Lots of requests for a step-by-step explanation of Johnson's plans to breach Protocol on Irish border. / No problem. And by the end, you'll understand why this man is totally unfit to hold public office.

Evan Davis interviews Sandro Gozi, Italy's undersecretary for European affairs about Theresa May's vision for Brexit.

There has been “greater friction” and “difficulties” over trade since Brexit, Health Secretary Steve Barclay has admitted, as he denied a report that the government is considering adopting a Swiss-style relationship with the EU.

“This represents the death knell for frictionless trade," said one business leader.

This guerilla email campaign is about sending out brief, succinct and hard-hitting messages at frequent intervals - every day, every week or whenever you choose - to different - but specifically targeted - individuals to convince them that the deal reached by 31st December with the EU MUST include membership of the single market and the customs union.

The leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price calls on Labour to make the positive case for the single market and customs union.

Businesses across the West Midlands are facing higher costs, a big increase in paperwork and hold-ups at ports.

Foreign secretary admits there is 'wind in the sails' of pro-referendum campaigners.

Krugman rejects the assertions of Brexiteers that leaving the single market and customs union will ultimately help the UK export more to the rest of the world.

1. The Withdrawal Agreement (WA) is not up for renegotiation / 2. The Political Declaration (PD) might be tweaked cosmetically / 3. The future relationship will be negotiated during the transition period / 4. There will be no transition without the WA 5. / The will be no WA without the Financial Settlement / 6. A backstop cannot be unilaterally ended or it is not a backstop ...

Following the unveiling of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in Kigali, Rwanda, in March 2018, Africa is about to become the world’s largest free trade area: 55 countries merging into a single market of 1.2 billion people with a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion. In this edition, we examine the benefits and challenges of a free trade area for countries and individual traders.

The African Economic Community (AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority of African states. The stated goals of the organization include the creation of free trade areas, customs unions, a single market, a central bank, and a common currency.

Another great Raab clip, this one from 2016. It appears he and and other senior Brexiters took us out of the customs union without understanding any of the ramifications of that - or even seemingly what the customs union is.

Our Future Our Choice co-founder Femi Oluwole clashed with Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley after the journalist continually challenged the fact that membership to the Customs Union is not the same as membership to the European Union.

PRO-EUROPE groups in Oxford are aiming to place themselves at the centre of the battle to re-join the EU’s customs union and single market, with a Labour peer telling them it needs to happen “as soon as possible”.

This real-life experience of a small West Yorkshire company, before and after the creation of the single market, provides an insight into our imminent future in the event that we leave the EU without a worthwhile trading deal.

Cabinet Office minister attacks refusal to adopt a ‘laissez-faire approach’ to border controls.

Post-Brexit transition border checks could cause fresh food supply problems, an industry body has warned.

'This is going to hit us in January....customers are really going to see the problems on supermarket shelves'

Boris Johnson never understood what his Withdrawal Agreement with the EU really meant, his former chief adviser has said.

Boris Johnson ‘shredding trust’ with three breaches of international law, former top diplomat warns.

Glimmers of a potential Brexit deal have sparked dissent among Boris Johnson's allies, as the EU signals it may be open to another extension.

Prime minister's proposal worse for economy than Theresa May's deal, analysis says.

Prime minister under pressure as Commons coalition attempts to force closer relationship with EU after Brexit.

What is the single market and why does it matter in talks about Brexit?

The "only detectable impact" of Brexit on British businesses so far is "increased costs, paperwork and border delays", says the chair of a prominent parliamentary committee.

Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke’s customs union plan is expected to be voted on.

But Brexit minister now claims hard Brexit was ‘essential’.

UK drug distributors and those involved in the parallel importing of drugs have told the parliamentary Health Select Committee that they want to see the UK remain in the customs union and the single market.

EU thought to be preparing a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ offer for Boris Johnson within days.

Chancellor Philip Hammond indicated the Tories may give ground on customs arrangements.

Brexit-related trade barriers have driven a 6% increase in U.K. food prices, adding to a squeeze on consumer spending power, according to a new report.

Northern Ireland is the smallest nation in the UK, but the border with the Republic of Ireland could become one of the biggest parts of the Brexit negotiations. So why is the Irish border so important?

The Centre for European Reform (CER) estimates that leaving the single market and customs union at the end of 2020 has reduced UK trade by £7.7billion, or 11%, since March.

