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2018 Insight and Analysis Archive

Irish Passports
Brexit Process

Where do we put Ulster’s Irish passport office?

January 2018 - Holding an Irish passport has become quite the statement. Since the Brexit vote applications have surged for a number of reasons including re-asserting an Irish identity in Britain and the north respectively. Also by Britons that want to hold on to their European Union citizenship.

Professor Dagmar Schiek
Slugger O'Toole

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

Brexit shadow bedevils rebuilding Stormont executive

January 2018 - London and Dublin are making a fresh push to break Northern Ireland’s political deadlock, as Brexit raises the stakes in a deepening crisis that has left the region without a government in Stormont for a year.

Professor David Phinnemore
Financial Times

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

Brokenshire departure takes N Ireland process by surprise

January 2018 - Tuesday marks one year since the collapse of the two parties’ power-sharing executive following a row over a public spending scandal.

Professor David Phinnemore
Financial Times

Protestors wielding placards against a hard border in Ireland
Border Issues

No one is talking about building a wall, but Ireland fears a 'Brexit' divide

January 2018 - It takes only a few seconds to drive across the bridge between the towns of Blacklion and Belcoo. That they are in different countries is not readily apparent, notwithstanding the speed limit signs. Blacklion is in the Republic of Ireland and uses kilometres. Belcoo is in Northern Ireland and uses miles.

Dr Katy Hayward
Los Angeles Times

Statue on Constitution Hill
Constitutional issues

Brexit, The Good Friday Agreement, and a Citizens Assembly

January 2018 - Professor Colin Harvey talks to 'The Jist' podcast on Brexit, The Good Friday Agreement, and a Citizens Assembly.

Professor Colin Harvey
The Jist Podcast

EU Flag
Constitutional issues

Implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland: Have your Say…

January 2018 - When it comes to looking at the implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland, the BrexitLawNI project has been out and about gathering information about the concerns of people living in Northern Ireland. Townhall-style events have taken place in Belfast, Derry and Enniskillen, with more events scheduled next month.

Dr Amanda Kramer
Slugger O'Toole

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Constitutional issues

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

January 2018 - The House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution's Report on the EU Withdrawal bill is out this morning with evidence and citations from Professor Gordon Anthony and the Brexit Law NI project led by Professor Colin Harvey.

Professor Gordon Anthony and Professor Colin Harevy
House of Lords

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

Czech TV interview with Professor Colin Harvey

January 2018 - Interview with Professor Colin Harvey regarding the economic impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland.

Professor Colin Harevy
Czech TV

Officials at their seats in a meeting
Brexit Process

After Brexit, should Britain have a deal with the EU like Norway?

January 2018 - After the Brexit referendum, anxious Brits started frantically Googling the term ‘Norway model’. This wasn’t because they were desperately looking for the latest fashion photoshoot from their favourite Scandinavian supermodel. It was because the economic future of their country is going to depend, to a large extent, on the type of future trading relationship Britain follows with the European Union.

Professor David Phinnemore
Debating Europe

Border Sign
Brexit Process

‘Categorically clear’: What being outside a customs union with the EU will mean for post-Brexit UK

February 2018 - Being outside a customs union with the EU will mean that costs of many goods will be higher, risks associated with trade will be greater, and borders (including with Ireland) will have to be harder. Dr Katy Hayward cautions about the consequences for British businesses and consumers of this new statement of intention from the British government.

Dr Katy Hayward
The London School of Economics and Political Science

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Brexit Process

Will the Irish question be solved?

February 2018 - “During the second phase of the negotiations, in view of the unique circumstances and specific nature of issues related to the island of Ireland, the work on detailed arrangements required to give effect to the principles and commitments set out in the Joint Report should continue in a distinct Strand”.

Professor Dagmar Schiek
The UK in a Changing Europe

Norway Flag
Brexit Process

The pluses – and minuses – of ‘Norway Plus’

February 2018 - Jamie Pow and John Garry from the Brexit NI project look at the various options of what the UK's future relationship with the EU could look like.

