Our coverage of Brexit
A selection of recent stories
Britain was always an awkward member of the EU. It joined late, complained lots and on January 31st 2020 became the only country ever to leave. At the end of 2020, after a transition period during which the two harrumphing sides are meant to conclude a permanent UK-EU trade deal, Britain goes its own way. The Economist has covered this European fissure—the issues behind it, the recent haggling and the post-Brexit possibilities—from the beginning. To keep up with the best of our coverage, bookmark this page.
Latest stories
Brexit negotiations
Britain and the EU edge closer to a trade deal
Lying behind the most contentious issues in the Brexit trade talks is a lack of trust
Trade
Will Brexit cause disruption in Britain’s ports?
Imports are unlikely to be affected, but exports may well be
Charlemagne
Sprechen Sie Tory?
British Tories and European Christian Democrats don’t get each other. Hence the Brexit shambles
Fade to grey
What a grand chemistry experiment reveals about Brexit
The impact will be felt not with a bang, but with a whimper
Explaining Brexit
The Economist explains
What is the level playing field and why is it such a problem for Brexit?
The EU insists on preventing “unfair competition” as a condition for unfettered trade
The Economist explains
What would a no-deal Brexit mean?
Leaving the EU is costly anyway—but without a trade deal, costlier still
The Economist explains
Why fishing might scupper a Brexit deal
Fisheries’ role as a symbol of British policy independence outweigh their economic importance
Negotiations with the EU
Last tango in Brussels
A thin, last-minute Brexit trade deal is better than no deal at all
It would at least provide a base on which later agreements could be built
Farming after Brexit
Can farming be greener after the common agricultural policy?
Politics and sheep are getting in the way
Daily chart
Britain is heading for a hard Brexit. Voters now prefer none at all
With trade talks in their final days, Britons’ attitudes to the EU have changed significantly since 2016
Britain’s other negotiations
Trade policy
Farmers, greens and animal-lovers make doing trade deals difficult
Campaigners want imported food to meet Britain’s domestic standards
Bagehot
What Joe Biden means for Boris Johnson
A Biden administration will make the prime minister’s life even more difficult
Global Britain
A ban on Huawei further worsens Britain’s relations with China
As they deteriorate, China could make Britain squirm
Life after Brexit
London calling, at last
Rishi Sunak pitches the City to the world
The Treasury finally lavishes attention on the unloved, but important, square mile
Financial services
What Brexit will do to the City of London
The damage will be noticeable but not disastrous
Charlemagne
The revenge of strategic yogurt
How the EU started speaking French when it comes to the economy
