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Ripe for reform: UK scrutiny of international trade agreements

23 November 2020, 4:00 pm–5:30 pm

Emily Jones Seminar

Join us for this talk as part of the IIPP Seminar Series, as Emily Jones (Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford) discusses her research and her working paper on the UK’s scrutiny of international trade agreements.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

IIPP Comms Team

Watch the video

Now that the UK has left the EU, the UK government is negotiating trade agreements for the first time in almost 50 years. Contemporary trade agreements have far-reaching policy implications, yet the UK Parliament has few scrutiny powers. Unless changes are made, the UK’s future trade deals will receive less scrutiny than the trade deals the UK entered as a member of the EU.

Emily Jones will present new research that systematically compares parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements in the UK, United States, European Union, Australia, and Canada. She will explain how and why the US Congress and European Parliament have extensive scrutiny powers, and will contrast these with the much weaker powers of the Westminster-style parliaments of the UK, Australia and Canada. She will examine the extent to which governments involve sub-national governments in negotiations, a pressing issue in the UK. She will also evaluate the arguments for and against greater scrutiny, and identify lessons that the UK can learn from other jurisdictions.

Background material linked to this seminar

GEG working paper for Ripe for reform: UK scrutiny of international trade agreements by Emily Jones and Anna Sands.

Blog post: Parliamentary Scrutiny of Trade Deals: How does the UK Measure Up? by Emily Jones and Anna Sands.

Read more about the IIPP Seminar Series 2020-21

About the Speaker

Emily Jones

Associate Professor at Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

Emily Jones
Emily Jones is an Associate Professor in Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, and a Fellow of University College. She directs the Global Economic Governance Programme which fosters research and debate on how to make the global economy inclusive and sustainable. Emily’s research examines the political economy of global trade and finance, focusing on the ways in which governments can exert influence in asymmetric negotiations. Emily teaches courses on international political economy and negotiation strategy and skills for public policy, specialising in international trade.

Emily holds a DPhil in International Political Economy from the University of Oxford, and an MSc (distinction) in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and a first-class BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. She previously worked in Ghana's Ministry of Trade and Industry, for Oxfam GB, and for the UK Department for International Development.

Twitter: @EmilyJonesBSG

Email: emily.jones@bsg.ox.ac.uk

More about Emily Jones