Joël Reland
@jreland.bsky.social
Research Fellow at UK in a Changing Europe. Looking at UK-EU relations, regulatory divergence and European politics.
Lib Dems talking about the single market again - so here's a reminder of the flaws in that plan
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 7h ago"But good politics does not necessarily make good policy. At first glance, the single market might seem like the perfect compromise... But there are good reasons to think that – were a govt. to seriously pursue it – they might quickly discover numerous downsides." 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
This piece well worth reading on EU-UK relations by @jreland.bsky.social of UK in a Changing Europe. Could Burnham segue from economic relations to security and defence. Easier topic for EU and for PM... and could also achieve growth through defence expansion ukandeu.ac.uk/what-will-an...
What will Andy Burnham mean for EU relations? - UK in a changing Europe
Based on what we know so far, Joël Reland considers how an incoming Andy Burnham government might approach its relationship to the European Union.
ukandeu.ac.uk
My early attempt to analyse Burnham's approach to EU relations. "The paradox is that Burnham sounds less pro-European than Starmer, but is formulating an economic and security agenda which could in fact bring London into closer line with Brussels." ukandeu.ac.uk/what-will-an...
What will Andy Burnham mean for EU relations? - UK in a changing Europe
Based on what we know so far, Joël Reland considers how an incoming Andy Burnham government might approach its relationship to the European Union.
ukandeu.ac.uk
Remember the Barnier Staircase? To mark the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum, we've devised the new, improved 'UKICE staircase' - here modelled by Mr Barnier himself - mapping out the UK's future EU relationship options. Read all about it here: ukandeu.ac.uk/introducing-...
It's ten years since the EU referendum and the UK still can't agree on what Brexit should look like. Here I argue why the Lib Dems' plan to join the single market is no silver bullet. All of the 'pain' of membership without the 'gain' of having a seat at the table. ukandeu.ac.uk/no-eea-sy-op...
No EEA-sy options - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland argues that the Lib Dems’ call for the UK to join the EU single market may not survive contact with...
ukandeu.ac.uk
"Brexit has revealed the UK’s regulatory instincts to be much more European than many assumed." ✍️ @jreland.bsky.social looks at Brexit and regulation, arguing that despite deregulation being a key aim of Brexit, little divergence has taken place 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-ten-y...
Brexit ten years on: regulation - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland reflects on Brexit and regulation ahead of the 10 year anniversary of the referendum.
ukandeu.ac.uk
Obviously a day for Brexit reports: this one from @jreland.bsky.social & @csbarnard14.bsky.social on REUL and alignment consoc.org.uk/publications...
New report out today with @cbarnard.bsky.social on how the UK tried - and largely failed - to take back control of regulation after Brexit. Thanks to the Constitution Society and Federal Trust for publishing. consoc.org.uk/publications...
Brexit and Regulation - The Constitution Society
Professor Catharine Barnard and Joël Reland survey changes in regulation in the ten years since the EU referendum.
consoc.org.uk
My contribution to our 'Brexit ten years on' blog series. On how Brexit has proven the UK's regulatory instincts to, in fact, be quite European. ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-ten-y...
Brexit ten years on: regulation - UK in a changing Europe
Ahead of the ten year anniversary of the EU referendum on 23 June, UK in a Changing Europe experts have written a...
ukandeu.ac.uk
insomniac - how about listening to me and @jreland.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social talk to Alex Forsyth about how - and how far - the UK has used its post-Brexit freedoms .. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Politically - Ten Years After Brexit - 6: Regulatory Freedom - BBC Sounds
Has the UK made the most of its post-Brexit regulatory freedom?
bbc.co.uk
We've got a new report out complete with a 'staircase' of options for the future UK-EU relationship. You can find a quick digest of it here: ukandeu.ac.uk/introducing-...
Introducing the UKICE staircase - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland explains the new ‘UKICE staircase’, which outlines the options available to the UK should it seek a different form of...
ukandeu.ac.uk
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 2mo ago🚨 NEW REPORT 🚨 🔟 Marking 10 years since the EU referendum, we've got a new report on the UK-EU relationship 🔦 It highlights ‘stark divide’ between the economic impact of Brexit and the govt.’s proposed response 🪜And sets out a ‘staircase’ of options for the future 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ten-y...
The Today programme pushing the 'NI rioters have legitimate concerns' line again... Perhaps they should reflect on the role their deeply misleading series of 'undercover' reports about migrants might have played in all this
This seems a very confused piece to me. 1) Cites Switzerland as the model but then calls for single market + customs union (Swiss are in neither). 2) SM + CU is basically full EU membership but with no political/legal influence. Why choose that over rejoin? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
A ‘big bang’ reversal of Brexit is both unrealistic and unnecessary
Going back would create some big new problems but Switzerland provides an alternative model
giftarticle.ft.com
Loath as I am to praise the boss, this is a tour de force on the Brexit state of play
Anand Menon@anandmenon.bsky.social · 3mo ago'We appear to have reached a tipping point. The Government wants more from its relationship with the EU than the current negotiations will provide. This will confront them with some stark choices'. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/brexit/2026/05/brexit-is-back-and-it-is-consuming-keir-starmer
So we now know that EU alignment bill will be called the 'European Partnership Bill'. Key piece of info from the explanatory notes is that govt will not just get powers to align on SPS/ETS/electricity, but also on other areas in future assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a0453...
