Top story: Leaving Liverpool, bring on Brussels
Good morning, Graham Russell here with a swift gulp of news and views to start your day.
Jeremy Corbyn heads to Brussels today for talks with Michel Barnier amid growing concern that Labour’s determination to unseat Theresa May could push the UK towards a “cliff-edge” Brexit. A leaked document has revealed that the EU is intensifying preparations for a no-deal Brexit as the prospect increases of Labour combining with rebel Tory MPs to kill off any deal.
The Labour leader has told the party faithful in Liverpool that MPs would oppose leaving the EU with no deal but that they would equally vote down May’s Chequers plan unless she took on board his proposal to keep Britain in a customs union and protect consumer standards and workers’ rights. The prime minister has insisted she will present a binary choice to parliament – either her deal, or crashing out of the EU.
Corbyn said he planned to urge EU officials “to do all they can to avoid a no-deal outcome, which would be so damaging to jobs and living standards in both the UK and EU countries”. He said the talks were in a “perilous state” and that a no-deal Brexit risked being a “national disaster”. He will also attend the inauguration of Place Jo Cox alongside her relatives in the Belgian capital.
No-deal fever looms large in the food and drink sector, where exports to the EU are worth £13.2bn a year. The National Farmers’ Union has warned of “catastrophic” consequences for the industry if there is no deal, after being warned by the EU that the UK faces a six-month wait to be certified as an approved third-country supplier.
* * *
Kavanaugh verdict looms – Christine Blasey Ford has released some of her testimony a day ahead of the US Senate hearings that could decide the fate of Brett Kavanaugh, as he denied fresh allegations against him. Ford said she has never forgotten what happened at a Maryland house party nearly 36 years ago. “I believed he was going to rape me,” she says. “I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified.” On Wednesday a third woman, Julie Swetnick, made a statement saying she had seen Kavanaugh engage in “abusive and physically aggressive behaviour towards girls”. In an interview with Republican investigators, Kavanaugh has denied further anonymous complaints about sexual assaults in 1985 and 1998. Donald Trump has said he might change his mind about Kavanaugh but also called the allegations against him a “big, fat con job”.
* * *
Skripal poisoning – Ruslan Boshirov, the Russian tourist keen on seeing Salisbury’s cathedral, is actually Anatoliy Chepiga, a decorated special forces colonel, multiple investigations have revealed. A sweep of Russian military academies by Bellingcat and the Insider have uncovered the Chechnya war veteran, who was awarded the country’s highest state accolade, hero of the Russian Federation, in 2014 when Russian officers were active in the Ukraine conflict. Vladimir Putin earlier maintained that the two suspects were civilians with no intelligence ties.
* * *
Thai murders – A family rift could have led to the murder of the wealthy Scottish businessman Alan Hogg and his wife, Nott Suddaen, in Thailand, police and relatives believe. The chief suspect is Nott’s brother Warut Satchakit, who is head gardener at their sprawling property. Relatives say Nott planned to ask him to leave because he was “creating too many arguments and not looking after the land properly”. Thai police allege Satchakit had sought out a contract killer. The bodies of the couple have been recovered from a deep grave in their garden.
* * *
‘Mate, what just happened?’ – Getting close to nature is usually a pleasure but sometimes quite literally a slap in the face. One kayaker has the memories, and footage, to prove it after a seal appeared to hurl an octopus at him.
* * *
Lunchtime read: First look at The Woman Who Fell to Earth
Traditionally it takes each Doctor Who actor a story or two to settle into character, with the Time Lord disorientated after regenerating. Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is no different yet the director, Jamie Childs, says Whittaker’s Doctor is “utterly delighted, utterly curious, and just fizzes with energy”. And he is not wrong – she’s constantly in motion, and Whittaker is notably proud of doing all her own stunts for The Woman Who Fell to Earth, writes Martin Belam.
After the actor’s unveiling last year, the focus was on the change of the character’s gender – yet here it barely gets a look-in. Indeed, she spends a lot of this episode wearing Peter Capaldi’s old costume, something Whittaker found helpful as part of the artistic transition. I don’t thinking we’re revealing too much in saying viewers can expect a Yorkshire accent and a more cinematic edge. The show will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday 7 October at 6.45pm.
Sport
A moment’s virtuoso brilliance from Eden Hazard has helped Chelsea dump Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup, as the London side turned around a deficit after Daniel Sturridge’s opener to win 2-1. Tottenham also progressed via penalties against Watford, while West Ham thumped Macclesfield 8-0. There’s been high drama in La Liga as well, with Barcelona and Real Madrid succumbing to shock losses.
In rugby, the England prop Joe Marler has dropped a bombshell, announcing his retirement less than 12 months out from the World Cup. Eddie Jones now faces a selection headache to replace the 28-year-old, who has 59 caps. And, organisers of the Ryder Cup are confident France is ready to put on a memorable tournament in a predominantly “golf-indifferent” nation, writes Andy Bull.
Business
The MP David Rutley, a former Asda and PepsiCo executive, has been put in charge of keeping the food and drink flowing in case of a no-deal Brexit. Food industry insiders welcomed his appointment. One said they welcomed someone “genuinely informed and engaged” given the level of “naivety” about the nation’s ability to stockpile food. The Fed has again raised its short-term interest rates, the third such rise this year as US unemployment has hit new lows. It flagged further rises “consistent with sustained expansion of economic activity”.
The pound is buying $1.313 and €1.121.
The papers
Two stories dominate the front pages today: the Labour party conference and claims that one of the Salisbury poisoning suspects is a decorated Russian colonel.
The Guardian leads on: “Get a good Brexit deal or face Labour veto, Corbyn tells May”, with a smaller story “Salisbury suspect ‘is decorated Russian spy’”. The i also leads on Labour, with “Corbyn: I’m ready for power”.
The Salisbury news leads the Telegraph: “Novichok hitman is Russian colonel decorated by Putin”, the Express: “Unmasked: Putin’s hitman”, the Mail also opting for the “Unmasked” theme, the Times: “Salisbury spy ‘hitman’ is a decorated colonel” and the Mirror: “Putin gave Novichok hitman a medal”.
The FT leads with: “Disney-Fox stake sale to Comcast ends Murdoch’s 30-year tie to Sky” and the Sun’s splash is “Hospital blunder gave me monkeypox”, alongside a fairly graphic picture of an infected arm.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
Sign up
The Guardian Morning Briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes bright and early every weekday. If you are not already receiving it by email, you can sign up here.
