Work permits among Brexit options, says Amber Rudd… Work permits are among the post-Brexit migration curbs being considered but any changes must be good for the UK economy, the home secretary has said. Amber Rudd told the BBC the work permit proposal “certainly has value” but nothing was being ruled out. – BBC …as she threatens to strike back if Brussels carries out visa threat Home Secretary Amber Rudd has vowed to hit back if the EU attempts to force Britons to apply for visas to travel to the continent after Brexit. The Tory Cabinet minister responded to reports Brussels officials are plotting a costly application system for UK citizens with a warning of tit-for-tat retaliation measures… EU bureaucrats are said to be looking at making UK citizens apply for short-term visitors’ visas before being allowed to enter EU member nations. – Daily Express Requiring Britons to have entry visas would be an act of self-harm by the EU. Amber Rudd should say so – Telegraph editorial The government must fight EU spite and ensure European travel for ordinary Brits remains free – The Sun Says Boris Johnson is slapped down by Amber Rudd over Brexit video demanding the Prime Minister get on with the job – Daily Mail Liam Fox finds some support for his unguarded comments on “lazy” exporters Dr Fox was backed by Peter Hargreaves, founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, one of Britain’s largest financial services firms, and a prominent Brexit backer. “We have a lot of very good entrepreneurs in Britain, but there’s no doubt that there are also some in boardrooms who don’t deserve to be there — they’re idle, incompetent and ineffective… I think the sentiment is quite good. It’s a very exciting time, and just the right kick in the pants.” – The Times (£) Trade secretary Liam Fox has faced a fallout from some sloppy rhetoric. But he makes a very valid point about exporting – City A.M. editorial Fox is right: UK businesses are not exporting abroad, missing out on millions of pounds in lost revenue – Business Matters Philip Hammond to meet exporters to discuss preparations for Brexit – Daily Mail Brexit Britain heading for boom not bust British business is rapidly regaining confidence after the Brexit vote, a survey revealed last night. Optimism was fast returning to the economy after falling to a three-year low in the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum, according to the Business Trends report from leading accountancy firm BDO. Its findings are likely to be seen as yet more evidence Britain is confounding predictions of Remain campaigners and heading for a boom rather than a downturn following the historic vote to leave the EU. – Daily Express Britain will avoid recession despite Project Fear scaremongering before the referendum, the British Chambers of Commerce said last night. But their experts have downgraded their growth forecasts for next year – The Sun Tory MEP refutes claims that Brexit caused hate crime increase Daniel Hannan, an MEP and a leading Leave campaigner, accused the media of “jumping on” cases of people who have been attacked or abused which had nothing to do with Brexit. And he said it was an “insult” to the majority of the British public who voted to leave the EU to draw any connection with hate crimes. – The Independent Owen Smith ‘would consider rejoining EU’ as Prime Minister Labour leadership hopeful Owen Smith says he would consider applying to rejoin the EU if he became prime minister when the UK had already left… He has previously called for the public to have a say on the terms of the UK’s Brexit deal. – BBC Scottish Tory leader: UK is leaving EU, not Europe Britain has to prove it is still an outward-looking nation following the Brexit vote, Ruth Davidson will say today. The Scottish Conservative leader will use a keynote speech in London to appeal to Europe not to abandon the UK. In a defiantly pro-European address, Ms Davidson will argue that although the UK is leaving the EU, it is not leaving Europe. And she will claim that it is now up to Britain to persuade the rest of the world that it is still the outward-looking nation it always was. – The Times (£) “Unlike Nicola Sturgeon, I do not pretend that one referendum vote was a proxy for the other, nor that the EU referendum result negates the independence referendum of September 2014. One asked if Scotland wanted to stay in the UK, the other if we wanted the UK to stay in the EU. It wasn’t a case of either/or.” – Ruth Davidson writing for The Telegraph TUC chief urges “best deal for workers” after Brexit The TUC said jobs and rights would be at risk if Britain was a “bargain-basement economy” after quitting the EU. Its chief, Frances O’Grady, urged Government to get “the