'Brexit Watch: At-a-glance day-by-day summer briefing' diff viewer (54/55)

This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on July 26, 2016 07:36 (UTC). It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36881718

The article has changed 57 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Previous version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Next version

Previous version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Next version

Version 54	Version 55
Brexit Watch: At-a-glance day-by-day summer briefing	Brexit Watch: At-a-glance day-by-day summer briefing
2016-08-31 18:00:25 UTC	2016-09-01 14:20:20 UTC (about 20 hours later)
The UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June. Here's your daily summer briefing of the latest Brexit-related news...	The UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June. Here's your daily summer briefing of the latest Brexit-related news...
Recap for new readers	Recap for new readers
The UK public voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union in June's referendum. During the campaign there were warnings from the Remain side about the economic impact of leaving, while the Leave side suggested the UK would be able to take back control of immigration and the £350m a week they said the UK sent to the EU. New Prime Minister Theresa May has said "Brexit means Brexit" - but no-one yet seems too sure what Brexit means. Will the UK stay as a member of the EU single market? Will EU nationals retain the right to live and work in the UK? What economic impact has the Brexit vote had?	The UK public voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union in June's referendum. During the campaign there were warnings from the Remain side about the economic impact of leaving, while the Leave side suggested the UK would be able to take back control of immigration and the £350m a week they said the UK sent to the EU. New Prime Minister Theresa May has said "Brexit means Brexit" - but no-one yet seems too sure what Brexit means. Will the UK stay as a member of the EU single market? Will EU nationals retain the right to live and work in the UK? What economic impact has the Brexit vote had?
	Thursday 1 September
	The main event: A report published by the Electoral Reform Society in to the EU referendum says the campaign was dogged by "glaring democratic deficiencies" with voters turned off by big name politicians and negative campaigning. The group, which campaigns for electoral reform, was critical of both Remain and Leave, saying people felt "ill-informed" by the "dire" debate and it said the impact of political leaders had been "minimal". It wants a "root and branch" review of the way referendums are run, and has proposed a "rule book" to govern campaigns' conduct, a public body to intervene when "misleading" claims are made and a review of broadcasters' role. A government spokeswoman said the referendum result was decisive "with one of the highest turnouts of any vote seen in a UK-wide poll in a generation". A spokesman for the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, said it would consider the report's proposals. Its own report is due to be published later this month, with recommendations for "improving the conduct and regulation of future referendums".
	Also in the news: PM Theresa May has said Britain's exit from the EU will open up new markets and opportunities around the world for British businesses. She said she was determined to "make the most of the opportunities" resulting from the Brexit vote. The prime minister was speaking ahead of the weekend's G20 summit of leading global economies in China,where she will tell fellow leaders the UK is "open for business". European Council President Donald Tusk has said the EU's remaining 27 member states will need to come up with "a common diagnosis" of the EU following the UK's decision to leave. He stressed it was not going to be their intention to talk about the UK at the forthcoming meeting of EU leaders in Bratislava or their negotiation strategy regarding the UK. He said this was to "protect the interests of the members of the Union that want to stay together, and not the one which decides to leave".
	Financial news: The pound has jumped to a one-month high against the dollar after a survey indicated the UK's manufacturing sector rebounded sharply in August. The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the sector rose to 53.3 in August from July's figure of 48.3. A figure above 50 indicates expansion. The weakening of the pound following the Brexit vote boosted exports, according to the survey, but it also indicated that the weak pound had pushed up firms' costs. Meanwhile, recruitment giant Hays has said the UK job market weakened "significantly" around the time of the EU referendum, but it is too early to judge the long-term impact of the vote. The company also said it had seen "no evidence" of any impact of the vote in markets outside the UK.
	From the papers: The UK's early moves towards EU exit make a lot of today's front pages, following Theresa May's "Brexit brainstorm" with cabinet colleagues at Chequers yesterday. The Daily Telegraph leads on the PM's pledge that Britain will control immigration from the EU after it leaves the bloc, and says she has set out her first "red line" for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. The Guardian's take is that Mrs May's stance means "Brexit means border controls at whatever price". It's "a move that some experts have claimed will end Britain's membership of the single market", the paper adds. The Financial Times says the Home Office is holding secret trials of an online system aimed at speeding up permanent residence applications from thousands of EU citizens looking to secure their UK immigration status in the run-up to Brexit. Cases are expected to soar after the vote to leave the EU, it says.
