.The MP told the broadcaster that she felt it was not in her interests to reveal her identity or make a formal complaint to the party.Labour said if a complaint was made would be taken “extremely seriously” and fully investigation.“The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “It’s needs to be investigated … I would expect the Labour party to look into that.”The senior Labour figure said all the experiences shared by female MPs this week were “shocking and disgusting” and revealed the underlying “misogyny” at Westminster.It comes as the Tory party’s chief whip has called for an independent investigation by a Commons watchdog after the allegations about an unnamed MP watching porn in the chamber.A female minister who said she was sat next to the unnamed colleague at the time told colleagues about the incident at a meeting of Tory MPs in Westminster on Tuesday night.Chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris said on Wednesday night that the claim made by two MPs should be referred to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) – the watchdog set up in the wake of the Me Too movement.But it is up to individuals to make complaints, and it is not yet clear if the two female MPs who claim to have witnessed their colleague watching porn will make a formal complaint to the ICGS.Home Office minister Rachel Maclean said the Tory MP who allegedly watched porn in the chamber should be expelled from the party if the claims are correct.She told Sky News: “It’s just gruesome. None of us could believe our ears when we heard of this allegation … It is completely and utterly shocking and unacceptable. There is no place for this in our party.”Tuesday’s meeting was reportedly attended by between 40 and 50 Tory MPs, including Mr Heaton-Harris, Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden and Commons Leader Mark Spencer.The meeting came amid reports 56 MPs, including three cabinet ministers, are facing allegations of sexual misconduct referred to the ICGS.It also follows outrage over the Mail On Sunday publishing “sexist” and disputed claims from unnamed Tory MPs that deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner tried to distract Boris Johnson with her legs during PMQs.Meanwhile, Tory MP Fay Jones has shared the “deluge” of misogynistic emails after an appearance on the BBC’s Newsnight last week. “They told me what a ‘stupid little *****’ I was and comments along those lines,” she said. Ninety-nine per cent of them came from men.” More

A total of 200 local authorities across Britain are holding elections on Thursday 5 May.Every council seat in Scotland, Wales and London is up for grabs and there are polls across much of the rest of England.Many of the seats being contested this year were last elected in 2017 and 201 when the UK was still in the European Union, the prime minister was Theresa May and Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn.The political landscape of the UK has undergone huge changes in the past few years, but many of the issues that can decide local elections remain the same, such as when bins are collected, the state of parks and pavements, and access to libraries and hospitals.This year’s elections are also likely to be a verdict on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, in particular their handling of such national issues as Covid-19 and the cost of living.Here are some of the key contests to look out for in each region of England, as well as in Wales and Scotland.North-west EnglandBury has all of its 51 seats up for grabs this year. Labour has run the council since 2011 but has only a small majority and will want to improve its position in what is the party’s traditional heartland of Greater Manchester. Bury’s status in this year’s elections was reflected by the fact Sir Keir and Mr Johnson both visited the town during the campaign. (Estimated declaration time: 8.30pm Friday 6 May )Bolton is another key test for Labour in Greater Manchester, but here it is hoping to take back control from the Conservatives who have run a minority administration since 2019. A third of the council’s 60 seats are being contested. (12.30am)Pendle is being defended by the Conservatives, who won a slim majority last year. If the Tories lose two seats, the council will slip back into no overall control. Elections are taking place for 12 of the 33 seats. (4.30pm)Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness are two new unitary authorities that will elect councillors for the first time this year. The two authorities cover the whole of Cumbria. Cumberland is comprised of the former district councils of Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland, while Westmorland & Furness covers Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland. All the main parties will be jostling for prominence in these new “super-councils” and the outcome in both contests could be close. (Cumberland 2.30am, Westmorland & Furness 1pm)North-east EnglandSunderland has been run by Labour since 1973 but both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have made advances in recent years. A third of the council’s 75 seats are up for grabs this year, and if Labour suffers six or more losses it will lose overall control. Although Sunderland is part of Labour’s so-called “Red Wall” – areas of the country that saw many Tory gains at the 2019 general election – all three Sunderland MPs are Labour and the party defied predictions in 2021 when it retained its majority on the council. (2am)Hartlepool sees the Conservatives and Labour fighting to be in with a chance of taking overall control of the council – or failing that, end up the largest party and lead a minority administration or a coalition. The Tories won the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool from Labour at a by-election in May 2021. A strong showing by independent candidates could spice up the outcome of this year’s contest. Some 13 of the council’s 36 seats are being contested. (2am) More

