They'll need something on trade, maybe alignment with a narrow scope on technical regulations where it's not clear they have strong ambitions for alternative regulations. SPS, technical barriers to trade (chemicals). etc. It may not go much beyond that.

If the frugal part of Europe would become a bit less so, it would make it a lot easier for the non-frugal part to become more so.

One point about youth mobility is that the UK is now less attractive as a place to earn higher wages due to high living costs and wages elsewhere catching up. But it's still attractive as a place to learn English

The only logical conclusion I can see here is that everyone will drag this out as long as they can, until at some point in the future some kind of regulatory alignment has been agreed, wasting millions of pounds in the process.

I've always wondered why more countries don't simply follow these two basic steps to really embrace the Norwegian model.

The only logical conclusion I can see here is that everyone will drag this out as long as they can, until at some point in the future some kind of regulatory alignment has been agreed, wasting millions of pounds in the process.

Interesting, always some caveats about comparability of data in hours worked, but changes in differences over time should usually be comparable.

I see we're doing the EU-US comparison again. It's always the same. US purchasing power and material standard of living is undeniably higher (for at least the top 60%), Europeans have better work-life balance and fewer social issues.

In a new speech Draghi rightly slams Europe‘s approach to competitiveness post-2008: „We pursued a deliberate strategy of trying to lower wage costs relative to each other - and combine this with proyclical fiscal policy, the net effect was to weaken our own domestic demand“. 1/2

This is an extraordinary figure, and needs to be top of your mind when economic growth in the US is discussed. (From ft.com/content/0d0980…)

For what it's worth, I think the UK would be better off focusing on regular participation as observers at lower levels - summit invitations will come when suitable. Regular participation at the highest level is not a reasonable ask.

Aside from Italy and Japan, productivity differences are actually essentially unchanged over the last 30 years. The real difference is that the dollar is a lot stronger now.

It's just when I don't like someone on here, I won't just block him, I'll triple-block him! That'll teach them

I remember one year Norwegians laughed when a bit of snow caused chaos in London airports - only for the exact same thing to happen in Oslo a few months later when we got a bit of unexpected snow in May.