Mr Jamie Pow and Professor John Garry
QPoL

A Euro coin
Brexit Process

Free Trade Agreements, Devolution, and Brexit

February 2018 - The UK’s ability to conduct its own trade policy and, in particular, to negotiate its own trade agreements has been consistently put forward as one of the key benefits of leaving the European Union.

Dr Billy Melo Araujo
Brexit Law NI

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Border Issues

Public opinion in Northern Ireland: Brexit and the border

February 2018 - Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU at the June 2016 referendum by a margin of 56% to 44%. Voting was very strongly linked to the underlying divide in Northern Ireland between Catholic nationalists (who tend to identify as Irish and favour a united Ireland) and Protestant unionists (who tend to identify as British and favour maintaining Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom).

Professor John Garry
UK in a Changing Europe

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

Broadcasting and Brexit

February 2018 - Broadcasting law has been influenced by the European Union for nearly three decades says Professor Daithi Mac Sithigh

Professor Daithi Mac Sithigh
QPol

EU Flag
Brexit Process

The Northern Ireland/Ireland Border, Regulatory Alignment and Brexit - Briefing Paper

February 2018 - This briefing paper is designed to inform discussion regarding the need and options for regulatory alignment on the island of Ireland in the context of Brexit and, in particular, the UK-EU Joint Report of 8 December 2017.

Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Katy Hayward
Queen's on Brexit Briefing Paper

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

House of Lords EU Committee – Brexit: UK-Irish relations follow-up

February 2018 - Professor John Garry and Dr Katy Hayward are cited in this House of Lords European Union Committee letter to Secretary of State, Karen Bradley.

Professor John Garry and Dr Katy Hayward
House of Lords - European Union Committee

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Border Issues

The UK-EU Joint Report and Scenarios for the post-Brexit Irish border

February 2018 - Political Sociologist of Queen’s University Belfast Dr Katy Hayward explores what completion of phase one of the Brexit negotiations determines and outlines the various scenarios for the future of the Irish border during and after transition.

Dr Katy Hayward
Agenda NI

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Brexit Process

I’ve walked the Irish border – Brexiters are trampling on fragile territory

March 2018 - The good health of the frontier is rooted in the Good Friday agreement, and threatened by the contempt of those who don’t understand its emotional landscape.

Dr Garrett Carr
The Guardian

European Court of Justice
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

Initial reflections on the the Draft Withdrawal Agreement

March 2018 - Initial reflections on the human rights and equality aspects of the Protocol to the Draft Withdrawal Agreement with respect to Ireland/N. Ireland.

Professor Colin Harvey
Brexit Law NI

Giant's Causeway
BORDER ISSUES

Brexit in Northern Ireland: Hard at the border

March 2018 - Northern Ireland is gradually becoming the biggest mystery of the Brexit negotiations.

Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Katy Hayward
Luxemburger Wort

Border Sign
BORDER ISSUES

Bordering on protesting too much?

March 2018 - Professor John Barry asks how Northern Ireland remaining part of the customs union would undermine ‘the Union’.

Professor John Barry
QPol

Irish Sea
BORDER ISSUES

The Brexit Border in 4 key slides

March 2018 - Dr Katy Hayward gives an outline of what border controls could mean for different types of border with the EU after Brexit.

Dr Katy Hayward
QPol

Protestors wielding placards against a hard border in Ireland
BORDER ISSUES

Dr Katy Hayward on Brexit - Irish Times Inside Politics Podcast

March 2018 - Dr Katy Hayward gives an insight into the Irish border and Brexit in the latest Irish Times Inside Politics podcast.

Dr Katy Hayward
Irish Times

EU Flag
BORDER ISSUES

How Brexit May End Up Creating Accidental Borders in Europe

March 2018 - Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore cited in article about the Irish border.

Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore
Bloomberg News

Research Lab
BREXIT PROCESS

Brexit and the NHS

March 2018 - The NHS was of course an issue during the EU referendum campaign. However, whilst its logo sat on the side of the Vote Leave bus, there was hardly what amounted to a proper debate about the possible implications of leaving the EU for the health service in the UK. Now, almost two years on, we need to address what Brexit might mean for the NHS and public health. This is no easy task.

Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Mark Flear
The UK in a Changing Europe

50 cent coin
BREXIT PROCESS

The island of Ireland and “Brexit” –a legal-political critique of the draft withdrawal agreement

March 2018 - Based on a legal analysis of the position of the island of Ireland in the draft withdrawal agreement, this paper argues that the draft does neither fully protect socio-economic and civic cooperation between on the island of Ireland, nor do justice to the Agreement concluded in Belfast on Good Friday 1998 (the 1998 Agreement).

Dr Dagmar Schiek
TREUP

Parliament buildings at Stormont
BREXIT PROCESS

Brexit negotiators buy extra time

March 2018 - Although they officially leave the European Union at midnight on 29 March 2019, the British will, de facto, continue to comply with all EU rules by 31 December 2020.

Professor David Phinnemore
De Standaard

Protestors wielding placards against a hard border in Ireland
BREXIT PROCESS

AGREE ABOUT IT CONDITIONS 'TRANSITION PERIOD'

March 2018 - Although they officially leave the European Union on 29 March 2019, the British will de facto continue to comply with all EU rules until 31 December 2020, without having any control over them.

Professor David Phinnemore
De Standaard

Giant's Causeway
Border Issues

Why a hard Brexit Irish border would reopen a 'gaping wound' and wreck the Irish peace process

March 2018 - Prominent Northern Ireland academic Katy Hayward said a harder border with technology could destabilise Ireland's highly sensitive peace process.

Dr Katy Hayward
Business Insider

EU Flag
Border Issues

How Not to Fix the Irish Border

March 2018 - Response to Shanker Singham’s piece ‘How to fix the Irish border problem’.

Dr Katy Hayward
Queen's on Brexit Briefing Paper

A Euro coin
Brexit Process

Article 50 one year on

March 2018 - This report is our attempt to answer these and other questions about this most unique of times. It brings together some of the best minds working on Brexit, to explain what their research reveals about a range of areas where Brexit is having or will have an impact. It makes a unique and original contribution to the Brexit debate.

Professor Colin Harvey
UK in a Changing Europe

A Euro coin
Brexit Process

Chronic uncertainty defines the Brexit process, new academic report reveals

March 2018 - Significant political and economic uncertainty characterises the Brexit process one year after the UK triggered Article 50, a new report by academic group The UK in a Changing Europe finds.

Professor Colin Harvey
UK in a Changing Europe

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement III

April 2018 - April 10 is the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. To mark the occasion, the DCU Brexit Institute blog is publishing pieces by several authors on Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement.

Professor David Phinnemore
DCU Brexit Institute

Border Sign
Brexit Process

Hard Brexit reintroduces border issue with Northern Ireland

April 2018 - A specialist in European issues, David Phinnemore teaches at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland. The future withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union has led it to consider the possible implications of Brexit on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Professor David Phinnemore
La Libre

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

Who really cares about Northern Ireland?

April 2018 - This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Katy Hayward (Queens University Belfast) considers the current debate about whether Brexit is a threat to peace and stability in Northern Ireland.

Dr Katy Hayward
The London School of Economics and Political Science

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

Brexit Roundup: Where Are We Heading?

April 2018 - Progress on the issue of Northern Ireland/Ireland must be made before the European Council summit in June 2018. For this to happen, the UK government has to put forward proposals that meet the commitments it made in the Joint Report of December 2017.

Dr Katy Hayward
Scottish Centre on European Relations

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Border Issues

Brexit, Scotland and Northern Ireland

April 2018 - The two ‘Remain’ areas of the UK – Northern Ireland and Scotland – are mostly analysed separately in Brexit debates. Northern Ireland faces a unique complex of problems given the challenge of managing the Irish border as an external frontier of the EU alongside protecting the operation of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement.

