Jonathan Faull

Pascal Lamy presents the European Ocean Pact in Nice

New edition in preparation….

RIP Claus Dieter Ehlermann - outstanding EU lawyer, director general, spokesman, public servant and professor

x.com/pablopereza/...

UK-EU relations: Time to raise the level of ambition Geopolitical turbulence has put UK-EU differences in perspective. Britain and the EU need much closer ties. 

Interesting paper by Sir Julian King ⤵️

Two ways to go:

1/ a 🇬🇧-🇪🇺 security agreement, Canada-like, to be negotiated,

or 2/ the UK applying to the 🇪🇺SM, which could be quickly done.

UK’s choice.

It can be done in parallel with military deployment.

Let’s hurry up !

www.cer.eu/insights/uk-...

Europe has to pay more for its own defence.

One debate is whether they should "Buy European" weapons or buy them from America or other allies.

One really BAD statistic is polluting the debate: that the EU buys 80% of its weapons from overseas. Ursula von der Leyen repeated it today. It's wrong. 🧵

Current Developments in U.S., EU, and U.K. Competition Enforcement Podcast Episode · Antitrust Review · 20/02/2025 · 1h 22m

podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/a...

Statement on the US reciprocal tariff policy The European Commission views President Trump's proposed

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Research claims EU deal will fuel growth — and Labour is listening A report says Britain can mend some of the economic damage of Brexit without crossing the red lines set by Keir Starmer

🚨NEW RESEARCH🚨

Closer ties with the EU could deliver growth of up to 2.2%.

Clawing back up to half of the damage caused by Brexit.

Delivering double the impact of a UK-US trade deal, according to the govt's own analysis.

And all within Starmer's red lines.
www.thetimes.com/article/8423...

Ask Belgium, expert in flagging coalitions. The “Arizona” Government starts today.

YouTube video by UK in a Changing Europe Anand Menon and Lord Peter Lilley fiercely debate EU relations on BBC Radio 5 Live.

'The Professor clearly doesn't understand trade' Cheers, Lord Lilley... www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqE8...

Trump, tariffs and trade wars In the context of the upcoming Trump trade wars, I have been thinking about the concept of the National Interest [very serious voice]. In particular, on what basis do countries decide whether to cave&...

encompass-europe.com/comment/trum... @samuelmarclowe.bsky.social

PEM is not a customs union, spread the word.

PEM is not a Customs Union *Sigh*

This week's edition of MFN is called "PEM is not a Customs Union", and it is about why PEM is not a Customs Union.

mostfavourednation.substack.com/p/pem-is-not...

This is an astonishing thing for a British MP to say. Astonishing. Even from someone of Jenrick's base disposition. It is obviously, patently racist. More importantly, it encourages violent racist extremism.

UK-to-US Word of the Year 2024: fortnight

The Separated by a Common Language UK-to-US Word of the Year 2024 is: FORTNIGHT.

With thanks to @helenzaltzman.bsky.social, @byagoda.bsky.social, Taylor Swift & Jack Antonoff

separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2024/12/uk-t...

#Hommage Jacques Delors nous quittait il y a un an. Toutes les équipes des instituts de Paris, Berlin et Bruxelles lui rendent hommage avec émotion et reconnaissance.

Son souvenir et ses idéaux continueront à inspirer notre engagement en faveur de l’unité des Européens.

Times headline 20/12 “Budget has caused economy to stagnate, Bank of England says”; article says Bank warned economy is stagnating after the budget. No source provided for either statement. Neither propter nor post hoc. Poor journalism.

I am speaking at The Economist’s Antitrust Summit in London on 27 February 2025. Join more than 350 competition professionals to explore the complexities and concerns of this important subject.

Trust… and lots of common rules

George Peretz:  The Policy Exchange Paper on the Attorney General’s New Legal Risk Guidelines: Excited Adjectives, Unpersuasive Analysis One of the best lessons I was given by my pupil supervisors in drafting written submissions was to go back and review the use of every adjective. As they pointed out, there is always a temptation i…

George Peretz: The Policy Exchange Paper on the Attorney General’s New Legal Risk Guidelines: Excited Adjectives, Unpersuasive Analysis ukconstitutionallaw.org/2024/12/04/g...

Webinar 16 December 2024 2-3pm GMT

events@brunswickgroup.com

Work at Best for Britain View the latest vacancies at Best for Britain

💥We are hiring for two very exciting roles in our policy & external affairs unit @bestforbritain.bsky.social 💥

www.bestforbritain.org/careers

Prime Minister appoints Sir Chris Wormald as new Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Sir Chris Wormald has been appointed to succeed Simon Case as the new Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service

The new top civil servant in the UK is Chris Wormald, moving over from his perm sec role at Department of Health www.gov.uk/government/n...

Can you imagine the political meltdown the right wing would be having right now if this was a leftwing billionaire who bought Twitter and was actively campaigning for the left?

Remembered Obama’s … “back of the queue” comment and the meltdown over foreign interference? … it’s dead quiet now ….

Brexit makes no sense in a world dominated by Trump. Britain’s place is back in the EU | Jonathan Freedland From defence to trade, the incoming US president is upending the old order – and standing apart from our neighbours leaves us dangerously exposed, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

In the age of Trump, Brexit makes less sense than ever. Latest column www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Happy to announce our first opening keynote speaker:

Tous unis contre le Mercosur ? Un blanchiment de mauvaise conscience totalement déconnecté du contenu du traité Du gouvernement aux oppositions, d’Emmanuel Macron à la gauche et au RN en passant par Annie Genevard, la ministre de l’Agriculture, beaucoup semblent utiliser le Mercosur pour (tenter de) faire oubli...

Ex European Commission Director General JL Demarty on EU/Mercosur (in French)

atlantico.fr/article/decr...