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Will UK survive Brexit "hangover"?
More than six years after the UK voted to leave the EU, you'd think the process would be over by now. Think again.
Unfortunately, the Northern Ireland protocol — no hard border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state — remains a Brexit "hangover" that's causing a lot of frustration across the English Channel, former British PM Tony Blair tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
What's getting in the way of a constructive relationship between Brussels and London? For Blair, the very anti-European politics of part of the UK right.
Blair, who wanted to remain in the EU, doesn't think Brexit will end up fragmenting the country. But he admits Brexit has given fresh impetus to both Scottish nationalists and those who want a united Republic of Ireland.
The video above is an excerpt from the weekly show, GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, which airs weekly on US public television. Watch the episode on "upheaval in UK" here.
- Is Brexit breaking Britain? - GZERO Media ›
- Northern Ireland's post-Brexit troubles - GZERO Media ›
- Upheaval in UK: the sobering challenges facing new PM Truss ... ›
- Tony Blair on Liz Truss & a post-Brexit UK on the brink - GZERO Media ›
- Northern Ireland trade deal ends Brexit but not UK's economic woes - GZERO Media ›
UK's Liz Truss & Charles III face tough challenges ahead
In early September, in just 48 hours the UK got a new prime minister (Liz Truss) and a new king (Charles III, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II).
Both take over at a turbulent time in British politics, but Truss in particular faces a list of domestic obstacles with no easy fix. Her top priorities are the economy and the energy crisis aggravated by Russia's war in Ukraine, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
And then, of course, there's Brexit, which never seems to go away. Truss is bracing for a fight with Brussels over the Northern Ireland protocol.
Meanwhile, Charles III will also have to grapple with the future of the Commonwealth and the looming threat of another Scottish independence vote.
This clip is part of the GZERO World episode on upheaval in the UK. Watch here.
Upheaval in UK: the sobering challenges facing new PM Truss & new King Charles III
In early September, in just 48 hours the UK got a new prime minister (Liz Truss) and a new king (Charles III, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II).
Both take over at a turbulent time in British politics, with no shortage of current and future challenges. To name just a few: a stagnant economy, sky-high energy prices, more Brexit fallout with the EU, and Scots demanding a fresh independence vote.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to former British PM Tony Blair (1997-2007), who believes there will be a lot of uncertainty over the next year or two if Truss insists on big tax cuts and big borrowing.
Blair also looks back at the queen's legacy and the future of the monarchy, explains why Brexit will hurt but probably not fragment the UK, and defends why we need to return to his comfort zone of the political center to fix today's problems.
- What is the Commonwealth? - GZERO Media ›
- Queen Elizabeth's death marks turning point for the UK - GZERO ... ›
- Remembering Queen Elizabeth II - GZERO Media ›
- Britain's next prime minister - GZERO Media ›
- Liz Truss' unenviable new gig - GZERO Media ›
- Tony Blair on Liz Truss & a post-Brexit UK on the brink - GZERO Media ›
- US debt limit: default unlikely, dysfunction probable - GZERO Media ›
Tony Blair on Liz Truss & a post-Brexit UK on the brink
Despite sky-high inflation and a plummeting pound, the UK’s newly installed PM Liz Truss has introduced tax cuts — requiring a lot more government borrowing — that she says will boost the UK’s sluggish growth rate.
This approach, which could result in the Bank of England increasing interest rates even more to tackle inflation, is ruffling feathers in Westminster and negatively impacting markets around the globe. On the sidelines of the UN general Assembly, Ian Bremmer sat down with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on GZERO World to discuss Britain’s economic woes and recent change in leadership.
“I think it's going to be a very uncertain period over the next year or so,” Blair said. “And I talk to a range of different people about this, which is always a problem when you're trying to make economic policy in government, and no one agrees with each other.”
The two discussed whether this controversial approach of using tax cuts to spur growth might succeed in pulling a post-Brexit UK away from the brink.
But Blair believes growth depends upon more than tax cuts. “Personally, I think the big questions around growth, long term, for Britain are around the technology revolution, infrastructure, and education.”
Catch the full interview on GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, airing on US public televisionbeginning on Friday, Sept 30.
- Britain's next prime minister - GZERO Media ›
- How new UK PM Liz Truss will impact UK/EU relations - GZERO Media ›
- Liz Truss' unenviable new gig - GZERO Media ›
- Truss resigns in continued Tory meltdown - GZERO Media ›
- Liz Truss resigns - GZERO Media ›
- Liz Truss resignation ends most shambolic premiership in UK history - GZERO Media ›
Merkel and Johnson will discuss post-Brexit relationship
Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, shares his perspective from Europe:
What are Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson going to talk about when they meet this week?
Well, I guess they need to start discussing a relationship post-Brexit. It was five years ago, and the relationship is still dominated by sort of Brexit-related issues. The uncertainty over the Northern Ireland protocol is a cloud over the relationship, but there are also common issues. Needless to say, the pandemic is still with us.
With Macron & Le Pen doing badly in the regional elections in France, is next year's presidential election wide open?
I would say it's open. I wouldn't say wide open, but there was clearly a sort of renewed strains of the traditional parties shown in the regional elections. The regional elections are regional. What is clear is that Macron has not been able to build a solid party base during these years. But the presidential election is very much about personalities and Macron is still doing fairly well in the opinion polls.