Sunday newspaper round-up: Brexit, Labour manifesto, Liberal Democrats

A Brexit deal with Brussels is possible and Boris Johnson has a 'landing zone' to bring it in on, a top minister insisted today.

Brexit minister Steve Barclay played up the chances of getting an agreement with the EU after MPs last week seemed to block the Government's path to a No Deal departure.

He also revealed he will meet EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier tomorrow, while the Prime Minister is holding talks with outgoing European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Luxembourg. - Mail on Sunday

Prominent Eurosceptics have privately signalled that they are ready to vote for a new Brexit deal if Boris Johnson can win meaningful concessions on the Northern Ireland backstop, dramatically raising the prospects of Britain leaving the EU with a deal by the end of October.

Four senior figures in the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer hardliners have confessed that they might have to vote for a new version of Theresa May’s deal. They fear the alternative is to see parliament vote to revoke article 50, or for Johnson to resign. - Sunday Times

Jeremy Corbyn has come under growing internal pressure to commit Labour to a unequivocal policy of remaining in the European Union as more than 100 councillors issued a joint warning to the party’s ruling body that any form of Brexit would threaten jobs, public services, workers’ rights and the environment.

In a letter to the national executive committee (NEC), which meets this week, the Labour councillors, including several leaders of county and borough councils, called on the party “to campaign unambiguously and energetically for a public vote on Brexit and to endorse a ‘remain and transform’ position in all circumstances”.

The group also said it would “support revoking article 50, if necessary to prevent no deal, and a commitment to a remain and transform position in a general election Labour manifesto”. - The Observer

Labour would undertake a massive shake-up of tax laws including making it easier to jail advisers who 'enable' tax avoidance if it takes power, John McDonnell revealed today.

The shadow chancellor and opposition hardman wants to toughen up rules that already allow the worst offenders to be imprisoned by making them more 'severe', with the big accountancy firms firmly in his sights.

He also confirmed that he would push ahead with plans to slash the entry point for the higher level 45p rate of income tax from £150,000 to £80,000 if he took the keys to 11 Downing Street. - Mail on Sunday

Liberal Democrat members have officially endorsed revoking Article 50 without a referendum if leader Jo Swinson wins power at the next general election.

In a major shift for the unashamedly pro-EU party, activists backed the inclusion of the new policy of cancelling Brexit altogether in the Lib Dems’ next manifesto for government.

The policy move comes as Sam Gyimah – a former Conservative leadership contender – defected to the Lib Dems at the party’s conference opening rally in Bournemouth on Saturday evening, in a major coup for the new leader. - The Independent