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<ul><li>India and Luxembourg have signed three new bilateral agreements after leaders of the two countries held their first formal interaction in over two decades.</li><li>All three agreements are in the financial space to promote trade ties between India and Luxembourg with the latter being the third largest foreign investor in India. </li><li>The Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary revelaled that discussions around the India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement have been initiated and an agreement between space agencies in both countries may be signed soon.</li></ul>The first ever meeting between the leaders of India and Luxembourg in 20 years has yielded fruitful results with three new bilateral agreements signed between the two countries. And, since Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union (EU), discussion around the <keyword id="957079" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-EU">India EU</keyword> trade and investment agreement were also initiated. <br /><br />Delhi’s has been ramping up its relations in Europe. Of the six virtual summits this month, four have been within the continent — first the EU, then Denmark and Italy and now Luxembourg.<br /><br />“The meeting focused constructive engagement on our bilateral relationship, especially given the strength of the Luxembourg economy and our needs. It focused on the financial sector, fin-tech, green financing and space applications,” said Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary Sandeep Chakravorty. <br /><br /><strong>The <a href="https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/33212/List_of_Agreements_acknowledged_on_the_occasion_of_IndiaLuxembourg_Virtual_Summit">three agreements</a> that have been signed are:</strong><br /><ul><li>Luxembourg Stock Exchange with State Bank of India (SBI)</li><li>Luxembourg Stock Exchange with the India International Stock Exchange (INX)</li><li>LuxInnovation and Invest India</li></ul>The agreements with the Luxembourg Stock Exchange provide for cooperation in the financial services industry. It will enable the maintenance of security markets in both counties with a focus on ESG (environmental, social and governance) and green finance in the local market.<br /><br />The third agreement between LuxInnovation and Invest India is to support and develop mutual business cooperation between Indian and Luxembourg companies, especially when it comes, promoting and facilitating inbound FDI.<br /><br />“Luxembourg Stock Exchange and funds based out of Luxembourg are the third largest investors in India. Foreign portfolio investments from Luxembourg total more than ₹3 lakh crore. It is the largest after the US and Mauritius,” said Chakravorty.<br /><br /><b>Upcoming agreement in the space sector</b><br />The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL), launched four satellites for Luxembourg just last week.<br /><br />According to Chakravorty, the bilateral relationship between the two countries may be further strengthened with an agreement between ISRO and Luxembourg space organisation. “There is a lot of potential between the two countries when it comes to cooperation in space,” he said without divulging any further details.<br /><br /><strong>India’s invites Luxembourg to join the International Solar Alliance<br /></strong>Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> and Luxembourg counterpart <keyword id="6629009" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xavier-Bettel">Xavier Bettel</keyword> also discussed issues of terrorism and climate change.<br /><br />Bettel mentioned Luxembourg’s financing mechanisms available in Luxembourg and asked Modi to encourage Indian companies to raise capital for environmentally friendly green projects in the country. In fact, the first ‘masala’ bonds were raised in Luxembourg and many Indian companies are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. <br /><br />During his address, Modi also invited Luxembourg to join the International Solar Alliance — an initiative launched by India between 121 countries with a focus on the utilisation of solar power. It is the second largest grouping of states worldwide after the United Nations. According to Chakravorty, Beetle indicated that he may take Modi up on the offer. <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/loan-moratorium-case-indias-power-sector-players-want-the-supreme-court-to-plug-the-loopholes-in-rbis-restructuring-scheme/articleshow/79301830.cms">Loan moratorium case: India’s power sector players want the Supreme Court to ‘plug’ the loopholes in RBI’s restructuring scheme</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-ceo-delaportes-new-plan-could-allow-company-to-catch-up-to-to-tcs-infosys-hcl-tech-and-others/articleshow/79299467.cms">Wipro CEO Delaporte’s new plan could give the Indian IT services giant the edge it needs to catch up to its peers, according to analysts</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/lakshmi-vilas-bank-is-the-fifth-financial-firm-after-ilfs-dhfl-yes-bank-and-pmc-bank-to-collapse-in-india/slidelist/79286096.cms">Lakshmi Vilas Bank is the fifth financial firm to collapse in India within the last 30 months</a></strong><br />

The first meeting between India and Luxembourg in 20 years results in three new bilateral agreements

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Germany will damage Europe's internal market by subsidizing consumers and businesses amid the energy crisis, Poland's premier said.</li><li>Germany's €200 billion aid package has been criticized by leaders, with fears that subsidies will put firms in other nations at a disadvantage.</li></ul><p>Germany will damage Europe's internal market by subsidizing consumers and businesses to protect them from the energy crisis, Poland's prime minister said.</p><p>That comes after Germany, which is the European Union's largest economy, earmarked €200 billion ($196 billion) to buffer the pain of soaring energy prices and supply shortages. The package includes an emergency brake on gas and electricity prices for consumers as well as tax cuts for gas companies.</p><p>But that aid package will put firms in other nations as a "big disadvantage," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at an EU summit on Friday. </p><p>"We are definitely against any attempts to damage the European internal market and the damage is going to happen if the German government will be able to go-alone with exclusively subsidizing its companies," Moraweicki said, per <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-07/eu-gets-wake-up-call-on-need-to-blunt-impact-of-energy-crunch#xj4y7vzkg">Bloomberg's</a> report. </p><p>Other EU leaders have criticized the aid package, with Lithuania's president stating that the EU's 27 member states need to coordinate on the aid given to companies to keep competition fair.</p><p>The EU is scrambling to prepare for an energy crunch this winter, as demand rises while Russia has slashed supplies. EU leaders have been trying to negotiate a price cap on natural gas, but have <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-russia-natural-gas-cap-energy-prices-high-2022-9">failed to come to agreement</a> so far, largely out of concern that the measure will make suppliers less willing to export gas to Europe.</p><p>"We have to know we're not the only customers in the," Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said. "So we have to be very careful about decisions that we take that sound good on paper but where consequences can be problematic."</p>

