UK politics - as it happened: Theresa May ponders UK's retaliation to Moscow after British diplomat expulsions
Follow all the latest updates from Westminster live
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK
Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight
Theresa May has reconvened the National Security Council to consider the UK Government’s retaliation to Moscow regarding the Salisbury nerve agent attacks.
It comes after the Prime Minister last week expelled 23 Russian diplomats from the UK in response to the attempted murder of a former Russian spy and his daughter. Over the weekend, Moscow responded to this with tit-for-tat expulsions of British diplomats.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ms May said: "The PM said there are other measure that the Government and security officials are actively considering and stand ready to deploy at any time.
Asked at a Downing Street briefing whether a decision had been taken to put in place any further reprisals immediately, they added: "We are in the process of enacting measures which the Prime Minister announced last week.
"We continue to consider other steps. As and when those are brought forward, the Prime Minster has given a commitment to update the House."
The architect of the Good Friday Agreement has warned that Theresa May’s failure to deal with problems posed by Northern Ireland’s border, threatens to bring Brexit negotiations “crashing down”.
Writing exclusively for The Independent, Jonathan Powell accused the Prime Minister of committing “the worst possible sin” of having “boxed herself in”.
Story here:
Leading Tory Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith said he was prepared to give Theresa May the “benefit of the doubt" on transition plans.
The former cabinet minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I want obviously as much control back to the UK during the implementation period - that would be the general view of most of my party and I think most of the country.
“However I think it is also accepted that we want to get to end result as fast as possible.
“At the end of the day, on balance, I want fishing control back but the Prime Minister has been very clear, that will come back the moment we finally finish this transition and I am prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt on that.”
Free trade deals after Brexit will allow the UK to take back control of fishing, he said.
Dr. Lars Karlsson is now up in front of the Brexit Select Committee in the Commons. He says there doesn’t exist an example anywhere else in the world on the type of border Brexiteers are aiming for after Brexit. But, he adds, that doesn’t mean there cannot be.
He said it’s up to both sides to decide on the level security on the border after Brexit, which he says could be at the lowest level of a simple GPS system that tracks packages.
Writing for The Independent on Monday, Jonathan Powell, an architect of the Good Friday Agreement said: “The Brexiteers have been pinning their hopes on a paper by Lars Karlsson, a former employee of the World Customs Organisation, one of a number presented to a committee of the European Parliament.
"I assume that is because they have not read it. The technology he proposes is untested and by his own admission would take years to roll out. The paper does not consider the regulatory, as opposed to customs, requirements which mean there would need to be checks. And in any case his plan involves physical infrastructure, including gates, on the border.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies