After years of making the running on immigration, Farage may this week have handed the initiative back to his opponents'. @robfordmancs.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social on the unpopularity of Reform's proposals on ILR ukandeu.ac.uk/reforms-radi...

Interesting piece on the success of the Social Democratic government in Spain and the lessons for Labour. The penultimate paragraph was particularly striking renewal.org.uk/articles/dar...

One for the nerds here... New briefing on the key issues to resolve in the UK-EU ETS negotiations. And for the slightly less nerdy, here's a blog on why the broader set of negotiations could prove tricky ukandeu.ac.uk/uk-eu-negoti...

Strong stuff - lays out the political and historical reasons why the ECHR is so integral to the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, and why a 'British Bill of Rights' could never occupy the same role

This explainer by @joellegrogan.bsky.social and @alicedonald.bsky.social looks at the relationship between the Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement and the ECHR To understand what role the ECHR plays and what UK withdrawal would mean for Northern Ireland, read this 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/t...

Very underwhelming FAC session on the UK-EU reset - which felt like it was stuck in 2024 with same old stuff about fish, touring artists and sovereignty but almost no detailed interrogation of ETS/SPS/energy talks or wider global challenges. parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

IT'S OUT! @ukandeu.bsky.social brand new survey of the policy challenges confronting the UK, done in partnership with the wonderful @resfoundation.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/poli... 1/???

"One of his revealed flaws in his personnel appointments is that he seems to prefer appointing people whose attitude or background he likes, rather than look at whether they are equipped to do the job." @jillongovt.bsky.social reflects on why Starmer struggles to get the machinery of govt. going

Timely analysis from UKICE (@cbarnard.bsky.social) as per

‼️ Don't miss our panel on the negotiations to come between the UK and EU on the policy areas outlined at the summit W/ @anandmenon.bsky.social, @cbarnard.bsky.social, @jillongovt.bsky.social, @jannikewachowiak.bsky.social & @jreland.bsky.social 💻 Online, Weds 10 Sept ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

📣 NEW EVENT 📣 Join us and @resfoundation.bsky.social as we launch the latest edition of our Policy Landscape report with expert analysis of the biggest public policy challenges facing the UK 📅 Tues 2 Sept, 9:30am 📍In-person (London) & online Sign up 👇 www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/hot-t...

In Brussels in September? Come along! ukandeu.ac.uk/events/the-f...

“Man-made famine is not something that I’ve seen in my lifetime." - Martin Griffiths, UN’s former humanitarian chief. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

encompass-europe.com/comment/the-... @jreland.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social

Our director @anandmenon.bsky.social on @gbnewsonline.bsky.social introducing the latest edition of our UK-EU Divergence Tracker The report by @jreland.bsky.social finds that there is already more UK alignment with the EU than is generally recognised Find out more 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/uk-e...

"And in the ultimate of ironies, the only place which hasn’t taken back control following Brexit is the House of Commons itself." @stellacreasy.bsky.social on the need to address Parliamentary scrutiny of the government’s Brexit deal. ukandeu.ac.uk/how-parliame...

New blog summing up the findings of the divergence tracker ukandeu.ac.uk/uk-eu-relati... "On the vast majority of issues, the UK and EU are [now] partners before they are competitors... the Brexit imperative for the UK to demonstrate its regulatory independence... appears dead in the water."

After a brief, funding uncertainty-induced hiatus, the latest divergence tracker is out. Hopefully it has been worth the wait, as it finds evidence that the UK’s realignment towards the EU is going further than many assume. "Alignment by stealth", if you will. Here are the key points...

A very powerful essay by Holocaust scholar Omer Bartov, arguing that: a) Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and b) denying this threatens to "undermine everything that Holocaust scholarship and commemoration have stood for." Do read the whole thing www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...

On the 9th anniversary of the EU referendum, we are now in a new era of more rational, less ideological UK Policy towards the EU. But I argue that this brings new challenges - around how to deliver closer alignment. Govt faces a choice between two paths: 'replication' and 'integration'

Not the most discussed element of the summit but I think the commitment on UK participation in the internal energy market is v significant. Unambiguous cherry picking which shows both UK willingness to reintegrate into single market and EU willingness to be flexible about it.

A quick run-down of what's been announced today Almost all of it still to happen PDF with clicky links: bit.ly/UshGraphic140 @ukandeu.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social @cleodavies.bsky.social @davidheniguk.bsky.social @nvondarza.bsky.social

Reminder that the level of EU access to UK fishing waters, now being called an act of capitulation, will remain exactly the same as under the terms negotiated by Boris Johnson ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/e...

Following on from yesterday's report, here's a short blog summing up the key findings about the regulatory challenges facing the new government. In short: lots of ambition, but a potential conflict of both purpose and resource. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-uks-regu...