Germany will damage Europe's internal market by subsidizing consumers and businesses to protect them from the energy crisis, Polish prime minister says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="63763" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Luxembourg">Luxembourg</keyword> Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has been hospitalized with COVID-19.</li><li>The 48-year-old leader contracted the virus last week, according to local media. </li><li>Doctors say he will remain under observation for 24 hours unless otherwise advised.</li></ul><p>Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has been hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday morning after coming down with the virus a week ago, local media reported.</p><p>The 48-year-old leader, who had been isolating at home, will remain under observation in the hospital for 24 hours unless advised otherwise by his doctors, <a href="https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1749305.html">per the local broadcaster RTL Today</a> and <a href="http://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/luxembourg/story/bettel-a-ete-place-sous-observation-medicale-16737843">French-language site L'essentie</a>l.</p><p>Bettel tested positive on June 27, shortly after returning from an EU leaders' summit held in Brussels. He was not in close contact with any other EU leaders before showing symptoms, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/jun/27/coronavirus-live-news-covid-vaccine-latest-updates">the Guardian reported.</a></p><p>A statement from Bettel's office said that the prime minister showed symptoms such as headache and mild fever. On May 6, he announced he received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.</p><p>It is not clear when, or indeed whether, Bettel had his second dose. Studies have shown a single dose of vaccine offers relatively poor protection against the rapidly-spreading Delta virus variant.</p>

The prime minister of Luxembourg has been hospitalized with COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The EU moved to isolate <keyword id="63113" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Belarus">Belarus</keyword> after the government diverted a flight to arrest a journalist.</li><li><keyword id="11309422" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="roman-protasevich">Roman Protasevich</keyword> was on the Ryanair flight when it landed in Minsk due to a bogus security threat.</li><li>The bloc ordered EU-based airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace and banned Belarusian airlines from its airspace and airports.</li></ul><p>The <keyword id="6355110" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="european-union">European Union</keyword> moved to isolate Belarus in light of the arrest of a journalist who was arrested after the government diverted a Ryanair flight on Sunday.</p><p>The EU ordered all EU-based airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace and banned Belarusian airlines from entering EU airspace and landing in its airports. The move was announced Monday during a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels.</p><p>Journalist <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/belarusian-authorities-video-of-journalist-arrested-after-government-hijacked-flight-2021-5">Roman Protasevich</a> was taken into custody after the Lithuania-bound flight he was aboard was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/belarus-diverted-plane-kgb-agents-onboard-ryanair-ceo-2021-5">grounded in Minsk due to a bogus security threat</a>. Protasevich is a vocal critic of Belarusian President Alexander <keyword id="379711" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lukashenko">Lukashenko</keyword>, who gave an "unequivocal order" to ground the Ryanair jet in Minsk, according to state media.</p><p>Protasevich's arrest drew <a href="https://www.insider.com/international-outrage-after-belarus-diverted-plane-and-arrested-journalist-2021-5">international outrage</a> as EU leaders condemned the forced grounding of the flight and called for the "immediate release" of Protasevich and his partner, <a href="https://www.insider.com/girlfriend-of-arrested-journalist-also-detained-following-grounded-flight-2021-5">Sofia Sapega</a>, who was also escorted off the flight. World leaders also demanded "their freedom of movement be guaranteed."</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dont-let-ryanair-ignore-right-not-to-be-kidnapped-belarus-2021-5">Don't let Ryanair ignore your right not to be kidnapped</a></em></p><p>Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union's European Commission, said the "outrageous and illegal behavior of the regime in Belarus will have consequences."</p><p>"Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned," von der Leyen said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1396566441370001413">statement</a> on Twitter. "Journalist Roman Protasevich must be released immediately."</p><p>Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called the incident an "unprecedented act of state terrorism."</p><p>"Hijacking of a civilian plane is an unprecedented act of state terrorism. It cannot go unpunished," Morawiecki said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/MorawieckiM">statement</a>, adding that he would <a href="https://twitter.com/MorawieckiM/status/1396486441518125061?s=20">petition</a> for sanctions against Belarus in light of Protasevich's arrest.</p><p>At the Brussels summit, Xavier Bettel, the prime minister of Luxembourg, described the incident as "madness," according to a report by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/24/world/europe/european-union-belarus-flight-ban.html?referringSource=articleShare">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>"It's like something out of a very bad movie," Bettel said. "It shows the state of the regime."</p><p>EU officials said few raised objections to the move to avoid Belarusian airspace - a rare occurrence as the bloc does not tend to come to a consensus on controversial issues so quickly and easily, The Times reported.</p>

The EU moves to isolate Belarus after the government diverted a flight carrying a Belarusian dissident