Dr Katy Hayward
Scottish Centre on European Relations

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Border Issues

Deepening Political Divisions and Exacerbating Peripherality: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Brexit

April 2018 - The two ‘Remain’ areas of the UK – Northern Ireland and Scotland – are mostly analysed separately in Brexit debates says Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Kirsty Hughes from the Scottish Centre on European Relations.

Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Kirsty Hughes
QPol

EU Flag
Border Issues

A UK-EU Association Agreement: making use of treaty provisions (1957) originally drafted for the UK

April 2018 - If the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU takes the form of an association agreement, it will be based on treaty provisions that in 1957 were drafted by ‘the Six’ very much with the UK in mind. UK officials, in receipt of ‘under the counter’ copies of key documents from the Val Duchesse negotiations on establishing the European Economic Community, were not only very much aware of the drafting process but, with ministerial approval, also sought to influence directly the wording. EU

Professor David Phinnemore
UK in a Changing Europe

Border Sign
Border Issues

What will the Irish border look like after Brexit

May 2018 - Theresa May has her cabinet working on two possible outcomes for the Irish border post-Brexit - either a customers partnership or a solution that relies on technology. Dr Katy Hayward, from Queen's University Belfast features.

Dr Katy Hayward
Love Sport Radio - Podcast

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Border Issues

What is Northern Ireland saying about Brexit – Key slides

May 2018 - Katy Hayward and Lisa Whitten look at what key political parties, governing institutions and social partners in Northern Ireland are saying about the ongoing Brexit process.

Dr Katy Hayward and Lisa Whitten
QPol

Giant's Causeway
Brexit Process

A Special Arrangement for Northern Ireland?

May 2018 - Professor Colin Harvey and Dr Nikos Skoutaris from the University of East Anglia look at how the formal recognition of the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland is vital to securing the objectives being sought for an orderly Brexit.

Professor Colin Harvey and Dr Nikos Skoutaris
QPol

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Brexit Process

Northern Ireland and the UK’s Exit from the EU: What do people think?

May 2018 - Report by Professor John Garry, Professor Brendan O'Leary, Dr Kevin McNicholl and Mr James Pow on what people think about the implications for Northern Ireland of the UK’s exit from the EU.

Professor John Garry, Professor Brendan O'Leary, Dr Kevin McNicholl and Mr James Pow
UK in a Changing Europe

Border Signs
Brexit Process

Can technology and ‘max fac’ solve the Irish border question? Expert explains

May 2018 - How might the UK “take back control” of its borders without making the border in Ireland any harder. One proposal on the table is maximum facilitation (max fac). This approach does not avoid the creation of a customs border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland but rather aims to make the border as invisible and frictionless as possible through the use of technology.

Dr Katy Hayward
The Conversation

Border Sign
Border issues

Irish border backstop: many unanswered questions and considerable economic challenges

June 2018 - What happens to Northern Ireland once the UK leaves the European Union has become one of the most complex issues in the Brexit negotiations. The problem stems from the fact that the Good Friday Agreement has been interpreted as precluding a return to a hard border – that is, any physical infrastructure – between the North and South of the island of Ireland.

Dr Billy Melo Araujo and Dr Federico Lupo Pasini
The London School of Economics and Political Science

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

UK Withdrawal and the ‘Backstop’ for Northern Ireland – Key Slides

June 2018 - Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore look at Brexit and the Backstop option for Northern Ireland through the following series of slides.

Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore
QPol

Cliffs of Moher
Border issues

Brexit at the Border: Voices from local communities in the Central Border Region of Ireland/NI

June 2018 - Follow-up report, by Dr Katy Hayward, to the 'Bordering on Brexit' report which was completed in November 2017. The research for this 'Brexit at the Border' study was conducted in March-May 2018 - approximately a year away from the withdrawal date. It was conducted jointly between Queen’s University Belfast and ICBAN (Irish Central Border Area Network).

Dr Katy Hayward
Queen's University Belfast

Border Signs
Brexit Process

Brexit Law NI - Written Evidence

June 2018 - Written Evidence by Brexit Law NI on The Proposed UK-EU Security Treaty.

Professor Colin Harvey, Professor Kieran McEvoy, DrAnna Bryson and Dr Amanda Kramer
www.parliament.uk

Border Signs
Constitutional Issues

Brexit Law NI - Written Evidence

June 2018 - Written Evidence by Brexit Law NI on The Proposed UK-EU Security Treaty.

Professor Colin Harvey, Professor Kieran McEvoy, Dr Anna Bryson and Dr Amanda Kramer
www.parliament.uk

EU Flag
Brexit Process

PSAI - PSA Report on Brexit

July 2018 - On 28 May 2018, the Political Studies Association (PSA) and Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI) held their first ever joint meeting to discuss some of the likely challenges and potential opportunities the Brexit process has presented. The report details the findings from the meeting.

Dr Muiris MacCarthaigh
Political Studies Association

EU Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

The Brexit White Paper: what it must address

July 2018 - This report details what to look out for in the government's Brexit white paper and outlines the key issues which need to addressed.

Professor David Phinnemore
The UK in a Changing Europe

Border Sign
Brexit Process

Boris Johnson and David Davis leaving is not surprising: Academic

July 2018 - Professor David Phinnemore discusses what's next for the UK government and Brexit after the high profile cabinet resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson on CNBC news.

Professor David Phinnemore
CNBC

Border Signs
Border issues

Brexit, Business and the Border

June 2018 - BBC's In the Balance broadcast from the border region of Newry. Dr Katy Hayward discusses the Brussels backstop and the border region in Ireland in relation to Brexit.

Dr Katy Hayward
BBC World Service - In the Balance

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

Bordering on Brexit - Video

July 2018 - Video featuring Dr Katy Hayward and Sean Campbell, CEO of the Irish Central Border Network Area, talking about the 'Bordering on Brexit' research report which looks at the views of people in the Irish border region on Brexit and the impact it will have on their local communities.

Dr Katy Hayward
Queen's University Belfast

Protestors wielding placards against a hard border in Ireland
Border issues

Where the UK’s Brexit plan (and Customs Bill) leave Northern Ireland

July 2018 - The status of the Irish border after Brexit is the most complicated and contested part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The UK government insists the issue can only be addressed in the formulation of a new UK-EU relationship.

Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore
The Conversation

Border Signs
Border issues

Brexit and the Irish border: The experts' verdict

August 2018 - BBC News NI has asked a number of Brexit experts for their assessment of the current state of play in the negotiations, and whether a deal between the EU and UK on the border can be done.

Dr Katy Hayward
BBC News

The coast of Ireland at the Irish Sea
Border issues

Unchartered Waters

August 2018 - The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland runs through Lough Foyle. Garrett Carr takes a journey around the lake that will soon divide Britain from Europe.

Dr Garrett Carr
The Economist

Cliffs of Moher
Environmental Affairs

The future of environmental governance in Northern Ireland

August 2018 - Dr Viviane Gravey and Dr Mary Dobbs organised a workshop in Belfast on the Future of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland, in partnership with Nature Matters NI to foster discussions on the DEFRA consultation on an environmental watchdog, the workshop brough together 50+ stakeholders from a variety of sectors to discuss common frameworks, cross-border issues, environmental principles and accountability and enforcement.

Dr Viviane Gravey and Dr Mary Dobbs
Brexit & Environment

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Brexit Process

There’s a reason why Northern Ireland has been without a government for more than 500 days – Brexit

August 2018 - After more than 500 days of stalemate, Northern Ireland has surpassed the record previously set by Belgium for the longest run in peacetime without a working government.

Dr Peter McLoughlin
The Conversation

Border Sign
Brexit Process

No deal Brexit will be overwhelmingly negative for the UK, new academic report finds

September 2018 - A no deal Brexit will have a potentially large impact across a wide range of sectors and regions a new report by academic think tank The UK in a Changing Europe finds.

