Brexit 1) Johnson urges Brussels to ‘play fair’ on state aid rules

“Boris Johnson last night called on the European Union to drop its demands to allow Brussels to subsidise industries across Europe while denying the UK the same rights. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has called for Brussels aid to be exempt from any future subsidy control regime as part of a Brexit deal. Mr Johnson told Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, that the exemption would allow the EU to unfairly support European industries while putting UK firms at a competitive disadvantage. The issue has been brought into focus by a €750 billion EU pandemic recovery fund and other payments that will be used to directly support many industries in countries that are significant rivals with the UK, such as France, Italy and Spain. While similar forms of government aid to industry would be subjected to subsidy control scrutiny, EU payments in the next Brussels budget would be excluded.” – The Times

• Help me clear Brexit hurdles, he urges Von der Leyen – Daily Telegraph
• Johnson says talks in ‘serious situation’ after call with EU chief – The Guardian
• Brussels’ demands branded ‘offensive’ and ‘unreasonable’ – The Sun
• Britain’s annual Brexit capitulation draws nigh – FT
• Barnier says just ‘hours’ left for Brexit deal – Daily Express

More:

• UK urges EU to drop privacy law that will stop firms scanning for child abuse images – Daily Telegraph
• Brexit trade talks buffeted by EU Covid relief state aid row – FT
• Merkel faces growing backlash over Britain getting vaccine before Germany – The Sun

>Today: Iain Dale’s column: Your Brexit trade talks countdown. Fourteen days left until transition ends fully.

>Yesterday: Roderick Crawford in Comment: Brexit and trade. What we are and aren’t committed to in order to help bring about a level playing field

Brexit 2) Sturgeon plots keep to Scotland tied to EU as fishermen to be ‘forced to follow hated CFP’

“Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP have unveiled a decade long fishing strategy to stay aligned to controversial EU fishing laws as relations between London and Edinburgh turn sour over a Brexit trade deal. In a snub to Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan, the SNP-led Scottish Government unveiled plans to stay aligned to the EU Common Fisheries Policy. It comes as Brexit trade deal talks orchestrated by Michel Barnier and Lord Frost continue to see an impasse on fisheries – the core sticking point of the negotiations. The European Parliament yesterday set down a three-day deadline for post-Brexit trade deal negotiators to strike a deal, warning that MEPs will not have time to ratify an agreement this year unless it is ready by Sunday night. On fishing, the UK Government claims the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has “long been a source of discontentment.”” – Daily Express

• Brussels can smell panicking Britain’s desperation to get a Brexit deal – Jonathan Saxty, Daily Telegraph
• Johnson’s levelling-up mission starts now – James Forsyth, The Times

>Yesterday: Henry Hill’s Red, White, and Blue column: The beacons are lit! Aberdeen calls for aid, and London must answer

Third national lockdown looms after Christmas

“A third national lockdown will be considered if coronavirus infections continue to rise after Christmas, Downing Street has suggested. More than 38 million people in England – 68 per cent of the population – will be in Tier 3 from Saturday after large parts of the South East were plunged into the harshest level of restrictions by ministers. Tory MPs in some of the new Tier 3 areas branded the decision “ridiculous”, but Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said he was left with no choice after infection rates surged by up to two thirds in some areas. It came as Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, extended the furlough scheme until the end of April, adding to speculation that tight restrictions that prevent people working will continue beyond Easter.” – Daily Telegraph

• Two thirds of England to live under Tier 3 lockdown rules – The Times
• Ministers mull ‘Tier 4’ crackdown – Daily Mail
• NHS hospitals running out of beds as Covid cases continue to surge – The Guardian

Schools:

• Secondary schools to delay new term after rising Covid rates prompt mass testing… – FT
• …days after Williamson threatened councils with legal action if they closed early – Daily Mail

>Today: Philippa Stroud in Comment: So you wanted an impact assessment of the effects of lockdown, restrictions – and of Covid itself? Here it is.

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Covid. There’s nothing wrong with supplementing rules with advice.

Home Secretary accuses senior Tory MP of breaking Covid rules

“The home secretary, Priti Patel, has accused a senior Tory MP of breaching Covid-19 rules after he attended a Christmas dinner for 27 people at a private members’ club. Tobias Ellwood, a former Foreign Office minister who chairs the influential Commons defence select committee, attended an event at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London on Tuesday evening hours before the capital moved into tier 3. Only a day earlier in parliament he called on the government to review its plans to relax restrictions for Christmas to avoid a third wave in the new year. The dinner, in Piccadilly, was held by the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) and was initially described as a “Christmas party” on its website before the reference was removed.” – The Guardian

• Patel urges people to call police on their neighbours if they break Christmas rules… – The Sun
• …and says she will not be visiting her parents for Christmas – Daily Mail

Comment:

• Ellwood is yet another hypocrite destroying trust in our rule-makers – Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail

>Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Hancock announces further restrictions and a few relaxations

Continue to all today’s Newslinks