Boris Johnson’s speech and the EU’s draft negotiating mandate issued on the same day illustrate both how close the parties … Continue reading “The Greenwich reset: a future UK-EU free trade agreement”

One of the larger benefits those of a liberal economics bent often ascribe to trade deals is that they provide … Continue reading “What trade deals do and do not mean for domestic laws”

What’s happened? The EU Commission and UK have agreed a new Protocol for Ireland/Northern Ireland and a new Political Declaration … Continue reading “The new Brexit deal: What’s changed, is it preferable?”

Yesterday, the European Parliament voted in favour of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, in one of … Continue reading “The EU Copyright Directive is likely to stifle competition and innovation”

Those who voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU rightly complained about the centralised … Continue reading “On regulation and centralisation, the UK’s record is no better than the EU’s”

Olly Robbins assertion, slightly embarrassingly overheard and reported by a journalist – that the government is planning to give MPs … Continue reading “Bridge, safety net or trap?”

My biggest beef with the European Union has always been the way it stifles consumer-friendly innovation in the interests of … Continue reading “Yesterday’s Dyson ruling – a rare victory against the EU’s crony capitalist regulatory agenda”

In a now-famous essay, “What is Seen and What Is Not Seen”, the great economist Frederic Bastiat warned against judging … Continue reading “The fraught Brexit debate badly needs a dose of Bastiat”

I’m still sceptical that the UK’s departure from the EU is a gender issue, despite what high-profile critics like Baroness … Continue reading “Will women be disproportionately affected by Brexit?”