The Chair of the UKTBC Andrew Lewin MP reacts to the May 19 Summit.

The UK has secured a new agreement with the European Union which includes many policies developed and campaigned for by Best for Britain.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said the UK must "do everything we can" to "rebuild trade with the EU.

The German Ambassador to the UK has today stressed the economic and social value of a reciprocal Youth Mobility Scheme to both the UK and EU while disagreeing with those who conflate it with immigration or freedom of movement.

Times have changed in UK-EU relations. Negotiators from London and Brussels appear to have been in a negotiating “tunnel” in early April, and the outside world didn’t notice. In amidst the closer cooperation may even be a certain amount of joint briefing designed to suggest how both sides are fighting for their interests on difficult topics, such as fish, to be triumphantly announced as being solved at the May 19 Summit.

Today, a broad coalition of business groups and membership bodies from the EU and UK including the British Chambers of Commerce, CBI, FSB and the UK’s sole national accreditation service UKAS, has called for a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessments between the UK and EU to help boost economic growth.

The House of Common’s Business and Trade Committee has published an important report on ways the Government can improve trade with the EU to achieve growth based on evidence from the UK trade and Business Commission.

President Trump has in effect ended eighty years of close partnership between North America and Europe. While there have been tensions before, all previous US administrations thought of European relations as an essential security and economic alliance. Second time round, President Trump does not. His Vice-President seems to treat Europe as the enemy.

It is news to no one that Britain’s high streets have been struggling for some time. Boarded up windows, fewer independent shops, and a general loss of vibrancy have been a fixture of contemporary Britain. Whilst there are, of course, many factors at play from the rise of online shopping to COVID-19, one factor is constantly underplayed: Britain leaving the EU.

Recently there has been a discussion in the media as to whether UK or German trains are less punctual. This doesn’t say much for the state of the railways in either country, but it serves well as an analogy for the state of the UK-EU ‘reset’ in that both sides have been struggling to set out a vision that does justice to a shared desire to move on from Brexit towards a deeper relationship.

This week Best for Britain published research into the economic impact of closer EU-UK alignment, which also accounts for external factors including new tariffs imposed by the US. While we have been encouraged by the reception this work has received, from parliamentarians, commentators and the public, some commentators have questioned not only the validity of the exercise, but the justification for taking it on in the first place.

For years, British businesses have faced unnecessary costs, delays, and red tape when trading with our largest market: the European Union. Since Brexit, regulatory divergence has added friction and uncertainty, stifling investment and pushing up costs for consumers. But a major new study by Frontier Economics, commissioned by Best for Britain, has revealed a clear path to boosting the UK economy—closer regulatory alignment with the EU.

What is the current status of the UK-EU relationship reset, and what should be the UK’s priorities for 2025? Analysis by trade expert David Henig.

Following Labour’s ascension to Government there has been a conscious effort to reset the relationship between the EU and the UK. From Starmer meeting von der Leyen, Lammy attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council and Reeves meeting the Eurogroup finance ministers, what progress has been made? And what more can we expect in 2025?

A major new poll reveals twice as many voters think the Prime Minister should prioritise trade with the EU over trade with the USA. The findings come as the influential UK Trade and Business Commission reconvenes.

A new survey of more than 3,000 firms released by the Department for Business and Trade today found that three out five now think that free trade deals will have no impact on their business, including half of all firms exporting.

The Prime Minister has been told to urgently clarify government advice to manufacturers after an announcement by the Department for Business and Trade has caused even greater uncertainty on what markings they are required to use on their products.

As recommended by the UK Trade and Business Commission, the Government has indefinitely delayed plans to introduce a new UK product safety mark.

Today the Irish government confirmed that they will provide permanent funding to allow students in Northern Ireland to access the Erasmus+ scheme.

Today the ONS confirmed that in the year to June 2023, inflation in the UK was 7.9%, remaining the highest of any G7 economy.