Labour has now declared that its manifesto will offer a completely different programme for negotiating Brexit, which will be much nearer soft than hard, placing continued access to the single market and customs union high on the priority list. This is the first time since June that any meaningful challenge has been mounted against the […]
We shall not know until the second round completes in a fortnight. The two visions of France are at odds with each other in the battle between Macron and Le Pen. Le Pen has the simpler, many say simplistic, programme for reform; France for the French, leave the euro, halt immigration, Frexit referendum and so on. […]
At this stage we do not know. First the polls. They may be correct if the election were held today, but what will happen on June 8th could be another matter. Because between now and then a lot of variables will come into play which are as yet off the public radar or have not […]
The Tories The election campaign opens with the Tories the overwhelming favourites. They are way ahead in the polls and May is the only credible candidate for prime minister. It makes sense to give her a mandate, her own, not a hand me down from the discredited Cameron, so that she can navigate Brexit and […]
The polls are in her favour, so it looks like a masterstroke. But wait. Elections are never won on the issue for which they are called. Looming in the background is the terrible state of the funding of all the major public services, especially the NHS and education, wages growing slower than inflation, public sector pay […]
As yet it is too early to be sure. But there are already signs that the UK is no longer quite the international force it was before June 2016. Then the special relationship with the US was not just an emotional connection but a practical tool of international power politics. On matters of international relations […]
Today there are new warnings about funding shortages in education. The government retorts that they are spending more on education than ever before. Of course! There are more children, costs are rising and education is more sophisticated and more costly to deliver. I know of one secondary school which has had to write to parents asking for contributions […]
First he cancels his trip to Moscow. All commentators who know Putin, Medvedev and Lavrov thought this a mistake. He should have gone there, tested possibilities and reported back. No, not Boris the showman. Grandstanding, one liners and soundbites flowed like a river in flood. Then came a plan this Blog saw no prospect of working, involving […]
This is important and to make it easier for younger adults who do not recall the detail of the Cold War or Pre 9/11 policy, I am going to state the facts, rather than argue the case. 9/11 unhinged America’s judgement and gave life to a misguided theory of democratization through regime change, brought about by […]
It goes without saying that this Blog, like the whole world, was shocked and repelled by the images of the aftermath of the infamous gas attack on innocent civilians in Syria. It is impossible to understand the motive for this attack by the Assad regime. Militarily it will have little impact because although horrible, it […]