The EU Commission is unelected but has the sole power to propose EU laws; its Council of Ministers can over-rule member govts now in almost all policy areas; its parliament isn't underpinned by a demos (half the actual word "democracy"); yet, together, these institutions hold legal supremacy over elected govts. The EU is dangerously undemocratic & the inevitable political effects are worsening. #EuropeanUnion #democracy

Marine Le Pen will cut France’s net annual contribution to the EU’s long-term budget to €5 billion if elected, making the proposal a key part of her political agenda in the presidential election. rapporteur.com/news/le-pen-v…

Under a new ‘institutional safeguard’, the EU could suspend a new member’s voting rights in the Council of the EU, following particularly serious cases involving breaches of EU values or violations of the principle of “sincere cooperation” rapporteur.com/news/kos-eu-t…

Also worth noting that, as the UK has struck more trade deals and lowered applied tariffs at the WTO, the UK actually levies *less* customs duties at the border than it did as an EU member. So we have *both* lower tariffs and higher customs revenue, by being outside the EU.

One of the things that you never see mentioned, by those who suggest the UK should be in the EU Customs Union. EU members have to give the EU 75% of all customs duties collected. The UK collected £5 Billion in customs duties in FY 2025/26. Brexit let us keep £3.75 Billion.

Andy Burnham’s Rejoin fantasy, by Wolfgang Munchau (@EuroBriefing) If Burnham asked for my advice today, I would tell him: don’t look at the polls. Don’t worry about ‘Bregret’ or Labour Party politics. Look instead at the state of the EU, which has changed dramatically since 2016. Right now, the EU is not a club you’d want to join. In fact, the sensible Icelanders recently voted against pursuing EU membership. Despite barely surviving the Eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis, the EU never bothered to fix the underlying problems that triggered it, such as a fragmented banking system and the lack of a common capital market. Now another sovereign debt crisis could soon be on the horizon, with French interest rates going through the roof. And if the polls are right about France’s presidential election next year, the political centre might shrink or even disappear as a political force, leaving France and the Eurozone under the influence of the far-Right. Does Britain really want to be in the same club as President Marine Le Pen or Chancellor Alice Weidel? Read more: buff.ly/dzGlE0R

Andy Burnham’s Rejoin fantasy, by Wolfgang Munchau (@EuroBriefing) If Burnham asked for my advice today, I would tell him: don’t look at the polls. Don’t worry about ‘Bregret’ or Labour Party politics. Look instead at the state of the EU, which has changed dramatically since 2016. Right now, the EU is not a club you’d want to join. In fact, the sensible Icelanders recently voted against pursuing EU membership. Despite barely surviving the Eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis, the EU never bothered to fix the underlying problems that triggered it, such as a fragmented banking system and the lack of a common capital market. Now another sovereign debt crisis could soon be on the horizon, with French interest rates going through the roof. And if the polls are right about France’s presidential election next year, the political centre might shrink or even disappear as a political force, leaving France and the Eurozone under the influence of the far-Right. Does Britain really want to be in the same club as President Marine Le Pen or Chancellor Alice Weidel? Read more: buff.ly/dzGlE0R

.@MichelBarnier: ‘No Single Market a la carte’ - freedom of movement is part of SM - but adoption of € and Schengen unlikely to be required

Renegotiating membership of the European Union could take well over a decade. A decade which will mean uncertainty for business, stalled investment, and we would inevitably have to accept the Euro and freedom of movement. independent.co.uk/news/uk/po…