Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to local people at the Canal Side Heritage Centre in Beeston, central England, on July 28, 2020, during an event to launch the the government’s new cycling initiative to help get people fitter. The Johnson government has ramped up its efforts to address obesity in Britain.
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The House of Lords has voted to force Westminster to seek the consent of the devolved administrations before ministers can exercise powers contained in the controversial Internal Market Bill.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been defeated several times over the bill, with peers voting overwhelmingly to strip out law-breaking powers that would allow him to override parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Meanwhile, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said that a no-deal Brexit would cause long-term damage to the UK’s economy, costing more than the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the long-term.
He told the Commons Treasury committee that it was in the “best interests of both sides, for the UK and the EU, for there to be a trade agreement”, adding that economic models suggested there would be long-term consequences if the government failed to agree to a deal.
MPs should be included in public sector pay freeze, says Transport Secretary
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said he thinks MP’s pay should be included in the public sector pay freeze – echoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s comments on Monday.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Mr Shapps said: “I think MPs should only be paid in line with what other public service workers are being paid and if we are given a pay rise, I will pay mine to charity, that’s my decision.
“Public sector workers, many are facing perhaps a three-year pay freeze, (so) the right thing to do is that politicians should not be taking a pay rise.”
He added that ministers have had a five per cent pay cut and an “ongoing” 10-year pay freeze which he also supports.
Kate Ng24 November 2020 08:26
Scotland could become first country to make period products freely available
Scotland is set to become the first country in the world to make period products free, if new legislation is voted through today.
Holyrood will vote on the groundbreaking Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, which would introduce a legal right of free access to sanitary products like tampons and pads in public buildings.
My colleague Chiara Giordano reports:
Kate Ng24 November 2020 08:22
Economic damage from no-deal Brexit will be worse than Covid, warns Bank of England governor
The governor of the Bank of England has said that the long-term economic impact of a no-deal Brexit will be more damaging than those of the coronavirus pandemic.
Andrew Bailey told the Commons Treasury select committee on Monday that it would be in the best interests of both the UK and the EU to agree to a trade deal, “no question about it”.
His warning comes after an analysis by the London School of Economics and think-tank UK in a Changing Europe found that the economic impact of a no-deal would be two to three times worse than the pandemic.
Our Policy Correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Kate Ng24 November 2020 08:07
House of Lords defeats Boris Johnson over devolved consent to Internal Market Bill powers
The Government has suffered another defeat over the controversial Internal Market Bill after peers backed moves aimed at ensuring the devolved administrations are involved in post-Brexit operations of the UK’s internal market.
The House of Lords voted for steps to force Westminster to seek the consent of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland before exercising powers contained in the legislation.
My colleagues Nick Lester and Trevor Mason have the details:
Kate Ng24 November 2020 08:06
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s liveblog following all the latest developments on Brexit.
Kate Ng24 November 2020 07:55
