Emily Jones, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, was invited to give evidence at the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Trade and Export Promotion. In submitting evidence to the APPG, Emily highlighted three areas of UK trade policy: parliamentary scrutiny, engagement with devolved administrations and stakeholder consultation. Her recommendations included:

  • Introducing more effective parliamentary scrutiny over trade policy by granting MPs greater access to negotiating texts (including the right to debate and vote on trade agreements), and a mechanism for Parliament to scrutinise the implementation of the UK-EU agreement.
  • Giving devolved administrations the statutory right to co-determine the negotiating mandate in areas of devolved competence and fully participate in negotiations on issues that lie within these areas.
  • Strengthening stakeholder consultation and stakeholder engagement by conducting an independent review of the current composition of stakeholder mechanisms and the use of confidentiality agreements, creating a public engagement strategy, and a statutory obligation for government to publish a range of documents to better inform the public debate.