Press

Tory minister blasted for failing to shoot down 'conspiracy theory' about civil servants trying to sabotage Hard Brexit

01 February 2018
The Mirror
A Tory minister faces fury after he failed to challenge a "conspiracy theory" that civil servants are trying to sabotage Hard Brexit. Brexit minister Steve Baker said it was an "extraordinary allegation" that Treasury officials - who are meant to be impartial - have been promoting staying in the customs union in order to influence policy. Speaking in the House of Commons, told MPs the theory was "implausible" but did not say it was untrue - making his boss, Brexit Secretary David Davis, visibly wince. That's despite the man accused of making the claim, Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform, categorically denying he ever did so.

Pro-Brexit Minister attacks civil service, spurring backlash

01 February 2018
Bloomberg
Baker, who was a key figure in the Leave campaign, told the House of Commons on Thursday that he had been told by Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, that Treasury officials had sought to distort economic modeling on Brexit to force a change in government policy. He was responding to a question from Jacob Rees-Mogg, a devoted Brexit backer who is a potential leadership rival to Theresa May.

Minister accused of failing to challenge 'half-baked' Brexit 'conspiracy theory'

01 February 2018
Sky News
Jacob Rees-Mogg asked Mr Baker to confirm if he had been told by the Centre for European Reform's Charles Grant that "officials in the Treasury have deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy".

This civil servants' union boss says the PM should consider whether Steve Baker is fit to be a minister

01 February 2018
BuzzFeed
Steve Baker was asked by Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg in the House of Commons on Thursday to confirm that he had heard that Treasury officials had "deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy".The apparent foundation for the claim was later called into question by Centre for European Reform director Charles Grant, the man Rees-Mogg named as the source for his claims.Grant issued a statement that said he "did not say or imply" that the Treasury "had deliberately developed a model to show that all options outside the customs union were bad with an intention to influence policy".

Steve Baker accepts mistake in civil service 'conspiracy theory' row

01 February 2018
BBC News
During Commons Brexit questions, prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg had asked Mr Baker to confirm if he had heard from Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform think-tank, that "officials in the Treasury have deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy".

Brexit Minister forced into humiliating retreat after explosive attack on civil service

01 February 2018
The Sun
Steve Baker’s explosive claims sparked a Whitehall civil war but he later apologised after his allegations were disowned by the expert source he said he heard the rumour from. ...Last night Mr Baker said: “This morning in Parliament, I answered a question based on my honest recollection of a conversation. As I said, I considered what I had understood to be implausible, because of the impartiality of the civil service.“The audio of that conversation is now available and I am glad the record stands corrected. In the context of that audio, I accept that I should have corrected the premise of the question.

Brexit minister says civil servants may be distorting evidence to keep UK in EU customs union

01 February 2018
The Independent
Civil servants may be secretly distorting evidence to “influence” the Government to stay in the EU’s customs union, a Brexit minister has suggested. Steve Baker floated the extraordinary conspiracy claim on the floor of the House of Commons, telling MPs he did not necessarily believe it – but did not rule it out.“I think it would be quite extraordinary if it turned out that such a thing had happened,” the hard Brexit supporter said.Meanwhile, the think-tank head who spoke with Mr Baker - Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform – flatly denied he had made any allegation about a civil service conspiracy. 

David Davis says he is speaking to "every member state I can" on post-Brexit City deal while Steve Baker doubles down on civil servants claim

01 February 2018
City A.M
Minister Steve Baker doubled-down on comments he made earlier in the week when he confirmed backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg's claim that he had heard from Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, that “officials in the Treasury have deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad and that officials intended to use this to influence policy".

Minister issues thinly veiled hint that civil servants are purposely drawing up gloomy economic forecasts in a bid to keep the UK in the customs union amid fears May is 'going soft on Brexit'

01 February 2018
The Daily Mail
Brexit Minister Steve Baker told MPs that he had been told the 'extraordinary' claim by Charles Grant from the respected Centre for European Reform think-tank. The revelation comes maid fears that Theresa May is 'going soft on Brexit' and getting ready to change her position and keep the UK in the EU customs union. 

Jacob Rees-Mogg defends raising claims of Brexit 'conspiracy'

01 February 2018
Sky News
Mr Rees-Mogg asked Brexit minister Steve Baker in the Commons to confirm if he had been told about allegations that civil servants were trying to get ministers to back staying in the EU's customs union. ...The Centre for European Reform's Charles Grant, who was alleged to have been the source of the claim at a Tory party conference event last year, denied making it.

