BORIS JOHNSON has snubbed Ursula von der Leyen’s final demand to put forward a name for a British European Commission.
Election: Mike Hill contradicts Corbyn’s Brexit position
Brussels gave Boris Johnson a final deadline of November 22 to name a new commissioner to serve in Brussels – but he has still not done so. The European Commission has already brought legal action against Britain for breaking its EU treaty obligations. The proceedings could result in Britain being sued in the European Court of Justice and subjected to huge fines unless it complies or leaves the EU before the case reaches the court.
Ms von der Leyen has written to the Prime Minister twice since the October 31 Brexit deadline was extended demanding he send a commissioner.
But the lack of nomination will not prevent ambassadors from approving a European Council document that lists the names of the EU’s next crop of commissioners.
Backing is required before the 27 delegates can be voted on in the European Parliament next week.
It had been feared that without a British delegate the new European Commission could not kickstart on December 1, but the EU have ensured this will not be the case.
They said the UK’s refusal to comply: “Cannot undermine the regular functioning of the Union and its institutions and thus cannot constitute an obstacle to the appointment of the next Commission.”
Boris Johnson has snubbed the EU’s demand to submit a European Commissioner (Image: Getty)
8.30am update: Nigel Farage calls for an end to TV livence fees
Ahead of his party’s general election launch, Nigel Farage has called for the TV licence fee to be phased out, saying the current system of funding the BBC was an “anachronism”.
He said there was a need for “big political and institutional reform” in the wake of the EU referendum vote.
The Brexit Party leader said: “The BBC has been a very important part of our national life. In the days when there were only three television channels it was clearly very important.
“The younger generation, they don’t watch television they way that you and I did growing up. They choose what they watch, they pay for what they want to watch.
“Frankly, the idea that we should all be paying £150 a year as a tax to keep the BBC going in its current form is just an anachronism. We shall propose today that the licence fee is phased out over time.”
8.17am update: Brexit Party to unveil election policies today
The Brexit Party will unveil its policies for the general election at a launch event today.
They are not due to publish a manifesto, but make a “contract with the British people”.
8am update: Brexit banned from TV election debate
Channel 4 News will hold a seven-way TV debate the Sunday before the general election – where the participants will be banned from talking about Brexit.
It comes after the broadcaster announced an election leaders debate they had planned for this Sunday night had to be cancelled.
Jeremy Corbyn had agreed to take part but after “many weeks of discussion” they were unable to secure agreement from Boris Johnson.
