Fisking “Common Market 2.0” (Revised)
The “Norway Plus Group” of MPs have put forward a paper called “Common Market 2.0” as a possible alternative Brexit deal to current deal. I analyse how credible it actually is, in this long read.
Blog posts
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Navigating the Brexit Deadlock
Within 24 hours of losing the ‘meaningful vote’ by an unprecedented margin, Theresa May defeated a vote of No Confidence in her government. So how does Parliament proceed?
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Falsehoods, Failures, Fibs & Fabrications
The 40 reasons to back the Brexit deal published by the Prime Minister to support her deal, are a frantic farrago of frequently fanciful falsehoods, failures, fibs or feeble fabrications. They are listed below with my comments on each of them in red, explaining why this entire document is so disingenuous and should not be […]
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The Political Declaration: A Wishy Washy Wish List
After nearly two years of wrangling, more between the rival factions within her own party than with the EU, over the manner of the UK’s mooted departure, Theresa May agreed last week to an unpopular Withdrawal Agreement. Then, like a disorganised undergraduate who realises the night before that a paper is due, she hurriedly threw […]
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My response to Theresa May’s last-minute Brexit deal
Theresa May has finally been able to convince (most of) her cabinet that Brexit requires reaching a deal with the European Union on the Withdrawal Agreement, but this is a bad deal for Britain for many reasons. First, the deal offers no clarity on the future relationship on which a five page document offers only […]
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Rebutting Richard Aikens
Richard Aikens has argued that the EU cannot succeed because it will become a federal state that most of its citizens do not want. He makes a number of assumptions and, in my view, latches on to several misconceptions, which I address in this piece.
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Uncertain futures: How Brexit could leave our children less protected
Uncertainty reigns supreme in the Brexit negotiations. But what is now clear is that Brexit will weaken our rights, protections and shared standards. And while many hundreds of articles have been written on customs unions and chlorinated chicken, scant attention has been paid to what Brexit specifically means for our youngest generation. How might children be affected by Brexit?
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Brexit Not Looking Good for Farmers
Visiting Fortshot House Farm near Wike last week I discussed a number of issues facing farmers in Yorkshire, with none more pressing than what Brexit could mean for their future.
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Place Jo Cox
On 27th September, the city of Brussels honoured the memory of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, by naming a square beside the Ancienne Belgique music venue she often visited in the years she lived here, as Place Jo Cox, in a formal ceremony.
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Developments in EU Sea Bass rules to favour recreational anglers
Update on the EU rules concerning sea bass fishing for anglers, following action by Labour MEPs.
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International Day of Democracy
Some reflections on recognising the importance of democracy in today’s heated political climate.
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What Happens Next? Some of the many Brexit Scenarios
The two year Article 50 period runs out in March 2019, but Theresa May’s terrible handling of the Brexit negotiations, and the Conservative party’s bitter divisions mean that it is still very difficult to predict where the UK will be politically in the next few months.
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EU Collaboration Crucial in Combating Cross-Border Crime
The two Russian nationals charged by the CPS of committing the Salisbury nerve agent attack have returned to Russian, from which there is no extradition. However, the UK has already obtained a European Arrest Warrant which will ensure that the two men are brought to justice in the UK should they ever enter an EU country.
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Don’t Fall for the Decoy!
Make no mistake: the government impact papers outlining the dire consequences of a no-deal Brexit are intended to frighten everyone into supporting a deal – any deal, if it manages to secure one. These papers are a decoy.
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Costly, Chaotic and Catastrophic: What happens with a no-deal Brexit?
As the possibility of a no-deal Brexit scenario increases, and the government publishes its “no-deal preparedness” notices, it is worth taking stock of the sheer variety of problems that would arise with a no-deal Brexit.