Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Last week, the United Kingdom (UK) moved forward with its first inoculations of the approved Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The United States (US) approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Friday, 11 December, and will begin inoculations this coming week. The European Union (EU) continues to stress safety over speed in its vaccine approval process and has yet to follow suit.
The UK sealed the deal on a number of Free Trade Agreements, while talks with the EU continue without any significant breakthroughs. Meanwhile, the UK and EU are also preparing for a possible hard exit scenario.
This past week, Poland and Hungary reached a compromise with the EU on the custom union’s Budget and Recovery Fund, which will allow funds to flow at the start of the new year. The 116th US Congress, meanwhile, continues negotiations over a new COVID relief package, amid other priorities before adjourning.
Sir Roger, who was one of only two Tory MPs to vote against the UK Internal Market Bill, said an acceptable deal would see “imaginative ideas” regarding trade and fisheries, but he did not want an erosion of sovereignty.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma insisted that voters will be able to give their verdict on the Government’s handling of Brexit at the next general election, currently due in 2024.
He rejected a call from Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan to promise to resign if a no-deal outcome turns into a catastrophe for the UK in the next two years.
Mr Sharma told the ITV show: “We have general elections in this country and we are all accountable to the electorate at every general election.
Political Editor MSPS will today question Michael Gove on the state of Brexit trade talks as UK and EU negotiators continue their work in Brussels. The Cabinet Office Minister and key Leave campaigner is scheduled to give evidence to Holyrood’s Europe and External affairs committee this afternoon alongside some of his Brexit officials. The SNP dubbed Mr Gove the “leader of the anti-independence campaign” and said he must explain why Northern Ireland stays close to the EU single market while Scotland still faces a no-deal or hard Brexit. MSP Kenny Gibson, who sits on the committee, said: “Michael Gove has the perfect opportunity today to explain why his Tory colleagues were adamant that neither Scotland nor Northern Ireland should get a special deal yet Northern Ireland is now to have, in his own words, the ‘best of both worlds,’ and Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, is not.”
Post-Brexit tax proposals approved by MPs Brexiteers have urged ministers to ensure the UK maintains its sovereignty, as legislation dealing with post-transition tax regulations passed through the Commons. MPs approved the Taxation (Post-Transition Period) Bill at third reading after a Labour amendment calling on the Government “to get a move on” and provide businesses with information about tax changes after the December 31 deadline was defeated at report stage. The Bill seeks to introduce the framework for customs duty charges on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain and other countries, as well as a customs duty charge for goods arriving in Great Britain from Northern Ireland that do not qualify for unfettered access to UK markets.
BBC News
Published
image captionHaving fewer MPs was proposed by David Cameron when he was prime minister
Wales could lose up to eight MPs after a law was passed to redraw constituency boundaries.
The number of MPs across the UK will remain at 650 but the number of Welsh seats in House of Commons could fall from 40 to 32.
The UK Government said equally sized constituencies is a sensible policy that will make our elections fairer .
But Plaid Cymru said Wales would lose out more than any other nation of the UK or region of England.
The Boundary Commission, which is responsible for drawing constituency boundaries, is generally required to propose constituencies whose electorates vary in size by no more than plus or minus 5% of the average.