JAPAN TIMES Brexit Headlines: 1 Feb - 28 Feb 2019

BREXIT

WORLD / POLITICS | ANALYSISFEB 28, 2019

After months of setbacks, Theresa May's Brexit deal starts to fall into place

BY THERESE RAPHAEL

Wednesday night's votes in Parliament suggest that Prime Minister Theresa May is closer to leading Britain out of the European Union with a Brexit deal than at any other point since her negotiations with Brussels began. Instead of another humiliating defeat, Parliament told her ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 28, 2019

May gains two-week Brexit reprieve from British lawmakers

British Prime Minister Theresa May won a two-week reprieve on Wednesday from British lawmakers, who postponed a threatened rebellion aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit after she agreed to a possible delay to Britain's departure from the EU. But the opposition Labour Party announced it ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 27, 2019

Defections force Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s hand on calling for new Brexit referendum

Labour Party leader and lifelong euroskeptic Jeremy Corbyn may be hoping his cautious new support for a second Brexit referendum isn't put to the test, experts say. The shift appears to have been prompted by the defection of nine Labour MPs last week, many of ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 27, 2019

Delayed departure from EU possible as May seeks approval for new Brexit strategy

Prime Minister Theresa May will on Wednesday face a vote by MPs over her newly revised Brexit strategy, which could allow them to approve an eventual delay to Britain's EU departure. The embattled leader will ask lawmakers to approve a three-step plan set out Tuesday ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 26, 2019

May faces growing calls to delay Brexit

Prime Minister Theresa May faced mounting pressure Tuesday from her own government to delay Brexit after the main opposition Labour Party raised the prospect of a second referendum. May has steadfastly argued that she must keep the prospect of the U.K. crashing out the bloc ...

COMMENTARY / WORLDFEB 26, 2019

May's Brexit deal hinges on just one man

BY THERESE RAPHAEL

It's not Jeremy Corbyn, for all his calls for another referendum.

BUSINESSFEB 26, 2019

U.K. flower sector fears Brexit could nip exports in the bud

For Sam Taylor, director of a family-run plant bulb and fresh flower business in eastern England, fears of post-Brexit delays to imports and exports are growing alongside his daffodils. "It's the same as every business ... we're all concerned, we would like clarity," the 41-year-old ...

BUSINESSFEB 26, 2019

U.K. minister to head for Japan and try to convince Honda to reconsider Swindon plant shutdown

The minister is considering offering financial assistance to Honda and is expected to ask the firm to cancel its plan to shut down the company’s only factory in England.

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 26, 2019

In day of U-turns, Theresa May considers delaying Brexit while Labour's Corbyn backs second referendum

Theresa May is considering a plan to delay Brexit and stop the U.K. leaving the European Union with no deal next month, according to people familiar with the situation. The prime minister is expected to allow her Cabinet to discuss extending the deadline beyond March ...

BUSINESSFEB 25, 2019

The demise of Honda's only U.K. factory sums up Britain's Brexit angst

BY LUCY MEAKIN AND CHARLOTTE LAIT

Swindon, famous for its traffic intersections and steam-engine past, feels like Brexit Britain in a nutshell. Like the United Kingdom in general, the city of about 180,000 people boasts a proud industrial heritage stretching back to the 19th century. Current unemployment is low and the ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 25, 2019

May threat to delay Brexit deal vote till March 12 sparks fury in Parliament

Prime Minister Theresa May sparked outrage Sunday by suggesting Parliament may not be able to vote on her Brexit deal until March 12, just days before Britain leaves the EU. The decision increases the chances that MPs will move next week to delay Brexit beyond ...

BUSINESS  FEB 22, 2019

Japan-EU EPA won't apply to U.K. under no-deal Brexit; EU expects May to

 request three-month delay

The terms of the recently cemented trade deal won’t apply to the United Kingdom 

unless it strikes a deal on its pullout from the bloc.

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 21, 2019

May heads back to Brussels but EU not budging on Brexit 'Irish backstop'

Prime Minister Theresa May headed back to Brussels on Wednesday to renew her quest to reopen the terms of Britain's Brexit divorce, but appears headed for disappointment. With less than six weeks until Brexit day, May met European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker hoping for progress ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 20, 2019

Eighth British MP quits Labour, saying party is 'infected' with 'anti-Jewish racism' under Corbyn

Joan Ryan has become the eighth member of Parliament to resign from the U.K.'s main opposition Labour party. Ryan, a lawmaker elected from Enfield North, wrote in a tweet late Tuesday that she was resigning over concerns about anti-Semitism allegations within the party. Seven other Labour ...

