Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said British nationals should be allowed to keep their EU citizenship after Brexit – claiming “associate” citizenship could let them to move freely between member states. Rivals vying to succeed him as mayor dismissed it as “a gimmick” and “a sound bite”.
Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator David Frost has revived the threat of a no-deal crash-out at the end of 2020, saying the UK was prepared to accept an “Australia-style” arrangements with the EU if Brussels continues to insist on “level playing field” rules.
It comes as Tory minister Kwasi Kwarteng demanded changes to the way Downing Street recruits staff after adviser Andrew Sabisky was forced to resign because of his “reprehensible” views on eugenics, race and enforced contraception.
As more offensive comments allegedly made by Mr Sabisky were unearthed, in which he reportedly claimed wives should “submit” to their husband, business minister Kwasi Karteng restated the need to “prevent racists from coming into Number 10”.
The furore follows an attention-grabbing employment drive for “wierdos” from Dominic Cummings, who was warned by former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke that the only way for him to survive at Number 10 would be to “vanish” from the headlines and return to being a “back room operator”.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
Sadiq Khan: Let Londoners keep EU citizenship
Londoners who are “heartbroken” over Brexit should be allowed to keep their EU citizenship, Sadiq Khan has suggested.
Ahead of a visit to Brussels on Tuesday, the Mayor of London urged the government to allow all British nationals to have “associate citizenship” of the EU. This would allow British citizens to keep many of the rights they held before Brexit, including the right to move freely between EU member states.
Khan said: “Like so many Londoners, I am heartbroken that we are no longer a member of the European Union, but that doesn’t mean our country's future can’t be closely linked with the rest of Europe.
“The prime minister says his job is to bring the country together and move us forward and I cannot think of a better way of reconciling the differences between British voters who wanted to leave, and the millions of Londoners and British nationals who still feel and want to be European.
“There would be support from millions of Londoners and British nationals who are devastated they are losing their rights as EU citizens.”
“As the UK and EU start their next phase of negotiations, I want this issue of associate citizenship to be at the heart of talks about our future relationship.”
Khan will meet the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, during Tuesday’s visit to the Belgium capital.
The idea of European citizenship has been backed by the former chairman of the European Parliament's Brexit steering group, Guy Verhofstadt.
UK won’t take rules from EU, No 10 negotiator insists
Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator said the UK must be able to set its own laws as the battle with the EU over the future trading relationship begins in earnest.
David Frost told an audience in Brussels that anyone who believes Britain could abide by the bloc’s rules “fails to see the point of what we are doing” – reviving the threat to walk away if the EU insists on so-called level playing field issues on workers’ rights and the environment.
“It is central to our vision that we must have the ability to set laws that suit us – to claim the right that every other non-EU country in the world has,” he said.
“So to think that we might accept EU supervision on so called level playing field issues simply fails to see the point of what we are doing.”
Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator fires off warning to EU
David Frost’s intervention comes as France warns both sides would ‘rip each other apart’ in trade talksLabour says PM still has ‘questions to answer’ after adviser quits
A controversial Downing Street aide who suggested black people were mentally inferior has resigned from his post.
Andrew Sabisky announced he was quitting his role as a contractor for No 10 following a major backlash over his past comments on eugenics, race and the enforced uptake of contraception.
He tweeted: “I know this will disappoint a lot of ppl [sic] but I signed up to do real work, not be in the middle of a giant character assassination: if I can’t do the work properly there’s no point, and I have a lot of other things to do w/ [sic] my life.”
Labour party chairman Ian Lavery welcomed his resignation but said Boris Johnson had questions to answer on the appointment and whether he agreed with Sabisky’s ”vile views”.
He said: “It’s right that Andrew Sabisky is no longer working in government. He should never have been appointed in the first place.
“After No 10 publicly stood by him … Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer about how this appointment was made and whether he agrees with his vile views.”
Controversial Boris Johnson aide who suggested black people were mentally inferior resigns
No 10 initially declined opportunity to distance PM from remarks of adviser, recruited by Dominic CummingsRacists must not be allowed to enter No 10, minister says
A minister has suggested Dominic Cummings’ power to recruit No 10 staff needs to be challenged after adviser Andrew Sabisky was forced to resign.
