The Federal Trust

John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly discuss the crucial American component of the Brexit debate. Many of those arguing for Brexit in 2016 did so because they favoured a closer alignment between the UK and the US. John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly ask how politically and practically feasible such closer alignment might be, particularly under a Trump Presidency.

Brendan Donnelly and John Stevens discuss the effects of Brexit on the internal cohesion of the Conservative Party. They argue that, while the referendum of 2016 was intended to heal Conservative divisions, Brexit has exacerbated divisions within the Party, probably irreparably. SPEAKERS Brendan Donnelly is the Director of the Federal Trust and a former Conservative MEP. John Stevens Chair of the...

In this latest Federal Trust podcast, John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly discuss the implications of a Trump Presidency for Europe and the United Kingdom. They conclude that if Trump becomes the next American President, then the European Union will be both prepared and able to increase its expenditure on defence. This process of “strategic autonomy” for the European Union is already underway and is...

In this new episode of the Federal Trust podcast, Geoff Martin welcomes the restoration of normal political life in Northern Ireland after years of deadlock. The appointment of two women from opposing political traditions as First and Deputy First Minister undoubtedly marks a turning-point in the Province’s history. But Geoff cautions that rifts between and within its political parties could still...

In this new Federal Trust podcast, Brendan Donnelly and John Stevens discuss the likely course of the British debate on Brexit in 2024. They suggest that the Mayor of London’s new intervention in this debate is both part of his election strategy for the Mayoral elections and a foretaste of debates to come within the Labour Party. These debates are likely to reach a climax in the years following th...

Brendan Donnelly and John Stevens discuss the latest proposals of the British government to reduce net migration into the UK. They conclude that these proposals simply represent the latest instalment in the Conservative Party’s continuing internal divisions over Brexit’s consequences. They will be economically damaging and are unlikely to help the Conservative Party in the next General Election. S...

In this video, our Chairman John Stevens and Director Brendan Donnelly discuss the dismissal of Suella Braverman and the appointment of David Cameron. Does this represent a new political path for the Conservative Party and Rishi Sunak? Or is it simply the latest throw of the dice for a divided Party that will be reversed before Christmas? SPEAKERS: Brendan Donnelly is the Director of the Federal T...