A very interesting and quite revealing radio interview about BREXIT – I would recommend listening to the end. The reality that some continue to challenge is that the BREXIT referendum was less about clarity of vision and more about emotions driven to extremes by powerful Eurosceptics; I am afraid this […]
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A Political Nugget: Emmanuel Macron's Call to Protect European Democracy
It is all well said by President Emmanuel Macron in calling for the protection of Democratic/Liberal values/traditions in Europe. In my mind however this is only one part of the equation/approach. The other integral part of this approach is for Europe to apply basic principles when dealing with rogue/authoritarian regimes […]
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The Christmas BREXIT Nugget: Reflections on the BREXIT & the EU Project
With 2017 drawing to a close here’s a couple of final thoughts for the year about BREXIT & the EU; The first suggestion is that Referendums built around a slim majority to make decisions that have profound impact on a nation is a flawed concept; whether it be BREXIT or […]
Read More The BREXIT Nugget: Time for Reflection for the Prime Minister When Lecturing on Respect/Decency
In a recent tweet by the PM she called for Tolerance, Decency & Respect in the treatment of politicians. Here’s the tweet; Threats of violence and intimidation are unacceptable and have no place in our politics. Everybody should be treated with tolerance, decency and respect. — Theresa May (@theresa_may) December […]
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BREXIT Flicks: Tweet to Tweet
Here are some interesting tweet exchanges today (my responses are in green) Theresa May’s Orderly/Painless BREXIT .@theresa_may: We’ll deliver Brexit in a smooth and orderly way – without disrupting people’s lives and without disrupting businesses. pic.twitter.com/pwwDNo2MDt — Conservatives (@Conservatives) December 15, 2017 Yes of course, no one will feel a […]
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BREXIT Flicks: Theresa May tells EU she's still in control despite Commons loss
Arriving soaking wet to Brussels suffering from the effects of the political Tsunami battering her government every since the Conservatives loosing overall majority in British parliament on her watch to the latest defeat on BREXIT bill, this while arguing to EU she’s still in control, one can only imagine whispering […]
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The BREXIT Nugget: Kicking the Can Down the Road(updated)
OK, now that our political “geniuses” are celebrating defeating the government in parliament to give MPs a legal guarantee of a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal struck with Brussels; here are a few thoughts; This is merely kicking the can down the road because as of yet there […]
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The BREXIT Model
It seems on a daily basis now that we continue to get a drip..drip analysis of BREXIT’s effects on the economy, some good but mostly quite negative – and the worse part is that no one can really tell fact from fiction. This while our “lovely” politicians continue playing their […]
Read More The BREXIT Nugget: How Racism Influenced the Referendum
The reason for this brief post is to record a tweet I posted on twitter commenting on a video clip by journalist/LBC radio presenter James O’Brien speaking to a caller on his reason for voting to leave the EU; I feel it is important enough to re-post on my blog site […]
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The BREXIT Nugget: Britain Leaving the EU Body in all but Tail
It turns out – as we learn from media reports NOT our British government – that the UK has agreed a deal where by the UK will remain in the Customs Union & Single Market during the transition period which means it will continue to accept all EU rules and […]
Read More The BREXIT Nugget: A Question of Identity – Where Does that Fit In?
This might be a self-serving post but it is an issue that does mean a great deal to me as a British citizen living in Europe. Having gone through the agreement signed today between the EU and the UK, particularly in relation to Citizen’s Rights I can see no provisions […]
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Trump to Recognise Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel
This is simple/brief commentary/predictions on Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; This in my view is by far the biggest US foreign policy blunder ever even eclipsing the decision to invade Iraq of 2003. Political ramifications will be swift and will not be restricted to the […]
Read More The BREXIT Nugget: A Case of Dereliction of Duty
Forget about the politics of it all; Border Controls, Customs Union, Single Market, Remainer, Brexiteer etc. Let’s all agree on a few basics; With the weak Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street leading (or to be more accurate by the look of things; is being led by) a shambolic government […]
Read More The BREXIT "Mini" Nugget: To Deal or NOT To Deal, That is the Question
Plenty of signs coming out of Brussels suggesting that a deal is on the table and close to an agreement. Prime Minister May on the other hand is in a situation of; doomed if you will/doomed if you won’t – not only from Remainer’s but also hard Brexiteers. So now […]
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The BREXIT Nugget: Weak Morals is the Problem NOT the Solution
I came across this clip on twitter of the BREXIT debate on a recent episode of the BBC’s Question Time – detail below. I listened attentively to the views of MP Sam Gyimah about BREXIT as you can view from the link below. Here is my response which I already […]
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The BREXIT Nugget: Forecasts & Priorities
We continue to see gloomy forecasts for the UK’s economic growth due to the BREXIT train wreck first the OBR and the OECD (links below). On the other hand we see gang in charge of the British government shutting their eyes, closing their ears as they stampede their way towards the […]
Read More The BREXIT Nugget: Centre Grounds
The real problem that we face today in this country post BREXIT is the lack of mature leadership able to unite the country by developing a pragmatic vision (please check link at the end of the post as an option) based on compromise/inclusiveness. Instead bigotry & partisanship seem to be […]
