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| Trade secretary Truss takes swipe at Washington, saying US can't decide UK tax policy on tech giants – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| Michel Barner’s senior adviser Stefaan de Rynck has warned that the EU will not tolerate any “backsliding” on the commitment to introduce checks on goods crossing the Irish sea as part of the controversial Brexit deal on Northern Ireland. At an event in University College London last night, De Rynck was clear that checks were part of the Northern Ireland protocol and warned that if the deal was not complied with there could be sanctions. | |
| His remarks put him at odds with Boris Johnson who on Wednesday gave yet another assurance to DUP Westminster leader Jeffrey Donaldson, there would be no checks on goods going from Northern Ireland to GB or from GB to Northern Ireland under the deal. | |
| De Rynck refused to comment on what Johnson said, but confirmed checks were part of the special NI arrangements. | |
| He warned that the next stage of negotiations would be tough and that there could be no sector by sector cherry-picking. And he said it needed to be better understood in British media that a zero-tariff and zero-quota offer to the single market was a big offer to the UK. | |
| Touching on recent comments by Sajid Javid, the chancellor, that the UK would not be seeking alignment with the EU on trade rules, De Rynck warned there were “consequences” for that. | |
| Asked if the EU would agree to a “salami slice” deal involving a “bare bones” pact on trade by the end of the year with other issues to follow in the months and years beyond, De Rynck quipped: | |
| This is from my colleague John Crace on Liz Truss’s comments about trade and the US. | |
| Here is the full reply from Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, when she was asked in the Commons a few minutes ago by the Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds if the government would back down in the face of American pressure over its plans for a digital services tax. (See 9.55am.) She told him: | |
| In the Commons Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, is taking questions. She has just suggested that the government will not back down over its plans for a digital services tax despite opposition from Washington, which is worried about the impact on US tech giants. This is from Politico’s Emilio Casalicchio. | In the Commons Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, is taking questions. She has just suggested that the government will not back down over its plans for a digital services tax despite opposition from Washington, which is worried about the impact on US tech giants. This is from Politico’s Emilio Casalicchio. |
| Truss’s comments reflect what Sajid Javid, the chancellor, said at Davos yesterday, although her tone was more confrontational than his. She was effectively telling the US not to interfere. Yesterday the US treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said the US might respond with retaliatory tariffs if the UK went ahead with the digital sales tax. | Truss’s comments reflect what Sajid Javid, the chancellor, said at Davos yesterday, although her tone was more confrontational than his. She was effectively telling the US not to interfere. Yesterday the US treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said the US might respond with retaliatory tariffs if the UK went ahead with the digital sales tax. |
| The shadow Treasury minister, Jonathan Reynolds, said he found her comment interesting. | The shadow Treasury minister, Jonathan Reynolds, said he found her comment interesting. |
| Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary, was giving interviews this morning to promote the announcement that the government is ensuring that parents who suffer the loss of a child under the age of 18 will be entitled to two weeks of statutory paid leave from work. Our story on the announcement is here. | Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary, was giving interviews this morning to promote the announcement that the government is ensuring that parents who suffer the loss of a child under the age of 18 will be entitled to two weeks of statutory paid leave from work. Our story on the announcement is here. |
| According to the Times (paywall), Lord Lisvane, the former clerk of the Commons, has submitted a complaint to the parliamentary commissioner standards about alleged bullying by John Bercow when he was Speaker. Other officials have complained about Bercow’s treatment of staff in the past, but Lisvane is the most senior official to have submitted a formal complaint, the paper says. | According to the Times (paywall), Lord Lisvane, the former clerk of the Commons, has submitted a complaint to the parliamentary commissioner standards about alleged bullying by John Bercow when he was Speaker. Other officials have complained about Bercow’s treatment of staff in the past, but Lisvane is the most senior official to have submitted a formal complaint, the paper says. |
| In a statement to the Times Bercow, who has repeatedly denied claims that he bullied officials, said: | In a statement to the Times Bercow, who has repeatedly denied claims that he bullied officials, said: |
