20th December marks 100 days of BrexitCentral! Aside from providing a comprehensive summary of each day’s Brexit-related news, we pride ourselves on hosting articles from a very broad range of voices from politics, economics, business and numerous other walks of life. To mark our century, below we have picked a dozen of our favourite comment pieces which we have published since September, demonstrating the breadth and depth of serious opinion pieces we are hosting on a daily basis. And if you are not yet receiving our Brexit Briefing in your inbox each morning, click here to sign up! Mark Francois MP: The appalling handling of the Lisbon Treaty sowed the seeds of Brexit The man who was Shadow Europe Minister during the Lisbon Treaty’s passage through Parliament traces the seeds of Brexit to the way it was handled in 2007-08. Matthew Elliott: How Business for Britain helped change the course of history in three short years Matthew reflects on the incredible journey from the founding of Business for Britain in the Spring of 2013 to Vote Leave’s victory at June 2016’s referendum. Dr Lee Rotherham: Making sense of Article 50 – and why we are right not to be triggering it immediately “Article 50 has become a totem of our times. In short, it’s the clause in the EU treaties that determines how a country can leave the EU. Some infer that by not triggering it already, the Government is going wobbly on leaving the EU. The reality, however, is much more complicated.” Ruth Lea: Under Theresa May, Brexit Britain will clearly be leaving both the Single Market and the Customs Union “Theresa May’s Brexit speech at the Conservative Party Conference was one of the most important speeches any British Prime Minister has given in decades. Her words made it crystal clear that Brexit really does mean Brexit and that Britain will once again pass all its own laws and govern itself.” Austin Mitchell: A vision for post-Brexit Britain that might appeal to Labour-voting Leavers “By supporting an EU determined to humiliate us and threatening to reject not only the invocation of Article 50 but any outcome that emerge, the Labour Party currently risks permanently alienating the two fifths or so of our supporters who voted for Brexit.” Grant Shapps MP: I was a Remainer but now I’m backing Brexit all the way, as hard as you like “I was a Remainer, but I have embraced the new direction of the country. I am backing Brexit all the way, as hard as you like, and I’m bullish about the UK’s future. Becoming the world’s greatest free trading nation is a vision in which I can believe. And I certainly won’t be voting against triggering Article 50. Indeed, anyone who did who also voted against Brexit on the grounds of the uncertainty, would be themselves responsible for generating even greater uncertainty.” Dominic Raab MP: Even with the worst trade deal Brussels could offer, the UK will thrive outside the EU “In the worst-case scenario, we would face the EU’s external tariff, which averages 3.6%, rising to 10% on cars and 32% on wine. How bad would that be? Britain can flourish with even the worst deal. But how can we get the best?” Justin Protts: Any move by the EU to punish the UK with trade restrictions or new barriers would be an act of self-harm The author a new Civitas briefing explains why the EU has far more to lose than Britain if it imposes trade barriers or other restrictions on us after Brexit. Lord Flight: The potential cost to the City of the loss of Passporting has been deliberately exaggerated by diehard Remainers “The main area of vulnerability to the loss of Passports is banks and investment banks where, given the participation of EU banks in London, there are strong self-interest arguments for a sensible EU deal. The FCA has found 5,476 UK firms dependent on Passporting into the EU but 8,000 EU firms needing Passporting to do business in London.” Patrick Minford: Unilateral free trade is far more attractive than membership of the single market The eminent economist argues that we must leave the single market and pursue unilateral free trade, retaining control of our borders and our laws, if the Brexit people voted for is to be delivered. Patrick O’Flynn MEP: If marginalised Remainers wish to wave the EU flag, we should indulge them The UKIP MEP is deeply relaxed about those EU enthusiasts who wish to fly the European flag. Lord Stoddart of Swindon: My fellow peers must not defy the electorate and obstruct Brexit The former Labour MP and long-standing peer argues that the House of Lords must not try and defy the will of the people as demonstrated in June’s referendum.