The West has been in denial about Syria in many, many ways since the civil war there kicked off in the spring of 2011. In denial about its reasonable proximity, preferring to think of the conflict as being something happening far away, with no impact on Europe; in denial about the idea that because the […]
Archives for January 2016
What Cameron closing in on the four year deal means
So after a week of dark clouds emerging from the Number 10 press office regarding Cameron’s ability to get the renegotiation deal he wants fully signed off at the summit to be held on February 18 and 19th, in order to facilitate a June referendum, suddenly this morning we got some good news on that […]
Are the EU Leave campaigns in real trouble?
There was a story in the Times this morning regarding Bernard Jenkins, a board member of Vote Leave, trying to oust its two main employees, Matthew Elliot and Dominic Cummings. This is pretty nuclear stuff given these are the two guys who have essentially run the campaign since its inception, and the man trying to […]
Are UKIP right in saying that BME voters could swing the EU referendum for the Leavers?
Steve Woolfe, a UKIP MEP who has that particular party’s migration spokesperson role (which is the UKIP equivalent of getting shadow chancellor), said at an event yesterday that: “EU freedom of movement has led to unsustainable levels of European migration to Britain. A major consequence is that in trying to reduce net migration, the government has discriminated […]
This is what stands in the way of a Labour split more than anything else
When one surveys the landscape of the current Labour Party, the fact that a split doesn’t loom larger in a lot of the PLP’s thinking could baffle some with a less than voluminous knowledge of British political history. The membership seems to have turned to or been infiltrated completely by the far-left; given the way […]
Of course Ed Miliband was the main reason Labour didn’t win the election
A new report on why Labour supposedly lost the election, authored by Margaret Beckett, has two main claims. One, that it’s thorough. Two, that Ed Miliband being leader had nothing to do with it. I think these two assertions are mutually exclusive. Even more exciting (for someone like me who gets excited by such things), […]
What line will the various members of the right of centre press take on the EU referendum?
This seems like a simple question to answer for some of you: they don’t like the European Union, never have, so of course the right of centre press is going to stick to its guns and try and chide the British public into voting to leave the EU in what may be its only chance […]
Bulletin: Dan Hannan may actually have a point here about Europe
There was an article in the Spectator late last week, authored by Dan Hannan, regarding what Brexit looks like as he sees it. I was excited – this is usually a topic the Eurosceptics run a mile from. And the piece was truly revealing. Hannan says that those campaigning for Britain to remain in the […]
My bizarre experience with Russia Today
Sitting in the office yesterday afternoon, the phone rings. None of the guys are around so I pick it up. Someone with a very heavy accent on the other end asks for me by name. “Speaking.” “Oh. I was wondering if you’d like to be on our TV programme today.” “Which channel?” I thought she […]
How the “hammer the rich” story encapsulates perfectly the confidence of the Tories these days
Yesterday, Tory MP Mark Garnier told the Independent the following in regards to George Osborne’s plan to level out pension provision for higher earners: “I am not sure the politics of hammering the rich works. The people who will benefit are very unlikely to change the way they vote, while those who lose out will be […]