	Further reading:
Wednesday 31 August	Wednesday 31 August
The main event: Theresa May has held a "Brexit brainstorm" at Chequers. The prime minister met cabinet colleagues to discuss developments since June's Leave vote. Mrs May has said the UK must focus on the "opportunities" on offer outside the EU as she reiterated there would be no second referendum. "We must be clear that we are going to make a success of it," the PM said. "That means no second referendum, no attempts to sort of stay in the EU by the back door. That we are actually going to deliver on it." The talks were billed as the most significant since the referendum result and took place following reports of tensions and diverging priorities among key figures. Two months on from the vote, the relationship the UK will have with the EU after its exit, in terms of access to the EU internal market and obligations in regard to freedom of movement, remains unclear. Former Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire told the BBC there was a "definite fault line" between ministers who believed Brexit was chiefly about ending free movement and those who wanted to see more "flexibility", meaning the UK did not yet have its "ducks in a row" for negotiations.	The main event: Theresa May has held a "Brexit brainstorm" at Chequers. The prime minister met cabinet colleagues to discuss developments since June's Leave vote. Mrs May has said the UK must focus on the "opportunities" on offer outside the EU as she reiterated there would be no second referendum. "We must be clear that we are going to make a success of it," the PM said. "That means no second referendum, no attempts to sort of stay in the EU by the back door. That we are actually going to deliver on it." The talks were billed as the most significant since the referendum result and took place following reports of tensions and diverging priorities among key figures. Two months on from the vote, the relationship the UK will have with the EU after its exit, in terms of access to the EU internal market and obligations in regard to freedom of movement, remains unclear. Former Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire told the BBC there was a "definite fault line" between ministers who believed Brexit was chiefly about ending free movement and those who wanted to see more "flexibility", meaning the UK did not yet have its "ducks in a row" for negotiations.
Also in the news: The EU referendum result could be hijacked by "forces of racism, intolerance and hate", the Liberal Democrat leader has warned. Tim Farron turned his fire on outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, accusing them of a "hateful brand of intolerance, racism and insularity". He added that there was a "justified" anger at "the political class" amongst voters. National Front leader Ms Le Pen has said the UK's Brexit vote was "the most important moment since the fall of the Berlin Wall" and she and a number of other far-right leaders in Europe say they would like to hold their own referendums on EU membership. Mr Farage has always rejected similarities between UKIP and the National Front, accusing the French party of "anti-Semitism and general prejudice". Ms Le Pen, in turn, has accused Mr Farage of "aggression" against her party, for labelling it racist.	Also in the news: The EU referendum result could be hijacked by "forces of racism, intolerance and hate", the Liberal Democrat leader has warned. Tim Farron turned his fire on outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, accusing them of a "hateful brand of intolerance, racism and insularity". He added that there was a "justified" anger at "the political class" amongst voters. National Front leader Ms Le Pen has said the UK's Brexit vote was "the most important moment since the fall of the Berlin Wall" and she and a number of other far-right leaders in Europe say they would like to hold their own referendums on EU membership. Mr Farage has always rejected similarities between UKIP and the National Front, accusing the French party of "anti-Semitism and general prejudice". Ms Le Pen, in turn, has accused Mr Farage of "aggression" against her party, for labelling it racist.
Financial news: There has been widespread criticism in the US of the European Commission's ruling that Apple should pay up to €13bn (£11bn) in back taxes. Earlier the European Commission said Ireland had enabled Apple to pay substantially less than other businesses, in effect paying a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%. "Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules," said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The standard rate of Irish corporation tax is 12.5%. The Commission's investigation concluded that Apple had effectively paid 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and about 0.005% in 2014. The White House said the ruling could cost US taxpayers, while the Republic of Ireland's government and Apple both said they disagreed with the record penalty. In the UK, confidence among consumers improved in August but remains below pre-Brexit vote levels, a survey has suggested. Encouraging economic data, low interest rates, falling prices, and high levels of employment have all contributed to a rise in confidence, market research firm GfK said, though there was a sharp drop in people's propensity to save in August. GfK's Joe Staton said there had been "some recovery" in consumer confidence in August compared with July, when the firm's figures suggested confidence dropped at its sharpest rate for more than 26 years.	Financial news: There has been widespread criticism in the US of the European Commission's ruling that Apple should pay up to €13bn (£11bn) in back taxes. Earlier the European Commission said Ireland had enabled Apple to pay substantially less than other businesses, in effect paying a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%. "Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules," said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The standard rate of Irish corporation tax is 12.5%. The Commission's investigation concluded that Apple had effectively paid 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and about 0.005% in 2014. The White House said the ruling could cost US taxpayers, while the Republic of Ireland's government and Apple both said they disagreed with the record penalty. In the UK, confidence among consumers improved in August but remains below pre-Brexit vote levels, a survey has suggested. Encouraging economic data, low interest rates, falling prices, and high levels of employment have all contributed to a rise in confidence, market research firm GfK said, though there was a sharp drop in people's propensity to save in August. GfK's Joe Staton said there had been "some recovery" in consumer confidence in August compared with July, when the firm's figures suggested confidence dropped at its sharpest rate for more than 26 years.
