Press

Britain leaves the European Union, but Brexit is far from over

Sam Lowe
01 February 2020
Bloomberg
“Many questions remain about the future relationship,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. “We have left the EU, but Brexit lives on.”

¿Mejorará la economía británica tras el Brexit?

31 January 2020
Expansion
John Springford, economista jefe del Centro para la Reforma Europea, ha declarado que la expectativa de que la economía británica mejore notablemente después del Brexit "no tiene sentido": "Para empezar, no hay pruebas que demuestren que llegarán muchas inversiones; lo cierto es que la situación será bastante difícil y que se reducirá la actividad de las empresas que dependen de la libre circulación de personas o del comercio sin fricciones".

2020 will be the year of the UK-EU-US trade triangle

Sam Lowe
31 January 2020
The Telegraph
Britain needs to “drop its starry-eyed optimism”, according to Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. “The UK will not get an easy ride just because of its so-called special relationship with the US. If the UK resists US demands, particularly in the area of agriculture and food hygiene, then concluding a comprehensive free trade agreement could take years.”

Al Jazeera Arabic: How the EU is adapting to the UK leaving

31 January 2020
Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the CER’s spoke to Al Jazeera about how the EU is adapting to the UK leaving.

What would a Canada-style trade deal with the UK look like?

Sam Lowe
31 January 2020
Politico
Johnson has stressed several times that he’s looking for a "super Canada-plus" agreement with the EU rather than a closer economic partnership. “When they say Canada, they don’t mean literally Canada. They mean an equivalent balance of access and obligation,” Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said.

The pursuit of free trade

Sam Lowe
30 January 2020
The Investors Chronicle
Sam Lowe, a trade specialist at the Centre for European Reform, a pro-EU think tank, is more blunt: “The problem facing Johnson and his global-Britain outriders is that globalisation has stalled. There could hardly be a more challenging environment for leaving the EU’s single market and customs union and attempting to rebuild a trade policy from scratch.”

Brexit: Londyn wychodzi, angielski zostaje

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
30 January 2020
Rzeczpospolita
UE będzie obstawać przy swoich priorytetach, czyli handlu i współpracy w dziedzinie bezpieczeństwa. Bo to obszary, w których brak porozumienia miałby najpoważniejsze konsekwencje – mówi „Rzeczpospolitej" Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, ekspertka think tanku Centre for European.

Das Brexit-Experiment: Was bringt den Briten die neue Freiheit?

Sam Lowe
30 January 2020
Handelsblatt
„Das war von Anfang an das Problem in der Brexit-Debatte“, sagt Sam Lowe, Handelsexperte bei der Londoner Denkfabrik Centre for European Reform. „Wenn man die Brexiteers fragt, welche Regeln sie denn abschaffen wollen, kommt entweder etwas Triviales oder gar nichts.

BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room: How to do a trade deal

30 January 2020
For the first time in decades the UK will now negotiate its own trade deals. David Aaronovitch explores our options and likely outcomes. Free trade deals can take years and require hundreds of highly skilled staff in what are described as the biggest games of poker you can play.

A Brexit trade deal can be done but new cliff-edges await, warns trade expert

Sam Lowe
30 January 2020
EurActiv
The UK may be just hours away from walking through the EU’s exit door but when it comes to trade, the journey is only just about to start, according to Sam Lowe, one of Westminster’s leading trade experts.

Explainer: Brexit 'done' at last - now for the hard part

Sam Lowe
30 January 2020
Reuters
Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform think-tank said Britain’s desire for full control of domestic regulation and trade policy will significantly limit the scope of any deal.“At best, the EU and UK are on course to conclude a free trade agreement that removes all tariffs and quotas, but creates significant new administrative and regulatory barriers to trade in both goods and services,” he said.

We are already £900 a year worse off because of Brexit

30 January 2020
Metro
Deputy director of the Centre for Economic Reform, John Springford, said that losses in the nation’s income would be felt by everyday Brits, who are now hundreds of pounds poorer per year.He told Metro.co.uk : [The research] means that the average person in Britain would be 3% richer if remain had won.

Post-Brexit Britain may find trade deals hard to negotiate

Sam Lowe
30 January 2020
The Economist
Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform think-tank points to Japan, Australia and New Zealand as partners that might set a template for other deals. The government is keen on Japan, though one concern is that it cannot do better than the EU since the terms of the EU’s deal requires it to get the same benefits.

CER podcast: Brexit bulletin special

Charles Grant, Sam Lowe, Ian Bond, Beth Oppenheim
29 January 2020
In this special Brexit episode of the CER podcast, Charles Grant explains why the CER is still needed after Brexit; Sam Lowe discusses the future of UK-EU trade; and Ian Bond explores the fate of UK foreign policy.

Sky News: What's the next stage of Brexit?

Sam Lowe
29 January 2020
Sam Lowe spoke to Sky News on the cost of post-Brexit divergence: “The day one impact would look very similar to all of the forecasts as if we were to have left the EU without a deal in place”.

Musimy bronić rządów prawa w całej Unii

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
29 January 2020
Polityka
Komisja Europejska powinna jak najszybciej wdrożyć mechanizm monitorowania zasady rządów prawa we wszystkich krajach członkowskich, a nie skupiać się tylko na tych, w których sprawy poszły za daleko.

Pompeo takes on growing rift with Brexit Britain

29 January 2020
AFP
Johnson might now simply be hoping "there are no precipitous statements from the US saying that's it, this love affair is at an end", said Ian Bond of London's Centre for European Reform.Bond pointed out that US officials had repeatedly warned how Huawei's inclusion in Britain's 5G rollout could force Washington to stop sharing intelligence with London.

Brexit Britain trapped between superpowers

Sam Lowe
29 January 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, says: “President Donald Trump is unpredictable and quick to take offence, and treats trade as akin to a protection racket — first he increases the threat, in the form of tariffs and instability, and then offers to shield you in exchange for payment.“The UK will not get an easy ride just because of its so-called special relationship with the US.”

UK talks up Japan trade as Brexit looms

Sam Lowe
29 January 2020
Global Trade Review
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER) think-tank and a committee member of the UK Trade Forum, tells GTR that of the government’s target markets there are good reasons to prioritise Japan. “The US is going to be really tough, while Australia and New Zealand are nice to have but not hugely economically significant,” he says.

Short-term boost may be undermined by Britain’s new trading relationship with EU

29 January 2020
Financial Times
The broad optimism of Brexit-supporting economists is countered by their opponents, who are rather larger in number. John Springford, chief economist of the Centre for European Reform, said the expectation of a big improvement in the economy from Brexit was “silly”. “The story that now you’ve got certainty, investment comes flooding back [doesn’t work],” he said, “because what you’ve got certainty about is a pretty hard outcome”. This would depress activity at companies dependent on free movement of people or frictionless goods trade, he added.