On Tuesday, a large majority of MEPs voted in favour of setting up the European Parliament’s new standing delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly. Following a proposal by the conference of presidents (EP president and chairs of political groups), plenary set up the new standing delegation and the number of MEPs that will sit on…
Consider this: on the day the UK announced it had given the coronavirus jab to 1.5m of its citizens, there were some EU member states yet to vaccinate a single one of their citizens. These included The Netherlands, which has always prided itself on its healthcare system but neighbouring Belgium also pretty much matched the…
The UK-EU trade deal prioritises sovereignty over economics. Politicians will soon be talking about how to improve the deal. Very little about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU has been settled, writes Charles Grant. One particular comment that I heard during the Brexit negotiations has lodged in my memory. In September 2020, a senior…
On Monday 28 December, the leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament and President David Sassoli exchanged views with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier on the deal reached on 24 December on the future relationship between the EU and the UK. The Conference of Presidents reiterated…
When you were a child, do you remember how it felt when one of your favourite Christmas presents was taken away from you? Well that’s how many will feel for many on 31 December when free movement between the UK and the EU comes to an end, For millions of Britons and EU citizens, the gift of free movement gave them the choice to live in…
A new £100 million scheme for students to study and work abroad will replace the UK’s participation in Erasmus+ The UK has cancelled further participation in Erasmus+ and has replaced it with a new scheme designed to enable students to study and do work placements across the world. The Turing scheme will be backed by…
On 24 December 2020, the UK and EU agreed a new Trade and Cooperation Agreement to govern the future trading and security relationship now that the UK has left the EU. President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about the “long and winding road ” that led to an agreement. However, it is also clear that there is much…
A reply to a comment made by the Russian ambassador to Austria on the Ukraine conflict, written by Olexander Scherba, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria. There is naive hypocrisy, outrageous hypocrisy – and hypocrisy beyond comprehension. For example the hypocrisy of a state that has promised to respect your borders, then takes your country away…
Following the disqualification of four pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong, the UK Government has declared China in breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Beijing’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong constitutes a clear breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.” “China has once…
An increase in the number of female firefighters has been welcomed by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), but more progress needs to be made in this area. The latest figures published by the Home Office – covering the period from April 1st 2019 to 31st March 2020 – focusses on a range of workforce areas across…
