Dear John,

Welcome back to your Weekend Wire! With it being 4 years since leaving the European Union on Wednesday, one would expect Brexit to be in the past, but the ripples from our departure from the bloc are still dominating the news agenda along with even more Best for Britain polling!

But first…

(Continued) Rwanda Rumble

Rishi Sunak's Rwanda deportation scheme is facing opposition, this time in the House of Lords. A coalition of Conservative peers, top bishops, and historians banding together, not for tea and scones, but to take a stand against the Government's latest immoral escapade. 

Leading the charge is none other than Ken Clarke, Tory grandee and former chancellor, who's thrown his weight behind the critics, declaring Sunak's bill a "step too far." Clarke is not just miffed about the destination, he's up in arms about the precedent it sets, with Parliament playing fast and loose with court rulings. It's the kind of constitutional kerfuffle that gets lawyers salivating and the rest of us reaching for our unwritten constitutional handbook. 

Meanwhile, crossbench sage Lord Hennessy is painting a rather grim picture of the UK's standing in the world if the Safety of Rwanda Bill goes through. According to him, the journey of the bill from the Cabinet Office to Buckingham Palace for Royal Assent might as well be a funeral procession for the UK's rule-of-law reputation. 

Indeed, we at Best for Britain have been briefing peers on the issues that ignoring rulings from the ECHR creates for a little international agreement the UK signed up to back in 1998 commonly known as the Good Friday Agreement. Which provides me with an excellent segue to the biggest political news of the week.

Brexit Corner

Restormont

After a prolonged standoff, which saw Northern Ireland without a devolved government for two years, the DUP has confirmed they will be stepping back into power-sharing at Stormont and for the first time as junior partners to a Nationalist party. This last point being largely symbolic as the largest Nationalist and Unionist parties in Northern Ireland share power equally.

After the now traditional marathon talks, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (pictured) emerged In the early hours of Tuesday morning armed with new promises from the UK Government (don’t remind him about the last ones) which means the Northern Ireland Assembly could be sitting as soon as…  you are reading this.

Amid whispers of dissent and party splits, the DUP's decision is a strategic retreat from a mess largely of their own making and Donaldson will be buoyed by the fact that even though he will be branded a sellout by some Loyalist hardliners, the head of the official Loyalist Orange Order, has given the deal his backing. 

If this settlement can hold, and weather the potential storm of new issues created by the Government’s Rwanda plan (see above), Northern Ireland could, ironically, be the one place in the UK that actually does see Brexit benefits. And don’t take our word for it, here’s the Prime Minister.

Speaking of Brexit benefits…

Check yourself before you wreck… consumers

In a saga with more delays than a bank holiday train schedule, Wednesday saw the much-anticipated, and equally dreaded, roll-out of the UK's post-Brexit border checks on imports with businesses on both sides of the Channel braced for impact. 

The new regime, which will be unfurled in three acts, introduces checks on EU imports, a move that will inevitably mean more paperwork, inspections, and costs for businesses and higher prices and less choice for consumers. Good thing there isn’t a cost of living crisis. 

The move also means that the tragically short shelf-life of your bag of iceberg lettuce could get even shorter. An appropriate way to celebrate Brexit’s 4th Birthday. Congrats to all involved. 

Sticking with this theme, this week the House of Commons’ European Scrutiny Committee heard this week that holidaymakers hoping to cross the English Channel could face 14 hour queues from October as the EU introduces a new requirement for fingerprint scans and photographs to be taken from all non-EU citizens entering the bloc (but not Ireland or Cyprus). 

The warnings have added to fears of chaos at the border with the much delayed introduction of new post Brexit checks on goods entering Britain come into effect next week. Meanwhile the government is planning to cut funding by 70% for those responsible for ensuring these checks are carried out effectively and efficiently.

One commentator (who has been on quite the journey) highlighted that these checks will add as much as £330million to the price of imports, costs that will inevitably be passed onto consumers.  Another Brexit Bonus. So long as we can secure those amazing new trade deals that we were promised I'm not so worried…

On the other side of the Channel…

EU leaders rallied together, dragging Hungary along with, to agree on a whopping €50bn aid package for Ukraine with the first slice to reach Kyiv by next month.

It looked like Hungarian Prime Minister and accused Putin cheerleader Viktor Orban might throw a late spanner in the works but  in the end, the EU managed to present a united front.

This funding is not just about bullets for the frontline but will also ensure that lights stay on and essential supplies reach Ukrainian civilians.

Panoramic Polling

Our massive opinion poll of 25,000 people, conducted by Focaldata, has revealed a strong desire for change at the next election. 

An astounding 63% of respondents said they want a new government, with only 24% opting for the status quo. Change had majority support among all nations and regions in the UK and was even the most popular among all recorded demographics, including those that are traditionally more Tory leaning segments like over-65s and highest earners.

Find a detailed breakdown here along with reactions from our CEO and Carol Vorderman.

Disposing of disposables

In a move to extinguish the rising trend of youth vaping, the government has decided to snuff out these colourful temptations. Despite the outcry from corners of the vaping industry, and the Labour frontbench for thinking of it first, the plans are set to vaporise access to these gadgets for young Brits.

As we ponder whether this will clear the air or just add to the fog of legislative battles, one thing's for sure: the UK's attempt to create a smoke-free generation is heating up or is it all just smoke and mirrors? We shall see.

Money, money, money…

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest advice to the UK has stirred the pot. As the Government gears up for its upcoming budget and eyes the looming general election, the IMF shave thrown a wrench into the Government's plan for pre-election tax cuts. 

The IMF's latest assessment of the global economy comes with a clear message for the UK: preserving public services and investment is paramount, suggesting that the government's current plans might be overly optimistic, if not totally unrealistic. Labour has taken the IMF's forecast as further evidence of Conservative economic mismanagement.

That’s all for me this week!

Next week, our Press Manager Martha Harrison will bring you the next installation of the Weekend Wire. Until then, stay safe out there!

Elsie Gisslegard
Content Executive
Best for Britain