From the papers: "Brexit divisions emerge as Whitehall draws up leave scenarios," says the Guardian, as Theresa May met her cabinet at Chequers. "Civil servants have been asked to assess the impact of a wide range of Brexit scenarios, from full membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) to a system under which some Europeans would need visas just to holiday in Britain," the paper reports. Meanwhile, the Express says that "nothing will stop EU exit" as Theresa May "ruled out holding a second referendum to back the Brexit deal she will strike with the rest of the EU". Its article continues: "Her team also slapped down speculation she could hold a general election before the planned date of 2020, to give voters a chance to give their verdict on Britain's exit deal. She also does not intend to give MPs in Parliament a decisive vote on when to kick-start formal exit talks by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty." And the i describes the backdated demand to Apple as "the world's biggest tax bill" and lists "what Ireland could buy" with the revenue that the European Commission has ordered Apple to pay. The Republic of Ireland could fund "100,000 new homes" or "a year of healthcare provision", it says.	From the papers: "Brexit divisions emerge as Whitehall draws up leave scenarios," says the Guardian, as Theresa May met her cabinet at Chequers. "Civil servants have been asked to assess the impact of a wide range of Brexit scenarios, from full membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) to a system under which some Europeans would need visas just to holiday in Britain," the paper reports. Meanwhile, the Express says that "nothing will stop EU exit" as Theresa May "ruled out holding a second referendum to back the Brexit deal she will strike with the rest of the EU". Its article continues: "Her team also slapped down speculation she could hold a general election before the planned date of 2020, to give voters a chance to give their verdict on Britain's exit deal. She also does not intend to give MPs in Parliament a decisive vote on when to kick-start formal exit talks by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty." And the i describes the backdated demand to Apple as "the world's biggest tax bill" and lists "what Ireland could buy" with the revenue that the European Commission has ordered Apple to pay. The Republic of Ireland could fund "100,000 new homes" or "a year of healthcare provision", it says.
Further reading:	Further reading:
Tuesday 30 August	Tuesday 30 August
The main event: The UK and France have pledged to work together and "step up" moves to improve the migrant situation in Calais. A statement, released after Home Secretary Amber Rudd met her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve, said both countries would resolve the situation through "close co-operation". It followed a call from the president of the region, Xavier Bertrand, for migrants in Calais seeking asylum in the UK to be allowed to lodge their claim in France. But this plan was dismissed by a Home Office source as a "complete non-starter". UK officials currently check passports in France, stopping many from entering. Debate over border controls was a key issue in the EU referendum campaign, with David Cameron claiming the Jungle could move to England if the UK left the EU. But just weeks after the warning, the then-PM and French President Francois Hollande agreed a "mutual commitment" to keep it in place. After the Brexit vote Theresa May and Mr Hollande reiterated the commitment.	The main event: The UK and France have pledged to work together and "step up" moves to improve the migrant situation in Calais. A statement, released after Home Secretary Amber Rudd met her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve, said both countries would resolve the situation through "close co-operation". It followed a call from the president of the region, Xavier Bertrand, for migrants in Calais seeking asylum in the UK to be allowed to lodge their claim in France. But this plan was dismissed by a Home Office source as a "complete non-starter". UK officials currently check passports in France, stopping many from entering. Debate over border controls was a key issue in the EU referendum campaign, with David Cameron claiming the Jungle could move to England if the UK left the EU. But just weeks after the warning, the then-PM and French President Francois Hollande agreed a "mutual commitment" to keep it in place. After the Brexit vote Theresa May and Mr Hollande reiterated the commitment.
