Two Treatises of Government (or Two Treatises of Government: In the Former, The False Principles, and Foundation of Sir Robert Filmer, and His Followers, Are Detected and Overthrown. The Latter Is an Essay Concerning The True Original, Extent, and End of Civil Government) is a work of political philosophy published anonymously in 1689 by John Locke. The First Treatise attacks patriarchalism in the form of sentence-by-sentence refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha, while the Second Treatise outlines Locke's ideas for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. King James II of England (VII of Scotland) was overthrown in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic William III of Oranje-Nassau (William of Orange), who as a result ascended the English throne as William III of England. This is known as the Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688. Locke claims in the "Preface" to the Two Treatises that its purpose is to justify William III's ascension to the throne, though Peter Laslett suggests that the bulk of the writing was instead completed between 1679–1680 (and subsequently revised until Locke was driven into exile in 1683).[1] According to Laslett, Locke was writing his Two Treatises during the Exclusion Crisis, which attempted to prevent James II from ever taking the throne in the first place. Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, Locke's mentor, patron and friend, introduced the bill, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Richard Ashcraft, following in Laslett's suggestion that the Two Treatises were written before the Revolution, objected that Shaftesbury's party did not advocate revolution during the Exclusion Crisis. He suggests that they are instead better associated with the revolutionary conspiracies that swirled around what would come to be known as the Rye House Plot. Locke, Shaftesbury and many others were forced into exile; some, such as Sidney, were even executed for treason. Locke knew his work was dangerous—he never acknowledged his authorship within his lifetime.
Parliament
- house of lords
- government whips' office, amongst its other responsibilites, provides services for the whole house. Its website contains daily and weekly updates on business; lists of speakers for debates, groupings of amendments; estimates of daily finishing times
- peers
- 世俗议员 called peers starting from 15th c
- law lords
- introduced in 1876
- Highly qualified, full-time judges, the Law Lords carried out the judicial work of the House of Lords until 30 July 2009. The final appeal hearings and judgments of the House of Lords took place on 30 July 2009. The judicial role of the House of Lords as the highest appeal court in the UK has ended. From 1 October 2009, the Supreme Court of the UK assumed jurisdiction on points of law for all civil law cases in the UK and all criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-types/law-lords/
- select committees
- more subject focussed, such as the european union select committee; the economic affairs committee or the science and technology committee
- stages of legislation
- first reading
- second reading - debate on general priniciples, government bills included in the election manifesto are, by convention, not opposed at this stage
- committee stage
- bills considered in a committee of the whole house (in the chamber) or in a grand committee (away from the chamber). Any member can attend
- detailed line by line examination and consideration of amendments
- unlike commons, there is no selection of amendments - all can be considered and discussion of amendments is not time limited or guillotined
- report stage
- further chance to amend a bill
- third reading
- unlike in the commons, amendments can be made, provided the issue has not been fully debated and decided at an earlier stage
- passing: the final opportunity for comment but often taken formally
- amendments are tabled before the debate and a numbered list is printed, known as a 'marshalled list'. Amendments of a similar nature, or that apply to similar aspects of a bill, are grouped together and debated together. The grouped amendments are set out in a list in advance of a debate. 'g' =government amendment
- voting - 'content' or 'not content'
- daily business: oral questions; ministerial reports; debates; committee meetings; considering and passing bills
- stages of legislation
- first reading
- second reading - debate on general priniciples
- committee stage
- selected groups of mps in committee room
- chamber
- third reading
- bills (draft laws) can start in either house. They go through the same stages but with important differences. Bills must be approved in the same form by both houses before royal assent. A bill may go back and forth between each house until agreement is reached
- The Modus Tenendi Parliamentum (English: Method of Holding Parliaments) is a 14th-century document that outlined an idealised version of English parliamentary procedure.
- The Order and Usage how to Keepe a Parlement in England by john hooker
- The King believed that Puritans (or Dissenters), encouraged by five vociferous Members of the House of Commons, known thereafter as the Five Members – John Pym, John Hampden,Denzil Holles, Arthur Haselrig and William Strode – together with the peer Edward Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (the future Earl of Manchester), had encouraged the Scots to invade England in the recent Bishops' Wars, and that they were intent on turning the London mob against him. When rumours reached the court that they were also planning to impeach the Queen for alleged involvement in Catholic plots, Charles decided to arrest them for treason. The counterclaim was that the King had an Irish army set to reduce the kingdom. The Speaker of the House during the Long Parliament was William Lenthall. On Tuesday, 4 January 1642, the King entered the House of Commons to seize the Five Members, and sat in the speaker's chair. Not seeing the Five Members and commenting "I see the birds have flown", the King then turned to Lenthall, who stood below, and demanded of him whether any of those persons were in the House, whether he saw any of them and where they were. Lenthall fell on his knees and replied: "May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here". However, he later consented to appear as a witness against Thomas Scot in the wave of prosecutions of the regicides in 1660 which followed the Restoration of the Monarchy. The action of the king was the catalyst for the Civil War, the beheading of the king, and the rule of Oliver Cromwell. After his failure to capture the Five Members and fearing for his family's lives, King Charles left London for Oxford. Most of the royalist members of Parliament joined him there, where they formed the Oxford Parliament. The Long Parliament continued to sit during and beyond the Civil War without its royalist members, because of the Dissolution Act.
- westminister hall
- building began in 1097 and completed in 1099. It has the largest surviving single span medieval timber roof in northern europe. In 1399 richard II had it replaced with the hammer beam roof which still exist today.
- scmp remember a day 7jul1979 report - The British government announced a pay rise of 70 per cent for members of parliament, who were among the worst paid politicians in the Western world. The increase, to be paid in three stages, would raise an MP’s yearly salary from £7,000 to £12,000 by 1981.https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017216/most-wanted-manhunt-ends-toddler-trapped-bath-and-iranian
Political party/group
- The World Union of National Socialists (WUNS) is an organisation founded in 1962 as an umbrella group for neo-Nazi organisations across the globe. The movement came about when the leader of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, visited England and met with National Socialist Movement chief Colin Jordan and the two agreed to work towards developing an international link-up between movements. This resulted in the 1962 Cotswold Declaration which was signed by neo-Nazis from the United States, United Kingdom, France (Savitri Devi[1]), West Germany (Bruno Ludtke[2]), Austria and Belgium. More member nations would join later throughout the decade including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Ireland, South Africa, and Japan.
National anthem
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3477695/God-Save-Queen-stay-revolt-rugby-soccer-chiefs-kills-MPs-plan-create-new-anthem-English.html A Labour bid to ditch God Save the Queen at sporting events was kicked into touch last night after a revolt from governing bodies. Both the English rugby and football associations condemned the plan – peddled by backbencher Toby Perkins – to drop the British national anthem in favour of a more English tune. Mr Perkins, the MP for Chesterfield, proposed Jerusalem as the best replacement. He argued that it was wrong for England fans to sing the British national anthem at sporting fixtures where they often played against other home nations.England fans should have their own anthem, just as the Welsh sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers), and the Scots sing Flower of Scotland, he said. But the English national anthem bill ran out of parliamentary time yesterday, meaning it is highly unlikely to get on to the statute books. The bill was doomed after sporting bodies with links to the royal family opposed the idea.Greg Dyke, the chairman of the FA, said there was no strong push for change from England fans. He did point out there were fewer British symbols at England matches today: ‘If you look at the film of the 1966 World Cup final, all the flags were Union Jacks and now most are the cross of St George. The FA’s president is Prince William of course but if this bill gets traction then I suppose we will have to discuss it.’ Mr Perkins had earlier argued his bill was ‘not hostile to the monarch in any way’. However, his petition gathered just 2,000 signatures, far short of the amount required to guarantee it further time on the floor of the Commons. His petition argued that it is ‘time for England to have its own national anthem, to enable us to establish our English identity and support our role in the United Kingdom’. Mr Perkins vowed the ‘fight will go on’. David Cameron has wavered on the issue. Asked whether the Prime Minister thought England teams should have their own anthem, his official spokesman said: ‘It is up to individual sporting bodies to decide what is played before the start of international contests.’ Mr Cameron had previously said he thought Jerusalem would be the best replacement for God Save the Queen.
May government
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21708223-britains-new-prime-minister-signals-new-illiberal-direction-country
- channel bridge?
- Downing Street has said there are "no specific plans" for a bridge between the UK and France after Boris Johnson floated the idea of a "fixed link". The UK foreign secretary reportedly ran the idea past French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit on Thursday. But Downing Street said he had been referring to a panel looking at Anglo-French major projects. Experts said a bridge was technically possible but some critics ridiculed the concept. Thursday's summit with Prime Minister Theresa May at Sandhurst's Royal Military Academy in Berkshire was Emmanuel Macron's first UK visit since becoming French president.http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42743909
- The NHS in England has published a 10-year plan setting out what it will be prioritising in the future. It comes after ministers announced the budget will be increased by £20bn a year by 2023. The 136-page plan will see money shifted from hospitals to mental health and the community. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46784582
johnson government
- https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/theresa-may-unveils-10-year-nhs-reform-plans-despite-treasury-opposition
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/05/nhs-to-get-extra-18bn-even-under-no-deal-brexit-says-hancock Boris Johnson has insisted that the promised £1.8bn of extra funding for NHS hospitals is new money despite suggestions that most of it is already held in reserve by health trusts.
