19 December 2019 Lens on the Week UK ELECTION: As the Conservatives stormed to victory over the UK as a whole, gaining a majority of eighty, results in Scotland and Northern Ireland are particularly noteworthy. In Scotland the Tories lost 7 of their 13 seats and Labour all but one of theirs. The gainers were… Continue reading Issue 228: 2019 12 19: Lens on the Week
Article Category: Lens on the Week
Issue 226: 2019 12 05: Lens on the Week
5 December 2019 Lens on the Week UK LONDON BRIDGE: Two members of the public died as a result of stabbings when a man who had served a sentence for terrorist offences ran amok at a conference on prisoner rehabilitation which he was obliged to attend as a condition of early release. One of the… Continue reading Issue 226: 2019 12 05: Lens on the Week
Issue 225: 2019 11 28: Lens on the Week
28 November 2019 Lens on the Week UK LABOUR’S GOODIE BAG: the Labour party has now published its manifesto which includes: a promise to renegotiate the Brexit agreement within three months and then hold a referendum under which the public can choose between the revised deal and remaining in the EU. The party has not… Continue reading Issue 225: 2019 11 28: Lens on the Week
Issue 224: 2019 11 21: Lens on the Week
21 November 2019 Lens on the Week UK MANIFESTOS: The Green party has been the first to publish its manifesto so they deserve it to be given first place. Among the pledges are: to borrow £100 billion a year for green issues; carbon neutrality by 2030; votes for 16 year olds; proportional representation; income of… Continue reading Issue 224: 2019 11 21: Lens on the Week
Issue 223: 2019 11 14: Lens on the Week
14 November 2019 Lens on the Week UK SECURITY: A report by the Intelligence and Security Committee into Russian attempts to influence the last election and the EU referendum will not be published until after the General Election has taken place. The report is understood to have been given security clearance but was not released… Continue reading Issue 223: 2019 11 14: Lens on the Week
Issue 222: 2019 11 07: Lens on the Week
07 November 2019 Lens on the Week UK ELECTION: All prospect of an electoral pact between the Conservatives and the Brexit party disappeared as Nigel Farage criticised the draft Withdrawal Agreement and made its rejection by the Government a precondition of the withdrawal of candidates by his party. Mr Trump also criticised the agreement and… Continue reading Issue 222: 2019 11 07: Lens on the Week
Issue 221: 2019 10 31: Lens on the Week
31 October 2019 Lens on the Week UK ELECTION FEVER: Once the SNP and the Liberal Democrats had declared themselves in favour of an election and had suggested setting aside the requirement for a two thirds majority under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act with a new Bill, a December poll became inevitable and Labour accepted… Continue reading Issue 221: 2019 10 31: Lens on the Week
Issue 220: 2019 10 24: Lens on the Week
24 October 2019 Lens on the Week UK A MATTER OF TIMING: The Withdrawal Agreement Bill passes its second reading by a majority of 30 but the Commons throw out the Government’s three-day timetable. The result is that the Prime Minister calls for a general election. At first sight this might look like an overreaction… Continue reading Issue 220: 2019 10 24: Lens on the Week
Issue 219: 2019 10 17: Lens on the Week
17 October 2019 Lens on the Week UK WILL THEY? WON’T THEY? All eyes and ears are focused, if you can focus ears, on the Brexit discussions but sadly for commentators they seem to be being carried out in a relatively leak-free room. We are left, then, seeing through a glass darkly, that is by… Continue reading Issue 219: 2019 10 17: Lens on the Week
Issue 218: 2019 10 10: Lens on the Week
10 October 2019 Lens on the Week UK BREXIT NEWS: Prospects of a deal seem to be fading fast as Mr Johnson’s latest proposal (that as a backstop Northern Ireland should remain within the EU system for regulatory purposes but not for tariffs) fails to gain traction in Brussels. It is rumoured that Mrs Merkel… Continue reading Issue 218: 2019 10 10: Lens on the Week
Issue 217: 2019 10 03: Lens on the Week
03 October 2019 Lens on the Week UK A LETTER TO JEAN-CLAUDE: It is the stuff of drama. A horsemen dashing through wet and windy weather and delivering a message which changes the world. Unfortunately Boris Johnson’s letter to Jean-Claude Juncker is less exciting. It didn’t arrive by horseback (or presumably not) and it only… Continue reading Issue 217: 2019 10 03: Lens on the Week
Issue 216: 2019 09 26: Lens on the Week
26 September 2019 Lens on the Week UK SUPREME COURT DECISION: The Supreme Court has decided that the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful because it was intended to restrict Parliament’s role. On that basis the advice given to the Queen was illegal and the Order in Council effecting the prorogation void. Despite the hoo-ha, it… Continue reading Issue 216: 2019 09 26: Lens on the Week
Issue 215: 2019 09 19: Lens on the Week
19 September 2019 Lens on the Week UK BREXIT SOLUTION? A publicity trap sprung by the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Mr Bettel? A failure by Johnson to take on a hostile crowd? Look at it as you will, no one comes out of the aborted press conference in Luxembourg with much credit. But Brexit runs deep… Continue reading Issue 215: 2019 09 19: Lens on the Week