Also in the news: The August bank holiday weekend saw a number of politicians and officials give their views of the UK's future relationship with the EU. Lord O'Donnell, a former head of the civil service, said the UK might remain in a "more loosely aligned" European Union, despite the referendum vote to leave. The former cabinet secretary told the Times it would take "years and years" to separate fully from Brussels and suggested that public opinion and the EU could change in the meantime. However, he added that "the probability of us not leaving is very, very low". Continuing membership of the single market was the main concern of Conservative MP and former minister Anna Soubry. She told BBC Radio 4's the Westminster Hour that it was "not impossible" to keep Britain in the single market while controlling immigration. Remain supporter Ms Soubry is one of a cross-party group of MPs backing the Open Britain campaign, calling for the UK "to have the best possible relationship with Europe in the future now that the country has voted to leave". On the same programme, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock attacked PM Theresa May's slogan "Brexit means Brexit", calling it the "most vacuous phrase in modern political history". He said the UK faces "a vast range of challenges" as it leaves the EU and added it was "about time that the prime minister got a grip on the situation". And Germany's vice-chancellor warned the future of the EU itself could be in doubt if the UK's exit was handled badly. Sigmar Gabriel said the EU would go "down the drain" if other states followed Britain's lead and that the UK could not keep the "nice things" about Europe while taking no responsibility.	Also in the news: The August bank holiday weekend saw a number of politicians and officials give their views of the UK's future relationship with the EU. Lord O'Donnell, a former head of the civil service, said the UK might remain in a "more loosely aligned" European Union, despite the referendum vote to leave. The former cabinet secretary told the Times it would take "years and years" to separate fully from Brussels and suggested that public opinion and the EU could change in the meantime. However, he added that "the probability of us not leaving is very, very low". Continuing membership of the single market was the main concern of Conservative MP and former minister Anna Soubry. She told BBC Radio 4's the Westminster Hour that it was "not impossible" to keep Britain in the single market while controlling immigration. Remain supporter Ms Soubry is one of a cross-party group of MPs backing the Open Britain campaign, calling for the UK "to have the best possible relationship with Europe in the future now that the country has voted to leave". On the same programme, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock attacked PM Theresa May's slogan "Brexit means Brexit", calling it the "most vacuous phrase in modern political history". He said the UK faces "a vast range of challenges" as it leaves the EU and added it was "about time that the prime minister got a grip on the situation". And Germany's vice-chancellor warned the future of the EU itself could be in doubt if the UK's exit was handled badly. Sigmar Gabriel said the EU would go "down the drain" if other states followed Britain's lead and that the UK could not keep the "nice things" about Europe while taking no responsibility.
Financial news: The UK is the most popular destination in the European Union for overseas firms, according to government figures. A record number of investments were made by foreign firms in the UK in the year to April 2016 - before the vote to leave the EU - with the Department for International Trade recording 2,213 inward investment projects, up 11% on the previous year. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the figures showed "the UK continues to be the place to do business". Economist Simon French commented: "What will be far more important than Brexit will be whether the political forces that shaped the vote to leave also put pressure on the UK to be a more closed/protectionist nation. This would have much larger (negative) ramifications for future inward investment flows."	Financial news: The UK is the most popular destination in the European Union for overseas firms, according to government figures. A record number of investments were made by foreign firms in the UK in the year to April 2016 - before the vote to leave the EU - with the Department for International Trade recording 2,213 inward investment projects, up 11% on the previous year. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the figures showed "the UK continues to be the place to do business". Economist Simon French commented: "What will be far more important than Brexit will be whether the political forces that shaped the vote to leave also put pressure on the UK to be a more closed/protectionist nation. This would have much larger (negative) ramifications for future inward investment flows."
From the papers: "Britain is threatening to review security co-operation with France should it try to shift the Calais border back across the Channel," says the Times, as Home Secretary Amber Rudd prepared to meet her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve. The article continues: "Senior government sources issued the warning after leading French politicians called for the unravelling of a 2003 deal under which British border checks take place in Calais." The Telegraph says the ministers' meeting "follows demands from French politicians to rip up the current arrangements in the wake of Brexit, a threat that experts said could double asylum claims to 90,000 each year". The paper also suggests that "President Francois Hollande, who agreed there would be no change earlier this year, could be unseated in the nation's 2017 elections". The Financial Times leads with a report that business organisation the CBI has urged the government to allow the banking industry "off the naughty step" and relax some of its regulation to help London "fend off post-Brexit challengers to its position as Europe's leading financial centre". The FT says that representatives from Poland are attempting to "lure some of Britain's biggest banks to Warsaw" following similar charm offensives from "Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Dublin".	From the papers: "Britain is threatening to review security co-operation with France should it try to shift the Calais border back across the Channel," says the Times, as Home Secretary Amber Rudd prepared to meet her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve. The article continues: "Senior government sources issued the warning after leading French politicians called for the unravelling of a 2003 deal under which British border checks take place in Calais." The Telegraph says the ministers' meeting "follows demands from French politicians to rip up the current arrangements in the wake of Brexit, a threat that experts said could double asylum claims to 90,000 each year". The paper also suggests that "President Francois Hollande, who agreed there would be no change earlier this year, could be unseated in the nation's 2017 elections". The Financial Times leads with a report that business organisation the CBI has urged the government to allow the banking industry "off the naughty step" and relax some of its regulation to help London "fend off post-Brexit challengers to its position as Europe's leading financial centre". The FT says that representatives from Poland are attempting to "lure some of Britain's biggest banks to Warsaw" following similar charm offensives from "Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Dublin".
