Britain & the EU
A three-tier EU puts single market at risk
25 October 2012
Financial Times
The euro crisis is changing the shape of the EU. As the countries in the eurozone seek to strengthen it by centralising economic policy making, three tiers are emerging within the union.
Cameron's next European 'faux-pas'
26 June 2012
E!Sharp
Britain is now mulling an important decision which, despite being fiddly and legalistic, has profound implications for its own security and for Europe.
Is Britain on the way out of Europe?
20 April 2012
Social Europe Journal
Ever since they joined the EU in 1973, the British have been sceptical about political integration in Europe. They have valued the economic benefits of membership, notably the single market, but opposed the concept of ‘political union’. The eurozone crisis is now increasing the gap between Britain and much of...
How to wake Britain from sleepwalking to the EU exit
07 March 2012
Europe's world
History, geography and economics are all responsible for the UK’s deep-seated euroscepticism, says Charles Grant. But now these forces are strengthening so that Britain could easily leave the Union within 10 years. He sets out tactics for countering that.
Nothing to celebrate
04 January 2012
Foreign Policy
Think 2011 was a bad year for Europe? 2012 could be a whole lot worse - if EU leaders don't get serious and deal with these 6 problems.
Welcome to the new year. In Europe, it doesn't look particularly promising. Even in the most optimistic scenarios for the...
Welcome to the new year. In Europe, it doesn't look particularly promising. Even in the most optimistic scenarios for the...
David Cameron has left the City more, not less, vulnerable to EU law
14 December 2011
The Guardian
There are many puzzles about the British government's tactics at last week's EU summit. One is why it chose to identify the City of London as the "vital national interest" that needed special protection. The City, after all, is the most unpopular "national champion" that the UK possesses. It accounts...
Follia,in cinque anni via dell'Ue
12 December 2011
Il Mattino
Londra. "Foolish". Assurda, dissennata, imprudente. La decisione presa da David Cameron preoccupa Simon Tilford, capo economista della prestigiosa think tank britannica Centre for european reform. La mossa del premier è incomprensibile, sostiene Tilford, e danneggerà la Gran Bretagna ma, in parte, anche la Ue.
Interview: Les Britanniques ont le sentiment que l’Union européenne essaie de faire du tort à la City
26 October 2011
Le Figaro
Le Figaro - David Cameron a essuyé sa plus grande rebellion dans son propre camp au Parlement. Peut-on parler d’un vent d’euroscepticisme chez les politiques?
Charles Grant – Oui, il y a une vague croissante d’euroscepticisme. Mais la nouveauté, c’est toute cette classe de députés, récemment élus, qui se proclament...
Charles Grant – Oui, il y a une vague croissante d’euroscepticisme. Mais la nouveauté, c’est toute cette classe de députés, récemment élus, qui se proclament...
David Cameron's budget fight remains an EU sideshow
29 October 2010
The Guardian
David Cameron has won his first European victory. At this week's EU summit in Brussels, he seemingly persuaded a dozen other European leaders to back his demand to limit to 2.9% next year's EU spending increase. Britain's eurosceptics wanted a freeze or a reduction.
Tory Euroscepticism is being sidelined
14 May 2010
The Guardian
For those of us who hope Britain will engage constructively with the EU, the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition is good news.
Europa und Großbritannien: "Wie soll das funktionieren?"
13 May 2010
Die Presse.com
Nirgendwo klaffen die Positionen zwischen den britischen Konservativen und Liberaldemokraten weiter auseinander als in der Europapolitik. In der Koalitionsvereinbarung ist dem Thema ein eigenes Kapital gewidmet.
Missing another EU opportunity
18 November 2009
The Guardian
When Britain's foreign secretary, David Miliband, made clear that he was not interested in being the European Union's new "high representative" for foreign policy, the UK lost a unique opportunity to craft the EU more in its own image.
Is Tony Blair the right man to be president of Europe?
25 October 2009
The Observer
Yes, says Charles Grant. His presence would improve the global credibility of the EU. No, says Henry Porter. He co-authored the Iraq war and is not a convinced democrat.
Blair would be a good choice for Europe
07 October 2009
Financial Times
If the Lisbon treaty enters into force, which seems likely, the European Union will appoint a president to chair the European Council, which brings together the heads of government.
Look who's sclerotic
28 September 2009
International Herald Tribune
A popular Continental misconception about Britain is that it is some kind of ultra-free economy where there is limited social welfare and where the market has been introduced into every aspect of life.
Logic in Europe's military could check spending
16 July 2009
Financial Times
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object bad things usually happen. And so it will be next year when spending cuts imposed by the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression meet the rising demands of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The UK government may have to cut non-defence...
The eurosceptic illusion
05 July 2009
The Guardian
Britain's Eurosceptics need to come clean. The media and political class have a right to be sceptical about the EU, even hostile to it. But they also have an obligation to be honest about the economic implications of a retreat from full membership of the union.
Their failure to do so...
Their failure to do so...
The Dis-Uniting Kingdom?
30 June 2009
The Wall Street Journal
Britain's European debate has gone septic. More than half of British votes cast in recent European elections went to euro-skeptic parties ranging from the mad, bad political fringes such as the British National Party to a Conservative Party promising to claw back powers from Brussels.
It's a fabrication that Britain doesn't make things any more
13 March 2009
The Times
Nicolas Sarkozy stung us when he claimed last month that Britain, unlike France, “has no industry”. Since the implosion of the financial sector, it has become an article of faith that the British economy is paying for its excessive reliance on services.
The Runway 3 red herring
22 January 2009
The Guardian
Simon Jenkins, Martin Kettle and Polly Toynbee are columnists I respect and quite often agree with. So when they - and many Comment is Free contributors - join the George Monbiots of this world in attacking the proposed third runway for Heathrow, I read them carefully.