UK Politics
The latest political news and updates from around the UK.
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Brexit divorce bill dependent on future partnership agreement, says PM
U.K. Britain's promise to pay a financial settlement worth around 35 to 39 billion pounds to the European Union is conditional upon agreeing a future partnership wi -
May hails new optimism in Brexit talks after deal
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May hailed "a new sense of optimism" in Brexit talks, telling parliament Britain and the European Union should sign off on a deal at a summit this week "to move forwards together" to discuss future trade ties. -
UK grocery inflation hits highest level since 2013 - Kantar Worldpanel
British grocery inflation hit its highest level since 2013 over the last quarter, led by price rises in products such as butter, fish and fresh pork, industry data showed on Tuesday. -
UK inflation hits nearly six-year high of 3.1 percent
British inflation unexpectedly rose to its highest level in nearly six years in November, tightening the post-Brexit vote squeeze on households whose spending is the main driver of the country's economy. -
Commentary: In Brexit Britain, economic gravity will take its toll
Britain looks set to get what it craves in its negotiations with the European Union. The British government has contrived a way around the impasse over avoiding controls at the Irish land border and bowed to paying more or less what the EU was demanding as a divorce settlement. -
Make EU gentleman's agreement with Britain binding - EU lawmakers
The European Parliament will insist on quickly making the deal reached between the European Union and Britain on divorce terms legally binding, worried London may not honour a gentleman's agreement, the parliament's chief Brexit coordinator says. -
Brexit minister says agrees with EU negotiator Verhofstadt on last week's deal
British Brexit minister David Davis said on Tuesday that he and the European Parliament’s negotiator Guy Verohfstadt agreed about the importance of last week’s deal between Britain and the EU to move divorce talks to the next phase. -
Goldman Sachs to have Labour over for tea as City seeks warmer ties
The British Labour Party's would-be finance minister, John McDonnell, has accepted an invitation for talks at the Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs as it seeks better relations with a political party whose leaders have pilloried bankers. -
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EU's Barnier rules out full EU-UK trade pact in time for Brexit
There is "no possibility" that Britain and the European Union can conclude a free trade agreement by the time Britain leaves in March 2019, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barner says. -
'Furious race against time' to complete Brexit treaty - EU's Tusk
European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Tuesday that completing a Brexit treaty and agreeing on future relations with Britain would be a “furious race against time” where EU states would have to stick together to avoid economic disruption. -
May nudges UK towards a friendly EU divorce
Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal with the European Union is the strongest signal since the shock 2016 Brexit referendum that the United Kingdom is heading towards an orderly departure that preserves very close trade ties. -
May faces parliamentary showdown with Brexit rebels
Prime Minister Theresa May’s control of the Brexit process will undergo its stiffest parliamentary test yet on Wednesday, when she faces a showdown with rebels in her party over the laws that will take Britain out of the European Union. -
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May says rebel amendment could endanger orderly Brexit
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday that a rebel amendment to draft Brexit legislation could endanger an orderly Brexit. -
EU parliament backs starting next phase of Brexit talks
The European Parliament urged EU leaders on Wednesday to allow the next phase of Brexit negotiations to start, backing a motion that recognised the talks had advanced sufficiently as a well a line criticising Britain’s lead negotiator David Davis. -
EU leaders likely to give go-ahead to new phase of Brexit talks
The leaders of the European Union’s remaining 27 member states are very likely to approve this week the deal struck by their chief negotiator with Britain and move to a second phase of exit talks, a French presidency source said on Wednesday. -
Close ranks - EU braces for 'divisive' Brexit trade talks
EU negotiators look forward to trade talks with Britain next year once a Brexit divorce deal is endorsed by national leaders on Friday -- but they also worry this might fray the united front states have shown so far in dealing with London. -
UK urgently needs Brexit transition deal, and more time after that, MP
U.K.Britain urgently needs a "standstill" deal to keep its ties with the European Union unchanged in a post-Brexit transition period, and will probably need an adaptation phase after that for sectors such as financial services, a group of MPs said. -
After defeat at home, May urges EU leaders to move on with Brexit
U.K.British Prime Minister Theresa May will urge European Union leaders to approve an agreement to move Brexit talks on to a second phase on Thursday, just hours after an embarrassing parliamentary defeat at home that weakens her hand. -
Brexit 'no deal' is massively less probable after EU agreement, Davis
U.K.Britain is less likely to leave the European Union without an agreed exit deal after last week's decision by the European Commission to recommend that talks move on to the next phase, Brexit minister David Davis said on Thursday. -
Government avoids contempt of parliament charge over Brexit papers
