Comment

The SNP’s failure to win an overall majority in Holyrood was a setback for them and their cause. It will be very hard indeed for Scottish nationalists to push for a second independence referendum in the next five years. Importantly, in the present context, this is the case even if …

In the recent past we have heard that Brexit will cause:  Sterling to crash by 20% (1),  Banks to move to EU (2),  Banks on both sides of Atlantic to be struck down by uncertainty (3), London to lose its status as financial capital (4) etc. These were all rumours …

What do you make of all the scare-mongering, AKA Project Fear,  that is coming out of the Remain camp, relating to the European Referendum? I ask because there seems to be something of a contradiction in the whole thing. On the one hand, we have David Cameron and his government …

One of the early claims in the referendum campaign, even before the campaign started in earnest, is that Britain is “safer IN”. Let’s have a look at these claims. There are three aspects to the claim. The first of these is militarily, the second is in terrorism, the third crime. …

The Treasury Select Committee (TSC) met on the afternoon of 11th May to question George Osborne and Treasury official, Mark Bowman over the EU Referendum campaign. The session can be seen here. For those who are unaware, select committees are broadly organised to reflect government departments. Naturally, the TSC reflects …

Don’t worry, this isn’t about circuses or zoos.  Though, before I move on, and given just as something that ‘tickled’ me. I came across a lovely Polish saying, on Twitter.  Not my circus, not my monkeys – so not my problem. Anyway, back to the European Union and Elephants.  Or …

The debate surrounding Britain’s referendum on the EU is well under way. After making some surprising statements at the end of February and start of March, Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has been surprisingly quiet. Hammond’s reputation was once that of being something of a Euroscpetic. As recently as 2013, in …

The greatest certainty for most people all over the world is that they live in a place that is stable. Whatever else happens they can draw comfort from the security of knowing that their country will remain intact. This is their bedrock and their foundation. Whatever natural disaster happens, whatever …

David Cameron yielded to pressure to face the Parliamentary Liaison Committee on the afternoon of 4th May. The committee Chair had previously written to express disappointment that he did not intend to face the committee. Proceedings can be seen here. Following his earlier admonition of the Leader of the opposition about …

Principled politicians are often hard to come by. Luckily for the nation’s capitol city however, they have been blessed with a remarkable principled mayor for eight years in Boris Johnson, and have the opportunity to choose another principled man to be mayor, Zac Goldsmith. Zac Goldsmith is someone who does …

Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin and long time member of the IRA Army Council, revealed a little of his more sinister side tonight with a couple of unguarded tweets. The first, blatantly using racist language.  The second using a word which has long since been used as an offensive …

The European Union is not a democracy. In-fact, it is anti-democratic. It is founded upon an explicit intention to override popular democracy and neutralise the constraints imposed on government by the electorate. It has its roots in a utopian ideology that envisions a supranational government run by technocrats and officials …

What would happen if the UK voted to leave the EU? All sorts of claims and counter claims are made about this. But the answer in the end is that we just don’t know. The future is uncertain and undetermined, because it hasn’t happened yet. What we do know however, …

When dealing with international trade, it is said, it is much better for businesses to deal with one set of regulations that the 28 of each of the Members States of the EU. There lies much of the justification for participation in the EU’s Single Market but it is also …

It has been outlined before that the aim of this site is to explore arguments around the forthcoming EU referendum, helping people to make a decision based in complete information. So far, the campaign had been dominated by “official” information from the government’s position labelled as Project Fear. Exports will …

President Obama has urged the UK to remain in the EU, the institution forged from the “ashes of war”. Evocative references to the war made up a strong element of his article in The Telegraph and the “spilled blood” of American soldiers were justification for his interference in the debate. Citing …

Last week George Osborne took centre stage. He started with selective quotes from Emmanuel Macron the French economy minister. Macron told us on the Andrew Marr show that there would be a price for access to the Single European Market (SEM). Macron told us some other things too. Outside, Britain would “killed” …

Is our duty only to obey the law? This question was asked by Iain Martin recently during an article about tax and finance. The issues involved are recent touching upon the way people and corporations may try to pay as little tax as possible. Should capitalism be limited merely by the rule …

Some might say that treachery is too harsh a word but I use this with intent.  The dictionary definitions all talk about betrayal of trust, deception, disloyalty and bad faith.  That seems to be a clear description of what has just transpired in London. Charitably, we might say that the …

“For several decades now it has been fashionable to say that those so-called great men and women are just ephiphenomena, meretricious bubbles on the vast tides of social history. Well, I think the story of Winston Churchill is a pretty withering retort to all that malarkey. He and he alone …