Jacob Rees-Mogg asks minister if civil servants are trying to sabotage Brexit

01 February 2018
The Huffington Post
In an extraordinary exchange in the Commons on Thursday, Rees-Mogg asked Baker to confirm whether he had been told Treasury staff had deliberately skewed analyses to show all scenerios apart from remaining in the Customs Union would be bad for the UK economy. “Will he confirm that he heard from Charles Grant, from the Centre For European Reform, that officials in the Treasury had deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the Customs Union were bad, and that officials intended to use this to influence policy?” the hardline Brexiteer asked.

CER podcast: Brexit negotiations phase 2: The politics of regulatory alignment

Sophia Besch, Charles Grant
31 January 2018
Charles Grant talks to Sophia Besch about how the EU-27 view the British idea of a bespoke post-Brexit partnership based on regulatory alignment. 

Italy's election is no game-changer

31 January 2018
Financial Times
Luigi Scazzieri at the Centre for European Reform thinks that even if populists of any stripe get into power in Italy, it won't change much for the course of eurozone and EU policy. 

Is Jersey's EU relationship the key to Brexit success?

Sam Lowe, John Springford
31 January 2018
Jersey Evening Post
John Springford and Sam Lowe, of the Centre for European Reform, have proposed that by emulating the Island’s trade relationship with the EU, the UK government could resolve the Irish border issue and secure enough bargaining power to apply tighter immigration controls, which are two key Brexit issues.

Italian elections likely to ensure ongoing political instability

31 January 2018
The Irish Times
“Hopes that Italy could be the third engine of a Franco-German partnership to renew the EU are probably mistaken,” writes Luigi Scazzieri of the Centre for European Reform. “No matter what happens on March 4th, tensions between the new government and the EU are assured.”

Brexit: A view from Warsaw

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
30 January 2018
Policy Network
Poland has a lot of skin in the game when it comes to ensuring a good Brexit deal.

Angela Merkel wants to punish Britain because she's worried more countries will quit EU if we get a good deal

29 January 2018
The Sun
According to the influential Centre for European Reform think-tank it is France, Germany and the EU Commission that are opposed to a good deal. ...CER Director Charles Grant said UK officials have noted that “several member-states are uncomfortable with the hard line taken by France, Germany and the Commission”. Meanwhile, bureaucrats in Berlin and Paris fear that they are becoming increasingly isolated due to their tough approach, meaning it will be “harder for France and Germany to get their way” in the second phase.

Data errors undermine UK emphasis on services, says ONS

Sam Lowe
29 January 2018
Financial Times
Sam Lowe, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said the ONS data raise the question: “What if we aren’t the powerhouse in services, what if we’re not as good as we think and we’re putting all our negotiating eggs in the [services] basket?”

UK will not be able to block new EU laws during Brexit transition, says Barnier – as it happened

Sam Lowe
29 January 2018
The Guardian
This Centre for European Reform briefing explains this issue in more detail. Here is an excerpt from the report, written by Sam Lowe."As well as binding the UK to the EU’s single market and customs union, the draft proposal seeks to ensure that the UK continues to apply the bloc’s external tariff rates and performs the same border checks with non-EU countries. This could easily result in a scenario in which UK exporters are no longer able to take advantage of the EU’s existing free trade agreements, but exporters located in countries with EU FTAs [free trade agreements] would continue to benefit from preferential access to the UK market on the same terms as now.

Użycie artykułu 7 wobec Polski coraz mniej prawdopodobne

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
29 January 2018
Rzeczpospolita
Dodatkowo poza Polską problemy mają też inne kraje. Tradycyjnie Węgry, ale teraz Komisja jest poważnie zaniepokojona reformą wymiaru sprawiedliwości w Rumunii. Do tego dochodzi skorumpowana Bułgaria i Czechy, gdzie premierem może zostać człowiek oskarżany o defraudację unijnych funduszy. – Są kraje, które same mają problem z praworządnością i nie będą głosowały przeciwko Polsce. A są takie, które uważają, że to nieskuteczny instrument – uważa Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, ekspertka think tanku CER. Według niej polski rząd w krótkim terminie wygra, bo nie będzie większości 22 państw za uruchomieniem artykułu 7.