Brexit news live: UK says France fishing row not over

Brexit news live: UK says France fishing row not over

News Hour


Boris Johnson refuses to rule out escalating France fishing row after possible treaty breach

The UK has rejected French claims of a deal to try to end their fishing dispute, leaving Paris on course to launch restrictive measures against British fishing boats operating in the Channel in just 48 hours.

While France claimed Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson had agreed to work on “practical measures” to resolve the dispute, No 10 insisted that was wrong and it is up to France to back down.

“We stand ready to respond should they proceed to breaking the Brexit agreement,” Mr Johnson’s spokesman told reporters at the G20 summit in Rome, adding the UK’s position had not changed and it was up to the “French to decide if they want to step away from the threats they have made in recent days”.

The measures France has said it will introduce include banning British vessels from some French ports, making fishing extremely difficult.

Brexit minister Lord Frost revealed on Saturday the UK is “actively considering” triggering a legal battle with France over the possible steps – a claim the PM echoed today.

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Tories pick councillor to fight by-election triggered by MP’s death

The Conservative Party has announced its candidate on Saturday for a by-election triggered by the death of James Brokenshire.

Tory members selected Louie French in its campaign to hold on to the Old Bexley and Sidcup seat in southeast London after Mr Brokenshire, Cabinet minister and constituency’s MP since 2019, died of lung cancer earlier this month at the age of 53.

The date for the by-election has yet to be announced, reports Lamiat Sabin.

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 12:20

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No truce in ‘fish wars’ as No 10 rejects French claims of deal

The UK has rejected French claims of a deal to try to end the “fish wars” between the two countries, leaving Paris on course to launch reprisals in just 48 hours.

France claimed Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson had agreed to work on “practical measures” to resolve the dispute – but No 10 insisted that was wrong and it is up to France to back down.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has this developing story:

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 12:09

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France ‘ready to implement proportionate measures’ on Tuesday – minister

Over to France now. The country’s secretary of state for European affairs said Paris “stands ready to implement proportionate and reversible measures” from Tuesday after accusing the UK of choosing to breach the terms of the post-Brexit trade deal over its handling of fishing licences.

In a threat of tweets, Clement Beaune insisted France was not merely missing “a few licences, but more than 40 per cent of French detailed requests”.

“After 10 months, when such a significant amount of licences, targeting one country, is missing, it’s not a technical issue, it’s a political choice and a breach of the TCA (Trade and Co-operation Agreement).

“This is why France asks for action at the EU level, within the framework of the TCA, and stands ready to implement proportionate and reversible measures from 2 November, as we have announced repeatedly since last April. These measures are fully in line with the TCA.”

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 12:05

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Sharma swerves questions on Cambo oil field

Cop26 president Alok Sharma has swerved questions over the prospect of the Cambo oilfield receiving approval, saying: “That’s not my decision, that’s not my role.”

It comes after Mr Sharma’s speech at the climate summit in Glasgow was interrupted by activists – branding him a “hypocrite” for the government’s support of the oilfield to the west of the Shetland islands, writes our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn.

Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Mr Sharma defended the UK’s efforts to decarbonise the economy as he dodged a question over whether giving the Cambo oil field the green light will help Britain demonstrate its “moral authority”.

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 11:55

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Watch: Queen on ‘very good form,’ says Boris Johnson

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Sam Hancock31 October 2021 11:45

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PM will do ‘whatever necessary to ensure UK interests,’ he tells Macron

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports the following from the G20 meeting in Rome:

France says Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson have agreed to try to defuse their clash over fishing rights, in a statement that raises more questions than answers.

The two leaders met for about 25 minutes at a G20 summit in Rome – one day after the UK threatened to launch a legal battle over Paris’s plans for reprisals, in protest at being denied fishing licences.

They agreed to work on “practical and operational measures” to resolve the dispute in the coming days and are united on the need for a “de-escalation” of the row, Mr Macron’s office said.

But there was no immediate comment from Downing Street – and it was unclear whether Paris has agreed to rethink its deadline to introduce port restrictions and border checks from Tuesday.

Mr Johnson had vowed the UK would do “whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests” if France ploughed ahead, arguing it is in breach of the Brexit trade agreement.

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 11:35

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Equalities minister claims govt believes in ‘equality and fairness for all’

More from the Kemi Badenoch. The equalities minister insisted that while the government does not believe in gender self-identification for trans people, there should be a process to get gender recognition certificates.

When told some trans activists would say the fact she did not accept the statement trans women are women, is in itself a form of violence, Ms Badenoch told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme:

“I think it’s sad that the debate has turned into one of name-calling.

“What I would ask people to do is actually look at what the policies are, what it is we’re doing in order to protect people of all types, whether they are LGBT, of different race, racial backgrounds, the different sexes.

“We are a government that believes in equality and fairness for all, and everything we’re doing is to make sure that we have an equal society, and we should not get to a point where having a different opinion becomes a reason to insult other people. That’s absolutely wrong.”

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 11:20

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Elysee Palace: PM and Macron ‘want to de-escalate’ fishing row

Sky’s Beth Rigby reports the following about Boris Johnson’s “walking meeting” with Emmanuel Macron.

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 10:37

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Afghan refugees call on Home Office not to penalise those fleeing Taliban

As thousands of people try to flee Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, the UK government is pushing through a Bill that would see asylum seekers who arrive on British shores via unauthorised routes penalised and considered for removal from the country.

The plans would also enable immigration officers to intercept vessels in British waters and take them to foreign ports – a controversial practice known as pushback – as well as send asylum seekers overseas while their claims are processed, known as offshore processing, reports our social affairs correspondent May Bulman.

Home secretary Priti Patel has defended the Bill’s proposals, saying the Home Office was expanding safe routes to the UK. But her department is facing mounting criticism for delays in the opening of the Afghan resettlement scheme, which was announced in August but is yet to open.

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 10:17

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Badenoch criticises move to make Black History Month ‘Racism History Month’

Kemi Badenoch, the controversial equalities minister, was asked this morning what she liked or did not like about Black History Month.

Ms Badenoch told the Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme she was pleased to see people are thinking more about black contributions to British history, but she admitted not liking interventions that seem “contrived”:

“To be honest, I think Black History Month, it’s become much bigger than it used to be because a lot of people are doing different things, different things with it.

“It’s an American import, which hasn’t always fitted exactly with what I would call British and Commonwealth history.”

Pressed on the matter, she added the occasion, in her opinion, had “become Racism History Month, which isn’t what it should be.”.

“It should be a time for us to come together and look at contributions which haven’t always been taught because they might be seen as very niche or they’re just not traditionally what people thought should be in the curriculum,” she said.

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch

(HM Treasury)

Sam Hancock31 October 2021 10:03

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