BUSINESSFEB 20, 2019

U.K. admits trade deals with Japan and South Korea are unlikely before Brexit

Business Secretary Greg Clark said the U.K. isn't likely to reach agreements with Japan and South Korea to roll over existing trade deals before Britain's scheduled departure from the European Union on March 29. Britain benefits from about 40 free-trade agreements with 70 nations through ...

BUSINESS | FOCUSFEB 20, 2019

An overview of the major firms and agencies paring presence and payrolls in U.K. as Brexit looms

As Britain's March 29 departure from the European Union looms, several major companies and agencies have announced they are downsizing their operations in the U.K. or completely shipping out. A panorama: Carmaker Honda announced Tuesday it will close its plant in the southwestern English town ...

EDITORIALS  FEB 19, 2019

A reality check for Japan-U.K. ties

Tokyo must be prepared for a shift as London faces an uncertain future.

WORLD / POLITICS | ANALYSISFEB 19, 2019

Birth of a new party and death of a lawmaker could shift Labour's approach to Brexit

Two events in 24 hours could shape the Brexit policy of the U.K.'s main opposition Labour Party and change the course of Britain's departure from the European Union. The decision of seven members of Parliament to quit the party on Monday and set up an ...

BUSINESS / CORPORATEFEB 19, 2019

Honda to shut sole U.K. plant in Swindon, imperiling 3,500 jobs just weeks ahead of Brexit

Honda built 160,000 vehicles at the Swindon factory last year, accounting for just over 10 percent of Britain’s total output of 1.52 million cars.

WORLDFEB 19, 2019

Spain and Gibraltar offer differing accounts of 'quixotic' warship incident

Authorities in Madrid and Gibraltar gave differing versions on Monday of an incident in which a Spanish warship told commercial ships to leave anchorages near Gibraltar, the latest example of tension over the strategic port as Brexit approaches. In toughly worded statements, Gibraltar said a ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 18, 2019

Seven lawmakers quit U.K. Labour Party over Brexit and anti-Semitism

Seven British lawmakers quit the main opposition Labour Party on Monday over its approach to issues including Brexit and anti-Semitism — the biggest shake-up in years for one of Britain's major political parties. The announcement ripped open a long-simmering rift between socialists and centrists in ...

COMMENTARY / WORLDFEB 18, 2019

The endgame of Brexit is approaching at last

BY DAVID HOWELL

The immediate outcome is reduced to two routes, neither very attractive but at least going forward.

BUSINESSFEB 18, 2019

Airbus warns of no-deal Brexit and says it has spent tens of millions preparing

Airbus said on Sunday it would have to make "difficult decisions" about future investment if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal, adding it had already spent tens of millions of euros in preparations. "There is no such thing as a managed ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 15, 2019

More Brexit humiliation for May as Parliament defeats her again

British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Theresa May in a symbolic vote over her Brexit strategy on Thursday, undermining her pledge to European Union leaders that she can get the unpopular divorce deal approved if they grant her concessions. Lawmakers defeated the government 303-258 on the ...

BUSINESSFEB 14, 2019

Lack of Brexit deal leaves exporters to Asia in limbo

BY JOE MAYES AND JILL WARD

Business is brisk at Nim's Fruit Crisps. Pineapples are imported from Costa Rica, kiwis from Italy and oranges and lemons from Spain. They're then turned into healthy snacks for export to Israel, South Africa, Hong Kong and elsewhere. You wouldn't know that the company in ...

BUSINESS / CORPORATEFEB 11, 2019

The Ghosn effect? Nissan and Renault set to unveil first post-crisis results

What kind of financial blow has the widening scandal surrounding Carlos Ghosn delivered to Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA? Investors are about to get a glimpse when closely watched earnings releases come out this week. The alliance partners have spent the last two months ...

BUSINESSFEB 11, 2019

May seeks more Brexit debates in push for negotiating time as U.K. biz lobby warns of no-deal 'emergency zone'

British Prime Minister Theresa May will later this week pledge to give Parliament another chance to voice their opinions on Brexit by Feb. 27, a government source said, as she tries to buy more time to negotiate a new deal with the European Union. As ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 10, 2019

May to promise new Brexit debate in push for more negotiating time

British Prime Minister Theresa May will pledge this week to give Parliament another chance to voice their opinions on Brexit by Feb. 27 as she tries to buy more time to negotiate a new deal with the European Union. As the clock ticks down to ...

