An examination of several topics, including: law, subsidiarity, the European Parliament, the draft withdrawal agreement and the British government’s response. The post has many links, to more details and to supporting evidence. As another example of what we’re witnessing (see Summertime), Kate Hoey (Labour eurosceptic MP) asked the Speaker of the UK Parliament whether the … More Law-abiding or Abiding-law?
Clock-changing is one issue (the only one we have found) that is to be re-delegated (sort of) to the member states. We look at what this means in practice for subsidiarity, and some broader implications. At the weekend just after un-Brexit Day, when the UK was supposed to leave the EU, the clocks were set … More Summertime, and the Living Ain’t Easy
Not everyone in other EU countries agrees with the Commission’s approach to the Brexit negotiations. Remaining will not save the UK or the EU if advocates fail to acknowledge the need for fundamental change. Future Perfect? Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (AE-P. Daily Telegraph 21/03/2019) has helpfully gathered together critical views on the Brexit negotiations and the proposed … More Enough is Enough
In 1890 the socialist artist William Morris imagined a future utopian England, of 2003, where the Houses of Parliament were no longer a place of politics but were used for storing manure [1]. Whilst Morris’s dream didn’t come about by that year we were certainly reminded of it by what happened there on Monday, 25th … More News From Nowhere
Evidence of the EU’s lack of transparency in its dealings, contrary to its own treaty obligations. The EU declares loudly in its treaties and in its marketing puff that it is an enthusiastic proponent of freedom of information and transparency (see https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/service-standards-and-principles/transparency/freedom-information_en). However: The EU Parliament’s Secretary-General for the last ten years has been Klaus … More Freedom from Information
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet even a common soldier, Marcellus, can sense that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. Similarly from the behaviour of the EU towards the first country to decide it wants to leave it should be obvious to all that something is rotten with the Union. It could have responded to the … More Something is Rotten
If the EU wished it, an interim agreement with the UK, while the negotiations on the future relationship are under way, could simply preserve the existing arrangements. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations on free trade agreements (and interim arrangements on the way to such agreements) do not support the claims of those who shriek … More This and GATT
This is an addition to The Brexicon, first published in July 2018. (See the Summary and Parts 1 & 2) Again we list more of the terms designed to confuse the general public in Brexit discussions. Level Playing Field – A field containing different levels. In EU jargon a ‘field’ is an area of EU … More The Brexit Lexicon (Part 3 – March 2019)
Swiss stock exchanges have had a special relationship with the EU for some time; they are allowed to operate within the EU even though their policies and practices differ. However, the formal agreement between Switzerland and the EU will expire at the end of this year and the EU wants to bring the Swiss arrangement … More Will the Swiss Roll?
A consideration of the possible domino-effect of the EU’s debt structure, with reference to various initials, including TLTRO, TARGET, QE and EZ. We provide links to many related posts. There are many factors that could destroy the European Union – which we described in our review of Ian Kearns’ book ‘Collapse: Europe after the European … More Die Another Day?
This EU Won't Work 