Sheffield university academics pen report on challenges facing the UK now it has left the EU

Dr Felicity Matthews, Professor Charlotte Burns and Professor Matthew Flinders from the University of Sheffield’s Politics and International Relations department, have contributed to a new report addressing a range of post-Brexit issues from academic think tank UK in a Changing Europe.

Academics from the city’s university wrote pieces, alongside 70 other academics from across the UK, addressing a range of issues from the constitution to Covid-19, from consumer protection to relations with China, that featured in the ‘Brexit and Beyond’ report.

The collection is divided into seven sections, dealing with: policy, public opinion, politics, the UK union, the economy, Government and law, and the UK’s external relations – which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of key issues confronting the nation in the months and years ahead.

Academic Thomas Sampson’s found that UK exports to the EU could fall by more than a third over the next decade, after he studied the long-term economic effects of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) within the report.

Each of the 72 pieces has been written by a recognised expert in the field, in which they address key themes such as where the UK has come from, where we are now and where we are heading.

Senior lecturer in politics at the University of Sheffield Dr Felicity Matthews said: “Britain’s withdrawal from the EU has had profound implications for the way in which policies are made and public services are delivered.

"In particular, as my contribution explains, arm’s-length public bodies in the UK will assume a diverse range of policymaking and regulatory responsibilities that were previously exercised by their EU counterparts.

"In addition, the scope for policy divergence will provide opportunities for public bodies to take on new functions or extend into new areas.

"More broadly, this report provides a comprehensive but accessible guide to anyone who is trying to get to grips with the manifold implications of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.

"It will be essential reading in the months ahead.”

To read ‘Brexit and Beyond’ click here.

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