Further reading:	Further reading:
And finally...	And finally...
Could Brexit mean the return of imperial measurements? The Telegraph reports that "customers have been asking shop owners if they can order groceries weighed in pounds and ounces". Also weighing in, if you'll pardon the pun, is the British Weights and Measures Association, which campaigns against "compulsory use of the metric system" and which claims that pressure will grow on businesses and government to "restore freedom of choice". A leader column in the Telegraph argues that "many British shoppers still think in imperial measures" and claims that ordering quarter pounders in fast food restaurants means younger people are versed in the imperial system. Government sources told the paper that businesses could display imperial measurements "alongside metric" and said metric was "the system used by international trade" which was adopted in the UK before the country joined the EU.	Could Brexit mean the return of imperial measurements? The Telegraph reports that "customers have been asking shop owners if they can order groceries weighed in pounds and ounces". Also weighing in, if you'll pardon the pun, is the British Weights and Measures Association, which campaigns against "compulsory use of the metric system" and which claims that pressure will grow on businesses and government to "restore freedom of choice". A leader column in the Telegraph argues that "many British shoppers still think in imperial measures" and claims that ordering quarter pounders in fast food restaurants means younger people are versed in the imperial system. Government sources told the paper that businesses could display imperial measurements "alongside metric" and said metric was "the system used by international trade" which was adopted in the UK before the country joined the EU.
Friday 26 August	Friday 26 August
The main event: "Divisive" and "anti-immigrant" rhetoric by UK politicians during the EU referendum helped to fuel a spike in race hate crimes in the weeks before and after the vote, a UN body has said. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said prominent political figures had "failed to condemn" racist abuse and created prejudices during the campaign. The report expressed concerns at the negative portrayal of immigrants in the UK and a rise of racist online abuse. Some 3,198 hate crimes were reported from 16-30 June - a 42% rise on 2015. Abuse peaked on 25 June - the day after the referendum result was announced - when 289 hate crimes and incidents were reported across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.	The main event: "Divisive" and "anti-immigrant" rhetoric by UK politicians during the EU referendum helped to fuel a spike in race hate crimes in the weeks before and after the vote, a UN body has said. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said prominent political figures had "failed to condemn" racist abuse and created prejudices during the campaign. The report expressed concerns at the negative portrayal of immigrants in the UK and a rise of racist online abuse. Some 3,198 hate crimes were reported from 16-30 June - a 42% rise on 2015. Abuse peaked on 25 June - the day after the referendum result was announced - when 289 hate crimes and incidents were reported across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Also in the news: Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith has claimed party leader Jeremy Corbyn was "happy" about the UK voting to leave the EU. Mr Smith made the comments during a sometimes ill-tempered hustings debate in Glasgow on Thursday evening, even pressing Mr Corbyn to declare that he voted Remain. Mr Corbyn insisted that he did. Mr Smith is attempting to unseat Mr Corbyn less than a year after he was overwhelmingly elected as leader. The Labour leader has faced accusations from some in the party that he fought a "lacklustre" campaign for a Remain vote. Meanwhile, former Conservative cabinet minister and prominent Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith has reiterated that Britain does not need to remain a member of the EU single market to be prosperous. Mr Duncan Smith also said he believed Article 50 would be triggered early in 2017, saying it would be crucial in shaping negotiations. "You need to get on with a process because nothing focuses the mind than the idea that something is going to happen." He also dismissed rumours of tensions between cabinet ministers David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson as summer "who hates who" stories in the papers.	Also in the news: Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith has claimed party leader Jeremy Corbyn was "happy" about the UK voting to leave the EU. Mr Smith made the comments during a sometimes ill-tempered hustings debate in Glasgow on Thursday evening, even pressing Mr Corbyn to declare that he voted Remain. Mr Corbyn insisted that he did. Mr Smith is attempting to unseat Mr Corbyn less than a year after he was overwhelmingly elected as leader. The Labour leader has faced accusations from some in the party that he fought a "lacklustre" campaign for a Remain vote. Meanwhile, former Conservative cabinet minister and prominent Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith has reiterated that Britain does not need to remain a member of the EU single market to be prosperous. Mr Duncan Smith also said he believed Article 50 would be triggered early in 2017, saying it would be crucial in shaping negotiations. "You need to get on with a process because nothing focuses the mind than the idea that something is going to happen." He also dismissed rumours of tensions between cabinet ministers David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson as summer "who hates who" stories in the papers.
