"What's Next for U.K., Irish, EU Relations?" JCU Welcomes Dr. Kathryn Simpson

John Cabot University welcomed Dr. Kathryn Simpson for a lecture entitled “What Next for U.K., Irish, EU Relations? Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol,” on March 21, 2023. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Politics and Economics of the EU at Keele University, U.K., and a leading expert on Brexit, attitudes towards the EU, and U.K., Ireland, and EU relations.

Dr. Kathryn Simpson

In her talk, Dr. Simpson provided an in-depth explanation of the background of Brexit, which demonstrated how the U.K. has always been an awkward, or reluctant member state since it joined the EU in 1973, as consistently shown in a variety of surveys and polling data. She also explained the evolution of a key element of the EU-U.K. Withdrawal Agreement – the Northern Ireland Protocol, and how this has developed since 2018 to the new Windsor Framework of 2023.

Finally, Dr. Simpson focused on the future relationship between the U.K., the EU, and Ireland, arguing that Brexit is often treated as monocausal – which it is not – and that there is a need to understand, consolidate and rationalize the complexities of the U.K. and its constituent parts, in particular Northern Ireland, to make sense of Brexit and determine the future of the U.K. – EU relationship. She also stated that while Ireland’s relationship with the EU is consistently positive and there is no prospect of an Irexit, positive support for the EU should not be taken for granted.

On March 22, Dr. Simpson discussed these topics in further detail with the students of Professor Tara Keenan’s class on the History and Politics of Northern Ireland, as well as Professor Nicholas Startin’s class on Western European Politics. Fruitful discussions ensued on the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the role of the EU as a guarantor of The Agreement, as well as the Brexit vote in each of the four nations of the U.K. and variations in Euroscepticism across the U.K.