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Boris Johnson forced to abandon press conference in Luxembourg due to protests.</strong></li><li><strong>The UK prime minister was due to field questions from journalists following meetings with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel.</strong></li><li><strong>However, protesters greeted the UK prime minister with loud boos and protest songs.</strong></li><li><strong>Officials decided to issue a pre-recorded statement from the prime ministers instead.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>Boris Johnson was forced to cancel a planned press conference in Luxembourg due to the deafening sound of protesters gathered on the streets to meet him.</p><p>The UK prime minister was due to field questions from European journalists on Monday after meeting for talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel.</p><p>However, Johnson was met by the deafening sound of boos prior to the planned press conference. Officials announced that they would instead issue a pre-recorded playback of<span> Johnson and Bettel later on Monday.</span></p><h2>Watch Boris Johnson booed by protesters in Luxembourg</h2><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Protesters sang Ode to Joy and shouted "We are the smiling piccaninnies of Luxembourg" in a reference to Johnson's previous offensive comments about black Africans.&#xa0;</p><p><strong><em>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&amp;IR=T">Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles'</a></em></strong></p><p>Johnson met for lunch with Juncker to discuss potential changes to the EU withdrawal agreement signed up to by Johnson's predecessor Theresa May.</p><p>However, little progress was made during the talks, according to a readout from the European Commission.</p><p><span>"President Juncker recalled that it is the UK's responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement," a Commission spokesman said in a statement, adding that</span><span> "such proposals have not yet been made."</span></p><p class="tagline">Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain's departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider's political reporters. Join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/267178180471848/">here.</a></p><div></div><div></div>

Boris Johnson forced to cancel Luxembourg press conference due to deafening boos from protesters

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>Prime ministers from 8 European countries publicly back calls for the British public to have a vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal.</strong></li><li><strong>The leaders say the British people should "have the final say on the Brexit deal."</strong></li><li><strong>Dutch PM Mark Rutte says it would be "highly welcome" if Brexit were scrapped.</strong></li></ul><p><br>LONDON &amp; BRUSSELS - Prime ministers from 8 European countries today publicly backed calls for the British public to have a vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal.</br></p><p>A joint statement was issued on Wednesday following a lunch between Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable - who has previously called for a second referendum - and the prime ministers in Brussels. Signatories of the statement are:</p><ul><li><strong>Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic</strong></li><li><strong>Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg</strong></li><li><strong>Miro Cerar, Prime Minister of Slovenia</strong></li><li><strong>Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Belgium</strong></li><li><strong>Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of Estonia</strong></li><li><strong>Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands</strong></li><li><strong>Juha Sipilä, Prime Minister of Finland.</strong></li></ul><p>The statement read: "We regret Brexit, but acknowledge the choice made by British voters for the UK government to negotiate withdrawal.</p><p>"We&#xa0;further acknowledged and support the Liberal Democrats' call for the British people to have the final say on the Brexit deal.</p><p>"All parties need to seek a broad deal accommodating&#xa0;both the position of the UK government and the principles on which the European Union is built."</p><p>Cable added: "The message is clear: Brexit is not inevitable."</p><p>Dutch prime minister Rutte told Business Insider in Brussels that it would be "highly welcome" if the UK decided to cancel Brexit.</p><p>The UK expects to bring back a Brexit deal from an EU summit in October this year which lays out the exact terms of Britain's departure. It is scheduled to leave the EU in March 2019, meaning any vote would likely need to take place in the five-month window which lapses between the two dates.</p><p>Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of a vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal. In August 2016, she <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/31/no-staying-in-eu-by-back-door-theresa-may-brexit">told her Cabinet colleagues</a> that she would resist "<span>attempts to stay in the EU by the back door."</span></p><p>"We must continue to be very clear that Brexit means Brexit, that we're going to make a success of it," she said.</p><p>"That means there's no second referendum, no attempts to sort of stay in the EU by the back door, that we're actually going to deliver on this."</p><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meaning-of-fake-news-and-make-america-great-again-steven-pinker-2018-3">Harvard professor Steven Pinker explains the disturbing truth behind Trump's 2 favorite phrases</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div></hr>