Financial news: Britain's consumers went on a spending spree in the run-up to 23 June's Brexit vote, revised GDP figures released by the Office for National Statistics show. The consumer spending increase, the biggest since before the financial crisis, powered the country's economic growth in the three months to June. The data also showed that investment by businesses unexpectedly rose compared with the previous three months. "Our survey returns, which include the period leading up to and immediately following the referendum, show no sign so far of uncertainty having significantly affected investment or GDP," Joe Grice, ONS chief economist, said in a statement. But Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist for Pantheon Macroeconomics, says the "deterioration of nearly every survey of economic activity" between the first and second quarter of this year suggests economic growth will be revised down eventually. "Looking ahead, consumers might be able to maintain strong growth in their spending for another quarter, but when inflation picks up in earnest early next year and firms follow through on plans to freeze hiring, they will have to slow down," he said. "Meanwhile, the slight rise in business investment in the second quarter provides little reassurance about the post-referendum outlook, since few businesses anticipated the Leave vote and surveys suggest firms are recoiling from major financial commitments in third quarter. As a result, we continue to see a high risk that the economy enters a mild recession over the coming quarters."	Financial news: Britain's consumers went on a spending spree in the run-up to 23 June's Brexit vote, revised GDP figures released by the Office for National Statistics show. The consumer spending increase, the biggest since before the financial crisis, powered the country's economic growth in the three months to June. The data also showed that investment by businesses unexpectedly rose compared with the previous three months. "Our survey returns, which include the period leading up to and immediately following the referendum, show no sign so far of uncertainty having significantly affected investment or GDP," Joe Grice, ONS chief economist, said in a statement. But Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist for Pantheon Macroeconomics, says the "deterioration of nearly every survey of economic activity" between the first and second quarter of this year suggests economic growth will be revised down eventually. "Looking ahead, consumers might be able to maintain strong growth in their spending for another quarter, but when inflation picks up in earnest early next year and firms follow through on plans to freeze hiring, they will have to slow down," he said. "Meanwhile, the slight rise in business investment in the second quarter provides little reassurance about the post-referendum outlook, since few businesses anticipated the Leave vote and surveys suggest firms are recoiling from major financial commitments in third quarter. As a result, we continue to see a high risk that the economy enters a mild recession over the coming quarters."
From the papers: The Guardian reports that "applications for British citizenship from EU nationals living in the UK rose by 14% in the run-up to June's referendum". According to Home Office figures, "the 15,501 applications received included a 26% rise in applications from Italians and a 9% rise from Polish nationals". Over at the Daily Mail, city editor Alex Brummer writes that "Britain is confounding the doom mongers and enjoying a Brexit bounce". While cautioning that "it is still early days" following the referendum in June, the article argues that "whatever damage was done to consumer and business confidence in the UK in the days after the referendum result, was a short-term shock that has been quickly overcome". And the Financial Times says that figures showing "net migration to the UK stayed at a near-record level of 327,000" are likely to "increase the pressure on Theresa May to curb freedom of movement" following the Brexit vote.	From the papers: The Guardian reports that "applications for British citizenship from EU nationals living in the UK rose by 14% in the run-up to June's referendum". According to Home Office figures, "the 15,501 applications received included a 26% rise in applications from Italians and a 9% rise from Polish nationals". Over at the Daily Mail, city editor Alex Brummer writes that "Britain is confounding the doom mongers and enjoying a Brexit bounce". While cautioning that "it is still early days" following the referendum in June, the article argues that "whatever damage was done to consumer and business confidence in the UK in the days after the referendum result, was a short-term shock that has been quickly overcome". And the Financial Times says that figures showing "net migration to the UK stayed at a near-record level of 327,000" are likely to "increase the pressure on Theresa May to curb freedom of movement" following the Brexit vote.
