Simon Usherwood
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simonusherwood.bsky.social
Simon Usherwood
@simonusherwood.bsky.social

Researcher of UK-EU relations, euroscepticism and learning & teaching. Open University and UK in a Changing Europe. Renowned for my bubbly personality, I imagine.

Political science 71%
Education 10%

Today's constitutional

Today's constitutional

Today's constitutional

Light lunch

Today's train

Checks to see if this will be in place for, oh, let's say, tomorrow morning...

😒

Reposted by Simon Usherwood

London St Pancras revamp aims to cut Eurostar waiting time to 15 minutes ft.trib.al/MyUfNg2
London St Pancras revamp aims to cut Eurostar waiting time to 15 minutes
Planned £100mn overhaul of train station will seek to end ‘holding pen’ experience for passengers
ft.trib.al

Pinky promise?

Eager to end your work year by listening to a pod about the Commission's role in EU-UK relations?

We've got you covered

soundcloud.com/simon-usherw...
Ep297: Assessing the Commission's role in the EU-UK relationship
Podcasts from A Diet of Brussels, talking about the issues around the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and Brexit. You can read our full article at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcms.
soundcloud.com

Reposted by Simon Usherwood

The European Commission has today renewed the UK's EU data adequacy status, to 2031. Based on our earlier work on the issue, in our Nov report on the UK-EU reset we noted renewal "would avoid significant disruption to UK-EU cooperation across the board". publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld...

And we are back to cost arguments here

Note "almost" is doing a fair amount of work, plus post-2027 contributions have to be negotiated, so 🤷

www.thetimes.com/article/544f...

One EU-UK Reset negotiation tracker, updated for today's Erasmus statement

Still quite a lot to be done on the agenda from the May summit

PDF with clicky links: bit.ly/UshGraphic141

@ukandeu.bsky.social @oupolitics.bsky.social

yep

plus YES (if/when agreed) will not resolve this either

We don't have the full text of the agreements yet, but visa exemptions aren't normally included in the scheme

Reposted by Steve Peers

And now the CON response on this

Also a bit perfunctory (note Badenoch didn't go for it in PMQs), but evident that the cost argument is going to be a key part of on-going critique
"The really interesting thing is where this sits within the wider reset? 🇬🇧🇪🇺

Why have they concluded this agreement now, which is something the EU is very keen on, and are they actually landing some of the UK's big objectives?"

🎙️ @jillongovt.bsky.social on the deal to reoopen Erasmus to UK students

And forgot to add the other elephant that @davidheniguk.bsky.social rightly mentions: SAFE

Note there's nothing about work to try and rescue something from that failed effort

bsky.app/profile/davi...
Pretty positive statement on UK-EU relations and reflective I think of a desire on both sides from what was seen as a bit of a fiasco on SAFE participation (for which EU Member States do not in the main blame the UK)
Let's go through the Eramus statement together

1/

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Reposted by Simon Usherwood

Pretty positive statement on UK-EU relations and reflective I think of a desire on both sides from what was seen as a bit of a fiasco on SAFE participation (for which EU Member States do not in the main blame the UK)
Let's go through the Eramus statement together

1/

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

tl;dr dutiful, rather than enthusiastic

Let's see whether either party makes a song and dance about this in their domestic comms

/end

That's progress on the '2027' vagueness on YES and SPS from earlier in the year, although nothing to indicate how this has moved forward

ETS is a quiet acceptance that linkage won't hit start of schemes in New Year (although still opportunities for exemptions)

6/

Speaking of which, end of statement is boilerplate stuff: stressing desire to agree stuff and to faithfully implement all existing agreements

Main substantive point is goal of next Summit to conclude YES, SPS and ETS

5/

Mention of IEM particpation is a positive, and suggest by both parties to offer up movement on Strategic Partnership agenda

At same time, it's 'exploratory talks', so much scope for detail to bog things down

4/

Given YES is just presented as ticking over, either Erasmus is a sop to cover problems in agreeing former, or a trailer for UK audiences of value of YES

Both seems equally likely (and reflective of UK govt's under-mgt of European policy presentation)

3/

Erasmus+ participation is confirmed, including language on finance, which suggests overnight media reports about terms was consequential

Note also the words about the breadth of Erasmus...

2/
Let's go through the Eramus statement together

1/

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Official confirmation of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027.

As someone who studied in the UK (though not via Erasmus) very pleased to see this particuarly severing of connection at least partially rebuild:
Joint Statement by Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Maroš Šef\u010Dovi\u010D and HM Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office The...
In May, the United Kingdom and the European Union held their first ever Summit and agreed to strengthen cooperation through a new strategic partnership. This partnership will make us more secure, will
ec.europa.eu

Ah, the eternal Bluesky dilemma: put Alt text in, but no-one reads it, or don't and get grief for not adding it

🙄

Today's constitutional

Progress on Erasmus+, but lack of immediate connection to Youth Experience suggests latter is still to move to conclusion

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
www.theguardian.com

Um, these are plastic tulips...