No, I’d never heard of the Condorcet Paradox either but as Justine Greening has come out for another referendum with three choices listed and to be voted on in order of preference it is perhaps something we should be more familiar with. Fortunately Jonathan Portes has a full explanation (though his article was actually written before… Read more
Category:
Brexit
About the decision, background and process of the UK leaving the European Union.
The Important Wrecking Amendment
Introduction I’ve been worried about the Irish border for some time – my wife thinks excessively – but growing up on the island of Ireland it tends to loom large. Last night was difficult as the chances of a cliff edge Brexit in March and the return of a hard border have increased dramatically. I… Read more
The White Paper and Two Tribes
The White Paper The long awaited Brexit White Paper was released yesterday. I had a few hours and started reading. I am used to reading complex documents, for example PhD theses. Some years ago I had the pleasure of being external examiner for two PhD theses at Durham and University College Dublin within a few… Read more
HM Customs are completely absent at borders
There is an extraordinarily illuminating post from an ex Customs Officer on Commonspace, a Scottish orientated website, but, as we are still together, it is relevant to the entire UK. Indeed it turns out that a Scot was actually the precursor of all the problems: Gordon Brown merged HM Customs with the Inland Revenue to… Read more
Conservatives for Irish Unification
Boris Johnson, rather unwisely, I thought, included the expression the “end of the dream” in his resignation letter, (a resignation which, Caroline Lucas suggested, would enable him to spend more time with his photographer). So, amid all the bluster and buffoonery Boris Johnson has dreams? I suspect they were largely of becoming Prime Minister, but… Read more
Check Mate at Chequers – possible outcomes.
Introduction It is very welcome that after over two years the British government has an agreed position after Chequers. Of course the agreement may now be in doubt after the Davis resignation and that of Johnson, the next days will be interesting, with some commentators predicting the Tory party may actually split (some good may… Read more
The EU is not just a common rule book but a regulatory superpower
On Sunday’s Marr programme, Michael Gove thought that Britain can have a ‘common rule book’ with the EU but when new regulations arrive Parliament will have the right to veto them. This is decidedly disingenious, to say the least. The UK Parliament is already supreme, so currently has the absolute right to reject new regulations…. Read more
Britain resisting globalisation – better in the EU or alone?
Whilst agreeing with Grace Blakely of the IPPR that Brexit gives us a chance to resist financial globalisation, I still think she fails to take account of the high price involved in leaving the EU, and I’m very doubtful that leaving the EU, in fact, gives us a better chance of resisting globalisation. There are… Read more
Food Rotting at Ports, Prime Minister?
In a late addition – but as further support of Mike Parr’s blog on our potential fresh goods delivery problems should we leave the EU in any sort of muddle, his suggestions are now supported (although personally, I consider it rather late in the day) – by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in a letter… Read more
Fresh Goods and The UK
Introduction This article provides data on the volume of imports of perishable goods into the UK from the EU. The issue is a hot topic at the moment in terms of imports into and exports out of the UK and the impact new customs clearance systems might have on how quickly such goods might be… Read more