Kwasi Kwarteng broke with Boris Johnson – who has thus far refused to condemn the departing aide – by branding his past comments “racist”, “offensive” and “reprehensible”.
Calling for an overhaul of recruitment, Kwarteng said: “I think we should prevent racists from coming into No10 or wherever he was working. I think we do need to look at these processes.”
On Sabisky’s past writings, Kwarteng said: "It was completely reprehensible – they were racist remarks.”
More details here:
Racists must not be allowed to enter No 10, minister says, after aide forced to quit over comments
'We should prevent racists from coming into No10...I think we do need to look at these processes'Cummings taunts pundits with ‘superforecasting’ tip
Asked if he regretted the appointment of Andrew Sabisky, the No 10 “super forecaster” who resigned on Monday, Dominic Cummings told reporters: “Read Philip Tetlock’s ‘Superforecasting’ instead of political pundits who don’t know what they are talking about.”
The blurb for the Tetlock book Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction says it draws upon “decades of research and the results of a massive, government-funded forecasting tournament”.
UK will get Canada-style free trade deal ‘with a bit of luck’, says ex-Brexit department official
Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union from 2017 to 2019, said comments by Boris Johnson chief Brexit negotiator will be seen as a “hardening of the government’s position”.
David Frost used a major speech in Brussels on Monday to state that Britain will not accept EU supervision to create a “level playing field”.
Rycroft, a strategic partner at Flint Global, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think what David was doing last night is explaining the government’s interpretation of that (level playing field), and some people will see that as a hardening of the government’s position.”
Rycroft said the UK government “will stick to its guns” over dynamic alignment.
He said: “We’re heading towards a basic Canada-style agreement, there’s been no doubt about that for some months now.
“With a bit of luck and a following wind, it may be zero tariff and zero quota, but there will be regulatory barriers to trade and so the conditions for doing business between the UK and the EU will change.”
On the EU’s stance, he added: “Their big concern is the UK getting what they would see as an unfair competitive advantage over businesses in the EU.
“So while they may allow access similar to the Canadian or indeed the Japan deal, the conditionalities on that are likely to be tougher, the UK is a bigger trading partner right on their doorstep.”
Tory MP ‘disappointed’ in No 10 silence over Sabisky’s views
Caroline Nokes, chairwoman of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said she was “relieved” Andrew Sabisky had resigned from No 10 – but criticised Downing Street’s silence over his “abhorrent” views.
The Tory MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I was disappointed that yesterday there was silence from Downing Street regarding his previous comments and it does seem that when the call went out for misfits and weirdos that was exactly what Downing Street got.”
She added: “I think he needed to come out earlier and explain himself, he needed to apologise for those comments and unfortunately we had 48 hours of almost complete silence and no comment from Downing Street, who could have distanced themselves from his youthful comments at any point, but they chose not to do so.”
Nokes also said: “I think you want to have exciting ideas and energy around policy-making in Downing Street, what you don’t want is racism, sexism and the sort of abhorrent ideas that were present in this young man’s tweets.”
On the handling of the appointment by No 10, she said: “I think it’s important that we have the highest standards of integrity in Downing Street, that the bar be set very high, not low, and I’m disappointed that it took this long for either this young man to resign or for Downing Street to take action.”
No delay to 11 March budget, says chancellor
The newly-appointed chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the budget will go ahead next month as expected, sharing a photo of himself looking over spending plans.
“Cracking on with preparations for my first Budget on March 11. It will deliver on the promises we made to the British people – levelling up and unleashing the country’s potential.”
Government must ‘go further’ on flood defences, says infrastructure chief
Dame Kate Barker of the National Infrastructure Commission has urged the government to “go further” that the £4bn already committed to flood defences.
She said it “too often our approach feels like we’re playing catch-up with the weather”.
Dame Kate also proposed a national resilience standard to help protect communities from flooding.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What is urgent is that we develop a way of dealing with the prospects for flooding in the future, and our proposal is that there should be a national resilience standard that everywhere has to meet.
