Category Archives: Uncategorised

Challenging implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol

Posted on 9th June 2022 by admin

Since we’re back in a hotter phase of the NIP rhetoric cycle, it’s useful to revisit various points. None of it’s new and I’ve shared all the content below with you before, but apparently that’s not got through to everyone. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

WA/TCA meeting tracker: April 2022

Posted on 28th April 2022 by admin

A short post this week, to update the trackers for meetings of the assorted committees of the EU-UK’s Withdrawal Agreement and Trade & Cooperation Agreement. As you can see, things have been quiet so far this year. WA activity has … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ukrainian accession to the EU: run now, walk later?

Posted on 21st April 2022 by admin

The question of whether and how Ukraine joins the EU ranks relatively low on the list of priority topics right now, for reasons that are both too obvious and too horrific to discuss right now. However, it is still a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A problem for 2024? Consent in the Northern Ireland Protocol

Posted on 14th April 2022 by admin

Given the amount of political anguish caused already by the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP) since its conception during the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) talks, it might seem odd to write today about one provision that can’t be used until late 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The old rules don’t apply any more

Posted on 30th March 2022 by admin

The non-invitation of Boris Johnson at last week’s European Council on Ukraine came after a period of improved EU-UK relations, driven strongly by the Russian invasion. However, that close cooperation – highlighted by Liz Truss’ appearance at a Foreign Affairs … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The EU needs more than an external unifier

Posted on 10th March 2022 by admin

This post originally appeared on Encompass. When trying to explain why European integration took off after the end of the Second World War, academics typically point towards some combination of factors. As well as the peace project in the wake … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Did Brexit change anything?

Posted on 24th February 2022 by admin

This week I went to a conference on ‘British politics after Brexit‘. We didn’t talk about Brexit very much, among the swirl of partygate, shifting opinion polls and questions over the viability of the Union. Which prompts a question about … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Building a Parliamentary post-Brexit relationship

Posted on 10th February 2022 by admin

After much delay, the membership of the Trade & Cooperation Agreement’s (TCA) Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) was finally settled in late January. The Assembly is an advisory body to the TCA’s main Partnership Committee, “a forum to exchange view on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Timelining Brexit

Posted on 3rd February 2022 by admin

As I seem to find myself regularly explaining, Brexit is a process, not an event. Which is all well and good, but also a bit problematic when you want to work out the appropriate context for that process. At one … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A new year of Brexiting

Posted on 13th January 2022 by admin

The arrival of 2022 has brought both continuity and change to the UK’s relationship with the EU. The resignation of Lord Frost in December has precipitated a major reorganisation (possibly still on-going) of the government’s management of EU and Brexit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorised | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment