United Kingdom

Farage says Brexit will be delayed again when Johnson's deal falls

SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) - Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage says he believes Britain’s departure from the European Union will be delayed again because parliament will reject Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempt to do a last-minute deal with Brussels.

Cast by his supporters as the godfather of Brexit, Farage said Britain’s exit, due on Oct. 31, was now in doubt as what he called the political elite in London was plotting with the EU to betray the 2016 referendum, in which Britain voted 52%-48% to leave.

Oil prices surge nearly 20% after attack on Saudi facilities

SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices surged nearly 20% at one point on Monday, with Brent crude posting its biggest intraday gain since the Gulf War in 1991, after an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities at the weekend halved the kingdom’s production.

Prices came off their peaks after U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the use of his country’s emergency stockpile to ensure stable supply.

Brexit minister Barclay says UK making progress on exit deal, but significant work remains

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is making progress towards a Brexit deal but significant work remains to be done, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay told Sky News on Sunday.

“There’s been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes. We can see a landing zone in terms of a future deal but there is significant work still to do,” Barclay said.

Barclay said he would be meeting EU negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday.

Saudi attacks raise specter of oil at $100/barrel

LONDON (Reuters) - The oil market will rally by $5-10 per barrel when it opens on Monday and may spike to as high as $100 per barrel if Saudi Arabia fails to quickly resume oil supply lost after attacks over the weekend, traders and analysts said.

Attacks on two plants at the heart of the kingdom’s oil industry on Saturday knocked out more than half of Saudi crude output, or 5% of global supply.

Industry sources have said it may take weeks to bring production fully online.

Below are quotes from market participants, traders and analysts.

British PM likens himself to Incredible Hulk ahead of Brexit talks

LONDON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson likened himself to the Incredible Hulk in an interview on Saturday ahead of talks with European leaders.

"The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets," Johnson told the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be and that is the case for this country."

Johnson made the remarks ahead of talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker and European Union (EU)'s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Luxembourg on Monday.

British prime minister’s aide divides, but will he conquer?

LONDON (AP) — To some, he’s a strategic genius. Others call him a mayhem-loving anarchist.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about Dominic Cummings. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most powerful aide — dubbed “Boris’ brain” by some — is an enigmatic backstage operator who shuns media attention, yet has been played onscreen by “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch.

Ex-PM David Cameron ‘sorry’ for creating Brexit divisions

LONDON (AP) — The British prime minister who called the 2016 Brexit referendum and then saw the public vote to leave the European Union, creating the nation’s prolonged political crisis, says he is sorry for the divisions it has caused.

David Cameron said in an interview published Saturday that he thinks about the consequences of the Brexit referendum “every single day” and worries “desperately” about what will happen next.

“I deeply regret the outcome and accept that my approach failed,” he said. “The decisions I took contributed to that failure. I failed.”

British PM Johnson prepares for Brussels showdown in bid to win deal

LONDON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Friday that he will hold a crucial meeting in Brussels on Monday in his latest bid to win a Brexit deal.

During a visit on Friday to the county of Yorkshire, Johnson said during a keynote speech that he would be meeting the European Union (EU)'s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday.

UK parliament speaker vows to thwart PM over Brexit law

13 September 2019; AFP: Britain's parliamentary speaker has warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to disobey the law by refusing to ask for a Brexit delay and vowed to thwart any attempt to circumvent legislation.

Parliament passed a law earlier this month aimed at preventing a no-deal Brexit, but Johnson is adamant Britain will still leave the EU on schedule on October 31 with or without a withdrawal agreement.

Brexit frustrations make snap election a big gamble for Johnson

LINCOLN, England (Reuters) - James Bowkett is a long-time Conservative Party supporter who voted in 2016 for Britain to leave the European Union.

Three years later, the 58-year-old businessman is fed up waiting for Brexit to happen and is considering abandoning the Conservatives in a looming snap election.

“I am giving up on the Conservatives. There are too many people in that party who don’t want to listen to the public,” Bowkett, 58, said holding up an umbrella on a rainy day this week in Lincoln in eastern central England.

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