“The Environment Agency should start to work now to set that standard and that government should devote the resources necessary to ensure that communities are resilient in the future.”
EU citizenship for Londoners ‘cannot work’, says Rory Stewart
The independent mayoral candidate has responded to Sadiq Khan’s call for “associate” EU citizenship for Londoners, which the Mayor of London earlier claimed could give people in the capital the right to move freely between EU member states.
“This is only a sound bite – the policy cannot work,” said the former Tory minister.
“The mayor has a responsibility to produce a much more detailed position on Brexit – that protects London. I have such a plan. And if I were mayor I would be focused on making detailed arguments about a future immigration system – as well as service agreements – to keep London as close as possible to Europe.
“I would win these arguments with the government and with Brussels with evidence not sound bites.”
Boris Johnson reaches agreement with estranged wife over separation
The prime minister and his estranged wife Marina Wheeler have reached an agreement relating to money following their separation two years ago, a family court judge in London has been told.
Johnson and Wheeler – who have four children together – announced they were separating in September 2018 after 25 years of marriage.
Judge Sarah Gibbons oversaw a private hearing in the Central Family Court in London on Tuesday – but neither Johnson nor Wheeler attended.
The case number showed that they had been involved in a dispute relating to money or assets. Judge Gibbons gave Wheeler the go-ahead to apply for a divorce decree which would bring the marriage to an end – a Decree Absolute.
Britons should be able to keep EU citizenship, says Khan
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more on Sadiq Khan’s call for “associate” EU citizenship for those living in London.
So how might it work in practice?
Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator before the UK’s departure, has long campaigned for “associate citizenship” for people upset at losing EU privileges – claiming the basic concept in in the Maastricht Treaty.
It would, in theory, allow continued freedom of movement and also grant the right to vote in European parliament elections.
Khan said today he wants to take up the idea and support both Londoners – and other British nationals – “devastated they are losing their rights as EU citizens”.
Britons should be able to keep EU citizenship despite Brexit, says Sadiq Khan
Idea would help the 'heartbroken', London mayor says - but Boris Johnson appears to have rejected it
Labour leadership candidate would abolish monarchy
Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has said she would vote to scrap the monarchy.
Ms Nandy said that the issue would not be a priority for Labour under her leadership, but that as a democrat she would not vote to keep the royal family - even though she would “quite like to see Queen Meghan at some point”.
Left-wing contender Rebecca Long-Bailey said she would not abolish the monarchy, while frontrunner Keir Starmer said he would “downsize” the royals but not get rid of them.
Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has said she would vote to scrap the monarchy.
Ms Nandy said that the issue would not be a priority for Labour under her leadership, but that as a democrat she would not vote to keep the royal family - even though she would “quite like to see Queen Meghan at some point”.
Left-wing contender Rebecca Long-Bailey said she would not abolish the monarchy, while frontrunner Keir Starmer said he would “downsize” the royals but not get rid of them.
Plaid Cymru fined £29,000 by the Electoral Commission
Plaid Cymru has been fined £29,268 for failures in reporting donations to the Electoral Commission.
The findings said “the party submitted nine inaccurate reports over a two year period, omitting a total of 36 cash donations worth more than £497,000”.
“The party reported the donations in May 2018. The Commission’s investigations pointed to a lack of effective internal processes, which led to a failure to understand the reporting requirements.”
Commenting on the fines imposed, Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation, said: “The total number and value of donations omitted from Plaid Cymru’s quarterly reports is significant and reveals a substantial degree of non-compliance. Plaid Cymru is a well-established party and it should be able to meet its reporting obligations.
“It is vital that voters can see full and accurate financial records that show where a political party’s money comes from. Plaid Cymru’s sustained failure over a two-year period to understand and meet its legal duties led to a disappointing lack of transparency into the party’s finances.
“Voters can have confidence that, where parties fail to comply with the rules and there is no reasonable explanation, we will take action.”
Plaid Cymru has been fined £29,268 for failures in reporting donations to the Electoral Commission.
The findings said “the party submitted nine inaccurate reports over a two year period, omitting a total of 36 cash donations worth more than £497,000”.
