Brexit protester Steve Bray: We’re not giving up
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Brexit protester Steve Bray: We’re not giving up Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Brexit protester Steve Bray has reacted to police removing his amplifiers after his noisy protest outside Parliament. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Officers reminded him of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which came into effect on Tuesday, with maps showing where he could and could not make a noisy protest. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s But the anti-Brexiteer, who has been seen and heard in the background of many TV broadcasts in recent years, vowed he would carry on, despite the “North Korean” law. Without a loudspeaker for once, he told the BBC: “If you can’t be seen and you can’t be heard, what’s the point of the protest?” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Reform row poses danger for party that wants to win
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Reform row poses danger for party that wants to win Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Political parties led by Nigel Farage are prone to the occasional outbreak of spectacular acrimony and the most colourful rows. In 2016, there were allegations of a punch up between two UK Independence Party members of the European Parliament. In 2014, a UKIP councillor suggested the legalisation of gay marriage had caused a spate of bad weather. Nigel Farage used to be the leader of UKIP. This current tit for tat spat involving the Reform UK leader Farage and the MP for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe, has seen both sides flinging a lot of mud at each other. So far, so conventional. But, in a novel twist, I revealed that the referee has now got involved too. When I say the referee, I mean the senior lawyer hired by Reform UK to look into an element of the row. Vitriol, insults and anger are there for all to see, from pretty much everyone involved. Let’s be clear: Reform UK are not unique when it comes to volcanic rows – just ask the Conservatives or Labour within the last decade. And both those parties will tell you the impact it has. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 It is a cliché to say divided parties don’t win elections because it is broadly true and Nigel Farage gets that. This is more than just a clash of personalities too. There are differences of policy instinct between the two men. Lowe has advocated mass deportations, something Farage doesn’t think is practical or popular. Lowe has praised the jailed far right activist Stephen Yaxley Lennon, known by his supporters as Tommy Robinson. Farage refuses to have anything to do with him. One of the standout trends in British politics since the general election last July has been the rise and rise of Reform UK. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s Granted, opinion polls years and years out from the next general election should be treated with some scepticism, but Reform’s growth in popularity has been sustained and has certainly been enough to spook their political rivals. But this is a turbulent moment for the party. Farage criticised Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for not wearing a suit at the White House and the Reform leader’s critics like to point to admiration he has expressed in the past for the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s abilities as a “political operator”. He has also made much of his closeness to and admiration for President Trump, when opinion polls in the UK suggest America’s leader is not popular here. Both Labour and the Conservatives have seized on this in various ways – keen to point to instincts from Farage that are not wildly popular. And some opinion polls suggest Reform’s march upwards in popularity may be easing. Now this humdinger of a row with Rupert Lowe. Nigel Farage’s parties have bounced back from spats like this one before. The question this time is whether these are growing pains of a rapidly expanding and professionalising outfit or something more chronically limiting. To Nigel Farage’s admirers, he is one of the politicians of his generation without which Reform and its predecessors would be nothing. To his critics, he is allergic to rival tall poppies and has a long history of provoking simmering resentments and colossal bust ups. If Reform is to achieve its stated ambition of winning the next general election, it will need to channel all of what Farage offers and much, much more – and not descend into the kind of bickering which opponents will quickly seize upon and exploit. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
‘Farage and Lowe need their heads banged together’
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. ‘Farage and Lowe need their heads banged together’ Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo A public spat involving the leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage and one of the party’s other high-profile MPs has caught the attention of political figures as much as constituents. Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe, now an Independent, was suspended by the party over an allegation of “verbal threats” – a claim which he has denied. Farage, MP for Clacton, said the row had “dented” Reform’s “unity” but wrote in The Telegraph, external that it would have been “inconceivable” not to take action. The ordeal has since prompted the launch of a police investigation, but what do voters in each of their respective constituencies make of what has happened? Reform UK won five out of 650 constituencies in the July 2024 general election, but with Lowe’s suspension they now have four MPs in the House of Commons. Mention of Lowe’s election win has been removed from Reform UK’s homepage, external list of the other four wins. In Lowe’s constituency on the Norfolk coast, retired police officer John Dupen, who voted for Reform, said he felt the row and in-fighting had “taken the impetus” out of the party. “They were becoming a credible force, but I think Farage has done the right thing to remove him from the party, but mud sticks doesn’t it?” he suggested. “Farage is a man of conviction and if he says something, he normally does it. “They could have done without it, but I think they will get around it and time will heal it.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Lowe is accused of workplace bullying, and also of making threats of physical violence against the party’s chairman Zia Yusuf. The MP has said there was “zero credible evidence” against him, and claimed he was suspended in response to him previously criticising Farage in an interview. The 67-year-old former chairman of Southampton FC also said he would be “seeking legal advice”. Great Yarmouth resident, Carmel Westgate, 67, said she believed Lowe was “a good man” who “stands by his words” and had tried to help the town. “I personally don’t think this should have been public and Nigel Farage should have come and met with Rupert and spoke with him behind closed doors,” she said. “You’re innocent until proven guilty, but people will believe what they want to believe. “Why has it all of a sudden come out now? Is it jealousy? Is it because he has spoken his mind? Is it because he is loved by a lot of people?” Gloria Reynolds, 78, agrees that “the job he was doing was fairly good” and said, “as a Christian”, she would continue “praying for him”. “There is a lot of witch-hunting going on amongst the parties nowadays, but as long as he carries on doing a good job I can’t see it makes any difference,” she said. “Nigel is Nigel and he is very full of himself I feel, but until we know the whole situation it is difficult to say.” Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s Retired midwife, Francis Baxter, 70, did not vote for Lowe because of his association with Farage, but said since being voted in he had been “positive” for the coastal constituency, which also includes Hopton, Gorleston, Caister and Winterton. She added: “I do think he is getting things moving and shaking up the area and I have quite admired what he has done. “I feel quite strongly actually that he is being set up and that is quite a fashionable thing to do now. “He might have done it, I don’t know, but I feel there is more to it than meets the eye. Reform had been riding high in recent polls, but some now believe the spat could see its popularity decrease. Christopher Lambert, 84, believes Farage has made the right decision in suspending Lowe. “I think Nigel Farage’s party has done exceptionally well until now, [but] when you get in-fighting in a party it does the party no good at all,” he said. “I am on the fence about Reform and I should think I will stay on the fence. I have seen many, many general elections, but where you get in-fighting it just kills it. “I think the Conservatives and maybe Labour are rubbing their hands. “I liked Nigel Farage and I still like him. He speaks as he feels it is, and I think he is good.” Further down the coast… Heading south along the east coast, we arrive the Essex constituency of Clacton, which also includes the towns of Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and the village of Jaywick. Farage voter and Clacton resident, Dorothy King, 82, said: “It is probably a storm in a teacup to a certain extent and I cannot see what they are going to achieve by pushing each other about. “I don’t know where it will go and if they will keep their little argument going or if it will just peter out.” Jan Green, who lives in Kirby Cross next to Frinton, did not vote for Farage. “I think they are behaving like children and are acting rather silly and I do not agree with it,” she told the BBC. “Both of them are very strong-willed people and I don’t think either of them will back down. “Farage is our MP here, although we don’t see him.” Joan James, who lives in Walton-on-the-Naze, said Farage and Lowe needed “their heads banged together”. “They need to get on with it,” she added. Frinton resident Lorraine O’Louthlin, who voted for Labour last year, said Farage was “definitely” right to suspend Lowe. “I think he has done good because some parties do not act on these things, but if someone has done wrong in the party then get rid of them,” she said. Frinton resident Lorraine Rodwell, meanwhile, described the spat as “boring”. “I can’t say I have read about it because it
Twenty-nine councillors defect to Reform UK
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Twenty-nine councillors defect to Reform UK Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has welcomed 29 councillors who have defected to his party in recent weeks from parties including the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. It takes the party’s total number of council seats to more than 100. Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Farage said the defections demonstrated how his party was “broadening and deepening”. However, it comes as some Reform members are expressing concern about the party’s leadership and the suspension of MP Rupert Lowe from the party. On Sunday, Maria Bowtell, a councillor on East Riding of Yorkshire Council, quit the party. She accused, external the leadership of “a lack of integrity and resolve” and said the treatment of Lowe had been “the final straw”. Farage acknowledged that his party had experienced a “little bit of turbulence” over the past few weeks. He said the suspension of Lowe had caused “consternation” adding: “Any argument that’s seen to happen within the family does, but I can promise you that in terms of our progress and our planning, that upset is very much at the edges.