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12185448/BCC-head-quits-in-Brexit-row.html The head of one of the UK’s leading business groups dramatically resigned last night, accusing David Cameron of peddling “highly irresponsible” scare stories to keep Britain in the European Union. John Longworth quit as director general of the British Chambers of Commerceafter he was suspended for speaking out in favour of leaving the EU.- http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21701511-who-made-money-brexit-vote-prophets-and-profiteersFOUR out of five hedge-fund managers had expected Britain to vote to remain in the European Union, according to a poll by Preqin, a data firm. But a handful saw Brexit coming and invested accordingly. They made hundreds of millions by betting against assets that were likely to suffer from an Out vote. Crispin Odey’s London-based fund, which manages around $10 billion and has had a terrible year, jumped nearly 15% on the day after the vote. That was thanks to short positions on the shares of a number of British firms (including Aberdeen, an asset manager, and Berkeley Group, a builder) and a big investment in gold. Others, such as Atlantic Investment Management, prospered by betting against sterling, which fell this week to its lowest value against the dollar since 1985.
- http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e4c7f5a0-4288-11e6-b22f-79eb4891c97d.html Micheline Calmy-Rey, a former Swiss president, thinks she knows what lies in store for Britain after its historic vote to leave the EU last month. She believes the UK has little option but to follow Switzerland itself. “There isn’t what you can call a ‘Swiss model’; there is a ‘Swiss way’,” says Ms Calmy-Rey, who now teaches at Geneva university, referring to the more than 120 bilateral deals that provide Switzerland access to EU markets without some of the burdens of membership. Christoph Blocher, a veteran Swiss People’s party politician, argues that there are clear parallels between Brexit and his own successful campaign against Switzerland joining the European Economic Area — a waystation to membership — two-and-a-half decades ago. “It was the same in our 1992 referendum,” he says. “All of the experts had predicted it would be our downfall. It would be an economic disaster, we would be isolated. None of that happened.” And yet Switzerland’s arrangement with the EU may be difficult for Bern to maintain, let alone for the UK to replicate. While Europe’s leaders scramble to deal with the UK, Swiss politicians are frantically seeking ways to preserve a web of trade and other agreements while implementing the outcome of a referendum that has caused problems of its own.
- http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2d07188-441f-11e6-b22f-79eb4891c97d.html The Swiss bankers’ association has proposed an alliance with London and leading non-European international financial centres to help thrash out deals on access to EU markets. Switzerland, London, Hong Kong and Singapore would pool ideas and resources under a plan put forward by Patrick Odier, chairman of the Swiss association.
- http://paper.takungpao.com/resfile/PDF/20160708/PDF/a3_screen.pdf 美国贸易代表弗罗曼6日对英国脱欧后的贸易伙伴关系提出看法，认为在英国尚未理清与欧盟关系需时的情况下，伦敦可以考虑加入由美国主导的“跨太平洋伙伴关系协定”（TPP），不失为英美贸易关系的新思路。 面对英国公投脱离欧盟的局面，弗罗曼周三在美国接受彭博电视採访时谈到，这不会减缓美国和欧盟有关美欧主要贸易条约“跨大西洋贸易及投资伙伴协议”（TTIP）协商进程。美方TTIP谈判代表在英国脱欧后认为，目前TTIP谈判进程仍然“乐观”，在下周于比利时首都布鲁塞尔将举行新一轮谈判。
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21702502-outlines-britains-post-brexit-place-world-begin-emerge-map-room- http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-eu-referendum-theresa-may-prime-minister-liam-fox-disagreement-trouble-cabinet-split-a7158596.htmlThe first of what will be many Cabinet skirmishes over what Brexit means has broken out. Downing Street has slapped down Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, for suggesting that the UK should leave the EU’s customs union, which he believes would make it easier to secure new trade deals with non-EU countries. Number 10 is adamant that no such decision has been taken – a sign that May and Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, may take a different view. https://next.ft.com/content/a082b37a-54bd-11e6-9664-e0bdc13c3bef Now Theresa May’s office has made it clear that Mr Fox will not be leading talks on Britain’s future trade relations with the EU, in spite of a belief among some in his department that he would be.
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-theresa-may-government-no-plan-30000-civil-servants-cope-cabinet-split-article-50-leaked-a7417966.html
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21702502-outlines-britains-post-brexit-place-world-begin-emerge-map-room- http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-eu-referendum-theresa-may-prime-minister-liam-fox-disagreement-trouble-cabinet-split-a7158596.htmlThe first of what will be many Cabinet skirmishes over what Brexit means has broken out. Downing Street has slapped down Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, for suggesting that the UK should leave the EU’s customs union, which he believes would make it easier to secure new trade deals with non-EU countries. Number 10 is adamant that no such decision has been taken – a sign that May and Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, may take a different view. https://next.ft.com/content/a082b37a-54bd-11e6-9664-e0bdc13c3bef Now Theresa May’s office has made it clear that Mr Fox will not be leading talks on Britain’s future trade relations with the EU, in spite of a belief among some in his department that he would be.
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-theresa-may-government-no-plan-30000-civil-servants-cope-cabinet-split-article-50-leaked-a7417966.html
- ft article 19nov16 on uk strategy
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21711053-even-if-not-permanent-home-transitional-deal-remain-customs-union-may-make
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21714960-theresa-may-opts-clean-break-europe-negotiations-will-still-be-tricky-doing-brexit insistence on escaping the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Free-trade deals require a neutral umpire. So would any effort, hinted at again by Mrs May, to secure post-Brexit barrier-free access to the EU’s single market for such key industries as cars and financial services (see article). Such a sectoral approach is anyway unlikely to work, for two reasons. One is that the EU will not offer favoured access to its market only for certain industries. The second is that the World Trade Organisation does not allow it. The WTO accepts free-trade deals and customs unions, but only if they embrace “substantially all the trade”. Were the EU to single out cars, say, for barrier-free trade with Britain, the EU would be obliged by the WTO’s non-discrimination rules to offer the same deal to all WTO members, including China and India.
- https://www.ft.com/content/32080204-1a17-11e7-bcac-6d03d067f81f With Britain’s parliament in recess, the prime minister used a three-day visit to the Middle East to soften her stance on Brexit, effectively conceding that the UK may have to carry on playing by some EU rules after it leaves the bloc in 2019. Mrs May has accepted that Britain will not be able to sign a trade deal until after it formally leaves the EU and becomes a “third country”, raising the need for a transition agreement to bridge the gap between Brexit and the ratification of the deal. The EU’s draft negotiating guidelines stipulate that if the UK wants to stay part of the single market during that period it will have to stick to existing rules, which include making budget payments, allowing the free movement of people and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court.
