16 March 2017 Week in Brief: UK BREXIT: Lord Heseltine has been removed as an adviser to Theresa May’s government after he voted in favour of an amendment to the bill which will trigger article 50; the amendment would necessitate the terms of disengagement from the EU to be approved by parliament. The amendment was… Continue reading Issue 96: 2017 03 16: Week in Brief: UK
Tag: EU
Issue 96: 2017 03 16: Ms Sturgeon’s Demands (John Watson)
16 March 2017 Ms Sturgeon’s Demands Why the SNP should be seen off. By John Watson It is a jack-in-a-box time of year. No sooner had the Government obtained the authority of both Houses of Parliament to begin the Brexit procedures by serving notice under Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, than up pops… Continue reading Issue 96: 2017 03 16: Ms Sturgeon’s Demands (John Watson)
Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Week in Brief: UK
09 March 2017 Week in Brief: UK BHS: Sir Philip Green has agreed to pay £363 million into the BHS pension scheme. Commentators have said that the payment was made in an attempt to salvage his reputation and to ensure that he would keep his knighthood. BREXIT: The Government suffered a defeat in the House… Continue reading Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Budget 2017 (Frank O’Nomics)
09 March 2017 Budget 2017 Biting the hands that feed you. By Frank O’Nomics Pre-Brexit caution is prudent, but the Chancellor may have undermined part of the engine of growth. The numbers look impressive. The independent forecasts from the Office of Budget Responsibility show UK growth forecasts of 2.0% this year and, despite a dip,… Continue reading Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Budget 2017 (Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 94: 2017 03 02: Week in Brief: UK
02 March 2017 Week in Brief: UK WOOD PELLETS: A study just published has revealed that the UK pays millions of pounds in subsides to power stations to encourage them to burn American wood pellets. The report concludes that felling trees and transporting the pellets across the Atlantic to be burnt in the power stations… Continue reading Issue 94: 2017 03 02: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 94: 2017 03 02: Political Teflon (John Watson)
02 March 2017 Political Teflon The contribution Mr Blair ought to make. By John Watson A week is a long time in politics and, from the commentator’s point of view, things quickly move on. In this column, a week ago, I was talking about Mrs May’s good luck, instancing both her ascent to the leadership… Continue reading Issue 94: 2017 03 02: Political Teflon (John Watson)
Issue 91: 2017 02 09: Week in Brief: UK
09 February 2017 Week in Brief: UK POLICE SURVEILLANCE: The Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which supervises police surveillance activities, has found that Cleveland Police broke the law when carrying out investigations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. The force had monitored a police officer who was suing it over racism and also monitored the phones… Continue reading Issue 91: 2017 02 09: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 90: 2017 02 02: Week in Brief: UK
02 February 2017 Week in Brief: UK BREXIT: The Supreme Court has handed down its judgement and has held that the Prime Minister, Theresa May, cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by exercise of the Royal Prerogative. It must be done by statute, namely an Act of Parliament passed by the House of… Continue reading Issue 90: 2017 02 02: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 89: 2017 01 26: Speech Therapy (John Watson)
26 January 2017 Speech Therapy Mrs May at Lancaster House. By John Watson A year or so ago, I was at a literary lunch where the speaker was Nick Robinson, television presenter and one time political editor of the BBC. It was before the Brexit vote and he was talking about the then Prime Minister,… Continue reading Issue 89: 2017 01 26: Speech Therapy (John Watson)
Issue 88: 2017 01 19: Week in Brief: UK
19 January 2017 Week in Brief: UK NHS: There are reports that 10 Downing Street has been critical, in private, about the head of NHS England who has been described as not enthusiastic and not sufficiently responsive to the problems within the NHS. He has rejected the criticism. Theresa May has insisted that GPs’ surgeries… Continue reading Issue 88: 2017 01 19: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 87: 2017 01 12: A Very Predictable Stance (John Watson)
12 January 2017 A Very Predictable Stance Why the drop? By John Watson Here we go again. Up, up, up, up,…… cranking its way to the crest of a slope and then wheeeeee…. back down to October levels; the pound continues its imitation of the big dipper in a fairground. Well, there’s nothing surprising in… Continue reading Issue 87: 2017 01 12: A Very Predictable Stance (John Watson)
Issue 87: 2017 01 12: Week in Brief: UK
12 January 2017 Week in Brief: UK DIPLOMATIC: The Ambassador to Brussels, Sir Ivan Rogers, has resigned in protest at what he has described as “muddled thinking” in Whitehall over the negotiating stance to be adopted by the UK in its discussions with the EU over the terms of disengagement. Retired civil servants have expressed… Continue reading Issue 87: 2017 01 12: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 84: 2016 12 15: Thinking Forward (John Watson)
15 December 2016 Thinking Forward Britain’s immigration offer. by John Watson Is he Remoan? Is she from the headbanging wing of Leave? Reading the popular press you might think that these were the pivotal questions of British politics. It is a relief, then, to be reminded that beneath the rhetoric and position-taking, serious thought is… Continue reading Issue 84: 2016 12 15: Thinking Forward (John Watson)