“The party reported the donations in May 2018. The Commission’s investigations pointed to a lack of effective internal processes, which led to a failure to understand the reporting requirements.”
Commenting on the fines imposed, Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation, said: “The total number and value of donations omitted from Plaid Cymru’s quarterly reports is significant and reveals a substantial degree of non-compliance. Plaid Cymru is a well-established party and it should be able to meet its reporting obligations.
“It is vital that voters can see full and accurate financial records that show where a political party’s money comes from. Plaid Cymru’s sustained failure over a two-year period to understand and meet its legal duties led to a disappointing lack of transparency into the party’s finances.
“Voters can have confidence that, where parties fail to comply with the rules and there is no reasonable explanation, we will take action.”
EU citizenship for Londoners ‘gimmick’, says Tory mayoral candidate
Shaun Bailey, the Tory candidate in the upcoming mayoral election, has dismissed Sadiq Khan’s claim he would fight for “associate” EU citizenship for Londoners – and people across the UK – after Brexit.
Bailey said: “Three more Londoners were stabbed on the weekend and a teenager is fighting for his life as we speak, and where is our mayor? In Brussels, announcing a gimmick he has no powers to implement.
“The mayor has got to focus on his actual responsibilities; he should be in London, urgently speaking with the Met Police, over whom he does have actual powers, about how to stop kids being stabbed to death on our streets.”
Earlier independent mayoral candidate Rory Stewart said: “This is only a sound bite – the policy cannot work.”
PM and chancellor set to discuss budget plans
More now on preparations for next month’s budget, after new chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed it will go ahead as planned on 11 March.
Boris Johnson is currently thought to be working on spending priorities from government’s country retreat of Chevening and is due to meet Sunak in Whitehall on Wednesday to discuss final plans.
There are expectations that the prime minister wants more leeway to borrow large sums to fund infrastructure projects in the North.
More details from our political editor Andrew Woodcock:
Budget to go ahead in March, new chancellor confirms
Doubt raised over date after Sajid Javid walked out with just 27 days to goFormer SNP leader at Westminster announces bid to become MSP
Angus Robertson has revealed plans to stand for election to Holyrood – contesting the seat held by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.
Robertson revealed that he will be seeking the SNP’s nomination to stand in Edinburgh Central at the 2021 election to try to overturn the Tories’ slim 610-vote majority when Davidson stands down.
Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News, the former Moray MP accuses Ms Davidson of putting “other career interests in London ahead of the people she still represents at Holyrood” and argued that constituents “deserve better”.
Robertson has been linked with standing to become an MSP after losing his Westminster seat to the Conservatives’ Douglas Ross at the 2017 general election.
Associate EU citizenship: a short history
Is Brussels taking Sadiq Khan’s call for “associate citizenship” for British citizens seriously? Khan is holding top-level meetings with senior officials, including Guy Verhofstadt MEP – the European parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator who first suggested the idea back in 2016.
He’s also sitting down with EU Commission negotiator Michel Barnier and European parliament president David Sassoli today, as well as Frans Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission.
Verhofstadt has claimed the principle of associate citizenship rights – including the freedom of movement rights, workers’ protections and even the right to vote in European parliament elections – is enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty.
It relates to a passage that state “citizenship of the [European] Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship”.
But attempting to put any flesh on the idea has proved almost impossible.
One Luxembourg MEP tabled an amendment in European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee on associate citizenship, but withdrew it before Theresa May finalised her withdrawal agreement.
Last year campaigner Jolyon Maugham QC also started a petition advocating a form of associate citizenship after a legal bid to argue the case failed.
Johnson’s ‘laziness’ has opened the door for Cummings, says Alastair Campbell
Tony Blair’s former communications’ supremo Alastair Campbell has written a piece for The Article attacking what he sees as a dysfunctional relationship at the heart of No 10.
He argues Boris Johnson is not clear enough about what he wants to achieve – allowing unelected adviser Dominic Cummings to “set the agenda”.
“Johnson is intellectually lazy, glib, still in many ways more of a journalist than he is a politician and he skates over detail,” Campbell said. “This too opens the door to Cummings, assuming he does have an agenda separate from his boss.”
