UK’s Barclay: Two new Brexit committees are now up and running

Anil Panchal FXStreet

The UK Brexit Secretary, Stephen Barclay, recently tweeted updates of his talks with the European Union (EU) Chief Brexit Negotiator Barnier that signals the UK is more prepared to leave the region on October 31.

Key quotes

Spoke to Michel Barnier today and made our position clear: We want a deal but are leaving the EU on October 31 with or without one.
Two new Brexit committees are now up and running. I came away confident; we now have a fresh approach to negotiating a deal and are well prepared to leave the EU.

FX implications

Such tweets from key lawmakers emphasize the UK PM Boris Johnson’s pledge to leave the region by October 31, even without a deal, and can keep exerting downside pressure on the British Pound (GBP).

Author

Anil Panchal

FXStreet

Anil Panchal has nearly 15 years of experience in tracking financial markets. With a keen interest in macroeconomics, Anil aptly tracks global news/updates and stays well-informed about the global financial moves and their implications.

AUD/USD consolidates near 0.7000 as USD stays weak

AUD/USD holds steady above 0.7000 during Thursday’s Asian session, consolidating the previous day’s recovery gains from a near three-week low as the Democratic sweep in the US midterm elections and Iran diplomacy hopes continue to weigh on the US Dollar. Bulls, however, seem hesitant as focus shifts to Friday’s crucial US NFP report.

USD/JPY drifts lower to 158.25 on hawkish BoJ Minutes, weak USD

USD/JPY trades with a negative bias for the second straight day on Thursday as hawkish BoJ Minutes, showing members agreed to keep raising rates, and intervention risks support the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, US midterm election results and hopes for Iran diplomacy keep the US Dollar depressed as focus shifts to Friday’s US NFP report.

Gold eases from two-week top; holds comfortably above $4,100

Gold retreats slightly from a two-week high touched during Thursday’s Asian session, albeit it clings to gains for the second straight day and currently trades around $4,130. The US Dollar extends the fallout from US election results, dropping to a fresh low since late September and assisting the commodity in building on the previous day's strong rally of over 3.5% – its biggest single-day rise since mid-August.

TRUMP token hits record low amid mounting selling pressure

Ripple and Stellar extend their recovery as bearish pressure begins to ease for both altcoins. XRP trades above $1.30 after breaking above the upper trendline of a falling channel pattern, while XLM holds above $0.168 and approaches resistance at $0.173. Meanwhile, improving derivatives metrics and strengthening momentum indicators hint at a potential for further recovery.

BoE expected to hike interest rate to 4.00%

The Bank of England is set to reveal its latest monetary policy decision on Thursday, coinciding with its seventh rate-setting meeting of 2026. Market analysts expect the ‘Old Lady’ to increase its policy rate by a quarter percentage point to 4.00%, the highest level since November 2025.

US Dollar breaks below 101.50 as Democrats sweep Congress

The US Dollar (USD) comes under heavy selling pressure on Wednesday, with the US Dollar Index (DXY) falling around 0.5% to trade near 101.35 after sliding below the 101.50 level. The Greenback retreats to its lowest level in four weeks as investors reassess the political and economic outlook following the Democratic Party's sweeping victory in the United States (US) midterm elections.