- http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20170728/00180_016.html英國自展開脫歐前途談判以來，一方面要與歐盟的談判官員周旋，另一方面又要加快腳步，與其他國家盡早達成雙邊貿易協議。英國政府內部針對脫歐事宜選擇三箭齊發，派出三位重要官員去拉攏其他國家。國際貿易大臣霍理林已分別於周一至周三，先後到訪美國和墨西哥，與當地官員展開貿易關係談判。外交大臣約翰遜同樣於周三到訪澳洲兩日，他指此行的首要議程是與澳洲商討後脫歐時期英澳的貿易關係。脫歐大臣戴德偉將會在下一輪的脫歐談判前，與德國官員舉行一個私下會議。英國的脫歐談判剛開始，一直到二○一九年三月的最後限期前，才會定出最後的協議。不過，英國政府已與美國及澳洲建立了一系列的部長級工作小組，商討後脫歐時代的經貿安排，同時也對其他國家作出類似暗示。
- The UK and EU have agreed on a "large part" of the agreement that will lead to the "orderly withdrawal" of the UK. Negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis said the deal on what the UK calls the implementation period was a "decisive step" in the Brexit process. But issues still to be resolved include the Northern Ireland border. And Scotland's fishing industry has reacted angrily to the deal, which will see the UK "consulted" on quotas and access to its waters until 2021. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-43456502
- Theresa May’s desperate attempts to unite her party and country behind a new Brexit blueprint were under severe strain on Saturday night, as more than 100 entrepreneurs and founders of UK businesses dismissed it as unworkable – and hardline anti-EU Tory MPs warned it could mean an outcome worse than “no deal” at all. There were also signs that Brussels was less than impressed after an initial examination of the plans, which were thrashed out and agreed by the entire cabinet at an all-day summit at Chequers on Friday. The proposals would involve a new “facilitated customs arrangement” intended to remove the need for a hard border in Ireland, and the creation of a UK-EU free trade area, in which the UK would abide by a “common rule book” of EU regulations. As the prime minister and her officials renewed appeals for ministerial loyalty and an end to infighting from the likes of the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, it was her own hardline pro-Brexit backbenchers who broke cover to resume hostilities, while business leaders said the plans would mean extra bureaucracy and cost, as they demanded full membership of the customs union. A letter released on Saturday night by the co-founder of Innocent Drinks, Richard Reed, and signed by the founders of Pret, Waterstones, Zoopla, Net-a- Porter, Domino’s, YO! Sushi and Jack Wills, among others, said that May’s customs proposal would be costly and bureaucratic for UK firms. They called for MPs to back amendments to the government’s trade and customs bills that would secure full customs union membership when the legislation is considered in parliament. From the other side of the Brexit argument, the Tory MP and leader of the European Research Group (ERG) of hardline Brexiters, Jacob Rees-Mogg, questioned whether signing up to elements of the EU rulebook would amount to Brexit at all.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/07/theresa-mays-eu-deal-under-fire-from-hardline-brexiters
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21711053-even-if-not-permanent-home-transitional-deal-remain-customs-union-may-make
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21714960-theresa-may-opts-clean-break-europe-negotiations-will-still-be-tricky-doing-brexit insistence on escaping the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Free-trade deals require a neutral umpire. So would any effort, hinted at again by Mrs May, to secure post-Brexit barrier-free access to the EU’s single market for such key industries as cars and financial services (see article). Such a sectoral approach is anyway unlikely to work, for two reasons. One is that the EU will not offer favoured access to its market only for certain industries. The second is that the World Trade Organisation does not allow it. The WTO accepts free-trade deals and customs unions, but only if they embrace “substantially all the trade”. Were the EU to single out cars, say, for barrier-free trade with Britain, the EU would be obliged by the WTO’s non-discrimination rules to offer the same deal to all WTO members, including China and India.
- https://www.ft.com/content/32080204-1a17-11e7-bcac-6d03d067f81f With Britain’s parliament in recess, the prime minister used a three-day visit to the Middle East to soften her stance on Brexit, effectively conceding that the UK may have to carry on playing by some EU rules after it leaves the bloc in 2019. Mrs May has accepted that Britain will not be able to sign a trade deal until after it formally leaves the EU and becomes a “third country”, raising the need for a transition agreement to bridge the gap between Brexit and the ratification of the deal. The EU’s draft negotiating guidelines stipulate that if the UK wants to stay part of the single market during that period it will have to stick to existing rules, which include making budget payments, allowing the free movement of people and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court.
- http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20170728/00180_016.html英國自展開脫歐前途談判以來，一方面要與歐盟的談判官員周旋，另一方面又要加快腳步，與其他國家盡早達成雙邊貿易協議。英國政府內部針對脫歐事宜選擇三箭齊發，派出三位重要官員去拉攏其他國家。國際貿易大臣霍理林已分別於周一至周三，先後到訪美國和墨西哥，與當地官員展開貿易關係談判。外交大臣約翰遜同樣於周三到訪澳洲兩日，他指此行的首要議程是與澳洲商討後脫歐時期英澳的貿易關係。脫歐大臣戴德偉將會在下一輪的脫歐談判前，與德國官員舉行一個私下會議。英國的脫歐談判剛開始，一直到二○一九年三月的最後限期前，才會定出最後的協議。不過，英國政府已與美國及澳洲建立了一系列的部長級工作小組，商討後脫歐時代的經貿安排，同時也對其他國家作出類似暗示。
- The UK and EU have agreed on a "large part" of the agreement that will lead to the "orderly withdrawal" of the UK. Negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis said the deal on what the UK calls the implementation period was a "decisive step" in the Brexit process. But issues still to be resolved include the Northern Ireland border. And Scotland's fishing industry has reacted angrily to the deal, which will see the UK "consulted" on quotas and access to its waters until 2021. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-43456502
- Theresa May’s desperate attempts to unite her party and country behind a new Brexit blueprint were under severe strain on Saturday night, as more than 100 entrepreneurs and founders of UK businesses dismissed it as unworkable – and hardline anti-EU Tory MPs warned it could mean an outcome worse than “no deal” at all. There were also signs that Brussels was less than impressed after an initial examination of the plans, which were thrashed out and agreed by the entire cabinet at an all-day summit at Chequers on Friday. The proposals would involve a new “facilitated customs arrangement” intended to remove the need for a hard border in Ireland, and the creation of a UK-EU free trade area, in which the UK would abide by a “common rule book” of EU regulations. As the prime minister and her officials renewed appeals for ministerial loyalty and an end to infighting from the likes of the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, it was her own hardline pro-Brexit backbenchers who broke cover to resume hostilities, while business leaders said the plans would mean extra bureaucracy and cost, as they demanded full membership of the customs union. A letter released on Saturday night by the co-founder of Innocent Drinks, Richard Reed, and signed by the founders of Pret, Waterstones, Zoopla, Net-a- Porter, Domino’s, YO! Sushi and Jack Wills, among others, said that May’s customs proposal would be costly and bureaucratic for UK firms. They called for MPs to back amendments to the government’s trade and customs bills that would secure full customs union membership when the legislation is considered in parliament. From the other side of the Brexit argument, the Tory MP and leader of the European Research Group (ERG) of hardline Brexiters, Jacob Rees-Mogg, questioned whether signing up to elements of the EU rulebook would amount to Brexit at all.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/07/theresa-mays-eu-deal-under-fire-from-hardline-brexiters
- 隨着英國首相文翠珊早前提出的「契克斯方案」被否決，內閣大多數人轉而支持脫歐後與歐盟簽訂「加拿大式」的貿易協議，於周一向文翠珊反映。在野工黨則計劃在周二的大會上，由黨員決定是否動議第二次脫歐公投。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180925/00180_012.html- party struggle
- papers
- effect- https://www.ft.com/content/dcb8261c-9c7f-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946 Theresa May has moved to tighten her grip on the UK’s disjointed Brexit operation, shaking up her negotiating team and dismissing efforts by her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, to push her towards a hard exit. Mrs May seized full control of Brexit talks by making Olly Robbins, previously head of the department run by her chief Brexit negotiator David Davis, answerable only to her and belittled Mr Johnson’s weekend treatise advocating a swifter, cleaner break from the EU.
- papers
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/position-papers-published-ahead-of-round-three-negotiations
- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44807741 The government has published its blueprint for UK relations with the EU, with Theresa May saying it "delivers on the Brexit people voted for".The long-awaited White Paper is aimed at ensuring trade co-operation, with no hard border for Northern Ireland, and global trade deals for the UK. But Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was a "bad deal for Britain". And US President Donald Trump said the proposals would "probably kill" a trade deal with his country. The White Paper fleshes out the Chequers agreement that sparked the resignations of Boris Johnson and David Davis.The UK is hoping the EU will back the proposals so an exit deal can be struck by the autumn, ahead of the UK's official departure from the EU in March.
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21713809-angry-resignation-sir-ivan-rogers-lays-bare-governments-unreadiness-bargaining
- http://www.economist.com/news/business/21701811-uncertainty-especially-about-regulation-spreads-among-industries-most-exposed-britain-rules
- http://www.economist.com/news/business/21701805-how-different-industries-are-exposed-turmoil-britain-picking-losers
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/23/brexit-would-damage-important-trade-links-with-asia/
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/immigration-eu-citizens-brexit-referendum-deportation-home-office-3-million-a7451476.html
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21711920-if-it-wants-carry-doing-business-europe-britain-will-have-keep-following-its
- winners & losers (company wise)
- https://www.ft.com/content/fbc0e0f2-a19a-11e6-86d5-4e36b35c3550
- supporters
- https://beta.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2183236/uk-vacuum-giant-james-dyson-moving-headquarters-singapore Dyson’s company said the move to Singapore, where the firm had already announced it would build its new electric car, was not driven by Britain’s looming departure from the European Union or tax implications, with much of its product development remaining in south west England.
- goods trade
- https://www.ft.com/content/16bfc152-56ae-11e7-80b6-9bfa4c1f83d2 So what is at stake over whether Brexit leads to an immediate UK departure from the customs union? How will it affect Britain’s prospects? What alternative arrangements could be set up? Here the FT looks at the consequences for goods trade.
- https://www.ft.com/content/53a29e2c-be42-11e7-b8a3-38a6e068f464 Britain would need up to 5,000 new customs officials to cope with a “no deal” Brexit, adding to the 3,000 extra bureaucrats that have already been hired to help with leaving the EU.