Professor John Garry and Professor Colin Harvey
The UK in a Changing Europe

EU Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

Brexit secretary under fire from Michel Barnier over Irish border issue

September 2018 - Michel Barnier has expressed his frustration with Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, for allegedly withholding information from the EU, as the question of the Irish border erupted again in the Brexit negotiations.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Guardian

Border Signs
Border issues

The Irish border and Brexit - Key slides

September 2018 - Key slides on Brexit and the Irish border.

Dr Katy Hayward
QPOL

Giant's Causeway
Brexit Process

Brexit and Northern Ireland: On the verge of impossible

September 2018 - It is now only half a year that Britain, March 29, 2019 is out of the EU. Nobody still knows what it means to Northern Ireland, which is the biggest crush in the negotiations.

Professor David Phinnemore
Altinget

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Brexit Process

George Mitchell urges politicians to avoid hard border in Ireland

October 2018 - One of the principal architects of Northern Ireland’s peace process has urged the British government and the European Union to keep to their promises in avoiding a hard border post-Brexit. George Mitchell, who played an historic part in brokering the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, called for political leaders involved in the Brexit negotiations to look back on the work of their predecessors in reaching the deal that ended decades of bloodshed.

Professor Colin Harvey
Express & Star

Research Lab
Brexit Process

Brexit and the NHS

October 2018 - The NHS was of course an issue during the EU referendum campaign. However, whilst its logo sat on the side of the Vote Leave bus, there was hardly what amounted to a proper debate about the possible implications of leaving the EU for the health service in the UK. Now, almost two years on, we need to address what Brexit might mean for the NHS and public health. This is no easy task.

Dr Mark Flear and Dr Katy Hayward
The UK in a Changing Europe

Border Sign
Border Issues

A hard Brexit means a hard border – whatever Owen Paterson says

October 2018 - Owen Paterson, a former secretary of state for Northern Ireland, argued this week in the Guardian that the UK could leave the customs union, break free from EU rules, and still avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Dr Katy Hayward
The Guardian

EU Flag with a star missing
Constitutional issues

Brexit will threaten the peace process and weaken human rights and equality

October 2018 - Professor Colin Harvey, Dr Amanda Kramer and Brian Gormally from Brexit Law NI speak to NVTV about their recent research which has found that Brexit will threaten the peace process and weaken human rights and equality protections in Northern Ireland.

Brexit Law NI
Norther Visions TV

Border Sign
Constitutional issues

Still here: Brexit and human rights in Northern Ireland

October 2018 - The impact of Brexit on human rights and equality in Northern Ireland is gaining increased attention. This is welcome. The public conversation thus far has tended to focus on the implications for trade and the economy; the common commitment to avoiding a hard border is also well known, and exhaustively discussed.

Professor Colin Harvey
The UK in a Changing Europe

Coastal landscape
Border issues

Invisible Irish Border Carries the Scars of a Fractured Past

October 2018 - Along the winding open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Cuilcagh Mountain trail rises into a steep wooden stairway that comes to a halt at a lookout deck.

Dr Margaret O'Callaghan
New York Times

Border Sign
Border issues

Britain’s roiling Brexit crisis, explained

October 2018 - Time is running short to figure out a Brexit deal. British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with European Union leaders in mid-October to once again try to hash out a deal over the terms of the United Kingdom’s exit — or “Brexit” — from the EU.

Dr Katy Hayward
Vox

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Border issues

En Irlande du Nord, l’insoluble équation du Brexit

October 2018 - Article on the question of the Irish border by Professor Colin Harvey and Professor David Phinnemore.

Professor Colin Harvey and Professor David Phinnemore
Le Monde

Theresa May
Border issues

Extending the Brexit transition period: what does it mean for a deal?

October 2018 - The UK prime minister, Theresa May, has signalled to EU leaders that she is willing to accept a one-year extension to the proposed “transition period” that will follow the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on March 29 2019. This would mean that the UK could remain subject to EU rules and policies until December 31 2021. That would include remaining under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Conversation

Border Signs
Border issues

Opinion: How likely is a ‘No-deal’ Brexit?