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, was suspended by the party and referred to police over allegations he made “threats of physical violence” against party chairman Zia Yusuf. The party also said it had received allegations of bullying in Lowe’s parliamentary and constituency office. Lowe has said the party’s allegations are “untrue and false”. He argued he had been suspended for criticising Farage in a newspaper interview. Addressing the row, Farage said: “We’ve been increasingly concerned about the behaviour of one of our members of Parliament, and when we found out that some serious complaints have gone in, we thought, you know what, let’s just suspend the whip and let’s find out what the truth is, and we will wait.” He said the report they had commissioned into to the allegations could be completed this week. Farage also criticised “the online abuse and frankly outright racism” directed at Yusuf in recent weeks. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s He said the public spat with Lowe would not “put a dent” in Reform UK’s electoral chances, as the party gears up for local elections on 1 May. “We’re going to be out there canvassing, campaigning, and doing our best to prove that the polls aren’t virtual, actually, the real votes exist out there on the ground.” The party has said it plans to stand in all the council seats that are due to hold elections in May. Of Reform UK’s 113 councillor seats, 15 have been won through elections, including seven from Labour and four from the Conservatives. The remaining 98 seats have turned Reform UK through defections – 62 of those defections have happened since the beginning of the year. The majority of the defections (66) were originally elected as Conservative councillors. Three came from Labour and one came from the Liberal Democrats. The rest were independent councillors or came from local parties. Farage has previously spoken about his aim to “professionalise” Reform UK and the importance of vetting the party’s candidates. Following Monday’s press conference, Farage was questioned about reports, external that in 2022 his party’s head of vetting Jack Aaron had said Adolf Hitler was “brilliant” at inspiring “people into action”. Asked if Reform UK would be investigating the comments, Farage said: “No, don’t be ridiculous. “This is an orthodox Jew who said Hitler was evil but he acknowledged he was very good at getting a crowd.” Questioned about his comments by the Times last year, Aaron said:, external “Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil. How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family?” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Branch officers quit Reform UK over treatment of MP
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Branch officers quit Reform UK over treatment of MP Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo All three branch officers of Reform UK in a constituency have resigned from the party in protest at the treatment of their local MP, Rupert Lowe. The chairman, branch secretary and treasurer of the party in Great Yarmouth have all resigned their membership and say that with no officers the local party has effectively left Reform UK. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Mr Lowe, who currently sits as an Independent MP, has been suspended from the party while allegations of bullying are investigated, claims which he denies. He has praised “the courage” of his local officers. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s In a joint statement, the three officers said: “Rupert is a good man and the best, most proactive MP our town has ever seen. “All of the local branch officers can no longer support Reform following the leadership’s disgraceful treatment of our MP. “Rupert has supported our community. Our community now supports him.” ‘Good people’ Treasurer Barry Gravenell told the BBC: “All the officers felt they could no longer support Reform UK after the way Rupert has been treated. “We want to show Rupert that he has our full support. “There are no plans for the future of the Great Yarmouth Reform party, the officers have all resigned we are now normal members of the public.” The former Southampton FC chairman is currently under investigation by the party and the police over claims he made verbal threats of violence towards Reform chairman Zia Yusef, and allegations of bullying made by former staff members at his parliamentary and constituency offices. Mr Lowe has strenuously denied the allegations and has threatened Reform with legal action. In response to the Yarmouth Reform branch closing, Mr Lowe said: “These are good people who have shown huge courage. “I sincerely appreciate their support.” A spokesman for Reform UK said: “We have 450 branches – so that’s 0.2% of our total branches. “During the last eight months, Reform has delivered the greatest political acceleration in British history. We have added 160,000 new members and opened 400 branches.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Grassroots anger tests Farage’s grip on Reform UK
