Having given an evasive and unconvincing performance at the EU Summit yesterday, the prime minister got her delay, but on very different terms to those expected. The council of EU leaders showed an ability to reach unanimity, make compromises and think creatively which far outshone the wooden May. One is truck by the qualitative uplift […]
Things have been made worse by the Fixed Term Parliament Act and the Supreme Court Ruling, both of which diminished the power of the executive and increased the power of the legislature, while leaving the structure unchanged. That is clearly not now fit for purpose. But it could have been managed as a problem revealed […]
So here we are. Still we do not know whether or what Brexit. Nine days to go and counting. But where to? Would there have been a referendum if Labour had won the 2015 election? No. Should there have been a study to determine what Brexit involved, what it meant and how to organise a […]
This Blog has been constant in recording the collapse of orderly and effective government in the United Kingdom. Well, at least some order has now been restored. It is a basic principle of Parliamentary democracy, which we invented hence all that Mother of Parliaments stuff, that if a government is defeated on its primary legislation, […]
Let us begin with the fact. Forget the politics for a moment. In law, both domestic and international, we crash out of the EU in 14 days time. Nothing which has so far happened in parliament has stopped that. We are on track and on target to crash out with no deal and there are […]
The government is now in a state of perpetual crisis. It is said that parliament has taken control. The truth is parliament is out of control. It can construct a majority against things but becomes a Tower of Babel when asked to explain what it wants. To say the EU and the world at large […]
Politically nobody knows how today will end. Unlike the dawn of a great battle, where there are two sides and for one of which the day will end well, or at least better than the other, there are in the UK such splits and factions that however it ends, few, if any will be winners. […]
After a lot of optimistic leaks and noises, together with self important wisdoms from a phalanx of Brexit lawyers, once again talks with the EU have ground to a halt. The reason is the same as it has been from the very beginning. May does not listen. She keeps going back, or sending ministers back, […]