In the Press - Belarus crackdown highlights EU’s autocrat problem
12 August 2020
Financial Times
“The reality of EU foreign policy is double standards,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform think-tank. “There should be more consistency — and more unity.”
In the Press - Tate & Lyle: Brexit-backing firm that donated to Tories set to save £73m from trade change
10 August 2020
The Independent
“It looks like the government has granted them their wish,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, on the new arrangements.
In the Press - Brexit backers Tate & Lyle set to gain £73m from end of EU trade tariffs
08 August 2020
The Guardian
“This is all to do with them wanting to be able to import cane sugar more easily than they did before and it looks like the government has granted them their wish,” said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank.
In the Press - Boris Johnson's trade deal will look like 'clean no deal Brexit' on Jan 1
06 August 2020
Express
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said: “From a business preparedness point of view, for many companies, there is little difference between preparing to exit the transition period with or without a free-trade agreement in place.”
In the Press - Why Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal is not so different to no deal
05 August 2020
Politico
“From a business preparedness point of view, for many companies there is little difference between preparing to exit the transition period with or without a free-trade agreement in place," said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank.
In the Press - Small EU businesses voice ‘major concerns’ over lack of progress in ongoing Brexit talks
03 August 2020
The Parliament Magazine
Charles Grant, director of the UK-based Centre for European Reform, says the biggest impact of no deal would be “political.” Grant said, “An acrimonious end to the transition would hit economic confidence and make it very hard for the UK and the EU to build close cooperation on trade or security for years to come.”
In the Press - UK faces paying for EU's huge debt mountain with new £160 BILLION bill
03 August 2020
Express
Commenting on the current Brexit negotiations, Sam Lowe from the Centre for European Reform said: "On Brexit and regulation, what government should be trying to demonstrate is that benefits to business of flexibility is greater than additional cost of businesses having to comply with two regulatory regimes (UK and EU) instead of one (EU)."
In the Press - UK officials' new Trump dilemma: What if he loses?
31 July 2020
The New York Times
“In other words,” said Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, “the chlorine chicken debate is here to stay.”
In the Press - Brexit red tape reality dawns on firms bracing for origin burden
30 July 2020
Bloomberg Quint
Negotiators may propose that Britain joins an agreement it has with several other nearby countries, including Turkey, Switzerland and Norway, known as the PEM convention, where inputs are recognized as local between all the parties, according to Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. Joining would address some of the concerns of UK businesses, Lowe said.“The dream scenario is that the EU accepts the UK’s proposal, but that seems unlikely,” he said.
In the Press - Boris Johnson veut-il sortir le Royaume-Uni de son isolement?
26 July 2020
Le Journal du Dimanche
"Theresa May était enthousiaste à l'idée de trouver un accord ambitieux en matière de diplomatie et de sécurité, rappelle Ian Bond du Centre for European Reform.
In the Press - Boris Johnson's dream of a 'Global Britain' is turning into a nightmare
24 July 2020
CNN
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform, thinks Johnson and President Donald Trump could agree to a slimmed-down deal that "can be held up as a political victory on both sides of the Atlantic." But such an agreement won't move the needle from an economic standpoint.
In the Press - Ten months to save the UK: Boris faces May deadline to defeat Sturgeon - warning
23 July 2020
Express
Charles Grant, Director of Centre for European Reform, said Number 10 “are worried about Scotland” because Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party could do “very well” in the May 2021 Holyrood elections. He said Unionists are “praying” for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to strike a Brexit deal to save the future of the UK.
In the Press - UK abandons hope of US trade deal by end of year
22 July 2020
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said the idea of a trade agreement has “dropped down the government’s agenda” in recent months. He said it was “pie in the sky” to have ever thought the two sides could reach a rapid deal — unless the UK conceded to Washington on everything from agriculture and scrapping its digital sales tax, to giving the US what it wanted on pharmaceutical patents and procurement. “It was always hard to see the government steamrolling that through,” said Mr Lowe.