French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne
France is preparing various measures, notably those dealing with customs controls and checks at ports, in case there is no Brexit deal, said French transport minister Elisabeth Borne.
"We are making preparations for the hypothetical scenario of no agreement. For that scenario, we will be preparing customs controls, veterinary measures to put in place and also measures for checks at ports," Borne told CNews television on Friday.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her draft divorce deal with the European Union after the resignation of her Brexit secretary and other ministers put her strategy and her job in peril.
In October, French minister Gerard Darmanin, who is in charge of customs, said France was hiring 700 additional customs officers and extra border control facilities in preparation for a potential no-deal in Britain's negotiations over its divorce from the European Union.
Brexit has strengthened the case of Scottish independence, said First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday.Sturgeon’s remarks came shortly after two major cabinet ministers resigned from the U.K. Cabinet over a draft Brexit deal reached with the EU.Speaking at the Scottish parliament, Sturgeon said the proposed deal will place Scotland at a real competitive disadvantage to Northern Ireland.“This is not an academic or abstract argument but has real consequences for jobs and living standards in Scotland,” she said.“The Tory government is imploding as we speak, people the length and breadth of the U.K. are seriously worried about their jobs and their living standards on the line because of the ideology of this Tory government and the complete shambles they have made of the negotiations,” Sturgeon said.Sturgeon said that Brexit makes the case for independence grow stronger every day although, as usual, she won’t be drawn on timing of another referendum.“That time will come and when it does I have no doubt that the people of Scotland will choose to be independent,” she added.Earlier in the House of Commons, Scottish National Party leader in Westminster Ian Blackford described the deal as “dead in the water,” accusing the central Westminster government for not consulting devolved government in Scotland on the draft deal.Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the Cabinet, saying they could not support the deal.Three junior ministers also resigned on Thursday.Sturgeon has been critical of Prime Minister Theresa May over lack of consultation on Brexit issues and negotiations with the EU, often saying Brexit will be an absolute catastrophe for Scottish economy.Scottish voters opted to remain in the U.K. as slightly more than 55 percent voted to stay in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum.In 2016 EU referendum, Scots voted to remain in the EU by 62 percent to 38 percent.
Brexit strengthens Scottish independence case: Sturgeon
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday that ongoing political uncertainty in Britain over Brexit raised concerns about whether the agreement struck with Brussels to leave the European Union would end up being ratified."We need to prepare ourselves for the possibility of a 'no-deal' Brexit," Philippe said during a visit to Dunkirk, a port city in northern France where locals are concerned about the impact of Brexit on business and trade."It will escape no one that the current political situation in Britain could fuel uncertainty... over the ratification of the accord," he said, referring to the resignation of several British ministers over the deal.UK PM May warns: It is my deal, no deal or no BrexitPhilippe said the withdrawal agreement, reached between Britain and the European Union after 17 months of negotiation, was a "step forward", but crucially it now depends on ratification by Britain's parliament as well as the parliaments of the European Union and the 27 other EU member states.The concern in Britain is that Prime Minister Theresa May could face a no-confidence vote given the growing opposition to the deal within her Conservative Party. If she were forced out, the risk of a 'no-deal' Brexit would greatly increase.Philippe said that if Britain were to leave the EU without a deal in March next year, it would cause "very serious problems" for France, especially around trade across the Channel."We therefore need to prepare ourselves for the eventuality that remains on the table -- one that I must say very clearly we do not wish for -- that of a 'no-deal' Brexit," he said.Sterling slips as PM May faces mounting oppositionUK's Brexit Secretary Raab resigns thrusting May's government into turmoil
French PM Philippe: We have to be ready for 'no-deal' Brexit
British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday thrusting Prime Minister Theresa May's government into turmoil after she clinched a Brexit deal that was mauled by opponents, allies and mutinous members of her party."I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal, I must resign," Raab said. May's plan threatened the integrity of the United Kingdom, he said."I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust."EU summit to endorse Brexit deal to take place on Nov 25European Union leaders will meet on Nov. 25 to endorse the divorce deal. May now faces the much more perilous struggle of getting parliament to approve the deal.British journalists said anger among Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmakers was so high that they might call for a vote of no confidence in her leadership. There was no confirmation.ITV reporter Robert Peston said enough demands for a no confidence vote could be lodged by lunchtime on Thursday.The ultimate outcome for the United Kingdom remains uncertain: scenarios range from a calm divorce to rejection of May's deal, potentially sinking her premiership and leaving the bloc with no agreement, or another referendumBritish junior minister quits May's governmentBritish PM May bets all on Brexit deal as opponents plot
UK's Brexit Secretary Raab resigns thrusting May's government into turmoil