These 8 European prime ministers are calling for a second Brexit referendum

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne</span></p><p class="caption">A man and his dog stop to look at a mural depicting Princess Leia from the film Star Wars played by Carrie Fisher in Belfast, Northern Ireland January 11, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know.</p><p><strong>Companies, not governments, might be on the hook for European crises.</strong> A group of experts called Thursday for "substantial reform" of the European Union budget that might see Brussels levy corporate and other taxes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-experts-propose-eu-levy-corporate-tax-under-budget-reform-2017-1">to cope better with crises.</a></p><p><span><strong>Nintendo crashed.</strong> Shares in Nintendo are down almost 6% at in trading on the Japanese markets after officially </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-nintendo-switch-details-features-price-release-date-2017-1">unveiling the details of its newest console, the $299 Nintendo Switch</a>.</p><p><strong>We'll find out what Brexit means next week.</strong> British Prime Minister Theresa May will make a major speech next week setting out further details on her plan for leaving the European Union, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-british-pm-to-make-major-brexit-speech-2017-1">Downing Street said.</a></p><p><strong>Morgan Stanley has promoted 140 staff to the title of managing director.</strong> The bank informed staff of the promotions on January 12, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/morgan-stanley-managing-directors-2017-1">according to people familiar with the matter.</a></p><p><strong>There was trouble in the Turkish parliament.</strong> Turkish MPs brawled and threw chairs as parliament approved three more articles in a hugely <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-fists-fly-as-turkey-debates-greater-erdogan-powers-2017-1">controversial bill bolstering the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.</a></p><p><strong>German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the European Union it must keep a united front in negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc.</strong> "We are absolutely in agreement that we cannot let ourselves be divided," s<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-merkel-urges-eu-to-stay-united-on-brexit-2017-1">he told a news conference after talks with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.</a></p><p><strong>Hong Kong's deputy leader announced her bid to lead the city.</strong> Carrie Lam is deputy to Hong Kong's unpopular leader Leung Chun-ying and rose through the ranks as a career civil <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-hong-kong-deputy-announces-leadership-bid-2017-1">servant before taking public office. </a></p><p><strong>The FTSE set another record.</strong> Britain's blue-chip stock index, the FTSE 100, just about managed to continue its record-breaking rally on Thursday, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ftse-100-closes-at-record-high-for-11th-day-in-a-row-2017-1">closing just 0.03% higher than the previous closing record.</a></p><p><strong>The European Parliament will elect a new speaker next week. </strong>In an unusually heated tussle, the vote could end a decade-long cooperation between mainstream parties, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-eu-parliament-set-to-elect-new-speaker-in-heated-vote-2017-1">complicate lawmaking and trigger a reshuffle of top EU jobs.</a></p><p><strong>Spain is seeking to protect itself in Brexit.</strong> The country will work to defend the rights of its citizens in the wake of the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>'s exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-spain-will-work-to-defend-rights-of-its-citizens-in-wake-of-brexit---pm-rajoy-2017-1">in a joint press conference with his Irish counterpart Enda Kenny.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/difference-top-bottom-state-income-inequality-gap-wages-2017-1">Here's the massive gap in average income between the top 1% and the bottom 99% in every state</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1lOGlxODE6yycnwj6SWeciVyT0EE9k1w" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

