I feel I must draw attention to the blog by Simon Wren Lewis on Monday this week. It is well worth a read throughout. But it also contains this withering indictment of ‘our’ government. It is a devastating comment, particularly for an Oxford academic and a – hardly revolutionary – ex civil servant. “Some may… Read more
Brexit – Reasons for Resentment
Following the suggestions for the reasons to remain a summary of the reasons to leave the EU might also be useful, though I would suggest there are not, in fact, any compelling reasons to leave, and so I prefer reasons for resentment. They seem to comprise three basic ideas: the democratic deficit, too much red… Read more
Safeguarding the Position of EU Citizens living in the UK and UK Nationals living in the EU
The loss of the freedom to live, work and study. We often see posts, usually from those living in the UK, which talk about freedom of movement throughout the EU in terms of economic migrants or how it mainly benefits the neoliberal corporations, giving them a cheap source of labour. There’s a much bigger dimension… Read more
Spoof song on the Tory-DUP deal
A bit of lighthearted entertainment. Brilliant spoof song on the Tory-DUP deal from Irish band The Remainers to the tune of 500 miles…”And I will get £500 and you will get 500 more…” Remainers DUP song Brilliant spoof song on the Tory-DUP deal from Irish band The Remainers to the tune of 500 miles…"And I… Read more
Brexit – Reasons to Remain
The recent amendment to the Queen’s speech by some in the Labour Party struck me as decidedly odd – asking the Tories not to support their own Queen’s speech was always a very long shot. Corbyn’s reaction may have been disrespectful to the 70% odd of Labour voters who wanted to remain. But as this… Read more
BoM July 2017
Progressive Pulse’s Book of the month for July is “BREXIT: What the Hell Happens Now” by Ian Dunt. Britain’s departure from the European Union is filled with propaganda and myth but the risks are very real. Brexit could lower our global status, diminish our quality of life, and throw our legal system into turmoil. With… Read more
The consequences of Politics as Hello Magazine
I well remember being wonderfully amused by a commentator on Tax Research UK suggesting that the BBC political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg, should be a correspondent for Hello Magazine. Mind you they might not be able to afford her wages of almost £250,000 a year…. Read more
Trump to visit Paris on le quatorze juillet
It seems to have been little reported but Donald Trump is to visit Paris on the 14th of July. There is much discussion on how and why this is before he visits Britain, which the French consider unusual but also where there seems to be some opposition to his visiting… For us in the UK,… Read more
Is London and the SE a Boon to the Rest of the UK or a Parasite?
Clubcard Money
I was in Tesco the other day. Not something I’m wont to do – I abhor the place, having worked for a short time in a previous life for their opposition and supplied them for an even shorter time. It is not somewhere I feel particularly at home. But Tesco exists. And of course, having… Read more