Opinion
We’re watching the slow death of American democracy
The United States of America is at a critical moment in its history. The president is a demagogue with a contempt for democratic norms and the rule of law. The party that elected him is filled with his lackeys, extremists who want to use him to push their regressive ideas and long-serving politicians who seem to have given up the fight. The Republican Party is now the Trump Party, as exasperated former Republicans have made plain. And the Trump Party...
Danny Dyer is right to call David Cameron a twat – he led Britain blindfolded to a perilous vote
There are very few elements of the Brexit process that we can talk about with absolute certainty, but one thing that is for sure is that Britain's exit from the European Union will have a negative impact on all regions under every scenario. That is the finding of the government's own research that until March this year was not available to the British public. Had it been released before the referendum one wonders whether the outcome would have been different,...
Brexit is the biggest “f*ck off” to business in political history
EU diplomats displayed shock following Boris Johnson's 'four-letter reply' to business over Brexit fears, but the Foreign Secretary is being as honest as he's been to date. Johnson and fellow Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt came under attack for rounding on businesses which warn of the dangers of a hard Brexit. Airbus joined a host of multinational corporations issuing warnings over an economic fallout following the UK's divorce with the EU. Hunt had said that the company’s warnings had been “inappropriate”, while...
It’s time to bust the convenient myth that Brexit was a triumph for democracy
It's been two years since Britain voted to leave the European Union and over at spiked, Brendan O'Neill calls on his readers to 'Raise a pint to this revolt!' O'Neill has spent much of the last two years accusing every critic of Brexit of being a traitor to British democracy. His site has positioned itself as a champion of the people - calling for the abolition of the House of Lords because the Lords have resisted the government's approach and...
The Brexit undertones of the EU’s impending anti tax avoidance legislation
The European Union's move to end tax avoiding practices within its member states clashes all too conveniently with Britain's decision to leave the EU. The directive, which was presented by the Commission on 28th January 2016 and was adopted on June 20th of the same year, follows the Conservative-led Brexit process with surprising accuracy. One month after the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive was presented David Cameron announced a referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU, and three days after it was...
We need to get more Londoners leaving care into education,employment & training
Barnardo’s is calling on London boroughs to find better ways to help young people who are leaving care get into education, employment or training. As local authorities around the UK start work on publishing their new local offer of services for care leavers, Barnardo’s is calling on London councils to carefully consider what can be done to help those leaving care in the capital. The children’s charity believes local authorities should commission improved quality services as part of their local...
How would Trump handle Brexit? Just ask North Korea
In Boris Johnson's recent leaked remarks, for which he has still not been sacked, the Foreign Secretary said “Imagine Trump doing Brexit. I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness.” Most people laughed off this comment as yet another example of Johnson's toadying up to US president, but at least some British Brexiteers saw the point: Trump doesn't compromise, Trump is willing to hurt America's allies to get what he wants, Trump would show...
Inside the Tommy Robinson protest: a retired cop’s worrying view
What I witnessed this weekend in London leaves us all facing important questions. Perhaps the most serious is, given the events of Saturday, whether the depleted police service could effectively cope with serious disorder on the scale of 2011’s riots. Another Robinson protest is planned for next month while there has been twitter comments that a Brexit ‘betrayal’ will see disorder on a far greater scale. Another question is, given the events in and around Whitehall, why, on the Sunday...
Boris Johnson should be sacked – But this is Brexit Britain
It took less than a day for Boris Johnson to undermine Theresa May's Brexit 'backstop' success. To be clear, May's 'success' was a small victory that pleased hardly anyone and was almost instantly dismissed by the EU, but for a few brief hours, it looked like the prime minister had won a victory at the cabinet table. Then the foreign secretary made a speech. Johnson channeled his inner Donald Trump during a speech to a small group of people after...