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Grassroots anger tests Farage’s grip on Reform UK Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Reform UK leader Nigel Farage put on a brave face this week, as he sought to put a blazing row with one of the party’s now suspended MPs behind him. The party is still neck-and-neck with Labour in the polls, and on Monday, it showed off 29 councillors who had recently defected to Reform UK. While Farage acknowledged there had been “a little bit of turbulence”, he stressed the upset was “very much at the edges”. But does the disquiet within the party go deeper than he suggested? Divisions have become more acute in a party that now boasts more than 200,000 members and 400 local branches across the country. Much of the anger is directed at Farage and Reform’s chairman, Zia Yusuf, over their efforts to professionalise the party. The party is being more ruthless in its vetting of candidates. It’s also investigating – and in some cases expelling – members because of their activity on social media. Farage is said to be desperate to avoid another election campaign where he faces constant questioning about the controversial comments of his candidates. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 But as the party gears up for local elections in May, it faces a huge challenge to control unruly elements in its grassroots membership who resent the way they are being treated by the leadership. The BBC has learned at least 12 interim chairs of local Reform UK branches have resigned over the conduct of the party’s leadership in recent months. A Reform UK spokesman said the resignations amounted to 2% of its branch chairs. “Our understanding is that the other parties have much higher churn than that,” the spokesman said. “We are sorry that we have lost 2% of our branch chairs, some of whom failed vetting. But we’re the only major party that does this sort of vetting.” Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s One of the chairs was Maria Bowtell, a councillor on East Riding of Yorkshire Council who gave a speech at Reform UK’s party conference last year. In her resignation letter, she said she felt “abandoned” in her role, described the party’s candidate selection as “chaotic”, and accused the leadership of lacking integrity. Other members have quit on free-speech grounds, including Howard Cox, who stood as a Reform UK candidate in the general election and the London mayoral poll. He said he left the party after he was threatened with expulsion for criticising the treatment of Tommy Robinson, a prominent far-right activist. Cox told the BBC “my inboxes are now flooded with grassroots Reformers who are incredibly upset and feel that their political optimism for our country has been betrayed”. “Over a dozen Reform branches have contacted me, stating that they have been replaced, overridden, and disrespected by Zia Yusuf’s headquarters team,” he added. Other branch chairs resigned over policy differences, particularly the issue of “mass deportations”, which Farage has called a “political impossibility”. Jack Davison, the former chair of the Dover and Deal branch, said in attempting to professionalise, the party was adopting the “very traits of the establishment it sought to challenge”. “This culture of ‘silencing’ was deeply troubling,” he said. Another former branch chair in Newcastle, Dan Astley, said the party had not been “properly democratised”. He said the Reform UK’s constitution, which was adopted last year, allowed the party’s board to have the final say on sacking and appointing a new leader. Rupert Lowe row But for many already disgruntled members, the allegations against Rupert Lowe have infuriated and disillusioned them the most. The MP was been suspended by Reform UK over accusations of bullying in his office, and a police investigation into alleged threats against the party’s chairman, Yusuf. Lowe has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have rallied around him, accusing the leadership of trying to force him out for daring to challenge Farage. The row came as no surprise to Ben Habib, a former Reform UK deputy leader who quit the party citing “fundamental differences” with Farage. He told the BBC that Farage’s idea of professionalisation “would appear to be the wilful destruction of the grassroots movement”. “The playbook used against Rupert Lowe has been used across the grassroots,” he said. ‘Teething issues’ The BBC put some of these criticisms to the party’s chairman, Yusuf. He said Reform UK under Farage had delivered “the greatest political acceleration in British history”, with “a fraction of the resources of the two old parties”. Yusuf, who was appointed chairman after the general election last year, said the party had vetted thousands of people and “the majority have passed”. But some don’t, he said, adding that “just comes with the territory of being a professional party”. Reform UK’s vetting system, Yusuf said, was “meaningfully more rigorous than anything that the other parties do”. “Of course, anything growing at this scale, there’ll be some teething issues,” he added. The recent ructions do appear to have cut through to the voting public though. One recent survey suggested, external that the party was split with a third of Reform voters believing the party would be faring better under a different leader, but the same amount believing that the party would be doing worse. The survey also suggested that Farage’s net favourability with Reform voters had fallen since the Lowe row. Yet the latest YouGov poll put Reform UK on 23% of the vote, behind Labour on 24% but ahead of the Conservatives on 22%. Gawain Towler still believes in Farage’s leadership, despite being sacked as Reform UK’s head of press last year. Towler said he had been to several branch meetings as a speaker recently and had witnessed very little dissent. He said Reform UK won 4.1 million votes at last year’s general election “with a ramshackle operation and an army of volunteers who worked their socks off for no recompense whatsoever”. “We need to get
