The EU is set to inflict a double humiliation on Theresa May, stripping Britain of its European agencies within weeks, while formally rejecting the prime minister’s calls for early trade talks. The Observer has learned that EU diplomats agreed their uncompromising position at a crunch meeting on Tuesday, held to set out the union’s strategy in the talks due to start next month.
A beauty contest between member states who want the European banking and medicine agencies, currently located in London, will begin within two weeks, with selection criteria to be unveiled by the president of the European council, Donald Tusk. The European Banking Authority and the European Medicines Agency employ about 1,000 people, many of them British, and provide a hub for businesses in the UK. It is understood that the EU’s chief negotiator hopes the agencies will know their new locations by June, although the process may take longer.
Britain set to lose EU ‘crown jewels’ of banking and medicine agencies | Politics | The Guardian
Estimates suggest leaving the single market will cost the UK economy up to £200bn over 15 years, while it will leave anything up to a Brexit black hole in the public finances of £100bn. Our health and social care system is in the grip of a major crisis, with operations being cancelled and people being left on trollies. We are seeing education budgets being slashed, teachers being laid off, schools going to a four day week and essential repairs not being made. If you think the cuts have already been bad, then in the words of Ronald Regan, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” And this is all due to a decision Theresa May didn’t need to take – to go for a hard Brexit.