My initial impressions - probably more balanced than I was expecting with UK clearly prioritising Home Office issues. But less detail - talks on individual issues are going to be really difficult. There will need to be a strong political layer to maintain progress.
This is a reasonable start to the normalisation of UK-EU relations away from the fantasies we see from the Conservatives and Reform. But that's all it is, a start, and both sides have much more to do to turn this into a productive partnership.
And there are a stack of common issues not really addressed such as on the rest of goods trade - but here's the encouragement. The energy sector showed how intensive joint work between UK and EU bodies can deliver results. That's what other stakeholders need to replicate.
Think I'm also struck by the parallels with the US and India deals. Just get on and do what you can, don't feel the need to include everything. Which is ok as a start, but there's no sensible accompanying narrative, and the results are going to also be modest.
So there's a big gap between the obviously modest trade deals the government is doing, which don't particularly prioritise growth, and the half-baked narrative that claims these are going to deliver great results. But at least actions are mostly sane.
Formally now time to welcome the UK to a Swiss-style relationship of permanent negotiation and multiple deals with the EU.
Looks like an over-estimate to me, I see little that will move the dial unless there's a big assumption on energy https://x.com/Peston/status/19...
Next verdict - UK domestic politics is woefully badly equipped for the new age of permanent negotiation with the EU as a third country, including alignment. There will need to be far stronger processes starting in Parliament.
And how legally binding do we think is this UK-EU agreement? I can easily see a lot of future discussions on whether this package remains balanced depending on the component negotiations, which could all turn fraught rather quickly.
Fair to say I am seeing future problems more than opportunities in this EU-UK agreement. But we'll have to go through them to define a new relationship, so I suppose we have to start somewhere. But I'd have rather there had been proper joint scoping.
Better than nothing but not enough for the scale of the relationship or the challenge to come in negotiations. https://www.consilium.europa.e...