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The BREXIT Nugget: Let the 'Cliff Edge' Commence
As we continue with the status quo on BREXIT both in terms of the governments approach and the unwillingness/inability of other pro-Remain supporters across parties to unite and put forth a new vision we see evidence on a daily basis of the downhill spiral the country is going through. So […]
Read More The British Governments Response to the Petition to Investigate Foreign Interference in the EU referendum = Hogwash
The British – so called “government” – has just released its response to a petition with over 17,000 signatures to investigate foreign interference in the EU referendum, and here it is word for word; As the Prime Minister stated in her speech at Mansion House on 13th November 2017, the […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Parliament to vote on final Deal – A New Approach or a Shiny Object (Updated)
Very interesting developments by the government, but one that makes you wonder if this is a new proposition or rather it’s more about timing of agreeing to a proposition that was already on the table for some time. Of course we all know it’s the latter that is true. OK […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Pragmatic Vision Forward
Plenty has been proposed about the pros/cons of BREXIT, promises made during the Referendum campaign and propositions about the way forward to help unite the country. I have written plenty on the subject as some may be aware with my initial suggestion about the viability of a 2nd Referendum. What […]
Read MoreThe BREXIT Weekend Nugget
Yes, I know it’s the weekend and some of us have a life, so why in the world do we have to discuss BREXIT now – important as it is but yet still more of a week day issue. Well it is precisely because some of us don’t have a […]
Read MoreTheresa May is the Weakest Link in the Nation but NOT the Only One
It is most certainly the case the Prime Minister is the Weakest link in the nation at the moment; plenty of evidence of complete/utter incompetence – but she is by no means the only weak link. Leadership of other political parties seem to follow the concept of leading from behind. There every move […]
Read MoreThe BREXIT Papers
There are reports suggesting that the BREXIT impact assessment papers may NOT after all actually exist at least in the form one would expect from a government that takes its responsibility seriously in protecting the interest of the nation rather than being driven by a bunch of hacks/ideologues. If this […]
Read MoreBREXIT: David Davis Asks For More Time to Hand in the Brexit Report
As we continue to await for the government to release the BREXIT impact assessment papers there seems to a confusion as suggested by David Davis letter in the referenced article (link below) as to what these documents entail. As the letter suggests this is an evolving analysis that is being […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Petition Calling on Government to investigate Foreign Interference in UK Referendum (please sign)
It is becoming increasingly clear the level of Russian meddling into the US elections not just in terms of social media campaigns/ads but also through collusion by political actors that played key role in the process. It is therefore necessary for the British parliament to hold similar hearings as ones […]
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BREXIT Comedy Hour: The Way a Nationalist Ideologue would fix your door bell
The nationalist/populist ideology has 1 and only 1 approach to fixing problems; smash everything around you to smithereens and start from scratch – on their terms of course. We’re seeing that clearly playing out in the US with this Trump Family Administration and in the UK with the alt-right approach […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Flawed Referendum Leading to a Flawed Process (***updated***)
The government has been using the referendum as the ultimate mandate for continuing with BREXIT and triggering article 50. We’ve also also been complacent in arguing about what this mandate means. So let me make the following argument; the Referendum in of itself was flawed and has in return produced […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Petition for an Inclusive/Transparent Process to the Unite the Nation – Please sign
Please note that the following text represents the original full text of the petition. However the text had to be condensed/summarised due to the character limits on the petitions website. This is a petition urging the government to help unite the country by ensuring a transparent/fair and inclusive process in […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Questions about the Triggering of Article 50
A great deal has been said about the action of triggering article 50 without proper vision of BREXIT. I believe this is not only to be quite a valid point but one that demonstrates the flawed process adopted by an incompetent government led my a bunch of populist ideologues. It […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Call for Unity & Action
I’ve written quite a few posts calling for a 2nd Referendum here so will not rehash. The intention here is a short post to refocus attention on a few things; The longer this status quo continues with no clarity of BREXIT and the flawed process driving it the worse it […]
Read MoreThe BREXIT Cabinet: Serving Party or Country
In a recent article published by The Guardian; Theresa May suggests she is prepared to demote Boris Johnson; one thing really jumped out at me; Ruth Davidson’s statement supporting the PM; “People serve in cabinet entirely at the pleasure of the prime minister.” So my question is this; “where does ‘Country’ […]
Read MoreBREXIT: The Conservatives Squabble to Appoint a 'No Deal' Minister – Oh "Yes Prime Minister"
I don’t believe that the government can pull off ‘No Deal’. Why? Well BREXIT in of itself is BIG Responsibility but to pull out with no deal would be a gigantic Travesty on their watch something they would all ultimately pay the price for sooner or later; so indications are this […]
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BREXIT: Where the Liberals Stand
I have in the past written quite a bit about the Liberal Democrats and it’s leadership as a former member – here are related posts – so will not rehash points made previously but focus on where we go from here. Why? Well if you read this article; Nick Clegg urges […]
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The Fight for a Referendum in Catalonia
There is an excellent article by the Guardian – link below – that tells the story of the conflict and provides quite valid observations on how the Spanish government used force to prevent the referendum from taking place today, a view I totally agree with, so my comments here are […]
Read MoreBREXIT: The British Prime Minister Finally Sets the Tone but there’s a catch (there ain’t No Sound)
Finally I get a chance to listen directly to our dear Prime Minister to see if this media/social media hype against her/her government is just that a “hype”. Well I can only suggest that for many of us we would have slept better if we had been wise enough to […]
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BREXIT: Vince Cable "I'm marching on the Conservative conference"
Well “March On” I would say, “but remember you’re going in the wrong direction!” Yet again we see a confused message from the Liberal Democrats leader in this article – link below. Why, well 3 reasons come to mind; A confused message of supporting a call for Exit BREXIT which implies exiting […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Petition to the European Parliament Challenging the Legality of Revoking European Identity/Citizenship Without Consent
Petition Title Challenging the Legality of Revoking European Identity/Citizenship Without Consent Petition Text I firmly believe that it is NOT legitimate for citizenship of EU to be automatically revoked from individuals if their national governments decides to leave the EU. As you are fully aware there are many in Britain […]
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European leaders aim to seize the moment for reform (commentary)
A very interesting article in the Financial Times about seizing the moment for EU reforms post the German election. Reforms however must be meaningful and reflect views that transcend party lines so they set a firm (rather than fragile) foundation for the EU project; this way we don’t have to […]
Read MoreBREXIT: An Opportunity for Alt – Right Ideologues
As you may have noticed there is plenty of debate going on about BREXIT and the referendum – and you’ll find many related posts on this website. All right/proper to debate such an important issue that affects our future in a complex world of today. But whatever the outcome of […]
Read MoreBREXIT: A Reality Check to Break the Deadlock
The country seems as divided as ever about BREXIT and there is no consensus as to what BREXIT really means. Compounding the problem is the British government’s flip/flop approach in handling the negotiations and the non-inclusive manner in which the negotiations are conducted. The indications from this approach are that […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Piercing that Damn Bubble
When we look at the rise of the alt-right (including Trump & BREXIT) it is sometimes helpful to look at the big picture rather than the specific political battles taking place. This big picture suggests that we’ve been complacent in taking Democracy & Liberal Values for granted for much too […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Unraveling the Myths (the Glory Days Ahead)
Introduction The idea behind these posts is really to set the record straight BREXIT options while trying to engage in a constructive manner about the way forward by analysing accurate information rather than divisive disinformation out there. I would invite contributions of posts/articles from all sides of the political divide […]
Read MoreDispelling the Myths about Globalisation and Referendums
We have for years been struggling in coming to terms with the effects of globalisation on our economy & national identity going from one extreme view to another. We have also for the last year been trying to come to terms with the BREXIT referendum results and with the rise […]
Read More Vince Cable: I could become prime minister (I would say…take a deep breath and slow it down a notch)
Now I must say I’ve always respected Vince Cable as very experienced/ethical politician since the time I was member of the LibDems. However I was also one that suggested him leading the party was the wrong choice – though his experience was important to the party (related link below to […]
Read MoreBREXIT: UK pushes for security treaty with EU after Brexit….(why bother?)
The U.K. government will on Monday propose a post-Brexit arrangement with the EU that allows for “continued security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation.” So the real question is this; New Security Treaty, New Market Access Treaty, New Customs Treaty – If EU is as inconsequential to UK as BREXITEERS […]
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Pint Pal (Boris Johnson) Breaking Ranks and Get's in Trouble
Pint Pal is at it again breaking with ranks within the Conservative party to layout a vision for a hard BREXIT. Now I am NOT entirely sure where he has any level of expertise on Foreign Policy – or make that “Policy” period – but if I were him I […]
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No EXIT BREXIT – No KILL BREXIT – Just a 2nd Referendum based on Facts, Clear Vision & Inclusive Process
Just wanted to be crystal clear of I stand and have been calling for all this time. I am definitely a “Remainer” (or “Remoaner” as some like to suggest) because I firmly believe the UK would be much better off within the EU. That said what I am absolutely against […]
Read MoreBREXIT: Realising the Importance of the Single Market – A First Step in the Right Direction
I came across this article today on the Guardian website entitled; I worked for Vote Leave, but I now realise Britain must stay in the single market. by Oliver Norgrove. A very interesting post which I highly recommend reading. First off let me commend Oliver for having the courage/insight not to be bogged […]
Read MoreBrexit won't solve issues that led to leave vote, says ex-trade minister: ("Welcome back to earth, what took you so long?" I would say)
A very interesting article by Mark Price who quit as a government trade minister a fortnight ago and a former managing director of Waitrose. He points to fundamental issues with the British economy and the increase of technology/automation that is putting pressures on the job market as this market suggests. BREXIT aside […]
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