- Financial
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/12/15/lloyds-london-plots-eu-shift-ward-brexit-threat/
- LSE dismisses talk of clearing unit shift ft 17jan17
- UK insurers race to set up EU subsidiaries. ft 20feb17
- https://www.ft.com/content/f9f3ffc2-fc1a-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30 The City of London’s hopes of maximising access to the EU are set to be dealt a blow by European Commission plans to take a tough stance on rules that could provide a post-Brexit lifeline for the UK financial sector.
- Brussels is rushing out proposals to impose EU control on the City of London’s lucrative euro-clearing market, forcing UK operators to either relocate or be policed by European authorities.https://www.ft.com/content/b2c842a6-2b64-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c
- https://www.ft.com/content/558b82dc-5f36-11e7-91a7-502f7ee26895 A City of London delegation will head to Brussels this week with a secret blueprint for a post-Brexit free trade deal on financial services, as concern mounts about the damage facing employers if they are forced to move operations to the continent. The initiative, led by Mark Hoban, the former City minister, is independent of government but has the unofficial support of senior figures in Whitehall, according to three people close to the project. Financial services companies have long used London as an EU hub, relying on the “passporting” principle in single market legislation to sell their services cross-border from the City. Business leaders are nervous that the March 2019 deadline for the UK’s departure from the EU will come before a credible deal has been struck to retain easy access to EU markets. Banks in particular fear they may have to move thousands of staff to financial centres such as Frankfurt and Dublin. Barclays has become the latest institution to move ahead with plans to shift some operations to the Irish capital. The City proposal is an example of how financial services are fearful of leaving their fate in the hands of official UK negotiators while talks are focused on narrow, divorce-related issues and Theresa May’s government has reasserted its goal of a hard Brexit involving leaving the EU single market.
- Just one week after a tranche of banks and asset managers were said to be signing deals to relocate to Dublin, Frankfurt has resorted to waiving rigid labor laws as a further means of attracting lenders. ttps://www.financemagnates.com/institutional-forex/brokerage/frankfurt-waiving-strict-labor-laws-prospective-lenders-leaving-uk/
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dublin-tops-list-for-firms-fleeing-london-b2gz022px Frankfurt and Dublin have emerged as top destinations for financial services looking to move out of the UK after Brexit, beating rival hubs such as Luxembourg and Paris, a report has found.
- https://www.ft.com/content/2a072982-b59d-11e7-aa26-bb002965bce8 Major investment banks are talking to regulators about routing their Asia-Pacific trading activities through Hong Kong instead of London, in a move that would have limited effect on jobs but would shift global finance’s centre of gravity further away from the UK capital after Brexit. Morgan Stanley is laying the groundwork for a new Hong Kong “booking entity” to handle the trades of APAC clients, whose activity makes up a large portion of its London-based markets business, people familiar with the bank’s plans said. Several other investment banks are also talking to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority about handling more of their APAC business locally. The regulator told the FT it was “gearing up it resources/staff” to handle “banks’ interest in moving the booking and management of their Asian risks to Hong Kong”. Banks book much of their global markets business through London because it is more capital efficient to centralise activity in a single entity, and because some regional regulators lack the sophistication to oversee complex markets business. But London’s status as a global booking centre was hobbled by the UK’s decision to quit the EU, which prompted banks to create structures so they can book EU trades and service EU clients from cities such as Frankfurt and Paris. Bankers say they now feel pressure from global regulators to hold their risks closer to their origination, and that more regulators are developing regimes to make regional booking centres viable. Hong Kong took the first major step in April by launching a consultation on a new regulatory regime for derivatives. A person familiar with Morgan Stanley’s position said it hoped Hong Kong could become a viable option for bonds and other trading assets, paving the way for the movement of almost all of Morgan Stanley’s APAC trading book from London to Hong Kong in the next few years.
- Euro
- 英國國家檔案局昨日公開一系列一九八○至一九九○年代的政府機密文件，涵蓋多個範疇。其中有文件顯示已故前女首相戴卓爾夫人，曾當面批評繼任人馬卓安的經濟政策不濟。有傳媒更發現，部分與當年創立歐元相關的文件被扣起，令人質疑政府是否想隱瞞對脫歐不利的資料。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20171230/00180_012.html
- legal
- https://www.ft.com/content/82310ba4-631e-11e7-8814-0ac7eb84e5f1 Almost 1,000 solicitors in England and Wales have registered in Ireland in the year since the EU referendum, at least 10 times the regular annual number, because they fear losing the right to represent clients in European courts after Brexit. The registration rush has been led by competition lawyers who fear losing their ability to represent clients — known as the right of audience — at the European Court of Justice after Brexit.
- airlines
- UK airlines brought down to earth by Brexit ft 13feb17
- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/22/uk-based-airlines-told-to-move-to-europe-after-brexit-or-lose-major-routes
- https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/14/easyjet-austria-eu-flights-brexit EasyJet is to open a new European headquarters in Austria to enable it to continue to operate flights within the EU after Brexit. The airline said it intended to establish a new airline, easyJet Europe, which would be headquartered in Vienna. The carrier has been searching for a new operating licence from an EU country while uncertainty hangs over its business. Without the Austrian licence, easyJet would be unable to continue flights between other EU countries.
- aerospace
- https://www.ft.com/content/2f0e7a6e-1eff-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9 UK companies face being frozen out of lucrative European space contracts after Brussels laid out new terms for the latest phase of work on the €10bn Galileo satellite navigation system. The European Commission is demanding the right to cancel existing contracts without penalty if a supplier is no longer based in an EU member state. It is also insisting that any supplier ejected from the programme should repay all costs to the EU of finding a replacement, according to companies that have been asked to agree to the conditions.
- maritime
- https://beta.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2186359/brexit-deadline-looms-asia-bound-ships-slow-boats-china-set Dozens of cargo ships will set sail on Friday from the United Kingdom on journeys that will see them enter Asian ports after the United Kingdom has left the European Union. The status of these container ships is causing headaches among officials at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post understands, ahead of the planned Brexit on March 29, with some journeys lasting as long as 48 days. The officials are concerned that ships could be “stranded at sea” in the case of a no deal Brexit, while legal experts have said that if the UK exits the EU without a deal, some of the cargo could be stuck in customs purgatory. “Because the UK currently takes advantage of EU relationships, I suspect that in practical terms, customs declarations are being filled in by the handlers before the goods leave the UK,” said David Hansom, a partner at Clyde & Co in London, who leads the law firm’s Brexit advisory. But these customs documents could become void en route, should the legal status of the goods change post-Brexit.
- Life sciences
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21709600-medical-and-pharmaceutical-firms-ponder-their-position-outside-europe-life-after-brexit
- https://www.ft.com/content/8a9d05ce-dd9c-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c
Britain’s chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries have called on the government to let them remain within EU rules as Eurosceptic ministers step up a campaign to break away from the bloc’s regulations. In a letter to Michael Gove, the cabinet’s champion of regulatory divergence, the Chemical Industries Association urges the government “to do all it can to remain within or as close as possible” to the EU’s rule book for the sector, which exports about £50bn a year. The issue of regulatory divergence has moved centre stage in the Brexit debate since Friday’s divorce deal with Brussels, in which Theresa May, prime minister, agreed that Northern Ireland would not stray far from EU rules to ensure there would be no hard border with the Republic of Ireland. https://www.ft.com/content/1bd3b34a-f390-11e7-88f7-5465a6ce1a00 Britain is pushing to remain under EU regulation for medicines after Brexit, the latest sign ministers want to stay close to Europe in some sectors despite the bloc warning the UK cannot “cherry-pick” parts of the single market.
- nuclear
- When Britons voted to leave the EU few realised the implications for its nuclear industry https://www.ft.com/content/9b99159e-ff2a-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30
- gps
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-could-be-shut-out-of-super-accurate-eu-gps-system-it-helped-to-build-a7574206.html
- car manufacturing
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/motoring/2017-03/13/content_28528826.htm some carmakers are considering softening the blow of any trade tariffs by sourcing more parts locally and producing more models they can sell domestically rather than export. [beneficiary!!]
- ft "the great car parts race"
- farmers
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21717417-agriculture-heavily-reliant-foreign-workers-they-may-not-be-around-long-farmers-may-be
- ft article "ploughing a new course" 15jan18 on farmers losing subsidies after EU
- herring
- https://www.ft.com/content/4f21072a-c87f-11e7-ab18-7a9fb7d6163e
British waters are home to 88 per cent of the adult population of the North Sea herring — Europe’s most popular fish by weight — and UK fishermen see Brexit as the chance to take advantage of those stocks and shake off the constraints of today’s EU-wide quota system. One survey just before last year’s UK referendum found that 92 per cent of fishermen backed leaving the EU.
- Cod
- https://www.ft.com/content/404cc4a8-3402-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e
The fate of North Sea cod should be a source of pride for the EU, which has played a pivotal role in its revival. Instead, the fish could become a major flashpoint in Britain’s departure from the EU. Along with much of the rest of the local fishing industry, Mr Clark is determined that post-Brexit Britain should enjoy the fruits of the cod recovery — even if that means shutting out fishermen from elsewhere in Europe.
