It may sound very strange for a Remainer to say that I think hard Brexit has become necessary. But that’s where I think we might now be. Despite a terrible, shambolic set of negotiations so far by Theresa May and her cohorts; despite forecasts of economic doom, particularly for the North East and the Midlands, […]
Corbyn isn’t “on the fence” on Brexit. Why is that so hard for Remainers to absorb?
Gina Miller, the Emmeline Pankhurst of the Remainer movement, tweeted yesterday: YOUTH TO CORBYN: GET OFF THE FENCE ON BREXIT, OR ELSE! What struck me as so odd about this tweet is that Jeremy Corbyn isn’t on any fence on Brexit. I can’t say he was never on the fence on EU membership – he […]
Explaining the Customs Union fudge and just how bad the “dream team” idea is
We’re on the perihelion of the government’s Brexit cycle – when the official position is closest to Rees-Moggness. After Hammond’s “slip” at Davos, admitting that a soft Brexit is what we’re headed for, May has to assert all manner of hard Brexitiness, with Downing Street telling us now that we will definitely be leaving the […]
The answer to populism is relatively simple: sustained competence
Appearing on This Week this week, Michael Portillo had this to say about Rees-Mogg as potential PM: “Because he is not in office he has the luxury of saying pretty much what he thinks, that he is clear cut and relatively charismatic and that he has ideas and that all of these things are what […]
Why Theresa May’s attempt to fiddle with the transition period will go predictably wrong
This week, another microcosm of the Theresa May premiership. One of her more pro-European ministers – usually Philip Hammond – says something that reflects the reality that the government is heading for a transition period during which we’ll kind of be in the EU, except without any say in anything. Following that, a post-transition in […]
Here’s what is sorely missing from the Brexit debate – and why it makes Brexit such a certainty
I know what you’re thinking – there are a lot of things missing from the Brexit debate. Some realistic form of what post-Brexit Britain might look like, some of you might say. What I’m going to talk about here is what Remainers are getting wrong – and why that makes Brexit almost certain to happen, […]
If the Tory backbenchers finally pull the plug on May, who will become prime minister? A journey into the bizarre
Rumours swirl around Westminster that Conservative backbenchers have finally had their fill of May’s premiership; Graham Brady, the leader of the 1922 Committee, is now at the point of begging MPs not to put their letters in. Again, so the rumours have it. I’m still not so sure that her end at PM is quite […]
Why I don’t think a second EU referendum is a good idea
I’ll start by saying that if was simply up to me, I’d keep Britain in the EU. I was a Remainer before the referendum result, and nothing has convinced me since that leaving the EU would make the country better off. However, I also remain against the idea of a second referendum on the question. […]
Mark E Smith dies – a tribute to my favourite four songs by The Fall
In some ways, I think it’s probably remarkable Mark E Smith made it to 60. Well known for his drinking, not to mention his love of amphetamines (it comes up A LOT in Fall lyrics), Smith lived life on the edge for what seemed to be all of his adult life. None of this removes […]
Here’s what I don’t get about the hardcore Brexiteers at the moment
The news on Brexit lately has been mostly of a piece, for once. “Brexit: UK has already ‘agreed in principle’ with EU to Norway-style transition” ran a headline in the Independent on Monday. “Should we stay or should we go? Why the EU customs union issue is threatening to rip Tory party apart” was the […]