citizen of nowhere

Brexit high priest Rees-Mogg argued, at the parliamentary Treasury select Committee, that there is a very long way to go in abolishing business regulations post-Brexit and “if it’s good enough for India, it could acceptable here”. Rees-Mogg is either deluded or he and his fellow Brexiters are planning serious harm to UK workers and consumers. I've been to India on a number of business visits to look at practices in construction & manufacturing. I observed striking examples of the contrast between UK & Indian business regulation, as an active investor in modular construction systems with a professional interest in the industry in Europe and internationally. I visited a large construction site near Faridabad where a series of tower blocks, average 20 stories, were being built. I found an astonishing lack of investment in equipment such as earthmovers, power tools, cranes or lifting gear, all of which would be found on a European project. Scaffolding consisted of poles la...

I attended the High Court oral hearing into the Article 50 challenge last week. A dedicated group of Remain protestors waited outside, offering highly visible support. My esteemed friend Liz Webster, appellant, and her talented group sat in the gothic gloom of the High Court, waiting for justice. I’ll leave detailed commentary on the judgment to others, with greater expertise than mine, however I must comment on one aspect of the proceedings which I find particularly worrisome. As one might expect, there were frequent references to the Constitution and constitutional procedures. The constitution is, allegedly, the bedrock on which all legal and administrative affairs are constructed. This fundamental body of British law and custom is, however, inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Lawyers can disagree about its meaning but the rest of us have little power to discern the substance of their arguments. This might seem like a minor complaint but I believe it exposes a serious structural fla...

Voters may be surprised to hear the feuding Tory government is close to handing the final say on the UK’s EU exit treaty to a decision, by referendum, of the people of Ireland! This may seem incredible but it’s the logical conclusion of events now unfolding in London as the Tory party continues its farcical Brexit “policy”. Tory cabinet ministers are bitterly divided over the precise meaning of Brexit, two years after the referendum which was supposed to settle the question. It’s now clear the referendum raised many more questions than answers. The main Brexit negotiations are between Tory government factions in London, trying, and thus far failing, to hammer out an agreed position. The latest round of Tory Brexit conflict concerns the Irish border, which has defied all attempts at resolution in London. There is an irreconcilable conflict between the wish to sever links with the EU on one hand and, on the other hand, Britain’s commitments arising from the Good Friday Agreement an...

The troubled history of the eighth amendment to the Irish constitution raises many questions about imperfect, democratic methods used to achieve lasting constitutional change, some of which are surprisingly relevant to the EU withdrawal referendum. The Irish constitution , (1), is written in clear, easily understood language and published in booklet form. It describes the institutions of the republic and the basic principles upon which its laws are founded. Children are introduced to the constitution and encouraged to study it, in school. There is no equivalent document in Britain. There are many sources, collectively referred to as "the Constitution" but they are not readily accessible to citizens as a single, comprehensible document. The constitution of Ireland has been the focus of vigorous debate since its first draft appeared in 1937. Any proposal to amend the constitution requires a referendum of all registered voters. A simple majority of those voting is required t...

There's a saying in commodities markets; the best cure for high prices is high prices, they encourage higher production and thereby resolve supply issues that pushed prices higher in the first place. Similarly, it can be argued the best cure for Brexit may be Brexit. The best way to resolve theological arguments about free trade, nasty Europeans and the customs union might be a spell outside the customs union and the European free trade area. Voters could judge for themselves whether they are better off, or not, after a few years outside the hated EU. Discovering the truth of the Leave/Remain arguments through hard experience is the adult equivalent of a child breaking a toy to discover how it works. The mounting evidence of economic, academic and cultural harm can't be ignored. If Britain goes through with separation from the EU it's likely to lead to a lost decade, at least, followed by slow recognition, recrimination and eventual negotiation of re-entry to the EU in ...

Who, in their right mind, would buy a house and fail to inspect the property for two years afterwards? Nobody, you might say but that’s exactly what the Tory government have done, propped-up by their DUP Brexit allies. Now, two years after the EU referendum debate and over a year after issuing the Article 50 notice, the Tory cabinet has divided into factions arguing furiously over the ways and means by which the UK might extract itself from the EU. If you think that debate should have happened before the referendum vote, or the Article 50 notice, there is a good chance you will be accused of being an “enemy of the people”, or “unpatriotic” by Tory Brexit fanatics who still refuse to acknowledge evidence or reason. The DUP are in a very curious position, pushing for a destructive break with Europe at great risk for their constituents. The DUP claim EU exit will not require any new infrastructure or delays at the Irish border, despite masses of evidence to the contrary. Sinn Fein are ...

