I think we should give a little more understanding to the idea that, although Jeremy Corbyn is supposed to be in favour of Brexit, he is demonstrably only 70% in favour of the EU, and we should realise that he’s married to a Mexican and does at least speak fluent Spanish. How many Brexiters speak… Read more
Category:
European Union
Scotland and Ireland the Road to Independence (part III)
Introduction In part I the common heritage of the Scots and Irish was explored. Part II explored the comparative performance of the two economies over the past few hundred years. In part III the current situation is examined. Has independence been a success for Ireland? Should Scotland look at Ireland with envy or pity? Ireland… Read more
More public transport going free
In the UK we seem to have been granted a semi- permanent fuel duty freeze, whilst, unbelievably, “rail travellers in Britain prepare for tickets to cost 3.1 per cent more in 2019.” Meanwhile the ‘Independent‘ has discovered, in an interesting article, that Luxembourg is likely to implement entirely free public transport from next summer. In… Read more
From ‘Moneta Positiva’ towards Electronic Parallel Money and an Italian budget solution
It is interesting that Italy has its own Moneta Positiva where debt free money seems to be the call to arms. I generally consider that money is always debt, since all money is a ‘promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of’, which indicates an obligation – and therefore indebtedness. They are clearly… Read more
Liberté de Mouvement, la Paix en Irlande et la Dinde de Noël
“Freedom of Movement, Peace in Ireland and Christmas Turkey” Liberté de Mouvement -Freedom of Movement The summer of ’76 lives on in the English imagination as a gloriously hot summer. For me it was a Continental one, with a DAAD scholarship in Germany from June to mid September and at the end of the summer… Read more
Brexit Negotiation Outcomes using a Sankey Diagram.
Introduction With negotiations entering the final phase for the withdrawal agreement, there is immense speculation. The actual negotiations are being held in a “tunnel” and seem have been going on forever. I am reminded of a scene from an Ian Banks novel where the players have to play a valid game of Bridge, but are… Read more
How goods trading might be – outside the EU
Mother in Laws are often difficult but still perhaps not as difficult as daily trading with the EU from outside it.This local TV programme, which I doubt many have seen is, I think, instructive: follow this link – a mere 13 minutes on how goods currently travel in from Switzerland– so worth a quick, look,… Read more
A recipe for reviving European growth …
In a recent FT article (intermittent paywall), that Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s Five Star party, deputy prime minister, states that, Rome’s controversial spending plans will become “a recipe” for reviving European growth and that the continent is ready to abandon austerity and embrace the deficit-busting approach of US president Donald Trump. Current US growth at… Read more
Northern Ireland and the Humpty Dumpty World of Schrödinger’s Cats
Note: this article is a co-publication with the award winning Slugger O’Toole portal as the first in the Future Ireland series. ____________ Apparently you follow the rabbit down a hole and you emerge in a wonderland …. Ken Clarke – House of Commons “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful… Read more
BBC Brexit Coverage: Objective Truth, Relativism and Gaslighting
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” – Daniel Patrick Moynihan BBC’s public news purpose: To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them: The BBC will provide accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming of the highest editorial… Read more