(Bloomberg) — The two Tory candidates to become Britain’s next prime minister go head-to-head in a televised debate late Tuesday, as anti-Brexit members of Parliament maneuver to prevent the winner from pushing through a no-deal split from the European Union. Ireland is set to acknowledge publicly for the first time it will need to set up border checks with Northern Ireland if the U.K. leaves the bloc without an agreement.
Key Developments:
Dominic Grieve has proposed an amendment that would stop the next PM suspending Parliament to push through no-dealIt’s up to the speaker to decide if it goes to a voteLabour is edging closer toward backing remaining in the EUPound fallsDebate starts at 8 p.m. on ITV
Ireland Accepts Need for Border Checks in No-Deal (10 a.m.)
Ireland is set to acknowledge publicly for the first time the need to set up checks at or around its border with Northern Ireland in a no-deal Brexit scenario, according to people familiar with the matter.
The government will accept that checks, especially on livestock, will be required at least close to the frontier, the people said, asking not to be identified because the plans haven’t yet been discussed with cabinet. It plans to publish no-deal contingency plans on Tuesday.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said last year his government would “never” build a border — and both sides want to avoid creating infrastructure that could prompt a return to the violence of the past.
But Ireland has been under pressure from the EU to lay out what steps it will take in the event of a no-deal exit. At stake is Ireland’s own access to the single market: Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned Monday the country risks losing border-free access to the European market if Northern Ireland becomes a “backdoor.”
Tory Rivals ‘Underestimate’ Chances of No-Deal (8:50 a.m.)
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt risk underestimating the chances of a no-deal Brexit, while the European Union shouldn’t rely on Parliament stopping it, according to former Conservative Party leader William Hague.
“It’s going to be a very close run thing whether it can do so,’’ Hague said on BBC radio on Tuesday.
Hague, who is backing Hunt to be prime minister, also said Britain shouldn’t tie itself to the specific Brexit date of Oct. 31, as it may need more time for negotiations with the bloc.
Earlier:
Anti-Brexit Tory Tries to Stop Next PM Suspending ParliamentThe Tory Rivals Jockeying to Become Britain’s Next ChancellorU.K. Economy Probably Shrank for First Time in Seven YearsU.K. Businesses See Damage From Post-Brexit Immigration Plans
To contact the reporters on this story: Joe Mayes in London at [email protected];Dara Doyle in Dublin at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Emma Ross-Thomas at [email protected], Stuart Biggs
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