10 things you need to know before European markets open

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is hugged by children during his visit to Samjiyon County in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 28, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know.</p><p><span><strong>Uber is pushing back against the EU.</strong> It</span><span> defended its business model in Europe's highest court on Tuesday, saying its service had made it easier for people to get around and cut pollution as it fights a case which could leave <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-uber-defends-business-model-wants-to-avert-strict-eu-rules-2016-11">app-based startups facing tougher </a></span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-uber-defends-business-model-wants-to-avert-strict-eu-rules-2016-11">regulation.</a></p><p><strong>Germany is pinning its hopes on Fillon.</strong> Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble praised the economic program of French presidential contender Francois Fillon and said he hoped the conservative candidate's far-right rival <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-schaeuble-praises-fillon-says-hopes-le-pen-never-becomes-french-president-2016-11">Marine Le Pen would never become president.</a></p><p><strong>The <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> will talk to other EU leaders about Brexit.</strong> Britain cannot begin negotiations with the European Union until it has triggered the formal exit procedure but it can have discussions with the leaders, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-uk-holds-dialogue-with-leaders-no-brexit-pre-negotiation-mays-spokesman-2016-11">a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said.</a></p><p><strong>Germany takes over the presidency of the G20.</strong> It happens on Thursday, a platform Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to use to safeguard <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-germany-braces-for-rough-ride-at-g20-helm-with-trump-on-board-2016-11">multilateral cooperation under threat following Donald Trump's US election victory.</a></p><p><strong>France has a tough line on Russia.</strong> French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that lifting European Union sanctions on Russia would weaken efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-france-says-lifting-sanctions-on-russia-would-be-counterproductive-2016-11">and hand a victory to Moscow.</a></p><p><strong>The UK is closing a tobacco factory in Russia.</strong> Britain's Imperial Brands, the world's fourth-biggest tobacco company, will shut one of its two Russian factories in January, it said on Tuesday, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-britains-imperial-brands-to-shut-russian-tobacco-factory-2016-11">citing increased taxes and the impact of changes to sales regulations.</a></p><p><strong>The US economy grew faster than expected.</strong> Gross domestic product increased at a 3.2% annual rate instead of the previously reported 2.9% pace, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-third-quarter-growth-revised-up-to-32-percent-2016-11">the Commerce Department said in its second GDP estimate on Tuesday.</a></p><p><strong>Business minister Greg Clark said the British government was "unashamedly pro-business."</strong> But that he wanted to strengthen existing corporate governance structures to avoid <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-britain-is-pro-business-but-firms-need-better-governance---minister-2016-11">damaging public trust in the private sector.</a></p><p><span><strong>Electric car stations are coming to Europe.</strong> German carmakers BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Audi and US competitor Ford said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-carmakers-to-build-europe-network-of-e-charging-stations-2016-11">they would cooperate on a Europe-wide network of electric charging stations.</a></span></p><p><span><strong>The EU reacted to THAT memo.</strong> Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Britain cannot "have its cake and eat it," as the government in London distanced itself from a memo including<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-uk-cannot-have-cake-and-eat-it-on-brexit-luxembourg-pm-tells-afp-2016-11"> the aim to have the best of both worlds from Brexit.</a></span></p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-entrepreneurs-government-lacking-2016-11">Richard Branson: Entrepreneurs need to fill the gap where government is lacking</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="V1dXVsNzE65h4lISR4rnnLRSgszALLD8" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Neil Hall</span></p><p class="caption">Sir Vince Cable celebrates becoming leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable is under pressure to make an impact at next month's local elections.</strong></li><li><strong>The party is stagnant in the polls and largely excluded from national policy debates.</strong></li><li><strong>Party figures are considering who could succeed Cable and turn the party around.</strong></li><li><strong>Jo Swinson and Layla Moran are the early favourites, party sources tell BI.</strong></li></ul><p>LONDON - Conversations are already underway among senior figures in the Liberal Democrats about who should take over from Sir Vince Cable, as the former Business Secretary struggles to make an impact at Westminster.</p><p>As the party heads to a difficult set of local elections, multiple sources have told Business Insider that senior party figures are considering replacing Cable, who has had a rocky start to his leadership.</p><p><span>The election of Cable - a seasoned MP with Cabinet experience and plenty of respect across the House of Commons - was supposed to be the dawn of a new era for the Liberal Democrats, in which it would attract new support from voters put off by Theresa May's hard Brexit Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.</span></p><p><span>However, the party remains stagnant in the polls ahead of local elections on May 3, while Labour and the Tories continue to dictate the political weather in Westminster.</span></p><p><span>Senior party figures have their eyes fixed on next month's local elections, where potential candidates to replace Cable are being discussed should the 74-year-old fail to deliver positive results at the polling stations.  </span></p><p>One of the names being considered is Jo Swinson, the party's deputy leader. Swinson was among the favourites to take over following the resignation of Tim Farron last year, but for personal reasons opted not to go for the top job.</p><p>Rumours that Swinson is preparing for a run for the leadership are swirling among insiders, with some pointing to the fact that she has recently expanded her team by hiring a new advisor.</p><p>"<span>She's been trying to prepare distinctive policies as she realised she didn't have any," one party insider told BI.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Neil Hall</span></p><p class="caption">Jo Swinson and Vince Cable</p></div><p></p></div></div>However, while Swinson was the favourite among the party membership to succeed former leader Tim Farron, the picture has recently changed. "She's not done a good job and has pissed off a lot of people," one well-placed source said.</p><p>Another party insider confirmed this, telling BI that the MP for East Dunbartonshire had developed a reputation for being "demanding" and abrasive.</p><p>Another figure whose status in the party has surged in recent months is Layla Moran. The 35-year-old MP for <span>Oxford West and Abingdon </span>has only been in the House Of Commons for less than a year but it is widely regarded as a rising star in the party. </p><p>So much so that some senior party figures have already placed bets on Moran replacing Cable.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Dan Kitwood/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Layla Moran MP.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>However, the party is likely to favour an open contest rather than a coup to replace Cable.</p><p><span>"They need a contest this time for many reasons - the main ones being fundraising, membership renewals and party participation," one insider told BI.</span></p><h2>"Breaking point"</h2><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/breaking-point-liberal-democrats-vince-cable-second-referendum-brexit-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Last month</a>, BI revealed growing unrest at the heart of the Liberal Democrat party machine.</p><p><span>Cable's office allegedly insists on scrutinizing every press release before it is published, an idiosyncrasy that has slowed down the communications machine and contributed to declining morale among the current press team.</span></p><p>"Cable's lost the plot and it's rubbing off on his team," one well-placed source told BI, adding that a senior member of Cable's press team had been "approaching breaking point" prior to <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-8-european-leaders-call-for-second-referendum-2018-3?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a major communications cock-up at the European Council summit.</a></p><p>A Lib Dem press release handed to British journalists said eight European leaders had signed a declaration of support for the party's policy of holding another Brexit referendum. </p><p><span>Less than an hour after the Lib Dems briefed journalists, the ALDE Group, a cross-party group in the European Parliament to whom the leaders are affiliated, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-8-european-leaders-call-for-second-referendum-2018-3?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a statement</a> saying that "no statement was agreed upon or issued at the meeting."</span></p><p><span>The Lib Dem press release had also claimed that </span>Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel attended. However, the former resigned a month ago, while the latter didn't even show up.</p><p><span>"They fucked up massively," one ex-senior Lib Dem told BI later that day.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-ivanka-trump-secret-deal-planned-parenthood-cecile-richards-make-trouble-2018-4">Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump tried to cut a secret deal with Planned Parenthood - here's what happened</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Exclusive: Senior Lib Dems begin to discuss who should replace Vince Cable

