Monday newspaper round-up: Brexit, banks, budget, tobacco, motor insurance

The Brexit negotiations are on a knife-edge as Theresa May’s domestic vulnerability over the Irish border threatens to kill off hopes of an October deal, with the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, forced to make a dash to Brussels to seek more time from the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Days before the crunch leaders’ summit at which the EU has demanded “maximum progress” be made to allow the talks to develop, Raab made the unexpected flying visit. - Guardian

Ministers have been told to start implementing plans for a no-deal Brexit within weeks as last-ditch talks in Brussels between Britain and the EU broke up after little more than an hour. Theresa May’s hopes of sealing a deal at the summit in Brussels that starts on Wednesday were left on a knife-edge when both sides declared that there had been no consensus over the so called Irish backstop. - The Times

Labour is pressing the government to give MPs the chance to debate Theresa May’s plans for the Irish border backstop before she flies to a crunch summit with EU leaders this week. Brexit secretary Dominic Raab returned from Brussels on Sunday night without agreement, after face-to-face talks with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier. - Guardian

Pro-leave cabinet members are to meet on Monday to discuss Theresa May’s proposed deal to leave the EU amid calls from backbenchers that they should resign to force a change in policy or a change in leader. Andrea Leadsom, the House of Commons’ leader, has convened a meeting of the so-called pizza group, which will discuss Dominic Raab’s return from Brussels without an agreement. - Guardian

Salesmen for one of the world's biggest tobacco firms have been caught offering potentially illegal incentives to smokers in bars to get them hooked on new "heat-not-burn" tobacco, it can be revealed. Acting for Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, salesmen push tobacco devices in bars using a range of questionable tactics to entice potential customers, a Telegraph investigation has established.

Philip Hammond is being warned that he does not have support in the Commons for a tax-raising budget in what is a sign of the government’s paralysis over Brexit. The chancellor made clear yesterday that he wanted to raise taxes in this month’s budget in the face of Tory opposition. He said that tax breaks for pension saving, which benefit millions of middle and high earners, had become “eye-wateringly expensive”. - The Times

The Treasury has asked high street banks to assess their exposure to at-risk sectors and companies if a “no-deal” Brexit leads to a cash crunch for UK plc. An executive at a London-listed lender told the Telegraph that officials at the Treasury had joined Bank of England regulators in urging banks to draw up plans to support businesses through any disruption. - Telegraph

Britain has vowed to help pull back the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from the brink and stop the global system of settling trade rows from “grinding to a halt,” setting it on a collision course with President Trump. Liam Fox’s trade department expressed concern over the crisis embroiling the world’s top trade court in the wake of a sustained American campaign. - The Times

Motorists have been hit by a rise in their insurance costs for the first time in a year, the latest snapshot of the industry suggests. Adding to the pressures that drivers are facing already from increased fuel prices, insurers pushed up the premium for comprehensive cover by an average of 1 per cent, or £8 per policy, between June and the end of September, according to an index compiled by Confused.com and Willis Towers Watson. - The Times

One of Britain’s most high-profile retail landlords has backed calls for higher taxes on online retailers to relieve the pressures of the “out of date” business rates regime on the country’s struggling high streets. Brian Bickell, chief executive of Carnaby Street owner Shaftesbury, called for a “level playing field” between shops and online shopping websites such as Amazon, which typically occupy much cheaper property and pay much less in rates as a result. - Telegraph

The company that owns Patisserie Valerie is considering taking legal action against its auditors for their alleged failure to spot a £40 million black hole in the upmarket café and cake shop operator’s finances. Grant Thornton, which has been auditor to Patisserie Holdings since 2006, has faced questions over how it remained ignorant of what the chain described as “significant, potentially fraudulent, accounting irregularities” discovered last week. - The Times

European rules designed to make it harder for wealthy individuals and companies to hide their cash offshore have loopholes that mean foreign accounts can be kept secret from tax collectors, a report has warned. Countries in the EU have exchanged financial information about accounts held by overseas residents since the introduction of the “common reporting standard” in 2017, designed to reduce tax evasion. - Guardian

Energy providers are urging the regulator to intervene in the online switching market after it emerged that up to 10 per cent of a household’s annual bill goes to the internet sites they used to switch provider, rather than on energy. Flipper, a new entrant to the online energy switching market, has lodged a complaint with Ofgem demanding that customers moving supplier know exactly how much the online broker is being paid by the energy providers, and whether they are actually getting the best deal. - The Times

Canadians are 48 hours away from embarking on the biggest national experiment yet taken in legalised soft drug use, when it becomes by far the largest country to create an open market for recreational cannabis. More than 100 shops, some of them run directly by the state, are expected to be ready for their first day of business on Wednesday, with many more to open in the coming months. - The Times

Government ministers are calling time on the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by tasking climate experts with finding a path to a net zero emission economy. The committee on climate change is expected to strengthen the UK’s existing 2050 target to drive emissions down emissions down by 80pc from levels in 1990. - Telegraph

The number of local bus journeys has fallen to a 12-year low, prompting public transport campaigners to talk of a crisis in the services. Latest Department for Transport figures show 1.2bn journeys were made in Britain between April and June, representing a 10% fall from a peak of 1.33bn between July and September 2008. - Guardian

British entertainment start-up Bombay Sour will launch a new video streaming platform this week on which subscribers will be able to buy shares in upcoming content. The platform, which Bombay Sour describes as "crowdfunded Netflix", uses blockchain technology to allow subscribers to take a stake in pilot content before it breaks onto TV, film or streaming services. - Telegraph