Briefing note on conferences in London and Brussels organised by Flint Global and UK in a Changing Europe on 23 and 30 June 2026 State of UK-EU relations The overall tone of the conference was relatively optimistic on the current direction of travel in the post-Brexit relationship. Most speakers agreed that relations have improved significantly […]
A decade on from the Brexit referendum, after years of recrimination and hard negotiation, the politics around the UK-EU relationship are shifting. The UK Labour government is increasingly framing closer cooperation with the EU as in the UK’s economic and strategic interest, softening some of the political red lines around reintegration - including the recent reported proposal for much deeper alignment on goods trade. The issue has also become more prominent […]
Overview The UK’s new post-Brexit subsidy control regime sits against a backdrop of governments across developed economies pursuing more active industrial policy. The UK’s trade partners, most notably the EU, are watching its subsidy regime and decisions closely. There is significant domestic scrutiny too. Those responsible for scrutinising public spending, such as the National Audit […]
Post-Brexit, the best job in the UK government was that of trade secretary. While other ministers dealt with the Brexit fallout, or were tasked with tackling Covid-19, then trade chief, Liz Truss, was filling up her trophy cabinet. EU trade deals were rolled over, repackaged, and celebrated by the domestic press. New free trade agreements […]
The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party, while the DUP came second on their anti-Protocol platform. However, there is no majority for either Irish unification nor for scrapping the Northern Irish Protocol. Following confirmation of their position as the largest party after the Northern Irish elections last week, Sinn Fein have […]
Lord Frost’s hard line on re-negotiating the Northern Ireland Protocol has won some flexibility from the EU. But talks have stalled amid an exchange of threats. The Prime Minister will need to decide what best serves his political interest: a possible trade war with the EU in the run up to Christmas, or a negotiated […]
It is becoming harder to get mergers cleared in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is taking an increasingly sceptical view and wants to go further by getting government to change the rules to make it even easier to block mergers involving large technology companies. Why has the CMA raised the bar, and is there a […]
Rewriting the rulebook With Brexit done and hopes rising that the worst of the pandemic may soon be behind us, the British Government’s attention has shifted to its post-Brexit, post-pandemic future. The rupture with the EU’s legal order means that, in some areas, new, independent regulatory frameworks are necessary. In other areas, although the Government initially rolled EU rules and regulations over into UK […]
Now the UK has its own national trade policy let’s get it right. Rolling over EU agreements is important, but it is the easy bit. Beyond that, a focus on traditional goods-oriented Free Trade Agreements will be too narrow. We should be smart and innovative when exploring post-Brexit trade policy. Trade policy does not exist in a vacuum. Trade strategy should be integral to domestic […]
If 2020 was bad, the start Q1 of 2021 looked worse. Covid-19 is severely affecting every aspect of life, and we are seeing early evidence of post-Brexit disruption. By the spring things may look better: we have a Brexit deal, and vaccines offer hope. But the economic and social damage from Covid-19 will be lasting and the Chancellor faces tough choices about the shape of […]
Summary of my argument: with only four months of negotiating time left a Brexit deal remains in reach but is far from certain. The UK-EU negotiations are held up on three key issues: level playing field rules for economic and trade relations, governance, and fish. Both sides will have to compromise on each of these […]
