Agenda 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/24/what-happens-next-with-article-50-and-brexit Parliament alone is sovereign. Brexit Supreme Court ruling on Article 50 vote In an historic judgement yesterday (24th January 2017), the Supreme Court ruled that government executive prerogative powers do not take precedence over Parliament, and that Parliament shall debate Brexit, prior to the triggering of Article 50. There are those who will still argue that the judiciary are interfering on the question of United Kingdom membership of the EU and there are elements of the media who continue to contend that judges are attempting to overturn the decision of the British people as expressed in the Referendum result of 23rd June 2016. Their argument either by accident, or more probably design, fails to address the fundamental issue involved in this controversy , which has been raging since the Prime Minister announced that Executive powers would be used to trigger Article 50 and co...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/17/theresa-may-britain-prime-minister-speech Prime minister gives tough speech outlining government’s 12 priorities for Brexit negotiations  Which ever way you may have voted in last year's referendum on continued membership of the European Union, one thing is today, in January of 2017, abundantly clear. The United Kingdom is in complete and utter chaos regarding our exit, or even non exit of the EU. There is no doubt that 17,410,742, (51.89%) of those voting, opted for Brexit, while 16,141,241 (48.11%) voted Remain. There is also no doubt that Cameron was completely unprepared for a Leave result, and quickly scurried off, standing down as first as Prime Minister and then as the MP for Witney, to do other things outside Parliament. The departure of Cameron left others to clean up the mess that the lack of planning and foresight had created, but unfortunately for the Country, the new Prime Minister and her party h...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/29/theresa-may-john-kerry-comments-israel-palestine-un-resolution Theresa May  has distanced the UK from Washington over John Kerry’s condemnation of Israel . I am not a fan of John Kerry, or of any American administration or "Secretary" which over the years, has given unqualified support and diplomatic protection to the state of Israel. However, after the United States refused to exercise its veto on the question of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories of Palestine, and Kerry's subsequent speech defending the Obama administration’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal, I was inclined to believe that America was now moving towards accepting that the building of settlements is a major obstacle to peace in the region and the creation of a "Two State" solution.                        Kerry condemns gr...

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/dec/14/pmqs-verdict-corbyn-gets-better-of-may-over-social-care Corbyn gets better of May over social care Corbyn hammers May at PMQ's Another pathetic performance from Theresa May at the Dispatch box during Prime Minister's Questions It cannot be too much longer that conservative MP's will be prepared to tolerate the evasion and prevarication of their Prime Minister under attack from Jeremy Corbyn from the opposition benches.  Jeremy Corbyn tell Prime Minister to "Get a grip" The conservatives distress would be even more uncomfortable for them, if all Labour MP's waded into the barrage instead of just a few comrades supporting Corbyn.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/08/boris-johnsons-remarks-about-saudi-arabia-not-the-governments-view Downing Street has slapped down Boris Johnson for suggesting that Saudi Arabia is abusing Islam and conducting proxy wars in the Middle East I am no big fan of the buffoon (but not such a buffoon as he would have us believe), Johnson. In fact I am not a little fan either, but in fairness, I find that the reaction of Theresa May in "slapping down," Johnson for telling the truth to be hypocritical in the the extreme.  Not only hypocritical but very sinister when the United Kingdom government resorts to, " The action or practice of behaving obsequiously in order to gain favour", which is the dictionary definition of "Arse licking" and seeks to pass it off as the "etiquette of diplomatic behaviour".  In the case of Saudi Arabia of course there is a very special relationship, and no one is allowed to criticise, in...

