Brexit. Why do Brits want Out of the EU?

A legal challenge over Brexit begins today in what has been described as the most important constitutional case in generations.

Opponents are fighting to stop Theresa May triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to leave the European Union without the prior authorisation of Parliament.

Government lawyers will argue before three judges at the High Court in London that the Prime Minister is legally entitled to use the royal prerogative to start the Brexit process.

So far I have not found a statistic for 2016 in Sweden, but hatecrimes have gone up in Sweden too.

Hatecrimes are spreading all over EU and it is not just dependent on a Brexit date.

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“The only real alternative to a hard Brexit is no Brexit, even if today hardly anyone believes in such a possibility.”
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Tusk stressed EU leaders would conduct the negotiations in good faith, but said the UK could not get a better deal than if it remained in the EU.
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The “upper estimate” to separate from the bloc would cover the UK’s shared EU liabilities including, unpaid debt of €241 billion (£217 billion), and €63.8 billion (£57.5 billion) in pension liabilities, according to new analysis conducted by The Financial Times (FT).

the UK could face a £350m-a-week 'divorce bill' as result of leaving the EU.

Theresa May has been accused of packing the group of Cabinet ministers which will control EU exit negotiations with “hard Brexiteers”.

The Prime Minister also provoked surprise by failing to allocate a place to the Attorney General – despite the complex legal challenges ahead before EU withdrawal can be delivered.

And the Cabinet ministers for Scotland and Northern Ireland will only attend meetings “as required”, although border issues will also be crucial to Brexit. ...

The group includes all six members of Ms May’s Cabinet who campaigned to leave the EU at the June referendum.

Boris Johnson (Foreign Secretary), Liam Fox (International Trade Secretary) and David Davis (Brexit Secretary) were certain members – but they are joined by Priti Patel (International Development Secretary), Chris Grayling (Transport Secretary) and Andrea Leadsom (Environment Secretary).

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As expected, among those appointed to the committee are the three strong pro-leave voices handed the main Brexit-related ministerial portfolios – Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Liam Fox, the international development secretary.

Also reported to be members are former leave campaigners whose departments are less intrinsically connected to the process: Andrea Leadsom at environment, Chris Grayling at transport, and Priti Patel, the international development secretary.

Balancing these are six ministers who were on the remain side: May herself and her chancellor and home secretary, Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd; Greg Clark, the business secretary; May’s long-time ally, the pensions secretary, Damian Green; and the cabinet office secretary, Patrick McLoughlin.

The committee was among three created by May when she became prime minister in July, along with those on the economy and social reform.

May is expected to put more weight on formal cabinet committees in a deliberate rejection of Cameron’s more relaxed approach, in which some ministers said they too often found important discussions had taken place over the weekend at dinner parties, rather than around the table in Westminster.

She is also keen to ensure that MPs who campaigned for Brexit feel that their views are clearly represented, so they cannot then disown the outcome of the complex negotiations over Britain’s future relationship with the other 27 EU member states.
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And it can be revealed the wine cellar contains 33,669 bottles of wine and spirits totalling £809,990, including some that appeal to expensive tastes.

Last year the Government drank 3,730 bottles, a drop of 32 per cent on the year before when 5,516 were consumed.

After Marmite, the next institution under threat as a result of Brexit is Eurostar. The train operator is to cut one in 12 services from London St Pancras to Paris and Brussels, due to a “challenging environment”.

In addition, 80 staff are likely to lose their jobs.

The SNP leader will say in conference speech that the people of Scotland 'cannot trust' Boris Johnson and Liam Fox to represent them

Nicola Sturgeon will insist Scotland intends to stay at the “very heart” of Europe, with the First Minister to unveil a new plan to boost business in the wake of the Brexit vote.

The SNP leader will make clear that “Scotland is open for business” with a four-point plan aimed at increasing trade and exports.

This also includes measures to increase Scottish representation in Europe, with new trade envoys to represent the country, while a Scottish investment hub will also be set up in Berlin.
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First minister tells SNP conference in Glasgow she will defy the prime minister if Tories break ‘promises’ made to Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that a hard Brexit would amount to the UK government breaking the promises it made during the Scottish referendum, and that such a departure from the EU would lead to another poll on independence.

The first minister of Scotland said that in the coming months she would seek “new powers to help keep Scotland in the single market, even if the UK leaves”, as she gave her keynote speech at the annual SNP conference in Glasgow on Saturday.