- cheese
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2017-02/27/content_28355365.htm It has been two decades since Martell gained European Union protected status for his premium cheese, meaning it can only be made according to a pre-defined recipe and in a specific location. Britain's impending EU exit puts that status at risk.
- food safety
- The UK faces having to train a squad of globetrotting animal inspectors once it takes over one of the lesser-known parts of the EU bureaucracy after Brexit. https://www.ft.com/content/c4999e54-3702-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e
From chicken coops in Chile to shrimp farms in Sri Lanka, EU inspectors and vets inspect the health and hygiene of livestock overseas, part of the bloc’s strict controls on produce imported for human consumption. Some 170 European Commission staff carry out up to 240 inspections each year in as many as 130 different countries. The UK’s departure from the EU means that unless it reaches a deal to continue to work with Brussels it is likely to have to create its own unit of travelling inspectors to ensure the quality of food imports. Senior vets have warned that without liberal immigration rules, Britain may struggle to find enough qualified staff.
- https://www.ft.com/content/4ad548c6-2b58-11e7-9ec8-168383da43b7 The European Medicines Agency faces having to pay 20 years of rent totalling €400m on its London property once it is relocated after Brexit, with Brussels saying the UK should help foot the bill.
- uk's future role
- https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/twt/britain-s-new-global-role-after-brexit
- http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21707912-brexiteers-need-respect-gravity-models-international-trade-down-earth
- https://www.ft.com/content/8281128a-8984-11e6-8cb7-e7ada1d123b1 Theresa May has put the UK on course for a sector-by-sector negotiation on EU trade access, which would lead to companies relying on complex and less certain arrangements to continue operating in the single market.
- https://www.ft.com/content/a8ec5e90-938c-11e6-a1dc-bdf38d484582 Britain would continue to pay billions of pounds into the EU budget after Brexit to maintain cherished single-market access for the City of London and other sectors under plans being discussed by Theresa May’s cabinet.
- https://www.ft.com/content/e72bf154-1566-11e8-9376-4a6390addb44 So where, when the dust has settled, will the UK end up? It will become Canada. It will have a trade relationship with the EU similar to Canada’s. It will relate to the EU in a way not dissimilar to Canada’s relationship with the US. It will remain a middle-of-the-road democracy, like Canada, and not become, as David Davis, secretary of state for Brexit puts it, a “Mad Max” dystopia leading a regulatory race to the bottom. Finally, like Canada, it can seek a modestly positive global influence.
- financial
- https://www.ft.com/content/942f7b86-b62d-11e6-961e-a1acd97f622d The City of London risks losing its role as the continent’s premier financial centre unless the UK agrees to fully apply EU regulations post-Brexit, one of Europe’s most senior policymakers has warned.
- uk's stance
- https://www.ft.com/content/56ad41e6-617a-11e7-8814-0ac7eb84e5f1 If Brussels has any intention of moving one of the City of London’s trading jewels to continental Europe after Brexit, it will need to move mountains — or at least mountains of fibre optic cables. A study by the European Central Bank on Wednesday concluded that the undersea cables, usually about the diameter of a skateboard wheel, are a critical factor in determining the competitive strength of financial centres. Wresting euro currency trading from London after the UK’s exit from the EU in 2019 will involve building a similarly-sized network of cables on the continent, the ECB determined.
- https://www.ft.com/content/e2a61242-db04-11e6-9d7c-be108f1c1dce In the strongest indication yet of the direction Brexit talks will take, chancellor Philip Hammond warned on Sunday that Britain would become a low-tax competitor if it was not granted good access to the EU’s common market. But he also rejected calls for a Singapore-style economic model, saying that he hoped the UK would “remain in the mainstream of European economic and social thinking” after leaving the EU.
- https://www.ft.com/content/b58ca3b6-811c-11e7-a4ce-15b2513cb3ff Britain will seek to continue its current customs arrangements with the EU for several years after Brexit, in a victory for supporters of a smooth transition. A government paper to be published on Tuesday makes clear that the UK wants to remain in a customs union with the EU for at least the estimated three years of transition after Britain’s 2019 exit.
- https://www.ft.com/content/75e235fa-81cb-11e7-94e2-c5b903247afd Two months after beginning Brexit talks with the EU, the UK is making a play to fast-forward the negotiations to an urgent issue for British business: future trading relations with the bloc and a transition regime. Brussels insists that such topics cannot be addressed until the autumn, or even next year. But by setting out plans on Tuesday for future customs ties — both for a two to three-year “interim” period after Brexit and beyond — the UK is seeking to up the pace of talks and to open up discussion on long term issues.
- 英國政府周三宣布，離開歐盟後不會在北愛爾蘭邊境設置海關檢查，希望藉此加快談判進程。愛爾蘭外長科文尼表示歡迎英國的聲明清晰明確，但他警告該國不會成為英國在脫歐談判中的「抵押」。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20170817/00180_028.html
- 英國與歐盟達成的脫歐協議兩周前闖關失敗，首相文翠珊將向國會提交替代方案，並於周二付諸表決。目前新方案內容未明，但力撐脫歐的前外相約翰遜周日在報章撰文，指文翠珊正計劃向歐盟爭取，在北愛爾蘭後備方案加設「日落條款」。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20190129/00180_016.html
- https://www.ft.com/content/48cf4498-874f-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787 Britain will on Wednesday soften its stance on new legal rules for Brexit, insisting only on ending the “direct jurisdiction” of the European Court of Justice after Brexit while accepting that EU judges or officials could play a role in settling disputes. David Davis, Brexit secretary, will publish a paper looking at different options for settling disputes between the EU and Britain, which could include courts or panels with representatives from both sides. A dispute resolution mechanism is key to Brexit, since it would be needed both to police the “divorce deal” and to settle arguments that arise if Britain and the EU agree a comprehensive free trade agreement.
- Britain wants a trade deal with the European Union that includes the best parts of the bloc’s agreements with Japan, Canada and South Korea, along with financial services, Brexit Secretary David Davis said, showing optimism a pact can be struck within a year. The chances of the U.K. leaving the EU without a deal, defaulting to World Trade Organization rules, have “dropped dramatically,’’ Davis said in a BBC TV interview on Sunday. Still, he signaled the painstaking agreement struck on Friday to end the first phase of Brexit negotiations isn’t binding, and that Britain’s exit payment of as much as 39 billion pounds ($52 billion) is contingent on reaching a free-trade agreement. Doing so, he said, “is not that complicated.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-10/u-k-seeking-canada-plus-plus-plus-eu-trade-deal-davis-says
- 英國首相文翠珊早前承諾，脫歐後將會嚴格限制低技術移民，公司日後想招聘歐盟移民，首先要證明他們找不到擁有所需技術的英國人，而低技術移民在英國最長只能逗留兩年。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20181014/00180_023.html
- The piece of paper now has pride of place in the Dublin City Archives as the oldest and earliest document kept by the historians there – and it confers upon the people of Bristol the right to live in Ireland’s capital. The charter, which has never been directly overturned, was written by King Henry II and is some 846 years old, dating back to the winter of 1171 and 1172. It is certainly the earliest record conferring the rights of people of either Ireland or Britain to live in each other’s countries, rights which have been updated in the centuries since and are now being questioned by Britain leaving the European Union.http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-people-846-year-old-984810
- https://www.thelocal.de/20170203/british-expats-join-forces-europe-wide-to-tackle-brexit
- Millions of expats caught in no man's land. ft 20feb17
- https://www.ft.com/content/d777e5fc-ddab-11e8-8f50-cbae5495d92b Britain is urging hundreds of thousands of UK citizens living in the EU without registration documents to take action to guarantee their post-Brexit residence rights. Diplomats estimate that up to 50 per cent of UK citizens living in some of the EU countries with large British communities have not complied with local legal requirements to register as residents from another EU country. Britons who have not obtained legal permission to reside in the EU could face difficulties proving they have a right to stay after the UK leaves the bloc.
- The Common Travel Area (CTA; Irish: Comhlimistéar Taistil) is an open borders area comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The British Overseas Territories are not included. Based on agreements that are not legally binding, the internal borders of the Common Travel Area (CTA) are subject to minimal controls, if any, and can normally be crossed by British and Irish citizens with minimal identity documents with certain exceptions.[1][2] The maintenance of the CTA involves considerable co-operation on immigration matters between the British and Irish authorities. In 2014, the British and Irish governments began a trial system of mutual recognition of each other's visas for onward travel within the Common Travel Area. As of June 2016 it applies to Chinese and Indian nationals and is limited to certain visa types. Other nationalities and those holding non-qualifying visas still require separate visas to visit both countries and may not avail of a transit visa exception if wishing to transit though the UK to Ireland. Since 1997, the Irish government has imposed systematic identity checks on air passengers coming from the United Kingdom and selective checks on sea passengers, and occasional checks on land crossings.