best deal we can for workers” and tackle investment. She said: “We have to do all we can to protect jobs at risk from leaving the EU.” – Daily Mirror Now we’re leaving the EU, a pan-European tax is on the agenda Delegates from around the EU last week met in Brussels to discuss the possibilities for budget reform, an issue previously blocked by the United Kingdom… The challenge of finding a more sustainable funding solution for the EU has long been a preoccupation in Brussels. And the United Kingdom, as a proponent of a minimal budget and a firm opponent of any kind of pan-European tax, has always blocked progress. But in this regard, Brexit has been a game changer. – EurActiv.com Juncker opens ethics probe into Barroso’s Goldman job on Brexit European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has asked for details of his predecessor Jose Manuel Barroso’s new Goldman Sachs contract advising on Brexit and said he would seek the advice of an ethics committee, a letter showed… It embarrassed EU officials at a time they are struggling to counter a wave of Euroscepticism engulfing the bloc that feeds on arguments that top Brussels officials serve the interests of international majors, rather than the general population. – Reuters Times editorial: Taking Back Control Tariff-free access to the single market is essential for Britain’s future prosperity, even if that access involves concessions on immigration. Not so long ago this was also the view of a great many people who wished Britain to leave the European Union, who spoke only rarely of immigration but focused instead on sovereignty. It is a mark of the political success of those who favour a harder Brexit that basic political assumptions have shifted so far in their favour. – The Times (£) Chris Cummings: The Square Mile is the envy of the world – and leaving the EU shouldn’t change that UK investment managers provide services to investors throughout the world – from Brazilian pension funds, to local authorities in Asia. This will continue after Brexit, and we should ensure that there are no impediments to our UK investment managers serving EU-based clients. This is a priority for the Brexit negotiation process. – Chris Cummings for The Telegraph Mark Boleat: London will remain a world-leading city because of its world-beating talent – City A.M. Roger Bootle: Six reasons why post-Brexit Britain can be like others that thrive outside the single market Of the realistic options, some people have argued that we should seek a deal like Norway’s or Switzerland’s. We should want neither of these. Rather, we should seek to be like all other countries in the world, that is to say, outside the single market but trading extensively with it. In realising this vision, our officials and ministers need to bear in mind six key points. – Roger Bootle for The Telegraph Leo McKinstry: We do not have to listen to Brussels fanatics any more Even without any agreement we would – like all other nations – still have full access to the single market, while any tariffs would still be far lower than our former contribution to the EU. We already trade intensively with countries such as the USA, China and India, none of which have concluded a formal deal with us. – Leo McKinstry for the Daily Express Wolfgang Münchau: How Germany’s political parties line up on Brexit ahead of 2017’s election Of all political parties in Europe, the CDU is among the least concerned about the precise form a British departure will take, and would probably accept some trade-off between immigration control and single market access. But after next year, the CDU’s ability to press for a soft Brexit will be diminished. The SPD does not want it. Nor do the Greens. The AfD will be hostile, not least because the British Conservatives expelled them from their grouping in the European Parliament. The Left party can be relied on to be against, and if the FDP is in opposition, they might also reject it. – Wolfgang Münchau in the FT (£) Andrea Jenkyns MP: I want a relationship with Europe based on friendship, trade and collaboration – The Times (£) Red Box website Is a hard Brexit looking increasingly likely? – Alex Deane and Iain Anderson argue it out in City A.M. Francesco Guerrera: Why Brexit hasn’t destroyed the British economy (yet) – Politico.eu Will Self: What on earth does “Brexit means Brexit” actually mean? – New Statesman Brexit news in brief Foreign Minister Sir Alan Duncan meets Argentine President for trade deal talks – The Telegraph Shadow Brexit Secretary Emily Thornberry accuses Sky’s Murnaghan of sexism as she fails to name French foreign minister – Huffington Post UK music industry in plea to protect its status during Brexit negotiations – The Guardian