The EUobserver website (euobserver.com), a sometimes critical but otherwise reliable supporter of the EU project has some interesting reports recently from which we draw more evidence that the EU is heading towards dissolution. They report that Joseph Muscat, currently heading Malta’s presidency of the EU, wishes to see a ‘multi-speed’ Europe, by which we assume … More EU in Disarray?
Revolting Peers The Government was defeated in the House of Lords, which passed an amendment that would allow EU citizens now living in Britain to remain, regardless of whether a reciprocal agreement is negotiated for British citizens living on the Continent. We think it’s likely the Government won’t be too worried because they have repeatedly … More Shorties-7
Following up their article on the Greek crisis, covered in our recent post Evidence of Fragility (Part 4), The Economist (TE) has a related article with the subtitle, “Why European institutions cannot handle the Greek crisis”. As the TE is firmly pro-EU we can bring some more balance to our blog by citing it, while also … More Evidence of Fragility (Part 5)
Lord Heseltine is leading a Tory-peer revolt against the Government’s Article 50 bill currently going through the House of Lords. He is revolting, he says, because British jobs and living standards will suffer if we leave the EU. It seems he wants us to aspire to levels like those in Greece, Italy and elsewhere. The Greeks, … More Oh Lord!
The Economist (TE) remains as firmly anti-Brexit as ever. That makes it a balancing source of evidence for us, who remain as firmly pro-Brexit as ever. In last week’s edition TE has an article and a leader on the latest crisis in Greece. In short, Greece has to make €6.3bn bond repayments in July and … More Evidence of Fragility (Part 4)
Some economics forecasters have reversed their dire forecasts for post-Brexit Britain. We love economics. It’s a bit like driving a car at night without lights, peering at the road ahead, hoping that nothing unexpected emerges from a side road, all the time checking the mirrors to see whether anything behind looks familiar. There’s plenty of … More Car-crash Economics
Headline: This ‘will of the people’ talk must stop – we need a better democracy than that We know that most academics voted Remain in the referendum. Not, of course, because universities have access to considerable EU funds, but because membership of the EU is best for the UK, in their opinion. We read many … More Pontificating Professors
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, issued a press release on 31 January which we should challenge. “The challenges currently facing the European Union are more dangerous than ever before …” Tusk outlines three areas of threat: first, external, from China, Russia, the Middle East and Africa, and the new US administration; second, anti-EU, … More United we stand, unified we fail
It’s possible that Theresa May has changed her mind about the EU, having voted remain in the referendum. It’s also possible that she is just dutifully implementing the decision that resulted from Parliament passing the buck to the electorate. There is a significant precedent for a change of mind, in the person of Margaret Thatcher. … More Changing Minds
The EU treaties describe the proper procedure for making laws; this procedure is regularly subverted in practice by the secretive ‘trilogue’ process. The EUobserver website has some information about the growing secrecy of EU law-making here. The organisation, largely supportive of the EU, describes itself as follows: “EUobserver is an independent online newspaper which values free … More Law-making in Secret
This EU Won't Work 