In his presentation to the IIEA, Mr Powell offers his assessment of the UK government’s handling of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic thus far. With the UK government continuing to insist that there will be no extension of the transition period beyond the 31 December 2020 deadline, he also comments on the impact the virus may have on the ongoing future EU-UK relationship talks.
About the Speaker:
Jonathan Powell served as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007, during which time he also served as Chief British Negotiator on Northern Ireland, playing an instrumental role in bringing about peace in the region. Prior to joining Tony Blair, he was a British diplomat for 16 years. He is Founder and Director of Inter Mediate, a charity focused on ending armed conflicts around the world. He is author of a number of books, including: Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland (2008), The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern World (2010) and Talking to Terrorists: How to End Armed Conflicts (2014).