October 2018 - This week's European Council meeting in Brussels was supposed to be the occasion when UK Prime Minister Theresa May sealed the deal with fellow EU on the terms of its withdrawal from the bloc. No deal was reached.

Professor David Phinnemore
China Global Television Network

EU Flag
Border issues

Broken Kingdom: Theresa May – the last prime minister of the 'United' Kingdom?

October 2018 - After crashing through an October "deadline" Wednesday for reaching a deal with her fellow European Union leaders on the terms of the UK's Withdrawal Agreement from the Union ("Brexit"), it was apparent that British Prime Minister Theresa May, had succeeded only in uniting the other 27 European Union leaders in a grim determination to throw her a lifeline, in the form of a one-year extension to the UK's period of transition to negotiate its new "third country" status outside the EU.

Dr Peter Doran
China Global Television Network

Border Sign
Border issues

The Irish border in a “no deal” scenario

November 2018 - It is no coincidence that, after another run of dramatic headlines about the Irish border, there is a growing sense that we are tipping towards a “no deal” Brexit.

Dr Katy Hayward
Prospect

EU Flag
Border issues

Brexit and the backstop

November 2018 - We’d be safely on the home straight by now – Withdrawal Agreement agreed and a political declaration on the future UK-EU relationship undergoing a final polish – were it not for one dastardly issue: ‘the backstop’. And its complexity only appears to grow, regardless of how much the negotiators try to reassure us of their proximity to a conclusion: 80%, 90%, 95%!

Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Katy Hayward
The UK in a Changing Europe

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Border issues

Brexit crunch looms for May as opponents grow in Parliament

November 2018 - British Prime Minister Theresa May can only deliver a Brexit that – like her leadership of the Conservative Party - nobody voted for. May was anointed leader after a preliminary nomination process that saw her main rivals withdrew before a final leadership ballot was put to all members of the Conservative Party.

Dr Peter Doran
China Global Television Network

Coastal landscape
Border issues

Northern Ireland and the Withdrawal Agreement

November 2018 - When the latest draft of the Withdrawal Agreement went online on Wednesday evening, it was to the innocuously titled Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland that many analysts and commentators turned.

Dr Katy Hayward and Professor David Phinnemore
The UK in a Changing Europe

Theresa May
Border issues

DUP is wielding its influence over May in a huge gamble

November 2018 - Unionism – of the plain old, straight-up “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” kind – is enjoying something of a revival in current British discourse. The primary reason Dominic Raab gave his resignation as Brexit secretary, for example, was framed in terms of unionist unease.

Dr Katy Hayward
The Irish Times

Protestors wielding placards against a hard border in Ireland
Border issues

Brexit draft withdrawal agreement – experts react

November 2018 - A draft agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has been reached between representatives of both sides, alongside an Outline Political Declaration on a future relationship. It remains to be seen whether the British government is able to survive, and gain parliamentary support for the deal. Here, though, academic experts consider what adoption of the 585-page draft Withdrawal Agreement would mean.

Dr Katy Hayward
The Conversation

Theresa May
Border issues

Theresa May's Brexit deal may yet beat the odds and get through Parliament - here's why

November 2018 - Those against Theresa May’s version of Brexit have pretty much had an open field up to now, but the prime minister has begun a highly orchestrated campaign defending her position properly.

Professor Colin Harvey
The Independent

Theresa May 600x400px
Border issues

DUP agreement remains says Theresa May, but she’s less clear on its future

November 2018 - Theresa May has said her party's 'confidence and supply' agreement with the DUP is still in place - but declined to clarify in Belfast yesterday whether or not the remainder of the £1bn promised for Northern Ireland in the deal will still be paid if it collapses.

