EU using Northern Ireland as payback

Posted on 15th September 202015th September 2020 by Editor

Whether or not you agree with Boris Johnson’s Internal Market Bill there is a distinct whiff of unfairness about the UK/EU trade talks. The withdrawal agreement stipulated that both parties should do what they could to reach a trade agreement. Has the EU ever played ball? EU has no interest in Northern Ireland per se Northern Ireland has become nothing short of a bargaining chip as the EU continues to flesh out Brexit negotiations. In the background there has always been a hope that the UK ...

Should Nicky Morgan keep her retiring MP payment?

Posted on 7th January 2020 by Editor

When Conservative MP Nick Morgan announced she was standing down as an MP ahead of the general election in 2019, she immediately became entitled to a retiring MP payment. Under Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) rules she is due a payment of around £8400 which is the equivalent to 2 months additional salary. This is a payment which is made if an MP is forced to close down their office, in this instance because she had decided to leave Parliament of her own free will for the...

Did the Conservative party win the 2019 election by default?

Posted on 6th January 20206th January 2020 by Editor

Boris Johnson boasts a huge majority in the House of Commons and literally has free reign to do whatever he wants over the next five years. He obliterated Labour heartlands, ran riot over leave territories and all this despite UK voters apparently “despising” the man himself. However, did the Conservative party win the 2019 election by default? Labour in Scotland Scotland has previously been a stronghold for the Labour Party, indeed the Labour Party began in Scotland, but the SNP now rules...

Brexit exposes UK political party tribal instincts

Posted on 8th December 20178th December 2017 by Editor

Whether or not you agree with Brexit is irrelevant as the British voting public have already had their say. The biggest challenge now is negotiating what many are describing as a “soft Brexit” to ensure the UK economy is protected as much as possible. However, there is a distinctly distasteful underbelly to Brexit in the fact that political parties right across the breadth of the UK are falling back into line with tribal instincts. Party before country Theresa May is the Prime Minister of ...

Should Nigel Farage be part of the UK US relationship?

Posted on 15th November 2016 by Editor

As Donald Trump puts his team together in the US it seems that ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been chosen as a go-between with the UK government. This has obviously upset the Tory government and Theresa May has so far refused to give Nigel Farage any role. It is not clear why the incoming US president has chosen someone outside of the UK government to be his go-between but it seems Nigel Farage gets on extremely well with Donald Trump. So what does it all mean? Is Donald Trump playing games? ...

Career politicians or business execs turned politicians?

Posted on 13th November 201613th November 2016 by Editor

There are many factors to Donald Trump’s election as president of the USA but one which has not been discussed at great length is whether career politicians or business execs turned politicians can offer the best balance. There are obvious pros and cons to each but are we really giving business execs turned politicians enough credit for their experience? Career politicians The most obvious positive when arguing in favour of career politicians over business execs is the fact they know how to us...

Can the UK afford to have morals when dealing with Donald Trump?

Posted on 11th November 2016 by Editor

Whether politicians in the UK like it or not Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States of America. While in the election campaign he was highly controversial and in some cases blatantly racist the fact remains that he will soon be the most powerful man on the planet. As a consequence UK politicians will need to deal directly with Donald Trump at some stage. Can politicians afford to have morals when their main job is doing the best for the UK? Is the UK/US special frie...

Is Jeremy Corbyn now over the worst?

Posted on 10th November 201610th November 2016 by Editor

It would be an understatement to say that Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the Labour Party has been controversial. It would be foolish to suggest the Labour Party has not moved back to left-wing politics but is Jeremy Corbyn now over the worst? Jeremy Corbyn is tenacious There are very few other politicians in the world today that would have battled like Jeremy Corbyn has over the last year or so. This is a man who was originally put forward as a protest vote for the next Labour leader...

Are the political elite losing their way?

Posted on 9th November 201610th November 2016 by The Speaker

Who would have guessed that Donald Trump would be the next President of the United States of America? Who would have guessed that Hillary Clinton will be forced to fall on her sword having lost out to somebody with no political experience and someone who has alienated a large percentage of the US population? Are the political elite losing their way? Nationalism growing Rightly or wrongly Donald Trump has made the most of concerns regarding immigration in the US and trading relationships around...

Should Farage stay or go?

Posted on 28th May 201510th November 2016 by The Speaker

Nigel Farage is one of the most diverse figures in UK politics at this moment in time attracting applause and criticism in equal measures. Sometimes the image of Nigel Farage takes over from his UKIP party with many people seeing the man rather than seeing the party. Despite the fact that his party attracted 12.6% of the vote in the last UK general election it only ended up with one seat in the House of Commons. The man himself has come under intense pressure over the last few weeks, much of ...