Some politicians have voiced concern that Brexit could potentially have negative consequences for the relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. David Phinnemore assesses some of the key challenges posed by Brexit for Northern Ireland and how Northern Irish political parties have reacted to the result of the EU referendum.
Six weeks after the EU referendum Northern Ireland’s First Minister, […]
How are preparations for Brexit coming along? Richard Whitman pursues an IT analogy, arguing that while the ‘hardware’ to facilitate the Brexit negotiation, including a dedicated minister and ministry, is in place, the ‘software’ – i.e., answers to crucial questions on how the relationship between the UK and the EU will look like – is still lacking.
The British government’s preparations for invoking […]
The UK government has indicated that it intends to appeal a ruling in the High Court that it cannot trigger Article 50 without a vote in parliament. Jo Murkens writes that the decision amounted to a ‘proper drubbing’ for Theresa May’s position and that in failing to understand the constitution of its own country, the government has been taught […]
The question of which EU institution will lead the UK’s exit negotiations has important implications for how the talks will unfold, writes Anthony Salamone. He argues that, while the negotiations will have both ‘internal’ and ‘external’ dimensions, delegating the detail to the Commission seems the direction of travel at present, which could make Brexit more challenging for the UK […]
It is easy to assume that Brexit will increase support for an independent Scotland. However looking at recent polls, Sean Swan writes that Scottish support for remaining in the EU does not translate directly into supporting independence as a means of achieving that goal. At the same time, Brexit also appears not to have had a dramatic effect on party […]
The meaning of Brexit is yet to become clear. But if Brexit implies leaving the customs union of the European Union, Thomas Sampson looks at what it might mean for the UK to pursue its own trade policy for the first time since joining the European Community in 1973.
An independent trade policy presents both challenges and opportunities. The most important […]
The Brexit vote has been linked by some commentators to disaffection among those who perceive themselves to be ‘losers’ from the process of globalisation. Piers Ludlow discusses the tendency of Britain’s liberal elite to distance themselves from the outcome of the referendum, noting that in reality they played a far more prominent role in shaping the final result than has been […]
Brexit was supposed to return parliamentary sovereignty. Instead it has brought about the most submissive, disempowered Parliament in modern history, writes Jo Murkens. The Great ‘Repeal’ Act will collapse the distinction between EU and national law, creating powers never expressly granted by Parliament. It will probably also enable the government to amend primary legislation without a parliamentary vote.
Brexit started with the […]
Drawing on a recent study, Oliver Heath presents an examination of class-based inequalities in turnout at British elections. These inequalities have substantially grown over time. The analysis suggests that the decline in proportion of elected representatives from working-class backgrounds is strongly associated with the rise of working-class abstention.
In recent years there has been a great deal of concern about declining […]
Despite Germany’s long-standing respect for its British partners, the Federal Republic trades more with the EU27 than it does with the UK and it has a profound ideological commitment to European integration that is seldom appreciated in Britain. Charlotte Galpin writes that in this context, Boris Johnson may be doing more harm than good by taking German support towards […]
One of the key issues of contention in the context of Brexit is the extent to which MPs and British voters should be allowed a say on the precise deal the UK negotiates to leave the European Union. Richard Rose writes that any hope a second referendum being held on these terms could result in the country staying in […]
Theresa May has stated that the UK will trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017. Iain Begg writes that while her speech gave some indication of timing, there is still no concrete statement on what kind of relationship the UK would actually like to negotiate with the EU. In the absence of this level of clarity he […]
Lowering immigration was the key motivation behind the Brexit vote, and how to achieve it dominates the current political debate. Drawing on new data, Eric Kaufmann analyses the propsects of support for a hard and a soft Brexit, based on how much Britons would be willing to pay to reduce the number of Europeans entering the UK.
A new survey […]
Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, has stated that it will be impossible to give the UK greater rights than those granted to other states outside the European Union. And yet, with EU negotiations looming, Theresa May is still very much in a holding position. According to Richard Rose, May’s real priority is not Europe, but laying the groundwork for winning the 2020 British […]
There has been much talk about whether a general election will or should take place before 2020, the key arguments behind it being that Theresa May has no mandate to carry out her programme, while also having no mandate to negotiate the exact terms of Brexit. Calling an early election would therefore be a single-topic vote. Yossi Nehushtan argues that such […]
The Scottish Government has indicated that it may call a second independence referendum as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Richard Rose writes that the SNP are already establishing the foundations for a new independence campaign and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, may quickly propose legislation for another referendum once the UK triggers Article 50.
While […]
The Brexit vote has thrown different conceptions of democracy into sharp relief. Some are horrified at the conduct of the referendum campaign; others see the result as the revealed will of the people. Luke Temple uses tweets from the March for Europe event on the 3rd September to show how these views clash. He concludes that the pro-EU movement needs a clear aim if it’s to make […]
More than ten weeks ago now, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Holger Schmieding explains why the initial shock has subsided fast. First, instead of taking charge, the leading Brexiteers lost the ensuing power struggle within the Conservative party as the mildly pro-EU Theresa May prevailed within just three weeks. Second, May’s calm and slow approach to Brexit […]
Following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, a great deal of attention has focused on when the country will choose to begin its exit negotiations. Richard Rose writes that there are both pros and cons for the British government in pushing back the negotiations. A delay would allow the government to arrive at a stronger position on […]
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Parliament’s role in the Brexit negotiations: Article 50 and beyond
Parliament’s role in the Brexit negotiations: Article 50 and beyond
If the recent high court ruling on Brexit is upheld, then MPs in the UK Parliament will have to approve the decision to trigger Article 50 and begin the process for leaving the European Union. But how would this vote actually take place and what influence will Parliament have over the negotiations? Based on a recent report, Sara Hagemann assesses Parliament’s […]