Welcome
The Federal Trust is a research institute studying the interactions between regional, national, European and global levels of government. Founded in 1945 on the initiative of Sir William Beveridge, it has long made a powerful contribution to the study of federalism and federal systems. It has always had a particular interest in the European Union and Britain’s place in it.
The Federal Trust has no allegiance to any political party. It is registered as a charity for the purposes of education and research.
Read the Federal Trust’s Statement on Rejoining the European Union.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
VIDEO: Brexit brings out the worst in Truss and Sunak
In this video, our Director Brendan Donnelly discusses the role of Brexit in the Conservative leadership contest. He argues that the confused debate on European issues between Truss and Sunak reflects the incoherence of Brexit as a political project. He concludes that the Conservative Party is currently unable to discuss [...]
RECENTLY PUBLISHED
VIDEO: Brexit brings out the worst in Truss and Sunak
In this video, our Director Brendan Donnelly discusses the role of Brexit in the Conservative leadership contest. He argues that the confused debate on European issues between Truss and Sunak reflects the incoherence of Brexit [...]
VIDEO: Getting Brexit Undone – Talk by Andrew Blick
In this video, Professor Andrew Blick discusses his new Federal Trust report “Getting Brexit Undone” at the launch webinar on 21 July 2022. He argues that the opposition parties should commit themselves to reversing Brexit after [...]
VIDEO: Confederal Federalism – A model for the United Kingdom?
With Nicola Sturgeon having recently addressed the Scottish Parliament about her plans for a second independence referendum, and the Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, established by the Welsh Government, currently considering options for fundamental reform of the [...]
A Strategic Compromise
This is an updated version of an article which first appeared on the website of the Institute of Welsh Affairs on 29th March 2022. With Nicola Sturgeon having recently addressed the Scottish Parliament about her plans for a second [...]
VIDEO: Brexit Doesn’t Have To Be Forever
In a new video commentary, our Director Brendan Donnelly discusses the role of Brexit-related issues in the current Conservative leadership race. He compares the Conservative debate with the European discussion now taking place within the [...]
Boris Johnson – A failed Caesar?
Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, though at the time of writing (14 July 2022) he has not relinquished office. His defiance in his resignation oration at the podium outside [...]
WEBINAR: Getting Brexit Undone
21 July 2022 “Rejoining is the only satisfactory means of addressing the manifest problems caused by Brexit…When faced with growing harm, the time to commence reversing the action that has caused it is now.” At [...]
Getting Brexit Undone
Getting Brexit Undone by Professor Andrew Blick 4th July 2022 DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE Executive Summary Acceptance is growing that Brexit is a source of considerable harm to the UK. Even among supporters [...]
EU Court abandons Westphalian system
The verdicts of the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) in the cases of Poland and Hungary concerning the rule of law, which have been delivered on 16 February, are not only consequential for the functioning [...]
VIDEO: Will the EU go nuclear?
In this new Federal Trust video, John Stevens explores an aspect of the war in Ukraine which has so far received relatively little attention: nuclear weapons. It is clear that a key reason Putin has [...]