http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/741007/Article-50-MPs-approve-Government-amendment-begin-EU-divorce-end-March A very shabby climb down to avoid a telling defeat. It is difficult this morning to resist being overwhelmed and taken it by the euphoric nonsense spewing forth in the headlines on the front pages of certain of our national newspapers, who have have historically been less than enthusiastic on the question of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. The Mail, the Telegraph, the Express and the rest of the usual suspects scream out at us with such hysterical absurdities as, "Victory for PM. Commons back May on Brexit", or "Hooray. MP's say Yes to EU exit" or "MP's hand May a blank cheque for Brexit" and perhaps the most preposterous headline of them all screeching, "BREXIT VICTORY: Remoaner plot CRUSHED as MPs vote to APPROVE triggering of Article 50". The standards of British newspaper reportin...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/03/hard-brexit-lose-tories-next-election-warn-top-mps Top Tories warn: hard Brexit stance could lose us next election Close on the heels of my piece from yesterday (3rd December 2016), suggesting that the days of Theresa May are numbered, comes today’s story in the Guardian, reporting that a group of former Conservative ministers and MP's are urging the Prime Minister to spell out her EU strategy as the conservatives could lose the next general election if she alienates its core of moderate supporters by imitating UKIP and pushing through a hard Brexit. Dominic Grieve Alistair Burt Clair Perry This latest piece of "advice", coming from former cabinet minister Dominic Grieve, former Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, former transport minister Claire Perry and MP's Neil Carmichael and MP Ben Howlett, will not have been very welcome for the Prime Minister who has been bombarded recentl...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tony-blair-returning-to-politics-comeback-jeremy-corbyn-nutter-theresa-may-lightweight-a7427676.html Tony Blair is positioning himself to return to British politics, The British press or at least sections of it, seem to have a morbid fascination with Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair . In the Express today (20th November 2016) there is a story that Blair could become an adviser to President elect Trump after s peculation that the schmoozing former Labour leader might be fishing for a role in Trump's team . Admittedly, Blair's aides have rubbished claims that he’s vying for an advisory role in Donald Trump’s administration, blasting such rumours as “complete nonsense”. However, with Blair's record of political opportunism and the delusion of his own importance, we never know where this martinet may materialise next. President elect Donald Trump On the other hand, p e...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-theresa-may-brexit-without-delay-a7399101.html May must set out Brexit plan 'without delay’ Before the referendum there was always a belief that the result would be debated in Parliament. What completely threw this government was that no one expected the result and Cameron had no plan for the possibility that that the people would vote leave. Theresa May is now faced with a referendum result, (a referendum which of course is "advisory") which she believes might be overturned by Parliament. In order to appease some elements of her party and other vested interests, she has chosen to use "Royal Prerogative" to pass the necessary legislation to trigger Article 50 without debate in Parliament. I believe that she is wrong and that the High Court judges are absolutely correct. I also believe that it would be a very brave or very foolish MP who would completely igno...

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2016/11/new-low-uk-newspapers-most-hysterical-frontpages-brexit-court-ruling A new low for UK newspapers: the most hysterical front-pages on the Brexit court ruling Reading the headlines on much of yesterdays front pages,it crossed my mind how reminiscent they were to the hysterical rantings of The Sun in the 1980's and 1990's particularly during the "reign" of the now discredited editor Kelvin MacKenzie. Kelvin MacKenzie Perhaps this odious "journalist" has been cloned, and now numerous facsimiles of him are distributed amongst the editorial offices of the Telegraph, Mail, Express, and (of course), the Sun.These, and other "newspapers", either by accident or more probably design have intentionally taken hold of the wrong end of the stick and covered the "story" in layers of spin in order to suit their particular agenda on membership of the European Union. ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/both-houses-will-have-to-trigger-article-50-says-davis-a7396016.html Upholding  the pre-eminence of Parliament and its members. Leaving aside individual views on whether or not the United Kingdom should leave the European Union, the High Court ruling made yesterday, that the matter of triggering Article 50 must be debated by Parliament, was the right one. Frequently in the past, Parliament, Lords and Commons, has been bypassed by a small clique of government ministers, an "inner cabinet" in fact, led by the Prime Minister of the day, who have taken decisions in isolation, and presented Parliament with  a "fait accompli". Thus it was with Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to commence "Article 50" negotiations by the use of "The Royal Prerogative" and thereby prevent Parliament from debating an issue of momentous importance to this country now and for generations to c...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/more-than-300000-children-will-be-hit-by-a-new-benefits-cap-next-week-theresa-may-george-osborne-a7389736.html More than 300,000 children dragged into benefit cuts Theresa May claims that her government is a government for all the people and yet is determined to consign 300,000 children into child poverty. She is also determined to punish families by reducing the already low "benefits cap" and thereby ensuring that they become worse off by as much as £100 per week. Theresa May is prepared to preside over a massive increase in poverty and homelessness in this country in pursuit of the conservative dogma of austerity. This deplorable government accepts that poverty and hunger can be used as a weapon to punish and demonise ordinary people many of who find themselves in a vulnerable position due primarily to this conservative governments and the ConDem coalition before it policies, on welfare, employment and housing. Havin...