As the Brexit process moves to its next climax, with the deadline for completing a new deal on UK-EU relations by the end of the year, there’s no better time to try to make sense of it all, with our roundtable of experts from across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Our online discussion is open to all members of the local community, to get answers to the questions that have been burning on your mind. From the economics of new trading relations to the politics of ‘getting Brexit done’, the legal and the social impacts, our panel has it covered, with impartial and evidence-led contributions at a time when some of the bigger choices on the UK’s relationship with the European Union are just about to be decided.

With the looming end of the transition period, Brexit remains at the forefront of our public and political debate. But a lot of what you hear is from partisans on different sides, more interested in selling their position than setting out what the plain facts of the matter might be. To help redress that, we’re offering you the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the leading academic experts on this topic, during a night of question-and-answer from the heart of Guildford. With expertise in economic, political and legal aspects of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, we can offer a response to all those burning questions that you’ve never felt you’ve gotten a straight answer to. And yes, sometimes that answer is going to be that we don’t yet know. So, no pitching for your vote, no being evasive, no hand-waving: just straight-down-the-line answers, to help you get a handle on all of it.

The panel will be adapting to reflect the changing complexion of the debate, but will include:

Working in the Department of Politics, Simon’s research has focused on the negotiations between the UK and EU, the practicalities of Brexit and the wider role of euroscepticism in the UK. He has been Deputy Director of the ESRC-funded “UK in a Changing Europe” programme, dedicated to sharing academic insights into the public debate.

• Prof. Holger Breinlich

Holger is based in the Department of Economics, and has produced several key studies into the impact of Brexit on living standards, trade and general economic performance.

• Dr Simona Guerra

Dr Simona Guerra works in the Department of Politics on various aspects of public opinion, EU politics and how people have experienced Brexit. She is also a member of the Centre for Britain and Europe.

#SurreyBrexitRoundtable

Making Sense of Brexit: A roundtable to answer your questions