This week’s second reading of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill moves the UK one step closer to a significant aggravation of the relationship with the EU. With no Tories voting against the Bill – partly because it was presented as a technical exercise – the government is pushing on with a faster committee stage. However, […]

The title of this post feels insanely optimistic, given the events of the past weeks, but if we don’t try then we certainly won’t succeed. Last month I submitted some evidence to the Follow-up inquiry on the impact of the Protocol, run by the Lord’s EU Committee’s sub-Committee on the Protocol. Being very aware of […]

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. The UK government is seemingly on the verge (again) of producing a bill that would […]

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 been winding down (although that might change should the UK follow through on its reported […]

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 question that demands attention. The rapid return of the Commission’s preliminary questionnaire by the Ukrainian […]

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 at the earliest. However, the Art.18 provisions on consent represent a key safeguard for the […]

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 Council earlier in the month. So what gives? I’ve tried to set out so underlying […]