Professor David Phinnemore
Belfast Telegraph

EU Flag with a star missing
Border issues

Liberty, wealth or peace: the choice offered by the Brexit deal

November 2018 - Liberty, wealth or peace? And if you can only have one of them, which do you go for? Hard Brexiteers desire freedom above all else – the liberty to make your own decisions, good or bad. Hard Remainers place top billing on economic prosperity and don’t see much merit in the freedom to be poor.

Professor John Garry
The UK in a Changing Europe

Theresa May
Border issues

Brexit: why the EU doesn’t want the UK to remain in the backstop indefinitely

December 2018 - A key criticism made by opponents of the Brexit withdrawal agreement is that the UK would be stuck indefinitely in the so-called Irish “backstop” – aimed at avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland – with no unilateral way out.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Conversation

European Court of Justice
Border issues

Thinking about human rights and Brexit

December 2018 - Human Rights Week is the time each year when we reflect on the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, and we think about its continuing relevance. It is a document that is worth reading again; its inclusive vision of human rights is an inspiration to people locally and globally.

Professor Colin Harvey
The UK in a Changing Europe

Brexit in Scrabble pieces
Border issues

Brexit, the troubled game of the North Irish Unionist Party

December 2018 - Theresa May announced on Monday, December 10, the postponement of the vote on the Brexit agreement because of the many dissenting voices in Westminster. Among the most audible, that of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to the ambiguous position.

Professor David Phinnemore
La Croix

Border Signs
Border issues

The Irish border is Brexit's big headache—why is it there and what's it actually like?

December 2018 - The border that divides the Republic of Ireland (an EU member) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK) has become one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the British attempt to leave the European Union.

Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Garrett Carr
ABC Australia

Border Sign
Border issues

The Brexit Club: The brussel sprout

December 2018 - Joining host Ruth Sanderson are David Phinnemore, Professor of European Politics at Queen’s University Belfast and Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Detail TV

Theresa May
Border issues

Behind the Brexit Chaos, a Faulty U.K. Negotiating Strategy

December 2018 - When British politicians launched Brexit negotiations after the country’s 2016 referendum decision to leave the European Union, they were confident they could win a special deal by finding allies among the 27 remaining members of the bloc.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Wall Street Journal

Giant's Causeway
Border issues

Sharing the Island: Brexit, ‘no deal’ and the constitutional future

December 2018 - The question of Irish unity is now becoming a mainstream discussion on this island. In light of recent developments there are additional matters to raise as part of this constitutional conversation.

Professor Colin Harvey
The UK in a Changing Europe

Theresa May
BREXIT PROCESS

Sufficient progress:
what has been agreed

December 2017 - On 15 December 2017 the European Council agreed that ‘sufficient progress’ had been made on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU to move negotiations to a second phase and discussion of the future UK-EU relationship.

Professor David Phinnemore
Agenda NI

A 50 Euro note
BREXIT PROCESS

Make or break for the border

December 2017 - Leo Varadkar and Donald Tusk were supposed to meet under the orange, white and green flag of Côte d’Ivoire last week on the margins of the African Union/EU summit.

Professor David Phinnemore
The Times

Border Signs
BORDER ISSUES

What is the Good Friday Agreement? What are the implications for Brexit?

December 2017 - The problem of the post-Brexit border on the island of Ireland has sparked fears that the historic Good Friday Agreement could be undermined.

Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Katy Hayward
The Express

EU Flag
Brexit Process

Concessions at Brexit Talks Raise Questions About May's Allegiance – Analysts

December 2017 - After the prime minister triggered Article 50 back in March, her handling of the Phase One talks with the European Union has been put in question with the “best possible deal” in fact turning into London’s concessions on major issues. And while the talks moved on to Phase Two this December, nothing looks certain in the EU-UK agreements.

Professor David Phinnemore
Sputnik News

Parliament buildings at Stormont
Constitutional Issues

Sharing the Island: Brexit, Constitutional Imagination and the Right of Self-Determination

December 2017 - Professor Colin Harvey looks at the implications of Brexit on some of the central elements of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Professor Colin Harvey
QPOL