Further reading:	Further reading:
Thursday 25 August	Thursday 25 August
The main event: Net migration to the UK was 327,000 for the year to March, according to Office for National Statistics estimates. The figures - covering the period before Britain voted to leave the EU - were down slightly on record levels. The figure for net migration of EU citizens was estimated to be 180,000, a slight decrease on previous figures. The release of the figures followed a report arguing that the vote to leave the EU is a chance to fix the UK's "broken" immigration system and restore trust in controlled migration. Think tank British Future said the Brexit referendum outcome was a "vote of no confidence" in existing policies and public expectations of curbs on low-skilled migration must be met. The think tank has also released a survey suggesting almost half of Britons do not believe the government will reach its net migration targets. Ministers have pledged to reduce net migration to below 100,000 by 2020.	The main event: Net migration to the UK was 327,000 for the year to March, according to Office for National Statistics estimates. The figures - covering the period before Britain voted to leave the EU - were down slightly on record levels. The figure for net migration of EU citizens was estimated to be 180,000, a slight decrease on previous figures. The release of the figures followed a report arguing that the vote to leave the EU is a chance to fix the UK's "broken" immigration system and restore trust in controlled migration. Think tank British Future said the Brexit referendum outcome was a "vote of no confidence" in existing policies and public expectations of curbs on low-skilled migration must be met. The think tank has also released a survey suggesting almost half of Britons do not believe the government will reach its net migration targets. Ministers have pledged to reduce net migration to below 100,000 by 2020.
Also in the news: The US Treasury Department has warned the European Commission about taking action against US companies over tax avoidance allegations. The commission is investigating tax deals granted to US companies for setting up headquarters in Europe and is expected to deliver a decision on Apple next month. The company could be hit with a multi-billion pound bill for unpaid taxes. The commission said there was "no bias against US companies" in the probes but the US regulator said action by Brussels would make it into a "supra-national tax authority" overriding the tax codes of its member states. And Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has appointed a minister to "lead the Scottish government's discussions with the UK government on our future relationship with the EU". SNP politician Michael Russell is to become Minister for Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. Mr Russell, a former education secretary in the Scottish government, will be tasked with "ensuring the best interests of Scotland are represented and protected in all Westminster EU negotiations". And, according to Ms Sturgeon, he will also have a role "influencing the UK's position" prior to the triggering of the Article 50 process to leave the EU. A majority of voters in Scotland backed remaining in the EU.	Also in the news: The US Treasury Department has warned the European Commission about taking action against US companies over tax avoidance allegations. The commission is investigating tax deals granted to US companies for setting up headquarters in Europe and is expected to deliver a decision on Apple next month. The company could be hit with a multi-billion pound bill for unpaid taxes. The commission said there was "no bias against US companies" in the probes but the US regulator said action by Brussels would make it into a "supra-national tax authority" overriding the tax codes of its member states. And Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has appointed a minister to "lead the Scottish government's discussions with the UK government on our future relationship with the EU". SNP politician Michael Russell is to become Minister for Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. Mr Russell, a former education secretary in the Scottish government, will be tasked with "ensuring the best interests of Scotland are represented and protected in all Westminster EU negotiations". And, according to Ms Sturgeon, he will also have a role "influencing the UK's position" prior to the triggering of the Article 50 process to leave the EU. A majority of voters in Scotland backed remaining in the EU.
Financial news: Sterling was down a touch at $1.3219 but remained on track for a weekly gain of about 1.5% against the dollar. The pound is also on track for its best week in six weeks against the euro, despite falling 0.2% to 85.32 pence. However, the Munich-based Ifo economic institute has blamed Brexit for a hit to German business confidence, with orders in the chemicals and car industries particularly subdued. Klaus Wohlrabe, an economist at the institute, said: "Brexit has had a stronger effect now. Export expectations in the chemicals sector have fallen significantly due to Britain."	Financial news: Sterling was down a touch at $1.3219 but remained on track for a weekly gain of about 1.5% against the dollar. The pound is also on track for its best week in six weeks against the euro, despite falling 0.2% to 85.32 pence. However, the Munich-based Ifo economic institute has blamed Brexit for a hit to German business confidence, with orders in the chemicals and car industries particularly subdued. Klaus Wohlrabe, an economist at the institute, said: "Brexit has had a stronger effect now. Export expectations in the chemicals sector have fallen significantly due to Britain."
From the papers: The Telegraph reports that ministers are considering plans to require low-skilled migrants from the European Union to apply for permits to work in the UK once it leaves the EU. "Theresa May has said curbing net migration will be her 'absolute priority' during Brexit negotiations, despite warnings from EU leaders that Britain will be forced to leave the single market if it restricts freedom of movement," the Telegraph says. The Times reports that "the three cabinet ministers charged with delivering" Brexit have held a "private summit to 'clear the air' after weeks of leaks and simmering tensions over their respective responsibilities". The paper says the men it calls the "three Brexiteers" - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and "Brexit" secretary David Davis - "have never had a close political affinity".	From the papers: The Telegraph reports that ministers are considering plans to require low-skilled migrants from the European Union to apply for permits to work in the UK once it leaves the EU. "Theresa May has said curbing net migration will be her 'absolute priority' during Brexit negotiations, despite warnings from EU leaders that Britain will be forced to leave the single market if it restricts freedom of movement," the Telegraph says. The Times reports that "the three cabinet ministers charged with delivering" Brexit have held a "private summit to 'clear the air' after weeks of leaks and simmering tensions over their respective responsibilities". The paper says the men it calls the "three Brexiteers" - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and "Brexit" secretary David Davis - "have never had a close political affinity".