| The last sentence is a reference to reports that Bercow is being nominated for a peerage. It is normal for a former Speaker to be offered a peerage, but there have been reports that Bercow’s nomination for one comes from Jeremy Corbyn, in the dissolution honours list, because Boris Johnson is reluctant to make the nomination himself. | The last sentence is a reference to reports that Bercow is being nominated for a peerage. It is normal for a former Speaker to be offered a peerage, but there have been reports that Bercow’s nomination for one comes from Jeremy Corbyn, in the dissolution honours list, because Boris Johnson is reluctant to make the nomination himself. |
| In an interview on Sky News this morning the business secretary Andrea Leadsom, who had an acrimonious relationship with Bercow herself when she was leader of the Commons (she says he once called her a “stupid woman” in the chamber), suggested that a bullying complaint could stop Bercow getting a peerage. She said: | In an interview on Sky News this morning the business secretary Andrea Leadsom, who had an acrimonious relationship with Bercow herself when she was leader of the Commons (she says he once called her a “stupid woman” in the chamber), suggested that a bullying complaint could stop Bercow getting a peerage. She said: |
| In Davos Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, has said Washington expects to conclude a trade deal with the UK by the end of this year, Faisal Islam, the BBC’s economics editor, reports. | In Davos Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, has said Washington expects to conclude a trade deal with the UK by the end of this year, Faisal Islam, the BBC’s economics editor, reports. |
| My colleague Graeme Wearden has more on his Davos live blog. He will be covering Sajid Javid, the chancellor, who will be giving a speech at the conference at lunchtime. | My colleague Graeme Wearden has more on his Davos live blog. He will be covering Sajid Javid, the chancellor, who will be giving a speech at the conference at lunchtime. |
| There will be an oral statement in the Commons after 10.30am from Matt Hancock, the health secretary, on the coronavirus crisis. | There will be an oral statement in the Commons after 10.30am from Matt Hancock, the health secretary, on the coronavirus crisis. |
| Yesterday the government’s EU (withdrawal agreement) bill, the legislation that will take the UK out of the EU next week, cleared parliament. This was a foregone conclusion ever since Boris Johnson won the general election with a near-landslide majority and, in a curious paradox, the Brexit deal that paralysed parliament for more than two years, and brought down a PM, barely made the news as it finally got over its last parliamentary hurdle. In response, Johnson put out this statement: | Yesterday the government’s EU (withdrawal agreement) bill, the legislation that will take the UK out of the EU next week, cleared parliament. This was a foregone conclusion ever since Boris Johnson won the general election with a near-landslide majority and, in a curious paradox, the Brexit deal that paralysed parliament for more than two years, and brought down a PM, barely made the news as it finally got over its last parliamentary hurdle. In response, Johnson put out this statement: |
| But ‘crossing the finishing line’ may be a tad optimistic, given that the government still has not resolved what its final trade relationship with the EU will look like, and last night a senior EU official used a speech in London to make this very point. Stefaan De Rynck, the senior adviser to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said what came next would be “more complicated” and that a “dose of realism” was needed. As Jack Blanchard reports in his London Playbook briefing for Politico Europe, De Rynck said: | But ‘crossing the finishing line’ may be a tad optimistic, given that the government still has not resolved what its final trade relationship with the EU will look like, and last night a senior EU official used a speech in London to make this very point. Stefaan De Rynck, the senior adviser to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said what came next would be “more complicated” and that a “dose of realism” was needed. As Jack Blanchard reports in his London Playbook briefing for Politico Europe, De Rynck said: |
| I will be filing more on De Rynck’s speech shortly. | I will be filing more on De Rynck’s speech shortly. |
| We will hear more on Brexit in the Commons later, because Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg are both taking questions. Otherwise it looks like a quiet day. | We will hear more on Brexit in the Commons later, because Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg are both taking questions. Otherwise it looks like a quiet day. |
| Here is the agenda for the day. | Here is the agenda for the day. |
| 9.30am: Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, takes questions in the Commons. | 9.30am: Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, takes questions in the Commons. |
| After 10.30am: Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, takes questions in the Commons on next week’s business. | After 10.30am: Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, takes questions in the Commons on next week’s business. |
| Lunchtime: Boris Johnson meets Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, in Downing Street. | Lunchtime: Boris Johnson meets Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, in Downing Street. |
| As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. | As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. |
| If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. |