One of the big promises of the Lib Dems general election campaign was that there would be “no deals, no coalitions”. However, now that Tim Farron has resigned as leader, it does leave room for the new leader of the party, whomever they may be, to reverse this decision. The outline of such a deal […]
I really, really don’t understand what Labour’s policy on Brexit is
Keir Starmer, the shadow secretary for leaving the EU, gave a speech yesterday that was meant to clear the air on what Labour’s election policy on Brexit really, actually in fact is. Of course, it only led to more confusion. I work in public policy in Westminster. I work in public policy specifically on Brexit […]
After the general election, liberals will have to begin to think about post-Brexit Britain in earnest
I wanted the country to vote Remain last year. I wrote about why I thought it would be a good idea at length. Alas, the country voted differently. This election gives the Lib Dems, a party campaigning on a second referendum (what amounts to an ability to block Brexit from occurring), a chance to gain […]
Why this talk from Tories about Cornish flags on licences could lead somewhere unintended
I know some of my readers will have been kept up nights of late worrying about the real problem of our age: what do we replace the EU flag with on UK driving licences once Brexit is complete? Of course, I could churlishly chime in here that we could just redesign the licences any way […]
What the Island of Brac in Croatia taught me about EU regulation
Yesterday afternoon, my family and I took a trip to a beach called Zlatni Rat on the island of Brac. It’s a Croatian island, an hour’s ferry journey from Split. Anyhow, since we’d come one certain wway from where we’re staying on the north side of the island to get to the beach, we figured […]
Why the leftie Brexiteers are so odd – and so at odds with themselves
Arthur Scargill, the old trade union boss, unexpectedly popped up in the news again yesterday. The reason being, he had given a pro-Brexit speech in which he said that leaving the EU would allow Britain to re-open the coal mines. “We were not allowed to subsidise pits under EU rules unless we were closing them […]
Keir Starmer sets out “tough new conditions” for Labour to back Brexit deal – please, give me a break
Easily the most annoying thing about Corbyn’s time as Labour leader (and that is saying something) has been the moves to look like the party won’t block Brexit for any reason while simultaneously vowing to be tough on May’s Brexit plans. It has meant that nothing Labour has said or done since June 23rd of […]
The Right is using the budget hiccup to lay Brexit’s problems at May and her chancellor’s doors alone
The mostly commonly cited trope in Westminster these days goes along the lines of “Queen May”. The prime minister is so in command of all she surveys that she is becoming infallible. This ignores the problems coming her way in regards to the Union, but unlike what some pundits are saying, I don’t that even […]
It’s been a weirdly depressing week for both May and Corbyn already…..and for democracy admirers as well
Yesterday should have been a triumphant one for Theresa May, given the Brexit Bill passed without a single amendment – but she bizarrely decided to give it a downbeat twist. Free to trigger Article 50 this week, she has decided to hold off until the end of the month for no clear reason. The only […]
How extreme Brexiteering weirdly feels a lot like Marxism in one particular way
There are people who voted to leave the European Union who are glad they did so but nervous about what’s to come; there are others who seem to be getting in their excuses early lest Brexit be bumpier than they thought pre-June 23rd; there are other Leavers, like Michael Gove, who are so convinced that […]