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was criticized by the public, former diplomats, historians, and former government officials when he said German chancellor Angela Merkel "must have" felt "awkward" attending a ceremony commemorating D-Day and the collapse of Nazi Germany.</li><li>Critics quickly pointed to the German government's efforts over the last several decades to take responsibility for the Holocaust, as well as Merkel's long history of adhering to that goal.</li><li>Huckabee's remarks also drew scorn given US President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-donald-trump-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-4">Donald Trump</a>'s history of defending white supremacists, particularly after the Charlottesville riots in 2017.</li><li>"There's one Nazi sympathizer in that photo and it ain't Merkel," one user wrote.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was roundly criticized when he tweeted Wednesday that German chancellor Angela Merkel "must have" felt "awkward" attending a ceremony commemorating D-Day and the collapse of Nazi Germany.</p><p><span>"Must have been an 'awkward' moment for Angela Merkel to sit in ceremony as the Allies commemorated D-Day that broke the back of Nazi Germany," <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1136393050916347906">wrote</a> Huckabee, the father of White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and a former Republican presidential candidate.&#xa0;</span></p><p>The tweet from Huckabee, who is a staunch ally of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-donald-trump-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-4">President Donald Trump</a>, drew immediate and swift backlash from former diplomats and government officials, as well as the general public.</p><p>Ben Rhodes, a key adviser to former President Barack Obama, defended the German chancellor in a tweet.</p><p>"<span>Merkel has been going to these events for years and accompanied President Obama to Buchenwald," Rhodes <a href="https://twitter.com/brhodes/status/1136398001671352320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. "She should be celebrated for her grace, her fidelity to the US alliance, and her defense of the values that the D-Day ceremony represents."</span></p><p><span>World leaders convened in France and Britain this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the June 1944 allied landings in Normandy during World War II. Merkel, who was born in communist-controlled East Germany a decade after D-Day, spoke at the events, <a href="https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassy/status/1136296958975455233">calling it</a> a "gift of history." She expressed gratitude that as Germany's leader she could join the Allies to "jointly stand up for peace and freedom today."</span></p><p><span>James Fallows, who worked as former President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter, said Huckabee's comments were "despicable."</span></p><p><span>"The forthrightness of German governments of the past 70 years, and of huge majority of the German public, in facing responsibility for the Holocaust, the Nazi era, and the war does them enormous credit - and sets a standard for other [governments]," he <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesFallows/status/1136429672898670593" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</span></p><p><span>Others pointed out Merkel's history as a staunch anti-fascist, as well as Germany's process of reconciliation for Nazi crimes.</span></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Huckabee's remarks also drew scorn given Trump's own rhetoric defending white supremacists, particularly after the deadly Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville in 2017.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-calls-nancy-pelosi-nervous-nancy-before-d-day-commemoration-2019-6" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Trump calls Pelosi 'Nervous Nancy' before a somber D-Day commemoration at an American cemetery in Normandy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/haunting-photo-overlays-capture-the-horrors-of-d-day-2017-6" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">These haunting photo overlays capture the horrors of D-Day, which happened exactly 75 years ago</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-it-took-to-pull-of-d-day-invasion-2019-5?r=US&amp;IR=T" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">D-Day by the numbers: Here's what it took 75 years ago to pull off the biggest amphibious invasion in history</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/97-year-old-us-veteran-parachuted-france-d-day-commemoration-2019-6" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">He parachuted into Nazi-occupied France as a 22-year-old American soldier. 75 years later, he did it again.</a></li></ul><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-opinion-programs-white-supremacist-rhetoric-great-replacement-2019-5">Fox News pundits are using white supremacist language tied to 'The Great Replacement' conspiracy theory</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Mike Huckabee is getting slammed for suggesting German Chancellor Angela Merkel should feel 'awkward' for commemorating the Nazis' D-Day defeat