UK must rebuild post-Brexit relations with EU, says Bank boss
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel UK must rebuild post-Brexit relations with EU, says Bank boss Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The UK must “rebuild relations” with the EU “while respecting the decision of the British people” who voted to leave in 2016, the Bank of England’s governor has said. Andrew Bailey’s Mansion House speech to investors marked some of his strongest comments yet on Brexit, saying one of its consequences has been weaker trade. He has previously avoided commenting on the topic because of the Bank’s independence from Westminster politics. Mr Bailey said the changed relationship with the EU has “weighed” on the economy. “As a public official, I take no position on Brexit per se,” he said. “But I do have to point out consequences.” He went on: “The impact on trade seems to be more in goods than services… But it underlines why we must be alert to and welcome opportunities to rebuild relations while respecting that very important decision of the British people.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 The government remains opposed to rejoining the EU, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves also said in her Mansion House speech there could be a closer relationship. “Our biggest trading partner is the European Union. We will not be reversing Brexit, or re-entering the single market or customs union. But we must reset our relationship,” she said. Mr Bailey said that the UK should not focus “just on the effects of Brexit”, warning about “geopolitical shocks and the broader fragmentation of the global economy”. He made a similar comment last week when asked about US President-elect Donald Trump and his threat to impose tariffs of up to 20% on imports. Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said if that were to happen, “it is actually quite questionable whether the UK could have a special relationship with the US when it still trades quite substantially with Europe”.‘A better deal’ Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s Assessing the impact of the UK’s decision to leave the EU on the economy has been tricky given the multiple economic shocks in recent years. The Office for Budget Responsibility and other independent analysts estimate the economy will take a 4% hit over 15 years as a result. Goods trade, especially in food and farm exports, has been especially hit by the imposition of new trade barriers. Trade in services, such as banking, has done better than expected, however. Some politicians have said there could be a better relationship between the UK and the EU. “We need to be positive here and optimistic that a better deal can be actually closed on that front,” Spain’s Finance Minister Carlos Cuerpo told the BBC. Meanwhile, Sir John Gieve, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, said the UK could negotiate “some deals around the edges which reduce the barriers to trade”. He too ruled out rejoining the single market or customs union, but told the BBC’s Today programme: “If we could, in due course, get close to joining the customs union I think that would be a major help.” He added it would mean “people would invest in Britain… in the knowledge they could freely export into Europe, as they did before Brexit”. Reeves also reiterated her plans to shake up the UK pension system in a bid for growth. She wants council pension pots to be merged so they can make bigger investments to generate higher returns, a move criticised as risky by some. “The UK has been regulating for risk, but not regulating for growth,” she said. The annual event took place against a backdrop of businesses criticising the government for holding back growth through tax rises, which Reeves has said are necessary to “properly fund” public services.‘Crown jewel’ In her speech, Reeves said that regulations brought in after the 2008 global financial crisis “resulted in a system which sought to eliminate risk-taking”, adding that has now “gone too far”. She said financial services in the UK were “the crown jewel in our economy” but added “we cannot take the UK’s status as a global financial centre for granted”. The government will publish a financial services strategy in the spring, focusing on fintech, sustainable finance, asset management, insurance and capital markets, “laying the foundations for more private investment”, Reeves said. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Vauxhall’s troubles began with Brexit – former boss
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Vauxhall troubles began with Brexit – former boss Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The former boss of Vauxhall in Luton said the factory’s “troubles began with Brexit”, after news that the van-making plant would close. Mark Noble said parent company Stellantis had “lost an excellent workforce in Luton” and the closure would affect 1,500-2,000 jobs when taking account of suppliers. Confusion over Brexit tariffs affected operations at Luton and at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, he said, while he also blamed the government for not providing incentives to buy electric vehicles (EVs). Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 A government spokesperson said it was spending £300m to “drive uptake of zero emission vehicles,” while Stellantis said there would be “meaningful dialogue with our union partners to agree the next steps”. Mr Noble said it was “extremely sad” to lose “part of Luton’s history”, since the factory on Kimpton Road first opened in 1905. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s He joined Vauxhall in 1988 and became director of Ellesmere Port and then Luton before retiring in 2022. “The trouble for both the UK plants started with Brexit. It caused a lot of uncertainty within business, and business doesn’t like uncertainty,” he said. “When you’ve got two plants that export 80% of their build, then tariff confusion and no clarity really hurt the two plants. “It became clear that exports would probably be reduced due to the implication of tariffs.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
