Today’s political headlines include Gove’s perfect Brexit as likely as a date with Scarlet Johansson, the guerrilla war against a no-deal Brexit, Government to publish Northern Ireland Assembly Brexit plans and the Government accepts the ferry firm won’t be ready in time.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Gove says that a perfect Brexit is as likely as a date with Scarlet Johansson<\/span> \u2018Guerrilla war\u2019 against no-deal Brexit begins with Government defeat<\/span> Government to publish Northern Ireland Assembly Brexit plans<\/span> Government accepts ferry firm won\u2019t be ready in time<\/span> Labour MP calls for it to be easier to challenge rogue bailiffs<\/span> Law firm founder denies dishonesty accusation<\/span> Extra freight trains may run if there\u2019s a no-deal Brexit<\/span> Bars to be removed from prison cells<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Michael Gove told yesterday\u2019s cabinet meeting that Brexiteers who want a perfect day are like \u2018mid-fifties swingers waiting for Scarlett Johansson to turn up\u2019. The Prime Minister also used the meeting to dismiss a second referendum, which Tory activists oppose, while Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that a no-deal Brexit would end the Dublin Agreement and hence the UK\u2019s ability to \u2018send people back\u2019, although he later argued in favour of a no-deal Brexit.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that a \u2018guerrilla war\u2019 to prevent a no-deal Brexit has begun, after Labour, joined by 20 Tory rebels, successfully voted in favour of an amendment preventing the Government from changing some taxes in a no-deal scenario without Parliament\u2019s permission. The paper adds that May hinted yesterday that if her Brexit deal was voted down by Parliament she might hold a second vote on it.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that the Government will today publish plans which will give the Northern Irish Assembly the power to vote on new EU rules should the backstop come into force after Brexit. The DUP has claimed that the proposals will be \u2018meaningless\u2019, while Sinn F\u00e9in says that it would oppose anything which gave the DUP a veto.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0reveals<\/a>\u00a0the Government has accepted that Seaborne Freight will not be able to provide ferry services in the case of no-deal Brexit until late April. Labour MP Richard Burden has also suggested that investor briefings produced by the company may have been \u2018inaccurate\u2019 by claiming that agreements had been reached with ports when they hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0Labour MP Emma Reynolds is calling on the Government to make it easier for people to challenge rogue bailiffs, and will lead a parliamentary debate on the issue. A new report by Citizens Advice finds that only a small proportion of people experiencing poor behaviour by bailiffs formally report it owing to the complexity of doing so.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Martyn Day, who co-founded the legal firm Leigh Day which the paper says has been \u2018accused of hounding British troops\u2019, was asked how he slept at night by Tory MP Mark Francois when he appeared before the Commons Defence Committee yesterday. He denied Johnny Mercer\u2019s claim that he was \u2018dishonest\u2019 and challenged him to repeat the statement outside Parliament, where he could be sued.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In an\u00a0exclusive<\/a>,\u00a0The Sun<\/em>\u00a0reports that the Government is in talks with two rail freight firms over running extra trains during the night to ensure continued supply of food and freight in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It has also written to rail firm Southeastern, warning that extra freight during the day may disrupt commuter services.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that bars are to be removed from the windows of prison cells after a study funded by the Government warned that they were \u2018punitive\u2019 and \u2018institutional\u2019, claiming that \u2018normalising\u2019 prisoners\u2019 environment would increase the likelihood of inmates being successfully rehabilitated.<\/p>\n