Rishi Sunak is said to have warned his ministerial colleagues that Britain’s homeowners could see their mortgage payments rise by more than £1,000 a year.The chancellor reportedly used this week’s cabinet meeting about the cost of living crisis that interest rates are set to rise by 2.5 per cent in the year ahead.Mr Sunak rejected calls to provide more help for families struggling with soaring bills by arguing that borrowing risked stoking inflation and interests rates, according to The Times.In an interview with Mumsnet, the chancellor said it would be “silly” to provide more help with energy bills right now, despite pleas from opposition parties and Tory backbenchers to do more this summer.Mr Sunak told the website that he is willing make himself unpopular by focusing on keeping of borrowing down – citing his fears for homeowners’ interest rates.He said: “We are already borrowing quite a lot, our own interest bill is ticking up. What that does is risk interest rates having to go up even more.”Mr Sunak added: “And that will just add to pressure for people with mortgage payments to make and I want to make sure that we’re careful that we don’t do that and I don’t make the problem worse.”The chancellor also said he was not “being mean” by focusing on borrowing and debt, adding: “The other thing is I care about the future – my kids, everyone else’s kids.”Mr Sunak again rejected the opposition call for a windfall tax on fossil fuel giants, arguing that the government did not want to put off investment in new oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.But he hinted that he could change his mind if they did not invest in greater supply. “If we don’t see that type of investment coming forward … then of course that’s something I would look at, and nothing is ever off the table in these things.”Boris Johnson used this week’s ideas meeting to ask his cabinet colleagues to come up with “innovative” suggestions to ease cost of the living pressures without spending more money.Tory MP Karl McCartney dismissed the transport secretary Grant Shapps’ idea that changing rules on MoTs could help with the cost of living – saying it was “absolutely crass” to suggest it would make a difference.Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly keen to cut tariffs on food that cannot be produced in the UK, such as rice.But international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan dismissed the idea on Wednesday, telling MPs: “In terms of tariffs, it’s a tiny, tiny proportion, 0.4 per cent, on the cost of living. That isn’t really where the key areas are.”Mr Johnson was branded an “ostrich” with his head in the sand as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer raised cost-of-living concerns at PMQs this week. More

The Conservative MP accused of watching porn in the Commons chamber could be expelled by the party, suspended from parliament and face a recall petition, a cabinet minister has said.The matter has been referred to a parliamentary watchdog for a possible investigation after a female minister claimed she saw him watching an adult video on his mobile phone.Asked whether the unnamed man should lose his job as MP, if the claim is found to be correct, defence secretary Ben Wallace described it as a “matter for their constituents” – but said he could face a range of punishments.“He could lose the whip,” Mr Wallace told LBC. “It’s something I would support, that he loses the whip … But let’s see how the facts develop in the investigation.”He added: “I think that’s one of the sanctions. It could be worse. If the Commons authorities feel it is egregious enough, he could end up having a recall petition in his constituency or be suspended from parliament.”The Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris said on Wednesday night the claim should be referred to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) – the watchdog set up in the wake of the Me Too movement.It comes as calls grow for the MP to be sacked by the Tory party if the claims – reportedly made by a female minister and fellow female Tory MP at a meeting with the chief whip on Tuesday night – are found to be correct.Home Office minister Rachel Maclean said the Tory MP who allegedly watched porn should be expelled from the party if substantiated.She told Sky News: “It’s just gruesome. None of us could believe our ears when we heard of this allegation … It is completely and utterly shocking and unacceptable. There is no place for this in our party.”Tory peer Nicky Morgan, former equalities minister, also said expulsion by the party would be the “minimum”. Revealing details of Tuesday’s meeting, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “One of the [female] MPs who said they had seen this said she felt she was deliberately being made to feel uncomfortable.”Baroness Morgan added: “I think MPs feel a sort of invincibility. People need to feel accountability that they can lose their job. Frankly I don’t think things like suspension really cuts it.”Tory MP Pauline Latham has also suggested that a MP found to have watched porn in the House would have to stand down.MPs can face a recall petition if they are suspended from the Commons by the parliamentary authorities. If 10 per cent of eligible registered voters in a constituency signed the petition, a by-election is required.The nature of any ICGS’ work means that MPs are not named while they are under investigation. But it is not clear if the two female MPs who claim to have witnessed their colleague watching porn will make a formal complaint to the ICGS.A spokesperson for chief whip said last night: “Following allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the House of Commons the chief whip has asked that this matter be referred to the ICGS, Upon the conclusion of any ICGS investigation the chief whip will take appropriate action.”Mr Wallace appeared to suggest on Sky News that long hours and alcohol could be to blame for watching porn in parliament, as he called for a culture change.“We all know what happens when you mix long hours, drink and pressure,” the minister said, but also added: “I don’t think there is any excuse – you don’t sit in your workplace watching pornography.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “disturbed by these allegations” – describing them as a “sackable offence”.Asked if the MP should resign their seat, Sir Keir told ITV’s Peston: “It needs to be thoroughly investigated straight away and action needs to be taken. There’s an individual issue here but there’s a cultural issue as well.”Tuesday evening’s meeting of 40 to 50 members of the 2022 group of Tory MPs is understood to have heard around a dozen women complain of sexist behaviour by colleagues.The meeting was held after the Sunday Times reported that 56 MPs, including three cabinet minsters, were under investigation over claims of sexual misconduct referred to the ICGS.Ashworth urges Labour to probe ‘lewd comments’ allegedly made to female MPA female Labour MP has claimed that a member of Sir Keir’s frontbench team made vulgar sexual comments about men wanting to sleep with her.The unnamed Welsh MP told the BBC that the incident happened at an event where she was complimented on being a “rising star” of her party.She claimed a male shadow cabinet member then described her as “a secret weapon. Women want to be her friend and men want to **** her. She is a vote winner”. More