MLAs to vote on post-Brexit trading rules
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel MLAs to vote on post-Brexit trading rules Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The Northern Ireland Assembly will vote on controversial post-Brexit trading arrangements next week. It comes after several parties at Stormont tabled a motion to the assembly as part of the process that guarantees MLAs a say on whether to maintain some of the arrangements. Known as the democratic consent motion, it was first agreed between the UK and EU in the 2020 Withdrawal Agreement to give Northern Ireland politicians a say in the new post-Brexit trading rules. The vote is required to take place before the end of this year.No cross-community support needed Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 The motion could be submitted by the first and deputy first ministers but as they did not do so by the end of November, it was tabled jointly by Sinn Fein, Alliance and the SDLP. The vote is expected to take place on Tuesday 10 December. But controversially, unlike other votes at Stormont, there is no requirement for cross-community support for the motion. A simple majority will suffice. The DUP and other unionist parties have argued the vote creates a democratic deficit as the concerns of unionists who are in the minority at Stormont can be ignored. In a statement last week, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it had been “deliberately designed to drive a coach and horse through the cross-community consent principle which has been at the very heart of all political progress in Northern Ireland”. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s If the vote is carried without cross-community support the government has committed to ordering an independent review of the post-Brexit arrangements and their implications.Windsor FrameworkA man wearing a yellow yellow high-viz jacket is checking documents being handed to him by the driver of a lorry. There is a cabin in the backgound and signs giving information about prohibited items.Image source, EPA In 2023 the Northern Ireland Protocol became the Windsor Framework and was agreed between the UK and EU in 2023. It gave some long-desired legal certainty to businesses, but the Irish Sea border will always be evolving so long as UK and EU rules continue to diverge. For the EU, the new framework left the basic architecture of 2019’s protocol intact, creating a trade border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to prevent a hard land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.Green and red lanes Under the Windsor Framework, two “lanes” were created for goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain, a green lane for goods remaining in Northern Ireland and a red lane for goods which may be sent on to the EU, Products going through the green lane do not need checks or additional paperwork. Red lane goods are still subject to checks. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Danish Christmas market solves Brexit supply woes
Buy NowAn error occurred. Buy NowAn error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Danish Christmas market solves Brexit supply woes Banzai Japan Music Video A popular Danish Christmas market is set to return with more goods after overcoming supply problems. The Danish Church in Hull has paired up with its sister church in London to get products from Denmark for this year’s sale. After Brexit, organisers said they struggled with the costs and administration involved with getting goods from overseas for the event. The market will take place at the Danish Church on Osborne Street from 10:00 until 16:00 GMT on Saturday. ‘Really, really special’ Hull’s is the oldest overseas Danish Church and has been hosting a Christmas market, run by volunteers, since 1966, attracting hundreds of people. Charlotte Theill, manager of the church, said: “It’s really, really special. Some people have been part of this since the 60s and it’s a huge, huge thing in their year. This is really the highlight.” Book Novotel Hotel To import stock for the event they have teamed up with the Danish Church in London who were sourcing goods from Denmark for their own Christmas market. “We were able sort to tag on to that order. So that made it easier this year for us because it’s a lot of paperwork and hassle,” Ms Theill said. Banzai Japan Music Video There will be a café at the market as well as gift stalls and traditional Danish and Scandinavian treats. “There’s normally a queue around the block. It’s packed. It’s very busy. There’s a buzz. Obviously, people coming to get the things they’ve been so anticipating. “Now we’ve got some Danish sausages coming that we’ve been [previously] unable to get them into the country because of Brexit rules,” Ms Theill said. The market costs £2 to attend but includes Danish mulled wine and festive biscuits depending on availability. Market stalls will also be at the church on 7 December. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol