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How quickly they forget If there was one country in the world which you might think would understand the importance of democracy, the right to self determination and freedom from unaccountable government, it would be the United States of America. And so it has been particularly depressing to watch politicians and …

The stock market likes continuity and clear projections and in the aftermath of a Leave vote there will be a period of unavoidable uncertainty. This is why business come out for remain; they don’t like change that is beyond their control and they don’t want any kind of uncertainty no …

Workers’ rights: The UK does not depend on the EU for workers rights. Trade Unions became legal in the UK in 1871; Modern Pensions began in 1908; Holiday Pay was introduced in 1938; Equal pay was introduced in 1970; Race Discrimination Act was introduced in 1965; Sex Discrimination act was …

With this intervention by Gordon Brown, the Remain campaign scrapes rock bottom The worst thing you’ll see all day: Gordon Brown sullying the grounds of the beautiful Coventry Cathedral (my favourite modern cathedral – I used to attend choral evensong while studying at nearby Warwick University) with his latest tawdry intervention …

It is clear that Remain have been plotting their campaign for some time. Cameron asked us to join him in supporting a “reformed” EU. Brexit has taken a lead in the polls. Why? Cameron has a reputation in some quarters as a political animal. Before becoming an MP, his background …

The dream of a federal Europe is not dead, or even resting. European political union is a long game – watch closely on a day to day basis and you will notice nothing moving. Only when viewed at a distance of years and decades does the direction of travel become crystal …

A lot is made of Winston Churchill’s 1946 speech in Zurich when he called for a united Europe. EU federalists claim him as one of their own and consider him a “founding father” but it is clear, as I discussed in a previous post, that the Churchill model of a …

This may be my last bit of writing for a while. I deliberately organised things such that I’d be away during the referendum. I shall not be paying much attention to the news. My guess is that most of the people in the part of Spain I like to go …

Like a lot of big ideas that turn out to be unpopular, unworkable, misguided and just plain bad, the European Union probably seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, I’m sure it did. I’m sure it still does, to the dwindling band of believers across an increasingly-sceptical …

Two weeks from today the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland could be discovering herself a truly free and independent nation. Recent polling shows victory to be more than within grasp. How we will win though? What can we do to push Leave over the top? Very simple- …

As the referendum draws near and debate increases, the natures of the campaigns have become apparent. Some minds were made up before in either side of the fence. Some are confused, some are neutral. Any academic piece will give the opportunity for the reader to decide any potential for bias. …

Don’t take the bait. Don’t take the bait. Don’t take the — ah, screw it The Huffington Post serves up the worst thing you will read all day (h/t Pete North) in terms of EU referendum commentary – this sneering, virtue signalling attempt at mockery of Brexiteers by author and …

By openly slandering the EFTA/EEA “Norway Option” for achieving Brexit in the event of a Leave vote, the Remain campaign and their allies in the media show that they are terrified of this sensible approach The Guardian is, of course, desperate for Britain to remain in the European Union. The vast …

As the referendum debate heats up there are a thousand reasons and more being discussed regarding why we should leave the EU; but there is very little discussion amongst the general public as to how we leave the EU. Europhiles have been hugely successful in conflating EU membership with Single …

In our quest to follow and explore the arguments over the EU referendum, our attention turns to sovereignty and democracy. Can we unravel what they mean and more importantly, what they mean to us? These could be treated as different topics but it will hopefully become apparent in this piece …

Edwina Currie, famous for many things but formerly a Conservative MP until she lost her seat in 1997, sparked Twitter outrage today with a completely off-the-cuff remark about sovereignty. Many of us (with many valid reasons) feel Edwina Currie is as mad as a bag of spanners, but her voice …

If I was asked to pick one thing about the EU that I like it would be the fact that it allows me to live and work anywhere in the EU without too much difficulty. But like all rights it has to be reciprocal. British people cannot reasonably expect to …

Imagine a company that in 1973 had a 38% global market share in its industry, a market leader, but had since lost ground so that today it controls just 19%. Would you say that company had been successful? No, me neither. Now imagine that the company’s growth was so so …

Harmonisation Harmonisation is a lovely word which has its roots in music. A harmony is defined as “the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect”. The process of harmonisation in the EU is “the process of creating common standards across the internal market”. Whether the effect …

This post is mainly addressed to elected MPs of the Conservative persuasion. Whatever the outcome of the EU Referendum, I really think that David Cameron is peddling pure fantasy if he thinks that things can go back to ‘normal’. The party line is that after the vote, Conservatives will come …