"This could mean that the UK is unable to develop more liberal rules on GE goods until the EU has also done so – and that the substance of the UK’s rules must match that of the EU’s." Find out more about the impact of an 'SPS' deal between 🇬🇧&🇪🇺 on gene editing rules ukandeu.ac.uk/the-facts/ge...

Shout out to our new social media officer @anandmenon.bsky.social for his excellent filming work

OUT NOW! The new report by @jreland.bsky.social on regulation in the UK after Brexit. media.ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/u... 1/9

We've got a new report out today on 'Regulating after Brexit'. In part, it is a culmination of four years of my work tracking UK-EU regulatory divergence, but it also looks to the regulatory future. Here are a few highlights... ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/regu...

A piece from me arguing that there are signs that the UK-EU summit may be a rare example of politicians under-promising and over-delivering, and examining why the UK suddenly seems more enthusiastic about improving EU trade.

We have a ruling on sand eels! The core EU claim (UK ban was unscientific and discriminatory) has been dismissed. But the UK made procedural errors which must be rectified. Ruling does not specify what the UK must do to redress this. But full overturn seems unlikely. www.gov.uk/government/n...

On how the UK-EU relationship may increasingly look Swiss-style, @jreland.bsky.social is right. Some of us were discussing this in 2016. Quite simply there are too many common subjects to be contained in any single structure. ukandeu.ac.uk/switzerland-...

What a time to be alive..... Me for @ukandeu.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/uk-in-a-chan...

With more and more info leaking out about the UK-EU summit on 19 May, I think the relationship is on a path to becoming increasingly 'Swiss'. Read on to find out what that means (and watch out for the full report - on this and much more - next week). ukandeu.ac.uk/switzerland-...

I'll be giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee from around 10, talking all things Windsor Framework and divergence parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

Jill has been an absolutely brilliant colleague and mentor over the past four years. Encyclopedic knowledge and a sharp, critical eye as an editor. A key part of what made the team so great. I hope this won't be the last we see of her on UKICE productions!

'The critical turn was under Rishi Sunak... what we saw was an abandonment of some of the more radical plans for divergence' @jreland.bsky.social discusses EU divergence in past government and Labour's current approach 👇

To clarify one thing: this piece talks about joining 'the' customs union, which is not viable IMO. But on reflection I think they probably mean 'a' UK-EU customs union - which is a fair proposal. Our explainer on the issue is here if you want to know more ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/e...

Very confused editorial. If the UK is to reintegrate into the EU, it will be on the EU's terms. Trying to lead the process and ask for special treatment (customs union but no freedom of movement) which no member state enjoys is a deeply un-serious proposal observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

What an interaction from the last meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

'That is why most British exporting businesses would prefer the benefits of dynamic alignment with European rules, as Joël Reland of UK in a Changing Europe, another think-tank, notes in a forthcoming report' UKICE's @jreland.bsky.social quoted in @economist.com 👇 www.economist.com/britain/2025...

↔️ Brexit gave the UK the freedom to diverge from EU regulations 🤔 But why has regulatory reform proved so difficult? 📺 Find out with @jreland.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social sky.social @drsarahhall.bsky.social @dgbailey.bsky.social & Neil Ross 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

With talk that a UK-EU deal on fish is close, here's an explainer with all you need to know. Key points: ⬆️ UK catches are up post-Brexit, but only in Scotland and NI. ⬇️ But UK fish exports are down, due to Brexit bureaucracy. 🎣 Sector has more to gain from an SPS deal than larger fish quotas.

For anyone who wants to spend their easter weekend reading up on ETS linkage, no better place to start than our report from last autumn. Pages 14-18 have all you need to know ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/uk-e...

Am one of the 'experts' quoted here. FWIW I think the economic gains from ETS linkage would likely well outweigh any thin deal the UK might cut with Trump

📣 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT 📣 Why has regulatory reform since Brexit been so difficult & where does regulation fit in the UK-EU reset? Find out w/ @jreland.bsky.social, @jillongovt.bsky.social, @drsarahhall.bsky.social, @dgbailey.bsky.social & Neil Ross 💻 Online, 29 April ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

Shouldn't underestimate the importance of NI in this alignment stuff. Helping the Windsor Framework is a key reason why the UK and - crucially - also the EU are open to a deal on agrifood specifically, despite the political risks for both sides.

Wondering what UK alignment with EU food rules means? Don't worry we've got an explainer for that, courtesy of @jannikewachowiak.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/v...

I've written a short blog for @ukandeu.bsky.social on Policy Exchange's recent report on Brexit and trade, which fails to back up its assertions. ukandeu.ac.uk/policy-excha...

There were opportunities for key sectors like aerospace and automotive to be within specific EU regulatory regimes. Some careful negotiations would be required, but the benefits for all would be significant.

This is interesting on the idea of a UK-EU common defence market on.ft.com/4c2r5wa FWIW I think the UK could become more 'Swiss', with some selective access to the EU market, *if* it can think strategically about where to do it, swallow EU rules, and not upset things by getting into bed with Trump