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21716629-bitter-argument-over-money-looms-multi-billion-euro-exit-charge-could-sink-brexit
- https://www.ft.com/content/cc7eed42-2f49-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a The EU has raised its opening demand for Britain’s Brexit bill to an upfront gross payment of up to €100bn, according to Financial Times analysis of new stricter demands driven by France and Germany.
- https://www.ft.com/content/2119a554-fce6-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30 EU citizens face 85-page ‘nightmare’ Brexit Britain form
- 'Dear Europe' letters have a tainted history ft 30mar17
- Brussels wants a three-phase approach to Brexit talks, a schedule with far-reaching implications for British politics and companies managing risk from the world’s most complex negotiation. https://www.ft.com/content/bd046284-1464-11e7-b0c1-37e417ee6c76 Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, estimates that there are roughly 18 months — from June 2017 to late October 2018 — for negotiations once ratification time and preparatory work are taken into account. He splits that negotiating window into three separate topics: disentangling past ties and commitments; setting goals for future relations; and arranging transition terms to avoid unnecessary disruption. Each one could take between four and eight months.
- Brussels wants to shield sensitive EU trade talks from Britain's prying eyes ft 8apr17
- UK resists calls to bar officials from sensitive EU trade talks ft 15apr17
- The British government has accused the European Commission of seeking to “punish” the UK over Brexit after the leaked account of a private dinner raised tensions between London and Brussels. https://www.ft.com/content/c3d2b16c-2e57-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a A report published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung portrayed last Wednesday’s dinner between Theresa May, British prime minister, and Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, as a disaster. The leak highlighted the gulf between what the UK wants and what the EU considers realistic, but has also led politicians from across Britain’s political spectrum to emphasise that talks may fail to yield a deal.
- https://www.ft.com/content/30705bfc-e5a6-11e7-97e2-916d4fbac0da The EU is preparing to present Britain with a skeleton, Canada-style trade deal by the early summer if the UK is unable to clarify its demands and remains in “Brexit La-La land”, according to senior European officials. The fallback plan considered by Brexit negotiators underlines the concern in Brussels, Berlin and Paris over Theresa May’s approach to future relations, which they fear will be too muddled to allow for meaningful negotiations. Such a proposal would fall far short of what Britain is hoping for, with limited access for services, which make up a large part of the UK economy.
- 英國國會下議院表決脫歐協議草案前夕，歐洲法院於周一（10日）裁定，英國可以單方面撤銷脫歐的決定。這不但令前景再添變數，亦燃起留歐派舉行第二次公投的希望。雖然有內閣官員表明裁決沒有實質影響，但消息指首相文翠珊政府已決定押後表決。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20181211/00180_024.html
- reference case
- https://www.ft.com/content/f9cf18e4-3a1b-11e7-ac89-b01cc67cfeec Europe’s top court has ruled that a key EU-Singapore agreement requires backing by all EU member states — but only for a narrow set of issues — in a decision that could smooth the way for a post-Brexit trade accord with the UK. The European Court of Justice ruled that EU member states must sign off on specific areas related to investment in the Singapore trade deal. However, it added that the remainder of the agreement was the exclusive competence of the EU, a finding that could make it easier to push through trade deals with Brussels.
- punishment clause
- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/01/brussels-punishment-clause-uk-trade-deal-regulatory-standards-brexit The EU is exploring the inclusion of a “punishment clause” in any future trade deal with the UK to allow Brussels to slap tariffs on key British exports to the bloc if the UK government seeks to gain a commercial advantage by lowering regulatory standards. In a move that would torpedo the post-Brexit plans of the British cabinet’s key Brexiters, any significant attempts by Whitehall to lower regulatory costs to British businesses in one part of the economy could be met by tariffs from Brussels on another.
- France
- France and other EU nations have signalled they are willing to begin Brexit trade talks as early as October in a move that opens the door to a climbdown by the EU, The Telegraph has learned. Senior French diplomats have made clear they want to see the deadlocked Brexit talks make progress in the first sign of splits emerging in the EU. Under the terms of a proposal set out by France the UK is being encouraged to request a three-year transitional deal if it continues to pay into the EU Budget and accepts EU law. This position puts Paris at odds with hardliners in Brussels and Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, who are insisting there can be no trade talks until the issue of the Brexit divorce bill is settled. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/27/exclusive-eu-could-open-brexit-climbdown-trade-talks-amid-revolt/
- France and germany
GERMANY and France are demanding divorce bill cash from Britain before talks on a two-year transition deal go ahead.http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/863434/Germany-France-Prime-MInister-Theresa-May-Brexit
- ireland
- https://www.ft.com/content/f4c720b0-2b63-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c European leaders are preparing to recognise the potential for a “united Ireland” within the EU, confirming that Northern Ireland would seamlessly rejoin the bloc after Brexit in the event of a vote for Irish reunification.
- 英國傳媒引述歐盟一份外洩文件指出，一旦英國在沒有協議下脫歐，愛爾蘭和北愛爾蘭之間會採取名為「陸橋」（land bridge）的高科技模式，利用電腦系統監察，來確保兩地在不設邊界海關的情況下仍能維持貨物貿易運作。有關建議會在下周歐盟領袖峰會上，呈交各國領袖。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20190613/00180_012.html
- security
- Britain will propose on Monday signing a new security treaty with the European Union after Brexit to maintain and intensify cooperation to thwart “ever-growing and increasingly cross-border threats”.https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-security/britain-proposes-new-security-treaty-with-eu-after-brexit-idUKKCN1BT0M9
- financial
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-ecb/ecb-boe-activate-swap-line-ahead-of-brexit-idUSKCN1QM103
- tax haven
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-talks-latest-eu-uk-tax-havens-trade-cayman-british-virgin-jersey-guernsey-anguilla-avoidance-a8156201.html The European Commission will soon review whether British territories previously left off a Brussels tax haven blacklist should now be added – just as negotiations move on to the all-important future trade deal. Publicly EU officials say the blacklisting process has nothing to do with Brexit, but separate sources in Brussels told The IndependentBritish territories where billions of pounds are stashed will come into play.
- customs
- Customs teams in EU27 unprepared for hard Brexit ft 30oct17
- vat
- https://www.ft.com/content/7ff44a0c-59e2-11e8-b8b2-d6ceb45fa9d0 While the government is bogged down over customs arrangements — using technology to minimise delays under “Max Fac”, a complicated system of acting as an agent for the EU under a “new customs partnership” or staying a member of a customs union with the EU — it has not started to talk about VAT. If Britain were to treat EU goods the same as non-EU goods, adding VAT at its borders, including with Ireland, would require huge new infrastructure. Some UK officials say that infrastructure can be avoided if the EU lets it remain in the current information exchange system, which ensures governments know which goods have crossed EU frontiers. They are seeking this access without Britain being subject to European courts or common VAT rules, arguing that once the UK has decided to remain in a European customs union and aligned its product standards with the EU, information sharing is only a small extra step to keep the borders flowing freely. But this suggestion is not government policy and has met with irritation in Brussels. An EU diplomat handling Brexit said: “VAT is a huge issue, huge, but it's not talked about publicly because nobody understands it. How on earth do you deal with it? And the Brits just saying we’ll be part of the system without the ECJ? Give me a break. It is like suggesting they take part in every month with 29 days.”
- science
- https://www.ft.com/content/f362a882-6a4d-11e8-b6eb-4acfcfb08c11 Brussels has opened the door to the UK’s continued participation in EU-funded science and innovation projects but with safeguards to prevent post-Brexit Britain from getting more money out of the programme than it will pay in entry fees.
- aerospace
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/may-fights-to-stay-in-range-of-10bn-eu-satellite-deal-thstqd8bx The exclusion from Galileo’s “public regulated service” (PRS), an encrypted navigation system for government users, would also mean that the British armed forces would be cut off from the programme, set up to be a rival to the US GPS. Early discussions have taken place in the Ministry of Defence on whether Britain could launch its own satellite system, according to the Financial Times.
- The UK is aiming to launch the first tenders for a satellite navigation system to rival Europe’s €10bn Galileo project by the end of the year, with hopes rising that Australia could become a partner in the programme. Britain is expected to signal its determination to press ahead with its own programme in discussions with EU negotiators next week, should Brussels continue to insist that the UK be barred from secure elements of Galileo. In a sign of the escalating tensions over the ban, the Ministry of Defence will on Monday announce plans to boost resources for a specialist space unit under the control of the Royal Air Force, which will explore military requirements for a UK global navigation system. The MoD is looking at ways to collaborate with countries in its “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing alliance with Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.https://www.ft.com/content/bb6bae54-5c3f-11e8-ad91-e01af256df68
- nuclear
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-meeting-milestones-for-euratom-exit The Nuclear Safeguards Bill has become one of the first pieces of legislation addressing the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union to complete its passage through Parliament. The Bill, which will shortly become an Act, addresses the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), an international organisation that governs the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the EU. This essential legislation enables the government to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime following departure from Euratom and provides a clear signal to the public, industry and international partners that the UK is on track to meet its obligations from day one of exit.
- supply chain
- https://www.ft.com/content/eef9846a-c0bf-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111 Supply chains across Britain and the EU appear to be splitting apart, with companies betting that trade barriers will materialise after Brexit. In a survey of more than 1,000 supply chain managers across the UK and continental Europe, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply found that a fifth of UK companies involved in supply chains have struggled to secure contracts that run after March 2019. Some 63 per cent of EU27 supply chain managers who work with UK suppliers said they expected to move some of their supply chain out of Britain as a result of Brexit and 40 per cent of UK companies said they are looking to replace their EU suppliers. McLaren, the advanced automotive group, is one company that has already announced such a move. Splitting existing supply chains on both sides of the channel is likely to raise costs and reduce efficiency and will be particularly important in complicated manufacturing sectors such as the automotive sector.
- agriculture
- http://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFL8N1ME5KX Britain and its European Union partners have agreed to ask the other members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to maintain the current level of quotas for farm produce after Brexit, EU sources said on Tuesday.
- fishing deal
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/02/government-pull-eu-fishing-deal-reclaim-uk-waters-british-fishermen/ The Government will reclaim its waters for British fishermen by pulling out of a deal that pre-dates the EU, it has been announced. The move, to be triggered today, will let the UK regain control of waters up to 12 miles from its coast in a major boost to British fishermen. EU countries currently catch an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish in those waters every year. Any access after Brexit will form part of negotiations. Britain will formally leave the London Fisheries Convention exactly two years from tomorrow. The agreement is separate from the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which controls access to British waters between 12 and 200 miles from the coast and will be discussed during negotiations. Ministers say the move will help take back control of fishing access to UK waters, as it will no longer be bound by existing access agreements, and enable the country to become fully responsible for fisheries management. Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, called the move "an historic first step towards building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union". He said: "Leaving the London Fisheries Convention is an important moment as we take back control of our fishing policy. It means for the first time in more than 50 years we will be able to decide who can access our waters." Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said: “This is welcome news and an important part of establishing the UK as an independent coastal state with sovereignty over its own exclusive economic zone.”
- repeal bill
- https://www.ft.com/content/ae86eb7a-64c1-11e7-8526-7b38dcaef614 Manoeuvring among ambitious backbenchers and pro-EU MPs is intensifying ahead of Thursday’s publication of the repeal bill, in the first significant legislative step towards replacing European law in the UK. The bill is set to face a backlash when it is debated in the autumn, with calls for amendments such as Britain remaining in certain regulatory agencies. Tom Brake, Brexit spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, predicted “legislative war”, saying the bill would “look like a Christmas tree because of the number of amendments that will be hung on to it”. Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, has also urged Mrs May to drop her “deeply unhelpful red line” about excluding the UK from European Court of Justice jurisdiction.
- english
- EU adds English teachers’ pay in Brussels to Brexit bill ft 26may17
- migrant workers
- https://www.ft.com/content/13845908-25ad-11e7-8691-d5f7e0cd0a16 Brussels is pushing for EU workers in Britain to enjoy the full range of their EU rights for the whole of their lifetimes, enforced by the European Commission and overseen by European courts.
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/philip-hammond-brexit-transitional-deal-free-movement-liam-fox-boris-johnson-a7867231.html Cabinet splits have emerged over the Government’s plan for a post-Brexit deal after a series of briefings appeared attacking the Chancellor’s transition strategy of retaining free movement of labour until 2022. It comes after Mr Hammond suggested there was a “broad acceptance” at Cabinet level for many of the current arrangements with the EU remaining “very similar” for a period lasting up to three years after Britain formally leaves the bloc in March 2019. But his plans were criticised by Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, who told the Sunday Times the Cabinet has not yet agreed a deal to allow free movement of labour for three years after Brexit, adding that any such move would “not keep faith” with the referendum result.
- environment
- https://www.ft.com/content/83443412-960e-11e7-a652-cde3f882dd7b Brussels has shown its first sign of contingency planning in case Brexit talks with the UK break down, with MEPs taking steps to make sure that a messy British exit does not wreak havoc on the EU’s carbon market. The European Parliament is preparing to amend legislation governing the EU’s carbon emissions trading system over concerns that a sudden UK exit could crash the price of carbon. Peter Liese, one of the MEPs behind the initiative, told the Financial Times that the step was needed as a safeguard to prevent a situation where UK companies, suddenly liberated from having to hold emissions allowances under the EU scheme, would move en masse to sell them. Lawmakers fear this could do irreversible damage to the entire system set up to regulate how much CO2 different polluting industries can emit.
- 目前以倫敦為總部 的歐盟監管機構「歐洲藥物管理局」(EMA)和「歐 洲銀行業管理局」(EBA)，屆時會遷出倫敦。歐盟 將於明日舉行會議，投票選出總部新址，各成員國 正積極爭取有關機構落戶，為拉票各出奇謀，幕後 交易更五花八門。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2017/11/19/a15-1119.pdf
- Paris has won a battle to host the European Banking Authority (EBA), which will relocate from London after the UK leaves the European Union. The French capital's victory follows a win earlier for Amsterdam, which will host the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA).http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42050742
- loophole
- http://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2106616/estonias-e-residency-giving-businesses-fearing-hard-brexit As many British brace for the upheaval that Brexit could potentially bring, an increasing number have turned to Estonia’s “e-residency” digital ID programme to continue doing business across the European Union.
- usa
- http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21715025-haggis-aside-benefits-would-be-limited-britain-shouldnt-get-too-excited-prospect
- Dimon warns EU could force banks to move staff out of UK ft 12jul17
THE US has threatened to exclude EU banks from accessing US exchanges if the EU does not agree to water down their plans to oversee financial institutions after Brexit. The head of the US’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Christopher Giancarlo, said the EU’s plans on oversight clearing houses was “completely irresponsible” and would be met with retaliation.https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1033089/brexit-news-us-threaten-eu-bank-clearing-house-oversight
- https://www.ft.com/content/73b0534c-3bf3-11e8-b7e0-52972418fec4 Norway’s government has signalled its co-operation with British wishes to roll over trade arrangements with non-EU countries in the transition phase after Brexit. The UK’s tariff-free trade in goods with Norway and scores of other non-EU countries is ensured by EU treaty arrangements, which for Britain will end with Brexit in March 2019. But Britain wants those agreements to continue to apply as if it were still an EU member state during its post-Brexit transition, provisionally agreed to last until the end of 2020. Brussels has agreed to notify third countries such as Norway of trade arrangements being “rolled over” for the transition, but many trade experts fear that trade partners will demand concessions in return. However, Norway’s finance minister, Siv Jensen, has told the Financial Times that Oslo had “no objections to a transition period” with “flexible solutions”. Norway participates in the single market through its membership of the European Economic Area but is not in the EU’s customs union.
- British Jews are applying for German citizenship in dramatic numbers, seeking a second European Union passport under a law designed to repatriate Jews whose families lost their German citizenship under the Nazis. The number of Britons seeking German citizenship rose from 43 in 2015 to 1,667 last year. The applications, which increased following the 2016 referendum in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, use a German legal provision that aims to make amends for Nazi-era persecutions, known as article 116-2.https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/dramatic-rise-in-british-jews-applying-for-german-citizenship-amid-brexit-concerns-1.6575612
- His uncompromising position has substantial support in the UK’s ruling Conservative party. Lord Hague, a former foreign secretary, has expressed concern that Spain may deploy Gibraltar as a bargaining chip near the end of Britain’s EU exit talks, due to conclude by March 2019. https://www.ft.com/content/eb36b958-e878-11e6-967b-c88452263daf
- http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20170330/19974553 西班牙是最多英國公民聚居的歐盟國家，長居有大約30萬人，每年間歇過來居住的更達100萬，當中不少像弗羅斯特一樣是退休人士，依靠每月領取退休金過活；即使英國未正式脫歐，他們已率先受到衝擊，因為英鎊兌歐元已累計下跌了15%，相變在西班牙要八五折支取退休金。至於英國在西班牙南部的海外屬土直布羅陀，也憂慮脫歐後，一直對其虎視眈眈的西班牙會乘機施壓，屆時馬德里有大條道理指直布羅陀為非歐盟成員，可以關閉邊境，或在通訊和貿易中處處留難，逼親英直布羅陀回其懷抱。
- https://www.ft.com/content/1e551f02-ba8f-11e8-94b2-17176fbf93f5 Spain is calling for tougher legal guarantees on Gibraltar to be included in Britain’s exit treaty from the EU, a move that could complicate the UK’s drive to agree a deal in the next two months. The socialist government of Pedro Sánchez wants the UK’s withdrawal treaty to include a so-called “protocol” on the disputed British territory, a request that goes beyond the original plans of EU negotiators, according to people close to the talks. The issue was discussed with Michel Barnier, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, in meetings with Mr Sánchez and Josep Borrell, Spain’s foreign minister, in Madrid on Monday.