BUSINESSFEB 9, 2019

Brexit's corporate refugee numbers in Netherlands set to swell

BY RUBEN MUNSTERMAN

Brexit is driving companies out of the U.K., and the Netherlands is raking in the corporate refugees. About 250 companies are in talks with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency to potentially relocate activities to the country, according to a statement published on Saturday. The candidates ...

BUSINESSFEB 7, 2019

Nissan blow leads to regret and defiance in a Brexit heartland

BY JOE MAYES

Lisa Roley has worked at Nissan Motor Co.'s car plant in Sunderland, U.K., for the past two decades. Like the majority of people in the city, she also voted to leave the European Union in 2016. A day after the Japanese manufacturing giant pointed a ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 7, 2019

British colony or not, people of Gibraltar worried about life after Brexit

With London fuming over whether Gibraltar should still be called a "colony," residents of the British outpost on the southern tip of Spain are more worried about life after Brexit than about which word best explains their status. In the latest Brexit quarrel between Britain ...

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 7, 2019

Campaign for second Brexit referendum goes down to the wire, but Corbyn's support is crucial

Only a few months ago, crowds of protesters marched through London to demand a second Brexit referendum. But just weeks before the departure date, the momentum has stalled. Lacking the support of main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the campaign has flagged in recent weeks. A ...

WORLDFEB 6, 2019

EU's Tusk rebuffs May, and says Brexiteers deserve a place in hell

The European Union will make no new offer on Brexit and those who promoted Britain's exit without any understanding of how to deliver it deserve a special place in hell, Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday. The United Kingdom is on course to leave ...

BUSINESS / CORPORATEFEB 6, 2019

Toyota slashes net profit forecast due to market turbulence

BY KAZUAKI NAGATA

Dragged down by recent stock market turbulence, Toyota Motor Corp. slashed its net profit forecast for the current business year on Wednesday and now estimates the figure will be down by 25 percent compared to fiscal 2017. Despite record sales of ¥22.47 trillion and increased ...

BUSINESSFEB 6, 2019

U.K. revisiting secret plan to keep Irish border open after Brexit using Fujitsu tracking tech, Sun reports

Britain's department for exiting the European Union has been examining a secret new high-tech plan of keeping the Irish border open with the plan to be ready for a road test in March, the Sun newspaper reported late on Tuesday. Officials have been working on ...

COMMENTARY / WORLDFEB 5, 2019

From a no-deal Brexit to a no-Brexit deal

BY HANS-WERNER SINN

The defeat of British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal means that all options are the table.

COMMENTARY / JAPANFEB 5, 2019

Brexit Britain is left choking on Nissan's exhaust fumes

BY THERESE RAPHAEL

Nissan's decision to back out of a big U.K. investment may not be the last of its type.

BUSINESSFEB 5, 2019

U.K. offered Brexit assurances and $100 million to Nissan to secure now-scuppered SUV deal

The U.K. promised Nissan up to £80 million ($104 million) of support and offered Brexit-related assurances to help secure a major investment from the Japanese carmaker in 2016, according to a well-guarded letter released Monday. Nissan said in October 2016 that it would build the ...

NATIONAL / POLITICSFEB 4, 2019

Abe and Merkel seek to take Japan-Germany ties to 'higher level' amid trade turmoil and Brexit

BY REIJI YOSHIDA

Visit days after the Japan-EU trade pact took effect “sends a strong message on promotion of free trade” and strengthening economic ties, Abe said.

BUSINESS / CORPORATEFEB 4, 2019

Nissan deals Brexit blow as Theresa May launches new working group to look for a plan B

The automaker cited doubts about the U.K.’s split from the EU in its decision to scrap plans to make the X-Trail at its Sunderland plant.

WORLD / POLITICSFEB 4, 2019

May says she is 'armed with fresh' Brexit mandate and new ideas

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would be "armed with a fresh mandate and new ideas" when she next meets European Union negotiators over her Brexit deal. EU officials have insisted that the deal — rejected by British lawmakers — is not ...

BUSINESSFEB 3, 2019

Nissan to cancel plans to make X-Trail SUV in U.K. with less than two months before scheduled EU exit: Sky News

Nissan Motor Co. is canceling plans to make the next model of its X-Trail sports utility vehicle in Britain, less than two months before the country is due to leave the European Union, broadcaster Sky News said Saturday. Nissan first said four months after Britain ...

BUSINESSJAN 31, 2019

U.K. farmers worry where exports will go without EU Brexit deal

Wyn Evans' family has owned a plot in western Wales for generations, a bucolic expanse where 370 sheep and 80 cows feast on the verdant grasses of undulating hillsides. Evans, 55, wants his son to take over the farm that's been in the family for ...

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