Tag Archives: #Brexit

I have a dilemma.  Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson have made it so. My OCD behaviour, I have noticed, is on the increase and I can often dwell upon the most minor of points.  Thankfully the annoyances are more than offset by the cleanliness of my home and my recent …

There is an establishment in British politics. What I mean by this is that there is a political consensus, for I don’t want to personify the word ‘establishment’ in a way that is not true. It may be that at one time there was a group of powerful people sitting …

We are told by some that having a plan is not necessary or helpful and that we are wrong to worry about “unnecessary detail”. Obviously, we couldn’t disagree more. The purpose of a plan is not so that the whole public should read it, but so that it gives our …

“Europe’s power is easy to miss. Like an “invisible hand” it operates through the shell of traditional political structures. The British House of Commons, British law courts and British civil servants are still here, but they have become agents of the European Union, implementing European law. This is no accident. …

Why do people choose to support leaving the EU? Why are others keen to remain? It might be that over the years we’ve all been weighing up the pros and cons. But I suspect this isn’t how most people reason. Rather someone who already supports remaining in the EU looks …

What do you think it will take for the elite that are running Europe into the ground, to wake-up and recognise the existential threat that they have allowed to grow, in their own countries?  How many in Paris?  How many in London?  How many in Brussels?  How many in Madrid? …

Lately I’ve frequently found myself disagreeing with people I both like and respect. As the EU referendum campaign gets going I find myself more and more drawn to one side of the argument. I wanted to remain more or less neutral for much longer. I wanted to explore the merits …

This isn’t a blog on religious belief.  I am sure it wouldn’t deter some readers, if it were but some don’t follow. No, this is about having faith in something a bit more tangible – the United Kingdom. I have lost track of the number of times, I have heard …

The EU referendum is about remaining or staying in a union. For those of us who live in Scotland there are obvious comparisons with the Scottish independence referendum. But there are differences too. Leaving the EU is not about creating an independent, sovereign nation state called the UK. We are …

Remain campaigners claim that on leaving political and judicial union with the EU Britain would immediately lose access to free trade deals with 51 states and would then have to renegotiate its own bilateral deals. Potentially, this appears to be a major problem. Currently the European Union lists 853 bilateral treaties on …

My position on leaving the EU is clear, as is the way I believe we should go about it. The new relationship I propose we negotiate to facilitate our “soft landing” in a phased secession from political and judicial union with the EU is both realistic and pragmatic. Crucially, it …

Each of us has made decisions in the past which have had profound and sometimes unexpected consequences. The subjects we chose to study at school or at university can have an influence on the job we end up doing. The people we meet, the person we fall in love with …

I believe it is a grave mistake to imagine that the referendum can be won on an anti-immigration ticket. It is for the most part only a minority of people that believe otherwise, yet they are an extremely vocal and aggressive group who are more politically active than many, giving …

Political Union is a process. It has been and remains the long-term goal of the European Union. This type of integration involves the passing of policy making and political process to the centralised government in Brussels, taking political power from national sovereign governments. Since the Treaty of Rome in 1957 …

Sir Richard Branson appeared on Sky News UK this morning, announcing that his ‘Virgin Galactic’ project is back in the ‘space race’ to send passengers into space. Whilst being interviewed, he couldn’t miss the opportunity to air his views on why the UK should remain a member of the European …

Earlier this week, the big-thinking but kvetching Times columnist and Conservative Home founder Tim Montgomerie announced he was leaving the Conservative Party. He gave his reasons for leaving the Tories being the party’s failure on deficit reduction, immigration, inequality and the Prime Minister’s EU charade. Given Tim’s long time disdain for …

Stephen Kinnock MP declared in the House of Commons that the EU will give the UK a “punishment beating” in the event of the UK seeking to secede from the Union. This was echoed in agreement on social media by Wes Streeting MP and lapped up by europhiles. As you …

This is Part V in a series of V – to read the Market Solution proposal in full go here How do we know the UK government will adopt this position? Another frequently expressed concern regarding the market solution is; how do we know that if we leave the EU the government will …

This is Part III in a series of V – to read the Market Solution proposal in full go here The context of Brexit negotiations Our negotiations with the EU will be conducted under the Article 50 framework. In proposing a method of secession it is essential to face the political reality that …

In seeking to achieve a Leave vote in the EU referendum there are two essential facts that campaigners need to understand and accept if they are to contribute to victory. First of all, that leaving the European Union is a process (a complex one at that) not an event. It …