EU institutions, UK-EU relations, and Brexit aftermath
On 20 May 2026, the Council Presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on two regulations implementing the EU-US Joint Statement of August 2025, fixing a 15% tariff ceiling on EU exports to the US with a sunset clause through 2029. The deal also includes a robust safeguard mechanism on steel and aluminium.
The European Commission has launched a comprehensive review of the General Data Protection Regulation as the landmark legislation marks its tenth anniversary, with officials pledging targeted reforms to address mounting challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence and persistent enforcement gaps across member states. During commemorative events held between 22 and 24 May, Commission officials acknowledged…
The UK government has published the implementation timeline for the landmark Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement signed with the European Union last week, setting out a clear roadmap for reducing friction at the border for food and agricultural products between Britain and the continent. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs released the detailed schedule…
The United Kingdom and European Union signed a landmark veterinary agreement on 23 May 2026, marking the first tangible achievement of the post-Brexit “reset” initiated at last year’s summit and delivering substantial relief to food exporters who have faced costly border checks since Britain’s departure from the single market. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement…
EU negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on modernising the bloc’s return system for irregular migrants, introducing harmonised detention limits and recognition procedures in what officials are calling the most comprehensive reform of return policy in over a decade. Parliament and Council representatives struck the deal on 22 May following intensive trilogue negotiations on the…
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader, according to a new poll of party members that underscores growing unease with the current leadership just months after Labour’s general election victory. The Survation poll, released on 22 May, shows Burnham commanding 34% support among Labour…
Kemi Badenoch’s net favourability of -17 is the highest recorded by any Conservative leader in over five years, suggesting a slow but discernible Tory recovery beneath the surface of Reform UK’s headline-grabbing surge. The trend has implications for UK-EU relations, where the Conservative posture differs sharply from both Labour and Reform.
Andy Burnham remains the most popular potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer among the British public, with a net favourability score of +4 — the only major political figure currently in positive territory. His Manchester mayoralty makes him a viable but procedurally complicated candidate in any Labour leadership contest.
Sir Keir Starmer’s net favourability has fallen to -46 in the latest YouGov tracker, with 69% of Britons viewing the Prime Minister unfavourably. As Labour grapples with the aftermath of local-election losses, the question of his leadership has moved decisively from speculation to open political debate.
MEPs in Strasbourg have moved this week to delay certain high-risk provisions of the AI Act and adopt a new ban on so-called ‘AI nudifier’ systems, in a vote that signals a recalibration of how the Union balances innovation incentives against the most acute risks of generative AI.