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Matt Cardy / Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Sir Vince Cable.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The Lib Dems faced humiliation this week after falsely claiming to have gathered the support of 8 EU leaders for a second Brexit referendum.</strong></li><li><strong>Insiders say leader Sir Vince Cable's team are at "breaking point" as aides desert Lib Dem HQ.</strong></li><li><strong>"Cable's lost the plot and it's rubbing off on his team," one Lib Dem source tells BI.</strong></li><li><strong>The party is failing to capitalise on Brexit as their leader Cable struggles to be heard.</strong></li></ul><p><br />LONDON &amp; BRUSSELS - It was all smiles as Sir Vince Cable and his team made their way out of the <span>Palais D'Egmont in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. </span></p><p><span>The Liberal Democrat leader had just enjoyed lunch with a handful of European leaders, who according to his press office, had all signed a declaration of support for Britain to hold another Brexit referendum.</span></p><p><span>The lunch - which took place in a grand mansion a short stroll from the European Union complex - was attended by figures including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rassmussen, and Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator.</span></p><p><span>Cable was in a triumphant mood about this apparent European coup, when he spoke to Business Insider following the meeting.</span></p><p><span>"They [the leaders] were very supportive. There was no disagreement at all. They were all in the same place," he said.</span></p><p><span>"Public opinion is moving in that direction," he added. "The Remain-Brexit divide hasn't changed a great deal but what has changed is that a majority of people support the proposition that there should be a vote on the final deal."</span></p><p><span>But there was a big problem.</span></p><p><span>Less than an hour after the Lib Dems briefed journalists, the ALDE Group, a cross-party group in the European Parliament to whom the leaders are affiliated, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-8-european-leaders-call-for-second-referendum-2018-3?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a statement</a> saying that "no statement was agreed upon or issued at the meeting."</span></p><p><span>The Lib Dem press release had also claimed that </span>Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel attended. However, the former resigned a month ago, while the latter didn't even show up.</p><p><span>Questioned by BI, a Lib Dem source later said that the leaders had merely reached a "verbal agreement" but admitted the leaders had not signed a formal agreement. The party has yet to fully explain how the statement came about.</span></p><p><span>It was a humiliating blow for the Liberal Democrats, who in recent years have acquired a reputation among Westminster journalists for boasting some of the most effective and reliable press officers.</span></p><p><span>"They fucked up massively," an ex-senior Lib Dem told BI later that day. </span></p><p><span>However, BI has spoken to both serving and former Lib Dem staff members, who all said that Thursday's horror-show was a culmination of months of tension and discontent inside Cable's party.</span></p><h2><span>"Breaking point"</span></h2><p><span>Cable succeeded Tim Farron as leader of the Liberal Democrats following the general election, and with a change in leadership came a significant change in personnel within the party's communications unit.</span></p><p><span>Paul Butters - a highly-rated press office who now works for anti-Brexit group Best For Britain - stood down. Butter's departure was planned in advance but nonetheless left the party with a sizable vacuum which needed filling. </span></p><p><span>However, more press officers soon followed him out of the door. "Most of the press office has disappeared over the last few months," a source who recently left the party's HQ told BI.</span></p><p><span>Cable's anointing didn't just trigger a change in personnel within the party's press team - but a significant change in structure, which quickly caused frustration among employees, numerous sources have told BI. </span></p><p><span>While now-departed press officers were entrusted to handle the party's output with minimal interference from the leadership, under Cable the approach is more top-down.</span></p><p><span>The leader's office allegedly insists on scrutinizing every press release before it is published, an idiosyncrasy that has slowed down the communications machine and contributed to declining morale among the current press team.</span></p><p>"Cable's lost the plot and it's rubbing off on his team," one well-placed source said, adding that a senior member of Cable's press team had been "approaching breaking point" prior to Thursday's press release disaster. </p><p>The party has not yet responded to BI's request for comment. </p><p>The election of Cable - a seasoned MP with Cabinet experience and plenty of respect across the Commons - was supposed to be the dawn of a new era for the Liberal Democrats, in which it would attract new support from voters put off by the Theresa May's hard Brexit Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. </p><p><span>"There is a vast opening in British <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>," <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/vince-cable-lib-dems-brexit-referendum-coalition-labour-conservatives-2017-7?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cable told BI shortly before coming leader</a>.</span></p><p><span>"We are very polarised between the hard right and hard left. There are millions of people with moderate views who are looking for a party that is shaped like the Liberal Democrats but haven't been supporting us. </span></p><p><span>"My job is to turn that potential into political support."</span></p><p><span>However, any suggestion that Cable could become the Nigel Farage of the anti-Brexiters has yet to materialise.</span></p><p><span>And with just over a year to go until Brexit, the party remains stagnant in the polls, while Labour and the Tories continuing to dictate the political weather in Westminster. </span></p><p><span>For some time now this failure to make progress has caused growing tensions within the party. </span><span>Now after a disastrous couple of days in Brussels, that unrest is starting to creep to the surface. </span><span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nra-extremism-hurts-gun-owners-members-america-2018-2">HENRY BLODGET: The NRA's extremism hurts gun owners, NRA members, and America</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

'Breaking point': The Lib Dems are falling apart as Cable fails to capitalise on Brexit