U.K.Government ministers will not be held in contempt of parliament for their statements about the existence of studies on how Brexit will affect the economy, Britain's House of Commons speaker John Bercow said on Thursday. -
May says on course to deliver Brexit despite parliament setback
U.K.British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday she was on course to deliver Brexit and a new partnership with the European Union, shrugging off a parliamentary defeat that could weaken her hand as the decisive phase of talks begin. -
What a difference a year makes - EU warms to Britain's May
What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Prime Minister Theresa May was pictured standing alone at an EU summit, nervously playing with her sleeve as other leaders embraced and chatted around her - an image that summed up her isolation after Britain voted for Brexit. -
Second phase of Brexit talks will be harder than first - EU's Juncker
U.K.The second phase Brexit negotiations will be significantly harder than an already difficult first phase of talks, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday. -
May wins applause from EU leaders for Brexit efforts
U.K.European leaders applauded British Prime Minister Theresa May for her work so far on Brexit, assuring her at a summit in Brussels that sufficient progress has been made to allow Britain to move on to the next stage of leaving the union. -
Breakingviews - Review: Why Brexit will ultimately please nobody
U.K.(Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s easy to forget that, until recently, Britain’s relationship with Europe was of little concern to most voters. A month before the 1997 general election, pollster Ipsos MORI asked Britons to name the issues that would decide which party they voted for. Less than a quarter mentioned the European Union. Its salience fell to 14 percent in 2001 and lingered in the single digits for more than a decade. So how did the 2016 referendum lead to the highest turnout in a nationwide vote for 24 years, with the majority siding against the government? -
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EU gives formal green light to new Brexit phase
U.K.European Union leaders gave their formal approval on Friday to the opening of a second phase of Brexit negotiations with Britain, focusing on a transition period and future trading relationship. -
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UK government has no plans to remove exit date in Brexit law to avoid
U.K.Britain's government has no plans to withdraw its amendment to insert an exit date into Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint, a spokesman for the leader said on Friday, after losing a vote in parliament earlier this week. -
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UK keeps top financial sector global ranking, Brexit seen as risk
U.K.Britain kept the top spot in global financial services exports last year but Brexit threatens to raise barriers to its biggest market in Europe, TheCityUK said on Friday. -
UK households turn downbeat about finances as Brexit weighs - BoE survey
U.K.More households in Britain expect a deterioration in their finances than an improvement for the first time in three years, with much of it linked to the Brexit vote in 2016, a survey published by the Bank of England showed. -
Exclusive - Bankers may get notes to help push industry line on Brexit
U.K.Bankers may be given a cribsheet to help the industry push for close ties with the European Union following Brexit, according to a document drawn up for the organisation that promotes Britain as a financial centre. -
May says wants best Brexit trade deal while regaining sovereignty
U.K.Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday that Britain is working to secure the best trade deal with the European Union while regaining control over issues like immigration after the bloc agreed to move talks onto the next stage of negotiations. -
What can possibly go wrong? Nine Brexit bear traps for 2018
U.K.European Union leaders gave a green light to the main phase of Brexit negotiations on Friday after applauding Prime Minister Theresa May's efforts to settle divorce terms for Britain's withdrawal in March 2019. -
EU backs new phase in Brexit talks, tough tests ahead
The European Union agreed on Friday to move talks forward with London on Britain's exit from the bloc as leaders warmed to the British premier, but there was little clarity on trade issues amid warnings that the next phase of talks could be a real test of EU unity -
'Congratulations': EU moves to Brexit phase two but warns will be tough
U.K.The European Union agreed on Friday to move Brexit talks onto trade and a transition pact but some leaders cautioned that the final year of divorce negotiations before Britain's exit could be fraught with peril. -
Johnson warns UK cannot become 'vassal state' of EU
U.K.Britain must strike a strong trade deal with the European Union after Brexit and avoid becoming a subordinate state of the bloc, foreign minister and leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson has told the Sunday Times newspaper. -
Britain looking at distinct trade deal with EU: finance minister
U.K.British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Saturday it is likely Britain will want to negotiate a bespoke arrangement for a future trade deal with the European Union, rather than copying existing arrangements like the Canada-EU deal. -
May to pitch status quo Brexit transition to parliament
U.K.Prime Minister Theresa May will pitch her plan for a Brexit transition period with unchanged access to European Union markets when she briefs MPs on Monday about her latest negotiating trip to Brussels. -
Myanmar police focused interrogation on Rohingya story: Reuters journalist
YANGON A Reuters reporter on trial in Myanmar said the police questioning after he and a colleague were arrested in December centered on their reporting of a massacre of Rohingya Muslims, not on secret state documents they are accused of obtaining.
