Research

Johnson might now simply be hoping "there are no precipitous statements from the US saying that's it, this love affair is at an end", said Ian Bond of London's Centre for European Reform.Bond pointed out that US officials had repeatedly warned how Huawei's inclusion in Britain's 5G rollout could force Washington to stop sharing intelligence with London.

Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform, says: “President Donald Trump is unpredictable and quick to take offence, and treats trade as akin to a protection racket — first he increases the threat, in the form of tariffs and instability, and then offers to shield you in exchange for payment.“The UK will not get an easy ride just because of its so-called special relationship with the US.”

The broad optimism of Brexit-supporting economists is countered by their opponents, who are rather larger in number. John Springford, chief economist of the Centre for European Reform, said the expectation of a big improvement in the economy from Brexit was “silly”. “The story that now you’ve got certainty, investment comes flooding back [doesn’t work],” he said, “because what you’ve got certainty about is a pretty hard outcome”. This would depress activity at companies dependent on free movement of people or frictionless goods trade, he added.

Komisarz UE ds. sprawiedliwości, wziął wczoraj wieczorem (27.01.2020) udział w debacie o praworządności w UE, która – choć oparta na raporcie Centre of European Reform, wskazującym na obniżające się standardy w sporej liczbie krajów Europy – skupiała się w dużej mierze na Polsce i Węgrzech.

“The NHS is a religion in the UK. That’s where the real red line is,” said Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. “If the U.S. is saying: ‘Pay more for medicine,’ that’s quite difficult to get past the Treasury and the taxpayers.”

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank, said that the EU would “look benignly towards Scottish independence” if it was approved in a legally binding referendum. He said: “The reason why the EU has not taken Catalonia’s side in the last couple of years is because the Catalans are pursuing a course of action which the EU perceives as illegal.” He said that if Scotland pursed a law-abiding route the EU could be “very welcoming”.

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform said the key thing for the EU was "the question of legality."He said: "The reason the EU has not taken Catalonia's side in recent years is because the Catalans are pursuing a course of action the EU perceives as illegal. So long as Scotland moves towards independence according to the constitution and in co-operation with Westminster, I think the EU would look benignly on Scottish independence.