In the Press - Theresa May offered plan B for Brexit. It looks a lot like the defeated plan A
21 January 2019
The New York Times
“I think her strategy has always been to postpone the vote until the very last minute, so that even those members of Parliament who are skeptical about her deal, but don’t want there to be no deal, would think twice about voting against it,” said Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, a senior research fellow in Brussels for the Centre for European Reform, a London-based research institute.
In the Press - After that defeat, even more reason to hug the EU close
20 January 2019
The Sunday Times
The influential Centre for European Reform argues that the only option for the prime minister in getting a withdrawal agreement through the Commons will be to further blur her red lines, so pushing Britain towards a softer Brexit.
In the Press - Zu viel versprochen
19 January 2019
Die Welt
„Es war klar, dass es hart werden würde, über 40 Handelsverträge bis März fertig zu haben“, twitterte Sam Lowe vom Centre for European Reform.
In the Press - UK can delay Brexit without holding Europe elections, say lawyers
18 January 2019
Financial Times
"In some of the key member states, senior officials believe that if the European Council wants to give the British an extension beyond July 1, the election issue could be solved in a one-page protocol that could be ratified relatively quickly,” said Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform. “This would mean the British would not have to hold elections themselves.”
In the Press - UK fails to close global trade deals ahead of Brexit deadline
18 January 2019
The Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, said that while Britain is unable to formally sign new trade deals until Brexit occurs, the government should have been prepared to reach agreements almost immediately after leaving the EU. “This revelation flies in the face of assurances given by ministers that these deals would be ready by now,” said Mr Lowe.
In the Press - The Blame for Brexit
18 January 2019
Barron's
John Springford of the Centre for European Reform estimates that the dwindling appeal of the UK as a place to do business since the June 2016 referendum has already lowered British living standards by about 2.5% relative to what they otherwise would have been.
In the Press - Why taking a no-deal Brexit off the table is good for business
18 January 2019
Yahoo Finance
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, told Yahoo Finance UK it was helpful “from a political signalling point of view” that there was a will to stop a no-deal Brexit. But he said he was concerned it might not be enough. “There’s a question of how you take no-deal off the table,” he said, noting that extending the Brexit deadline in March “still requires EU consent.” “You’re still just pushing back the deadline,” he said.
In the Press - What are Theresa May's options?
17 January 2019
The Financial Times
“Most probably, May will attempt to amend the withdrawal agreement and political declaration and then push the subsequent parliamentary vote to the wire. To pass her deal, the threat of no deal will need to be tangible, and for that to happen the March 29 deadline will need to loom large.” (Sam Lowe, senior research fellow, and John Springford, deputy director, of the Centre for European Reform)
In the Press - Slow Europe
17 January 2019
The Financial Times
A stellar list of top economists and EMU specialists discuss the politics of slow growth in this series of podcasts from the Centre for European Reform’s annual Ditchley conference.
In the Press - Don't leave migration to the populists
17 January 2019
Politico
If the EU cannot agree on a common system for legal migration, it may be more realistic for the Union to support bilateral projects between individual member countries or groups and third countries, said Camino Mortera-Martinez and Beth Oppenheim of the Centre for European Reform. “Europe needs migrants, and migration is inevitable,” is how they recently put it.