Here's my hot take on the most lukewarm of speeches
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 3mo ago"Starmer has no plan to change the status quo. Nothing new was brought onto the agenda, and the Prime Minister’s focus is on concluding the handful of agreements committed to at last year’s UK-EU summit..." ✍️ @jreland.bsky.social responds to Starmer's speech today 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/the-prime-mi...
Starmerism a nutshell: "Incremental change won't cut it." "Britain at the heart of Europe." And then he doesn't even nudge at his EU red lines.
Alignment on goods, is the feeling mutual? encompass-europe.com/comment/alig... @jreland.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social
Alignment on goods, is the feeling mutual?
With the next UK-EU summit set, most likely, for this summer, it is time to start asking what topics will be on the agenda. After all, both sides will want to pull some rabbits out of the…
encompass-europe.com
My latest bucket of cold water
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 4mo ago"The govt may soon come to find that dynamic alignment is a high-effort, low-reward strategy which consumes a lot of administrative bandwidth while barely moving the economic dial." @jreland.bsky.social argues that the UK plans for EU alignment may prove challenging. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-limits-o...
New divergence tracker is out. If there's one clear message it's that - for a govt increasingly intent on EU alignment - there is an awful lot of divergence going on. Speaks to how hard it is to keep pace with the EU without formal mechanisms for dynamic alignment.
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 4mo ago🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 💥 For all the latest in UK-EU regulatory alignment and divergence, check out our regular tracker by @jreland.bsky.social 🔎 It identifies all the cases of active and passive divergence and alignment, as well as any convergence between the two sides 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/uk-e...
"Under a 10-20 year system, a worker would spend a decade or more in which their entire immigration status — and [thus] their family’s home, their children’s schooling, their right to remain — depends on maintaining the goodwill of a single employer. That is a structurally coercive relationship."
Colin Yeo@colinyeo.bsky.social · 4mo agoNew from Free Movement: Earned settlement: retrospective change is wrong but prospective change is even worse | colinyeo freemovement.org.uk/earned-settl...
"But from an economic perspective, the notion of tailoring regulation is a contradiction in terms." 🎙️ @jreland.bsky.social discusses why there has been less meaningful divergence from the EU than expected since Brexit 🎧 Catch up on the episode in full 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/podcasts/the...
Had to read this several times to be sure.. HSE consulted on making it easier to export hazardous chemicals without an importing country's consent. Only 1 in 10 agreed. Many flagged safety and env risks. HSE response? Let's do it anyway to cut 'barriers to trade' and make exports ‘more efficient’.
Here's my assessment of the govt's new memo on aligning with EU SPS rules. It tells us govt is v keen to move fast on SPS - seeing it as key to their "political argument" for closer EU relations. But the issue is a) implementation could take a while and b) voters unlikely to feel a big effect.
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · 5mo ago"The statement sends an interesting political signal about just how keen the UK government is to get the SPS deal done." ✍️ @jreland.bsky.social on the UK government's announcement of the EU legislation ‘in scope’ for the UK-EU ‘SPS’ deal 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/full-speed-a...
For all the technical detail, the politics of this statement is very interesting. It shows us just how keen the govt is to get the SPS deal done: a) by unfussily committing to align with the vast majority of EU regs and b) by clearly telling businesses to get ready to adapt.
Steve Peers@stevepeers.bsky.social · 5mo agoUK government releases list of 76 EU laws that it says UK will align with under food standards treaty with EU www.gov.uk/government/n...
UK government releases list of 76 EU laws that it says UK will align with under food standards treaty with EU www.gov.uk/government/n...
UK-EU SPS Agreement - Legislation in scope
To cut red tape and costs for importing and exporting with the EU, the UK will align with EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) legislation.
gov.uk
For those interested, I've also written a blog summing up the report's findings ukandeu.ac.uk/alignment-wi...
Alignment with EU law is easier said than done - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland outlines the key trends in UK-EU regulatory alignment and divergence over the last five years, as exlpored in our new report 'UK-EU alignment and divergence: the road ahead'.
ukandeu.ac.uk
Joël Reland @jreland.bsky.social · 5mo agoBig new report out from us today looking at the state of UK-EU alignment and divergence. The key findings are that 1) the UK govt is turning to greater 'alignment' with EU rules as 'Brexit benefits' from divergence have been hard to come by. But 2) alignment is much easier said than done.
