26 02, 2021

The European Union: From organisation ‘sui generis’ to democratic regional organisation

By |2021-02-26T12:08:00+00:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: EU Policies & Institutions, Europe, Future of Europe, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , |

The author wishes to dedicate the present essay to the memory of the ever inspiring Michael Burgess, in live Founder and Director of the Centre for Federal Studies at the University of Kent.   For decades, it has been common practice in academic circles to refer to the EU as [...]

26 02, 2021

The UK’s European and Constitutional Challenges Collide

By |2021-02-26T11:03:50+00:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Blog, Brexit, Devolution, Europe, Scotland, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The UK’s politics failed in the face of Brexit for a mixture of reasons. There were three main causes. First, the ideology and dishonesty at the heart of the pro-Brexiters’ campaigning was, and remains, central. Second, Labour’s opposition to Brexit foundered on internal splits and a leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who [...]

26 01, 2021

Exiting Erasmus is an avoidable mistake

By |2022-12-16T13:45:34+00:00January 26th, 2021|Categories: Brexit, EU Policies & Institutions, Europe, Europe|Tags: , , , , , , , |

This article was first published by Yorkshire Bylines.   There is growing momentum behind the campaign to reverse the UK Government’s decision to exit the European Union’s Erasmus programme, the largest international education programme in the world. Students, young people and their families, alongside the education, training and youth sectors [...]

12 01, 2021

Brexit as Tragedy of Errors

By |2021-01-12T12:41:09+00:00January 12th, 2021|Categories: Blog|

by Jaap Hoeksma Philosopher of law and director of Euroknow; Author of “The Case Bundesverfassungsgericht versus EU Court of Justice – Can the EU function as a democracy without forming a State?” In hindsight, Brexit bears all the hallmarks of a tragedy of errors. As from Thatcher’s Bruges speech in 1988, British politicians have been [...]

12 01, 2021

Britain As A Neutral State? Britain’s Defence Dilemmas post Brexit

By |2021-01-12T12:24:35+00:00January 12th, 2021|Categories: Brexit, Europe, Europe, Foreign Policy & Defence, Global|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

“We are experiencing the brain death of NATO” argued President Macron of France after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Paris, November 28, 2019. Britain’s decision on a future defence strategy appears to contain the seeds of further confusion and torpor, particularly as the country becomes more [...]

5 01, 2021

Brexit: Fishing for reality

By |2021-01-07T15:33:01+00:00January 5th, 2021|Categories: Brexit, Europe, Europe|Tags: , , , , , , , |

by Richard Carden Richard Carden is a retired senior civil servant who has worked at top level in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission.   Boris has done Brexit. We are out of the EU. We are at the start [...]

5 01, 2021

The Brexit Deal’s Shades of Grey

By |2021-01-05T14:13:17+00:00January 5th, 2021|Categories: Brexit, Europe, Europe, Trade|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Jasper Fforde’s dystopian novel, “Shades of Grey”, set in a distant future where social class in the UK is determined by how many colours a person visually perceives, has certain uncanny parallels with today’s political and media class’s black and white perceptions of Brexit. This is most strikingly apparent in [...]

4 01, 2021

Brexit: The “Deal” is less than it seems

By |2021-01-04T16:26:59+00:00January 4th, 2021|Categories: Brexit, Europe, Europe, Trade|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Throughout the month of December commentators and politicians speculated tirelessly on the likelihood of a negotiated trade arrangement between the UK and EU before the end of the year. Many expected that the personal convictions of Boris Johnson and the intransigence of the Conservative Party would prevent the conclusion of [...]

29 12, 2020

ERASMUS: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

By |2022-12-16T13:37:30+00:00December 29th, 2020|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , , , |

A missed opportunity for the young people of the UK In finalising its treaty with the EU, to the dismay of many, PM Johnson has confirmed his last minute negative decision to no longer participate in the EU`s Erasmus programme. This comes as a severe blow to young people and [...]

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