Biggest demonstration in the North and a non-stop flight
This week will see one of the biggest anti-Brexit marches in the North of England, as thousands of demonstrators descend on Leeds on Saturday, one year on from the anniversary of the triggering of Article 50 and almost a year before we officially leave on March 29, 2019. Organisers say it will be “one of the largest anti-Brexit demonstrations ever seen and almost certainly the largest protest march ever seen in Yorkshire”. The event has been organised by the Leeds for Europe group.
Leeds was one of only three local authorities in Yorkshire where residents voted for Remain in the historic 2016 referendum, with 50.3 per cent voting to stay in on a turnout of 69.6 per cent.
Lord Andrew Adonis, one of the most outspoken critics of Brexit, famously dubbing it “dangerous, populist and nationalist spasm worthy of Donald Trump”, is due to attend the event. He is also known for his strong opposition to the EU Withdrawal Bill, which is due to end its journey through Parliament around the time, referring to it as “the worst legislation of my lifetime”. He has in recent times been a relentless campaigner against Brexit. Expect to see lots of blue flags with yellow stars and possibly caricatures of Theresa May.
Sticking with the Brexit theme, Prime Minister Theresa May will enter the lion’s den on Thursday when she travels to Brussels in the hope of tying up a Brexit transition deal. On Friday, the EU27 heads of state will adopt the draft guidelines on the framework for a future relationship with the UK after Brexit. These guidelines will serve as a mandate for the EU negotiator Michel Barnier to start discussing the framework, with the aim of reaching an overall understanding. Expect plenty of discussion over how to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and much deliberation over phrases such as “common regulatory area” and “regulatory alignment”.
Sunday will see the first non-stop passenger flight between the UK and Australia. The first Qantas flight from Perth to London Heathrow is due to land at 5.10am. There will then be a press conference at the airport before the aircraft departs for the return journey at 1.15pm. The 17-hour flight on the twin-engine 787 Dreamliner will officially cover 9,009 miles and while most passengers will probably want to depart after that, some will have only a few minutes to stretch their legs before flying on to Melbourne. Return journeys from Perth to London will take advantage of time-zone differences and the spin of the earth, meaning passengers can set off at 6.45pm and arrive back in the UK at just after 5am the following day.
The North York Moors National Park authority meets today to discuss a variety of issues but part of the session will include an annual update on The Exploited Land of Iron initiative, part of which includes computer games programmers from the University of Teesside creating virtual 3D models of heritage sites as they were when operational.
Tomorrow heralds the start of spring, with the vernal equinox, meaning the length of night and day will be the same, with days growing longer until the summer solstice in June. Traditionally, the vernal equinox is used to determine which ‘world age’ we are in, that being determined by the constellation in which the sun rises on that date. At present, we are on the cusp of leaving constellation of Pisces and entering Aquarius. And don’t forget the clocks will go forward by one hour on Sunday.