And finally...	And finally...
Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has appeared at a rally for US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Speaking in Jackson, Mississippi, Mr Farage drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's "people's army of ordinary citizens", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's EU referendum vote. He said Brexit campaigners had "smashed the establishment" and the Republican Party candidate could do the same. But Mr Farage's association with Mr Trump has not gone down well with some senior members of UKIP, including its sole MP Douglas Carswell, who tweeted "it's all going a bit South Thanet for the US Republicans" - a reference to Mr Farage's failed attempt to win a seat in the Kent constituency last year. And Suzanne Evans, the former UKIP policy chief currently suspended by the party, suggested Mr Farage was trending on Twitter "for all the wrong reasons". And the outgoing leader is to be the subject of a a half-hour mockumentary, Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back. The title of the BBC2 comedy refers to the resignation speech made by Mr Farage in July, in which he said he wanted his life back. He will be played by comedian Kevin Bishop, who said the "colourful character" was a "gift to parody".	Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has appeared at a rally for US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Speaking in Jackson, Mississippi, Mr Farage drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's "people's army of ordinary citizens", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's EU referendum vote. He said Brexit campaigners had "smashed the establishment" and the Republican Party candidate could do the same. But Mr Farage's association with Mr Trump has not gone down well with some senior members of UKIP, including its sole MP Douglas Carswell, who tweeted "it's all going a bit South Thanet for the US Republicans" - a reference to Mr Farage's failed attempt to win a seat in the Kent constituency last year. And Suzanne Evans, the former UKIP policy chief currently suspended by the party, suggested Mr Farage was trending on Twitter "for all the wrong reasons". And the outgoing leader is to be the subject of a a half-hour mockumentary, Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back. The title of the BBC2 comedy refers to the resignation speech made by Mr Farage in July, in which he said he wanted his life back. He will be played by comedian Kevin Bishop, who said the "colourful character" was a "gift to parody".
Wednesday 24 August	Wednesday 24 August
The main event: Owen Smith says that if he wins the Labour leadership contest he he will try to stop Prime Minister Theresa May triggering official EU exit talks unless she offers a referendum on the final Brexit deal or agrees to call a general election to approve it. He says that if he is elected leader, the party will oppose triggering Article 50 until the government commits to a second vote. Mr Smith's opponent Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from some Labour MPs for what they saw as his half-hearted campaign to keep Britain in the EU. But Mr Corbyn's supporters have argued that not only did he put a proper shift in, his heavily caveated support for the EU is in tune with Labour voters. Mr Corbyn's campaign said Mr Smith's second referendum plan would be "deeply unpopular" and cost Labour "an awful lot of seats". Mr Corbyn has also set out some "red lines" Labour will be putting down during the Brexit negotiations, if he continues to be leader. They include "full access to the European single market" allowing finance companies to retain their rights to trade within the EU and ensuring Britain remains inside the European Investment Bank. His fourth "red line" will be ensuring "£existing EU employment rights and consumer rights and environmental protection regulations" are retained and, fourthly, that all current EU nationals who have migrated to live and work in the UK are able to stay.	The main event: Owen Smith says that if he wins the Labour leadership contest he he will try to stop Prime Minister Theresa May triggering official EU exit talks unless she offers a referendum on the final Brexit deal or agrees to call a general election to approve it. He says that if he is elected leader, the party will oppose triggering Article 50 until the government commits to a second vote. Mr Smith's opponent Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from some Labour MPs for what they saw as his half-hearted campaign to keep Britain in the EU. But Mr Corbyn's supporters have argued that not only did he put a proper shift in, his heavily caveated support for the EU is in tune with Labour voters. Mr Corbyn's campaign said Mr Smith's second referendum plan would be "deeply unpopular" and cost Labour "an awful lot of seats". Mr Corbyn has also set out some "red lines" Labour will be putting down during the Brexit negotiations, if he continues to be leader. They include "full access to the European single market" allowing finance companies to retain their rights to trade within the EU and ensuring Britain remains inside the European Investment Bank. His fourth "red line" will be ensuring "£existing EU employment rights and consumer rights and environmental protection regulations" are retained and, fourthly, that all current EU nationals who have migrated to live and work in the UK are able to stay.