Opinion
As Tories quibble amongst each other, this is what’s happening on the streets of Britain
Theresa May narrowly avoided a vote of no confidence last night as hard right factions of the party rebelled against her Brexit deal with Brussels. The party has been split over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union ever since the referendum result was announced in 2016, and it has come to dominate internal politics over the last two years as the country’s domestic situation gets worse. Food bank use has hit record levels as we near Christmas and there is a...
The ERG have strengthened May’s hand by calling for a vote of no confidence
Had the Economist’s “alternative awards” been next week they might have re-considered who they gave the Own-Goal Scorer of the Year gong to. DUP leader Arlene Foster walked away with the prize after she paved the way for a second referendum on Brexit and gave Jeremy Corbyn a realistic chance of winning the next General Election, two things she has passionately campaigned against. But tonight’s result proves the ERG have failed far more spectacularly. The Prime Minister will keep the...
Think Corbyn is a ‘danger to Britain’? Here’s how you’ve been brainwashed
If you still think Jeremy Corbyn is a 'danger' to Britain, a 'traitor', or just a total clown, it could be too late for you – you’ve been brainwashed by a handful of foreign billionaires. That's what I wrote more than two years ago in an article about the continual smearing of Jeremy Corbyn in the press. It turns out things haven't got better; it's worse than we imagined. At the time, the article pointed out that whilst newspapers play...
The People’s Vote is failing – this is why
Tommy Robinson and Gerard Batten led a 5,000-strong protest in London this weekend as members of the far right took to the streets to lambaste Theresa May's 'Brexit betrayal'. The UKIP leader called on the PM to "dump the deal" while ally Robinson said this sort of uprising is "what the British establishment fears". The messages, despite being conveyed in very different ways, seem to be the same across the board. May's deal with Europe doesn't deliver on the promises...
People shouldn’t be blamed for believing the lies sold to them during the referendum
Jacob Rees-Mogg dodged a bullet yesterday after Brits needlessly took aim at a man who spoke out after his decision to vote Leave cost him his marriage. Appearing on Channel 4 News a consultant gynaecologist said he voted Leave because he believed it would provide more money to the NHS. But the decision had destroyed his marriage to his wife, who is a German doctor and had struggled to come to terms with his decision. Rees-Mogg was able to offer little consolation, and based...
This week’s revelations show just how broken our democracy is, and it’s not over yet
In an historic ruling on Tuesday, the government was deemed to be in contempt of Parliament for the first time in history for refusing to publish the full content of the Attorney General’s legal advice on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. At every stage of Brexit, May has kicked and screamed against offering any sort of transparency or accountability in the negotiation proceedings, even seeking unilateral powers as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the so-called Henry 8th powers to effectively...
Giving ERG a crack of the whip could deliver the dose of realism Brexiteers so desperately need
"Perhaps Jacob Rees-Mogg has no clothes", Sky News political correspondent Lewis Goodall proffered in a piece published last month. The emperor of the European Research Group (ERG) - the faction of hard-line pro-Brexit Tory MPs - seems to be once again stuck between populist fantasy and cold reality as he rallies his troops against a deal that promises to deliver on the independence they so passionately fought for two years ago. After failing to cobble together the "menace of mustering letters"...
Contempt of parliament? This government is in contempt of its people
Prime Minister Theresa May is no longer in charge. She will lose the 11 December vote on her Brexit agreement. Her party is in open revolt against her and she’s been forced to pluck unknown MPs from the backbenches to fill her cabinet. Just this week, opposition parties at Westminster joined in an unprecedented accusation against the government. The charge of contempt of parliament has a sound foundation, which the Speaker, John Bercow, has essentially conceded. At every turn, this...
SMEs have been ignored during the Brexit process and they are the heartbeat of UK economy
Brexit has dominated the political, economic and news landscapes ever since the 23rd of June two years ago. Coverage and speculation has been almost constant regarding the effect that it could have on every aspect of the public’s daily lives, our political leaders and the future. One particular light has, understandably, been shone on what will happen to the biggest global corporations who have their European bases in the UK who may look abroad for their expansion plans or current...