The UK chief executive of the German manufacturing group Siemens has said Brexit is making Britain an international “laughing stock”, while urging MPs to pursue a softer withdrawal from the EU.

The former UK Ambassador to the EU, Ivan Rogers, explains why even Brexiteers are dismayed over Brexit.

The UK Trade Policy Observatory said even a new customs deal would inevitably lead to considerable disruption relative to the current frictionless cross-border goods trade with the EU

Since the transition period ended, shops supplying British groceries say they have struggled with extra paperwork and import difficulties.

Most popular house plants cost eight per cent more than before Brexit, while garden centres have cut back options.

Gisela Stuart on why she believes exiting the Single Market and Customs Union is the Brexit the UK voted for in 2016. / Liesbeth Kooijman, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture on how much time Brexit could add to foodstuffs travelling from Europe to UK shops in the event of Brexit. / Roel Van't Veld, Dutch Customs Authority on the added burden leaving the Customs Union will have for the UK and Europe.

“The reason that we have food shortages in Britain, and that we don’t have food shortages in Spain – or anywhere else in the European Union – is because of Brexit, and also because of this disastrous Conservative government that has no interest in food production, farming or even food supply", she said in a video shared this morning.

While politicians fail to understand the basics of the Single Market and customs unions, retailers are spending millions mitigating the risk of a ’no-deal’ Brexit – this cannot continue.

In our series looking at life after Brexit, the European parliament’s former negotiator Guy Verhofstadt argues that Britain exchanged a Jaguar for a Ford Fiesta in the 2016 referendum.

Brexiters are often accused of living in the past. That is manifest in the now recurring Brexiter response to concerns about Brexit: ‘but we did perfectly well before’.

There's been a lot of talk about free trade in the Brexit debate, but what exactly is a free trade agreement and how does it differ from what the UK has had with the EU?

As MPs prepare for second round of indicative votes, here’s a guide to each motion.

One term that keeps cropping up in discussions around Brexit is the customs union. What is it and how does it work?

Another day, another ‘no breakthrough on the backstop‘ story. At the eleventh hour, a dose of reality seems to be setting in over the question of the Northern Ireland Brexit backstop.

EU negotiator expresses frustrations at UK refusal to discuss key issues of transition. / Michel Barnier has suggested the UK is running down the clock in talks over the future trade and security relationship with the EU.

Businesses will have to adjust to new trading conditions in the middle of a pandemic.

Britain’s economy is forecast to shrink by 0.4% in 2023, more than any other in the Group of Seven richest nations, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Britain is the only G-7 member whose economy has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

‘Prepare for the worst’ EU officials tell business after Sajid Javid’s FT interview.

CBI appeals to Tory MPs to shift position to avoid a no-deal Brexit, or risk further harm to the economy.

The wheels on the bus are coming off, coming off, coming off. Customs Union, Lie of the Week on the Swiss Border, and a thrilling new occasional segment. Brought to you by Milton Keynes European Movement's Day of Action 9 May 2018!

Steve and Chris record a pilot of their new podcast, CakeWatch. Issues covered: Nadine Dorries and misogyny; a weaponised civil service; Customs Union cakeism; the BBC; and #lieoftheweek coffee protectionism.

Chequers Cake, Red Velvet Cake, international cake(ism), and a draft Withdrawal Agreement

Labour have reprimanded a frontbench MP after she told a private meeting she hoped the UK could return to the EU single market if the party formed a government.

The former Green Party co-leader argued the new bill launches "an attack on nature like we've never seen before".

Voters promised a Brexit boon will consider bid to keep Nissan and Toyota as ‘ridiculous’, prime minister warned.

The Chancellor has warned there will be no alignment with EU regulations after Brexit - despite a pledge being made in the North East by Boris Johnson that standards would be protected.

Talks between Tories and Labour have collapsed and the focus at Westminster remains inward. / It hasn’t gone away, you know. Brexit has been on a bit of a media break over the last month or two since EU leaders agreed to extend the UK’s departure until October 30th, while leaving the option open of an earlier date.

Treasury committee says confidence in preparations has collapsed amid customs chiefs’ doubts that IT system will be ready. There will be a fivefold increase in customs checks at Dover and other UK ports after Brexit, an influential group of MPs has found.

