The Mansion House speech, delivered by Theresa May, clearly attempted to define what the UK wants out of Brexit. What it did not do, is deliver concrete solutions. If the EU is to abide by its principles, and not sell its soul to a potential bidder, Theresa May should have very little, if anything, to […]
Opinion
Play It Again, Nigel – The UK’s Second Referendum?
Nigel Farage, former Ukip leader and Brexitmania guru, seems very confident that a second referendum would lead to a massive vote in favour of the UK leaving the EU. I think if we had a second referendum on EU membership we’d kill it off for a generation. The percentage that would vote to leave next time […]
Charlie Hebdo And The True Value Of Freedom Of Expression
How much would you be willing to pay for the privilege to be able to open your mouth, and air your opinions? One Euro a day, or ten? Do you have a price limit, beyond which, it’s not worth the expense, and you will just shut up? Is being “priced out” of freedom of expression, […]
Citizens’ Rights Have Been Swept Under The Carpet
Whereas 23rd June 2016 will be remembered as one of the blackest days of our lives, as EU citizens in the UK and Brits in the EU, the announcement of a last-minute agreement “securing” citizens’ rights, will probably rank as being “very dark grey”. Two things come to mind when analysing the outcome of this […]
Charlie Hebdo and the Caliphate Factory
“We didn’t know.” At the time of Hurricane Harvey, Charlie Hebdo’s cartoon, featuring Nazi’s drowning in Texas, with the caption “God exists, He has drowned all the Nazi’s in Texas,” provoked a mis-directed world-wide outcry. The latest controversy will probably cause much less international hysteria – if at all – but is even more important […]
I Won’t Cry For You, Sally Jones
The death of UK-born Isis recruiter, Sally Jones, may be considered regrettable for one reason only. Had she been captured, she may have given us valuable information concerning the methods used in the recruitment of terrorists. Under the circumstances, though, her death could not have been avoided. So far as her son is concerned, one […]
Pardon Me, Your Honour – I’m a Sexy Lady With Talent
In May this year, Lavinia Woodward, an Oxford medical student, was found guilty of stabbing, and seriously injuring, her boyfriend. An exceptional delay in the verdict was pronounced, the court having heard of her ‘extraordinary talent’, as sufficient reason for this strange decision. The judge had made it clear that he did not favour a […]
Joking Apart – Don’t Turn Charlie Hebdo Into Charlie Hebdon’t
The Kouachi brothers ran into the street shouting “Charlie is dead”…Today’s Charlie-killers are loose on the Net and in the White House…But Charlie is alive and well. Well Donald, who do YOU remind ME of? WARNING In the same vein as Charlie Hebdo, this post is provocative and can endanger your mental health. This […]
Brexit And EU Nationals (II) – The UK’s Proposals
For over a year, Theresa May has prided herself in refusing to reassure EU nationals about the impact of Brexit on their personal lives, until the Brexit negotiations had started, and the EU had given similar reassurances concerning UK nationals in the EU. It must be said that she has kept to her word, and […]
Article 50: “Je T’Aime, Moi Non Plus” (I Love You, Me Neither)
A year after the Brexit vote, the long negotiations between the UK and the EU have begun. Having been deeply saddened by the referendum result and the UK’s triggering of Article 50, I now ask myself if the UK has ever been a true EU member and has European ideals. It is now clear that […]