- gibraltar
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gibraltar-brexit-talks-uk-spain-eu-pedro-sanchez-cyprus-a8591471.html Speaking at the conclusion of an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, Pedro Sanchez said the issue between the Britain and Spain “is resolved” and “will no longer be a problem” for the UK’s plans to leave the EU. Gibraltar will leave the EU along with the UK on 29 March next year.The status of the British overseas territory on Spain’s southern coast, and that of two British sovereign areas in EU member Cyprus, will form part of any overall divorce agreement with the EU.However, he said Britain and Spain were still holding separate bilateral talks regarding Gibraltar, focusing on matters such as workers’ movements across the border, environmental issues and tax affairs. The EU’s guidelines on negotiations for Britain’s future relationship with the bloc had granted Spain veto rights over the issue of Gibraltar, making it a potential difficulty.
- switzerland
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said Spain will reject the draft Brexit withdrawal deal without a clarification of the text on future talks on the status of Gibraltar.Spain maintains a claim to the peninsula, ceded to the British crown under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.It wants to ensure that future EU talks with the UK do not cover Gibraltar.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46267684
- Britain complained about the European Union calling Gibraltar a “colony” in a piece of draft legislation on Friday, highlighting how the EU is lining up behind Spain in its territorial dispute as Britain quits the bloc.https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-gibraltar/eu-irks-britain-by-calling-gibraltar-a-colony-idUSKCN1PQ4DJ
- ft 2oct18 brexit blunts the swiss model
- liechtenstein
- https://www.ft.com/content/4e3d830a-52dc-11e8-b24e-cad6aa67e23e Britain is looking to a land of princes and fairytale castles for more creative ideas on how to trade with Europe. The tiny principality of Liechtenstein, with a population of just 38,000, seems an unlikely inspiration for the UK as it aims simultaneously to leave the EU customs union, maintain frictionless trade with Europe and avoid a hard border in Ireland. But the Alpine state’s place inside two separate regimes — the Swiss customs union and the EU-linked European Economic Area (EEA) — has made it a laboratory for Brussels-compliant, hybrid solutions to vexing trade problems. Britain is exploring its system of “parallel marketability”, a legal fix agreed by the EU in 1995 that allowed Liechtenstein to straddle two distinct economic spaces with conflicting standards on goods.
- japan
- May, who attended a traditional tea ceremony with Abe soon after flying into Kyoto, Japan’s former imperial capital, said she would be asking Japan to push ahead with talks to seal a wide-ranging EU-Japan trade deal, with the idea this could then be used as a model for a British deal. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/aug/30/may-to-press-japan-on-its-eu-trade-deal-in-hopes-of-a-model-for-uk ;The Government has been accused of glossing over the damage Brexit could do to relations with Japan after it emerged that Britain could come out of more than a dozen deals on leaving the EU.Crucial agreements with Japan on issues such as nuclear power, customs breaches and cutting red tape for businesses could be lost when Britain leaves the EU, research by the Open Britain campaign has shown.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-japan-uk-trade-relations-nuclear-power-diplomacy-business-future-a7920631.html
- https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3021230/no-deal-brexit-sends-japanese-firms-search-uks-exit
- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-14/great-eagle-s-lo-halts-330-million-london-project-after-brexit
- https://www.ft.com/content/c177bdd4-00db-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5 Brexit has stalled plans for an exchange tie-up between Hong Kong and London as the European regulator has dragged its feet on approving the deal, says the head of the Hong Kong stock exchange. Charles Li, chief executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, said he “cannot even have a conversation” with his fellow regulators about London-Hong Kong Connect “because of Britain’s exit from Europe”.
- https://www.ft.com/content/2134a45e-c1a3-11e6-9bca-2b93a6856354 Bank of Singapore is considering setting up a private bank in the UK, its chief executive Bahren Shaari told the Financial Times, because costs there have fallen thanks to the pound’s sharp drop since Britain voted to leave the EU.
- 英國有傳媒早前假扮有中資背景的香港商人，成功邀約三名處理脫歐事務的英國國會議員會面，利誘三人答應作私人顧問服務，助公司在脫歐中獲利。事件曝光後，三名議員均否認行為不當，反指是有人設局陷害。英國電視台第四頻道安排一名女記者，假扮來自香港「天岎」國際顧問公司董事總經理劉菲（Fei Liu，音譯），於去年十月邀請英國前衞生大臣蘭斯利、英國前保守黨黨鞭麥俊高及前貿易大臣利雷，到該公司位於倫敦的一間豪華辦公室。該公司及人名均為虛構。http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20180122/00180_011.html
tories leadership
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/24/tory-plot-skip-toxic-generation-install-younger-face-next-leader/ A growing number of Conservatives believe that Boris Johnson and David Davis have “had their day” and only younger faces can revive the party’s fortunes. There is fury among some MPs that older colleagues have lost their majority and risk ushering in a Labour Government through a series of unforced errors. Hopes are now turning to the “golden generation” of Tory MPs first elected in 2010 to win back younger voters who voted for Jeremy Corbyn en masse at the election. Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, Dominic Raab, the Eurosceptic justice minister, and Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, are all being talked up by colleagues.
Cornwall
- The Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament (Cornish: Seneth an Stenegow Kernow), is apressure group which claims to be a revival of the historic Cornish Stannary Parliament last held in 1753. It was established in 1974 and campaigned, up until 2008, against thegovernment of the United Kingdom's position on the constitutional status of Cornwall, England, UK.
- Hkej 14jul16 shum article
Chinese
-【英華人自民黨猴年慶典籲華人參政】英國華人自由民主黨於2月18日晚在倫敦華埠新龍鳳大酒樓舉行猴年新春慶祝活動。會上宣傳了政黨「更強大的經濟，更公平的社會」核心價值觀，鼓勵華人參政，並通過募捐丶拍賣和出售抽獎券等方式，為2016年5月的倫議會選舉籌款。活動邀請了110位中英自民黨成員及媒體人員參與，設宴11席。華人自民黨主席杜淑珍，聯合主席丶新時代發展公司董事總經理張運來，自民黨領袖Caroline Pidgeon和司法部前國務大臣丶國會議員Rt Hon Sir Simon Hughes等均有出席。https://www.facebook.com/singtaodailyeu/photos/pcb.472216892978086/472216776311431/?type=3&theater
-https://www.facebook.com/singtaodailyeu/photos/pcb.474061759460266/474061682793607/?type=3&theater華人工黨(Chinese for Labour)於24日晚於鳳凰閣酒樓舉辦一年一度的春節晚宴，工黨黨魁科爾賓(Jeremy Corbyn)致詞時感謝在英華人對英國的貢獻，也籲英留歐，且向中國留學生及訪客敞開大門。這次晚宴由華人工黨副主席盧永信主持晚宴，華人工黨主席梁辛尼、工黨黨魁科爾賓、工黨副主席湯姆華森(Tom Watson)及影子內閣外相班恩(Hillary Benn)在現場發表談話，席開19桌，有近16個工黨國會議員及其餘近200位政商名流等人士出席，現場氣氛輕鬆歡樂。梁辛尼致詞時首先歡迎出席的貴賓，恭賀新年快樂，接著藉由新一年所展開的契機，對工黨內部提出多項建言。他對去年工黨在英國大選中未能獲勝感到惋惜，並說工黨的力量是建立在背景及經驗的多元性之上，「這也是為甚麼我對於華人工黨如此熱切付出，因為我相信不只給予華人更多政治力量，也給工黨提供了不一樣的觀點。」 然而，他說工黨現在將這樣的多元性視為理所當然，忘記弱勢族群的支持並不會代代相傳，而是要持續努力深耕。之後科爾賓到場致詞，先感謝華人工黨的邀請及長期努力，並祝賀猴年快樂。當天稍早他在國會和卡梅倫激辯，卡梅倫稱他沒穿適當的外套。他在晚宴上幽默回覆，「今天來晚宴，我沒有換外套，因為卡梅倫對我的心愛的外套感到忌妒。」此言惹來現場一陣笑聲。他表示在英華人一直是努力又具有創意的社群，對華人在英國文化及經濟貢獻深表感激。他接著談到英國脫歐公投議題，說英國的人們多半來自國家以外的地方，應該要以這樣的多元性為傲，而非關上大門。此外，他也感謝所有來自中國的觀光客及留學生，對於政府目前對於非歐盟留學生的限制意加嚴格感到不滿，「我們需要學生認識不同國家和世界，需要彼此分享知識和想法。」
其後湯姆華森及班恩也上台致詞，湯姆華森大力
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