BREXIT secretary Michael Russell says failing to halt the exit from the EU during the coronavirus pandemic will leave the UK facing an “economic Stone Age” while the rest of Europe recovers.

MPs will soon table amendments to the Brexit legislation and Labour said it wants to include plans for a customs union arrangement.

Andrew Bridgen—a Conservative Party MP and Brexit supporter—claims that the “overwhelming majority” of EU member states have no steel industry.

“It wasn’t until October 2020 that he finally understood even vaguely what leaving the customs union meant.”

'In 2016, Dominic Raab was "jarred" and "bemused" by the idea that leaving the customs union could increase the burden of bureaucracy, despite @SimonFraser00's clear explanations.'

The decision was made by the Conservative government, not by the people in the Brexit referendum, says Prof Paul Willner.

The Customs Union is the first Regional Integration milestone and critical foundation of the East African Community (EAC), which has been in force since 2005, as defined in Article 75 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

In September 2018, the East African Community appointed a twelve member Committee of Experts to begin drafting a new constitution for an East African Confederation as a step towards full federation.

ITV News Anglia has been catching up with small businesses across the region to find out more about what the end of the UK's membership of the European Union has meant for their fortunes.

A Brexit involving staying in the customs union would leave the UK £80bn worse off a year than if it had remained in the EU, a report says. / The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said tax income would fall by £13bn a year.

Donald Tusk responds to claims by No 10 source that EU is willing to ‘torpedo the Good Friday agreement’.

For some weeks the British government has been planning a “shock and awe” campaign to warn British businesses that they have less than six months to prepare for Brexit; but the EU has beaten them to it.

Jean-Claude Juncker was speaking in Brussels after a meeting with the 27 presidents and prime ministers of the remaining EU countries.

‘We goofed it up, you have to fix it’, Ursula von der Leyen tells young people. / European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said young Britons could still reverse Brexit by deciding to re-join the EU in the years ahead.

Michel Barnier makes final offer on Irish border that falls short of Theresa May's demands.

UK could be fined by the European Court of Justice which - to the likely fury of Tory MPs – will retain the power if there is 'any backsliding'.

Michel Barnier adviser Stefaan De Rynck warns that EU "will not tolerate any backsliding or half measures" on PM's Brexit deal.

"Nobody can be surprised. The British government decided to leave the EU, to leave the single market, to leave the customs union. That means mechanic consequences."

Pascal Lamy less than subtle with his hand gestures and eye-roll on live TV.

A few clips from this morning's @CommonsEUexit.

Income per-head forecast to fall by 6 per cent – just 2 per cent less than under a no-deal departure.

‘People in Ghana are very angry. They do not understand why Britain is acting like a bully’

Businesses fear big hold-ups at the docks when the UK leaves the EU customs area because of untrained staff.

Germany told European Union nations that relations between the UK and the bloc reached a new low and they should be ready for a serious fight if London enacts the bill it proposed to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Even if the European Union and the United Kingdom conclude a highly ambitious partnership covering all areas agreed in the Political Declaration by the end of 2020, the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU acquis, the internal market and the Customs Union, at the end of the transition period will inevitably create barriers to trade and cross-border exchanges that do not exist today.

British overseas territory set to face disruption despite voting 95 per cent for Remain.

The vision of post-Brexit Britain was one of international trade deals that would propel the country into a new era of prosperity. That vision of “Global Britain” is now dead. Thomas Sampson argues that the only viable alternative is a closer trade relationship with the EU.

In the UK, disillusionment with Brexit has set in. The limitations of Boris Johnson’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement are evident. But Labour’s Keir Starmer, the likely winner of the general election, has only modest ambitions for Britain’s relationship with the EU. Andrew Duff suggests that Labour should be much bolder by adopting a phased approach back to full membership.

Cabinet Minister Michael Gove has defended his plans for new post-Brexit border infrastructure after Labour said the government was unprepared.

Lorries will need permission from new HMRC computer system before heading for Dover.

"For disgruntled steel workers in Port Talbot, the Brexit vote was their chance to get the people at the top — and the national media — to listen. In a bitter irony, they are also the ones who stand to lose the most from Brexit. "

Why do so many people talk about a 'hard Brexit' and a 'soft Brexit'? And what do they mean?

HONDA bosses are warning of ‘unprecedented’ disruption to its supply chain if Britain leaves the customs union after Brexit.

