Friday newspaper round-up: Brexit, gig economy, Italy, high streets

A Brussels plan to put a customs border in the Irish Sea if there is no Brexit agreement will be included in a divorce deal, a leaked letter from Theresa May suggests. The prime minister was accused last night of breaking her promise to the Democratic Unionist Party that she would never sign up to a deal that could allow Northern Ireland to be divided from the rest of the United Kingdom. - The Times

Retailers have called for “decisive action” from the government to support the UK’s battered high streets after new data showed the number of shops, pubs and restaurants lying empty has soared by more than 4,400 in the first six months of this year. Closures increased by nearly 17% to 24,205 across 3,000 towns, cities, retail parks and shopping centres monitored by the Local Data Company. - Guardian

Theresa May is pressing ahead with plans to boost the rights of workers in the gig economy on areas including flexibility and pay as part of a package of measures to overhaul employment laws. The prime minister plans to end a legal loophole that allows companies to pay agency workers less than full-time staff for doing the same job as she attempts to demonstrate that she understands concerns about inequalities in the world of work. - Guardian

The EU has no legal means to force the capitulation of Italy’s rebel government and the budget showdown is likely to escalate until there is a market crisis, warned a veteran euro fire-fighter. Vitor Constancio, the European Central Bank’s former financial stability chief, said the high-stakes clash with Italy is extremely difficult to handle and Brussels is effectively powerless against a net contributor to the EU budget. - Telegraph

Walt Disney has revealed that its planned television streaming service is going to be called Disney+ and confirmed that it would be showing television shows spun off from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking on an earnings call chief executive Bob Iger said that a TV series about the Marvel character Loki is in development for the service, featuring the actor Tom Hiddleston. - Telegraph

The merger of two of Britain’s biggest energy suppliers has been thrown into doubt after the government’s price cap threatened the financial viability of the combined company. SSE agreed last year to spin off its household supply arm and merge it with Npower, owned by Innogy, to form a new independent supplier that would be listed in London. - The Times

Easter Eggs are being stockpiled by a major chocolate company to ensure the country does not run out of the festive treats when Britain leaves the European Union next March. Logistics specialist Wincanton revealed “a good pipeline of opportunities” from food and drinks companies that want to mitigate potential business disruption caused by Brexit. - Telegraph

John McDonnell, the Labour shadow chancellor, is in discussions with the distinguished economist Lord Skidelsky about an independent inquiry into cutting the working week, possibly from the traditional five days to four. The academic, who has a longstanding interest in the future of work, confirmed he was talking to the shadow chancellor about “the practical possibilities of reducing the working week”. - Guardian