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters / Olivier Hoslet</span></p><p class="caption">German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, European Council President Donald Tusk and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel attend an extraordinary European Union leaders summit to discuss Brexit, in Brussels, Belgium April 10, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The EU has offered Theresa May a Brexit extension which would see Britain remain as a member until October 31.</strong></li><li><strong>The prime minister requested a shorter delay until June 30, but EU leaders, keen to avoid a rolling series of cliff edges, have insisted on a longer one.</strong></li><li><strong>The prime minister is facing a huge domestic backlash from angry Conservative MPs who wanted the UK to leave without a deal.</strong></li><li><strong>Within the next few months Britain could have a new prime minister, a general election, or call a second referendum.</strong></li><li><strong>Here's what is likely to happen next.</strong></li></ul><p>LONDON - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brexit-delayed-eu-leaders-may-request-for-short-extension-2019-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">Brexit has been delayed by up to six months</a>, following a meeting of EU leaders.</p><p>At an emergency summit in Brussels on Wednesday evening, EU leaders rebuffed Theresa May's request for a short extension until June and instead offered a longer one to October 31.</p><p>The prime minister had previously promised not to extend Brexit beyond June 30, in order to avoid taking part in the upcoming European elections.</p><p>However, with her withdrawal deal already rejected three times by the UK parliament, and little sign of a breakthrough, Britain looks set to remain inside the EU for some time to come.</p><p>The decision to delay will have major ramifications for British and European <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>, with the UK possibly facing a new prime minister, a general election, or a second referendum, within the coming months.</p><p>Here's what could happen next.</p><h2>May returns to London</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty</span></p><p class="caption">UK Prime Minister Theresa May</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Theresa May will return to Westminster on Thursday morning to make a statement in the House of Commons. It's one to tune in for. The prime minister will announce that she has agreed to delay Brexit to avoid no deal, and set out her reasons for doing so. It will be a historic moment and one which many MPs believe will lead to the collapse of Brexit altogether.</p><p>The government will also resume talks on a possible compromise deal with the opposition Labour party tomorrow, but neither side appears to hold much hope that they will be fruitful and appear close to collapse.</p><p>Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Tuesday that the prime minister had refused to compromise on her "red lines," meaning no agreement could be reached. </p><p>Corbyn said: "Talks have to mean a movement and so far there's been no change in those red lines."</p><p>It is difficult to understate the degree of fury with which Eurosceptic colleagues will react to the prime minister's move to delay Brexit will be greeted by her colleagues. Many of them believe she should have taken Britain out of the European Union without a deal and did not support any extension at all.</p><p>The scale of a potential rebellion against the prime minister was made clear on Wednesday when parliament was asked to back the prime minister's request for a short Brexit delay. While the motion passed, 97 Tory MPs broke the whip to vote against the government and a further 80 abstained, including several Cabinet ministers.</p><h2>Conservative MPs reach breaking point</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters / Simon Dawson</span></p><p class="caption">Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It is difficult to understate the degree of fury with which Eurosceptic colleagues will react to the prime minister's move to delay Brexit will be greeted by her colleagues. Many of them believe she should have taken Britain out of the European Union without a deal and did not support any extension at all.</p><p>The scale of a potential rebellion against the prime minister was made clear on Wednesday when parliament was asked to back the prime minister's request for a short Brexit delay. While the motion passed, 97 Tory MPs broke the whip to vote against the government and a further 80 abstained, including several Cabinet ministers.</p><p>As as result talks are already underway among Conservative MPs about how they can force the prime minister to resign.</p><h2>The end of May</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">British Prime Minister&#xa0;Theresa May is seen outside Downing Street in London</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Theresa May has already indicated that she will stand down as prime minister to let a new leader take over the second phase of negotiations.</p><p>However, with no end in sight for that phase, government sources made clear to Business Insider on Thursday that she has no intention of standing down any time soon. The insisted that the prime minister intends to get her Brexit deal ratified by parliament and the Article 50 process completed before she goes. This poses a major difficulty for those wanting to oust May, given that under Conservative party rules, she cannot formally be challenged in a no-confidence vote until December having already survived a previous vote before Christmas.</p><p>Despite this limitation, Conservative MPs will still try to force out the prime minister. In recent days a number of Conservative MPs have told Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, to tell the prime minister she has lost the confidence of her party and should stand down.</p><p>If Brady refuses to do that then Conservative MPs could still find other means to try and oust the prime minister. Some have already called for an informal vote of confidence in May which would indicate that the majority of her party did not support her, while others have proposed withdrawing their support for all government legislation, a move which would essentially bring the legislative process to a standstill.</p><p>Former Tory leader and Eurosceptic Iain Duncan Smith echoed the sentiment shared by backbenchers on Wednesday when he said: "My recommendation to the Prime Minister is, 'Don't go to a second vote of confidence,' because it is almost certain that will be lost and it would be a humiliation for her."</p><p>"If the EU grants a long extension she should leave office before the Tory conference in Manchester in October," he told Sky News.</p><h2>A Conservative leadership contest</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson speaks in Parliament in London</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>A Conservative leadership contest is almost inevitable this year. The exact timeframe depends on when May steps down and if she goes willingly.</p><p>If Eurosceptic opponents of the prime minister get their way, like former Cabinet minister Boris Johnson, she will announce plans to stand down in the spring, allowing MPs to start the contest to replace her.</p><p>How it works: MPs will whittle the list of candidates down to two, one of which is then selected by a ballot of paying party members.</p><p>The winner is likely to be a Brexiteer, because the Conservative membership is strongly Eurosceptic, and could well be an unfamiliar name. The new prime minister will face similar problems to May, one of simple arithmetic. </p><p>There is not a majority of support in this parliament for May's deal, and support would decrease further with a hard Brexit. While a Brexit deal involving customs union could win approval from parliament, the vast majority of Tory MPs oppose it.</p><p>That is why many in Westminster believe a general election is now inevitable.</p><h2>Another extension</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>While the decision to delay Brexit removes the immediate cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit, it does nothing to solve the political deadlock that has gripped British politics over the past six months.</p><p>With no parliamentary majority and a hardcore of Conservative MPs resolved to continue voting down her deal no matter what, there is an excellent chance that Britain will simply stumble on to October 31 without any further progress to speak of.</p><p>If that happens then the pressure on May to seek a third delay to Brexit will be immense. However, while many EU leaders - a majority of whom wanted to extend Article 50 until March 2020 - would be in favour, some would not. The French president Emmanuel Macron was instrumental in forcing the EU to set the extension to October and it could be incredibly difficult to persuade him to back a further extension.</p><p>Any further extension would therefore likely only be possible if there was a fundamental change in Britain's position. That means one of two things.</p><h2>A second referendum</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>There is growing support in the UK parliament for holding a second EU referendum with the Labour party raising it in Brexit talks with May and her team this week.</p><p>The proposal gaining most ground is for a vote to be held between May's deal with the EU, or remaining inside, in what backers are calling a "confirmatory referendum."</p><p>May's government remains fiercely opposed to this option however, with Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn also sceptical. However, if parliament continues to fail to find a solution to the crisis before the end of October then a new vote could be the only viable solution left. However, a referendum would take 6 months to a year to legislate and campaign for. It would therefore be reason enough for EU leaders to grant another delay.</p><h2>A general election</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>If no consensus can be found for another referendum, then there will only be one option left: a general election.</p><p>With no majority for any Brexit option in parliament, the only solution would be to disband the parliament and try to form a new one. Current polls suggest that doing so would merely create another hung parliament. However, with all other options tested, this could be the only one left.</p><p>The other trigger for a general election will be if and when May departs. Her successor as Conservative party leader and prime minister will almost certainly want their own mandate from the country meaning that Britain could within months be going back to the polls.</p><p class="tagline">Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain's departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider's political reporters. Join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/267178180471848/">here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/games-of-thrones-stars-real-life-jon-snow-cersei-lannister-stark-hbo-2017-7">Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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