Ireland's deputy PM has warned governments doing trade deals with the UK that it is a nation that "doesn't necessarily keep its word".

We are stuck in the Tory game of make-believe that everything is coming up roses in an English country garden. The reality is that following Brexit the rest of the world looks at England with a mixture of perplexity, pity, and amused contempt.

The biggest crisis of Brexit to date actually still lies ahead of us in late 2020.

Deputy Frans Timmermans accuses Tory Brexiters of a ‘cavalier’ approach to peace. / Jean-Claude Juncker has told Theresa May in a private phone call that shifting her red lines in favour of a permanent customs union is the price she will need to pay for the EU revising the Irish backstop.

Labour big beast Neil Kinnock has warned Keir Starmer he might struggle to meet a key election pledge without rejoining the EU’s Single Market.

Taoiseach says Corbyn’s renegotiation plan would not be a problem.

"Let's be clear, shortages right across the country, shortages of fruit pickers, shortages of builders, shortages in terms of lorry drivers: all of that is down to Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab and the promises they made to the British people," David Lammy said.

LOYALIST paramilitaries predict protests and civil disobedience campaigns if the British government seeks to align Northern Ireland customs arrangements with the Republic in any Brexit compromise.

Mark Carney debunks the counterfactual claim made by leading Brexiters, including Boris Johnson, that Art. 24 of GATT allows for continued free trade with the EU after a no deal exit.

Customs union vote also included in ‘10-point offer’ in last attempt to break impasse.

Shadow business secretary says plan to bring PM’s deal back to Commons is dangerous. / The government is refusing to budge on Labour’s central demand for a permanent customs union in cross-party talks on Brexit, according to Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary.

Realities of leaving single market and customs union revealed to businesses - after controversy ducked during election campaign.

This evening, Michel Barnier said the EU was ready to offer Britain a unilateral exit from the customs union while maintaining the other elements of the backstop.

Simply Red has taken to Twitter to label Brexit a "shambles" in an unlikely message to Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer. The band, led by flame-haired frontman Mick Hucknall, made the comment ahead of their concert at Plymouth's Central Park on Sunday night.

Sir Ivan Rogers said extending Article 50 is "not a given" and extreme Leavers and Remainers were pushing UK to cliff edge.

EMPTY SUPERMARKET SHELVES, queues at petrol stations and pumps running dry is far from what one would expect from Britain in 2021.

Government legal adviser warns it cannot be argued ‘credibly’ that there is no alternative to unilateral move.

Plaid Cymru’s Spokesperson for Trade and Business, Hywel Williams MP, has called for the UK to re-join the Single Market and Customs Union as “a vital first step to improving our moribund economy.”

Pascal Lamy likens customs union to second division and WTO terms to fourth division.

Senior Norwegian politicians and businesses figures have rejected Norway-plus, the increasingly touted British cross-party plan for the UK to leave the EU but join Norway in a free trade trade area inside the EU single market. They attacked the idea as “neither in Norway nor the UK’s interest”. The UK would need Norway’s permission to join its Efta club.

The sole economic modelling exercise showing material benefits for the UK from Brexit has been debunked as “doubly misleading”, further demolishing the argument that for Britain “no deal would be better than a bad deal” when it comes to the EU.

'If the whole of the UK is in a customs union, then... the threat to the union in Northern Ireland would be gone'

The SNP leader in the House of Commons tells Boris Johnson his plans are unworkable, unacceptable and undeliverable. He says that if the Northern Ireland assembly can have a veto on the Brexit plans, Scotland should get one too.

Infrastructure work has taken nearly a year in the past, but just six months will be available - even if the cash is there

Prime minister expected to press EU leaders to dedicate attention to faltering negotiations.

‘We believe sterling is in the process of evolving into a currency that resembles the underlying reality of the British economy: small and shrinking,’ say Bank of America currency analysts

EU Law expert Professor Michael Dougan has analysed Theresa May's Brexit speech.

Richard Corbett, former Labour MEP, linguist, author and fluent and well-informed speaker will explain the background to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal and discuss the fallout. There are numerous consequences of Brexit which are not receiving sufficient publicity. Leaving the EU came at a huge cost to the UK economically, culturally and in terms of our standing in the world.

The UK Chancellor said the Treasury would not lend support to manufacturers that favour EU rules.

On @SkyNews yesterday: Single Market and Customs Union is what virtually every sector, organisation, university, NGO, hospital, trade union says they need.

'We can’t make a trade deal with the UK,' says US president.

UK businesses that trade with Europe are continuing to have a tough time because of post-Brexit bureaucracy, according to an investigation carried out by the Financial Times.

We desperately need to rejoin the single market and customs union, whatever the former PM thinks.

Labour’s proposal may not be as simple as it seems: a customs union is favourable but comes with downsides.

Northern Ireland minister’s proposal comes after PM denied plans for Swiss-style relationship with EU.

The First Minister said stopping Brexit altogether was her party's 'top priority'.

Mark Carney and other financiers seem to think London can do business as usual without playing by the EU's rules. This is confidence bordering on complacency.

We estimate that leaving the single market and customs union had reduced UK trade by 11 per cent in March 2021. That is on top of a 10 per cent hit to trade between the referendum and leaving the single market.

In September 2021, UK goods trade was 11.2 per cent, or £8.5 billion, lower than it would have been if the UK had stayed in the EU’s single market and customs union.

Thanks to Brexit, sterling is becoming a risky bet for some investors.

This article is going to try and explain lots of different things which all form part of the ‘what’s going on right now’ picture.

Now that it’s a reality, can an esteemed historian produce convincing arguments for the UK’s departure from the EU?

Freedom of movement between the EU and the UK is now a thing of the past. New border barriers are in place, or soon will be. People, goods, service, and data now need permissions to cross this new border.

Theresa May faces a fresh headache over her Brexit strategy after peers inflicted a defeat on the government in favour of keeping the UK in a customs union with the EU.

This week, Rishi Sunak talked of building 'an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit'. Here's 5 mins on Brexit's impact on the economy so far.

So far, in the first two months of Brexit, the following industries have indicated that they have been harmed: Aerospace; Airlines; Architecture; Art and Antiques; Beer; Bees; Cattle and horse breeding; Charities; Cheese; Chemicals; Cars; Classic Cars; Construction; Cosmetics and Perfume; e-Commerce; Fabrics; Fashion; Ferry services; Film and TV production; Financial Services; ...

The U.K. government urged pharmaceutical companies to stockpile a six-week supply of medicines before the country finally leaves the European Union’s customs regime at the end of the year, in an effort to avoid shortages of drugs.

Many UK businesses "are not even close to being ready for a no-deal" Brexit, figures seen by Newsnight suggest.

The British government's lack of understanding and overly political approach to post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland has left businesses there in the dark, a Westminster committee has claimed.

Britain’s trade with the European Union has been dented by Brexit, with businesses facing greater costs, paperwork and border delays since the UK’s full withdrawal, a watchdog panel of MPs said Wednesday.

British consumers face higher prices and reduced availability of goods if the government fails to agree pragmatic solutions with the European Union on regulatory checks at ports in any post-Brexit deal, the retail industry’s lobby group warned on Monday.

The British government has urged medicine suppliers to prepare for the country’s exit from the EU single market and customs union on Dec. 31 by building up six weeks’ worth of stocks in case of disruption to imports.

Watchdog says government has started its preparations too late.

The Democratic Unionist Party had an outsized voice in Westminster during Britain’s Brexit negotiations.

With negotiations between the UK and the European Union (EU) - over a trade agreement - going down to the wire, the possibility of there being no deal is being talked about.

Preparations begin amid belief beleaguered prime minister will be forced to offer Labour the potentially crucial compromise.

There is an air of desperation in attacks from those on the right and their supporters in the press. They fear if Johnson falls, the Brexit deception will crumble too.

This Brexit built on lies can't be undone, but the new prime minister has a chance to minimise the damage.

Michael Heseltine says Brexit will be ’high on the agenda’ if Liz Truss loses general election. / The Tories will never win back younger voters as an anti-Europe and populist party, former cabinet ministers have warned – as they called for trade links with EU to be rebuilt.

Plaid Cymru has expressed serious concerns over the potential impact of the planned application of full Brexit border checks from the autumn.

Talk of ‘opportunity’ likened to Orwell-style ‘Newspeak’ – as advice highlights perils from new travel rules, bigger phone bills and border chaos.

"Oxfordians want to build-back-better and level-up but we have one hand tied behind our backs labelled Brexit," the association behind the movement told TLE.