Thriller movies often end with a post-climax resurrection when the villain, shot in a titanic struggle with the heroic victim, suddenly reappears to strike a final, unexpected blow. Tories must be wondering whether the UKIP monster has truly been slain or is there a risk it might rise again in a deadly sequel? Labour centrists have no such doubts. Their nightmare under the muddled leadership (“muddleship?”) of Jeremy Corbyn is set to continue. Tory and Labour leaders feel bound to go ahead with Brexit, despite their obvious misgivings, officially to keep faith with the “will of the people”. In plain English, both main parties are desperately scheming to prevent a nightmare resurrection of UKIP. The national interest is a secondary concern. The precise form of EU exit is disputed as ferociously as ever. Some aspects of the way ahead are a little clearer after the local elections. BBC and SKY TV have extrapolated voting intentions, showing a broadly similar outcome. Local elections a...

West Tyrone voted 66% for Remain in the EU referendum. The DUP don’t care, they want a hard, destructive Brexit, against the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein won’t do anything about it, even though they could use their Westminster seats to kill any prospect of border disruption. Lady Sylvia Hermon is the lone NI voice against Brexit at Westminster. She needs support against the DUP who refuse to recognise the clear Remain vote by the Northern Ireland electorate. The only candidate who promises to oppose Brexit at Westminster, in the interests of Unionists and Nationalists alike, is Daniel McCrossan. Every MP’s vote counts in the hung parliament. Make your vote work for you and tilt the balance against Brexit. Lend your support & vote McCrossan SDLP to ensure action on your behalf against Brexit at Westminster.

Voters in West Tyrone must consider whether their interests are best served by Sinn Fein’s policy of abstention or whether they might be better served by the SDLP who have shown themselves willing to take an active part in Westminster, particularly with Brexit on a knife-edge and every vote in the UK parliament being counted. Citizens of Northern Ireland, of every persuasion, need representatives at Westminster who will take action to stop a hard border. Lady Sylvia Hermon is doing outstanding work in opposing Brexit but she is a lone NI voice against Brexit, at present. She needs support from all shades of opinion to stop Brexit wrecking our future. Sinn Fein has been associated, since its foundation in 1905, with the policy of abstention from Westminster although this is frequently misunderstood. The policy promoted by Arthur Griffith, leader of the party in its early years, was that Irish representatives should transfer to an Irish parliament, ruling over Irish affairs, in Irelan...

Brexit winners ; Farage, JRM, Redwood & hedge fund disaster speculators. Well done Nigel, hope you enjoy your Euro pension. It’s gone up in value since the pound tanked, after the EU advisory referendum. More ups and downs on the financial markets suit Hedge Funds very well, but that’s bad news for the rest of us. Brexit losers ; everyone else. British workers, investors, professionals, academics. pensioners and business owners will be squeezed by the ill-effects of Brexit for years to come. Manufacturers, banks and professional services providers make investment decisions years ahead. Many are now diverting investment to Europe. That will hurt everyone in Britain & pensions linked to these investments will suffer. We have elections every few years so that people can decide who governs Britain, locally and at Westminster. When things change people have the right to think again, that’s democracy. The advisory EU referendum was obscured by lies and misdirection. Get all t...

I've been over to leaver-land recently, to find out what people are saying and thinking. There were some surprises. I believe the tone of debate is changing and there is much evidence of doubt as the grand promises of the Leave campaign are shown to be hollow. Here is a random selection of comments, typical of many I’ve seen, surnames redacted (Leave.EU 2018.04.16); Philip H: Two weeks ago i was angry that my truck driver wage was only 50 pence an hour more than 10 years ago because of a glut of European drivers. Last week i lost that contract because an agency full of European driver offered to do it for £1 an hour less. That why i voted Brexit. Pete A: Wages are going down due to migrant workers taking lower hourly rates of pay...... Mick S: Over supply of cheap labour means lower wages, and people like blair and Miller get richer. Jake S: Everyone said that immigration drives down wages. Roll on Brexit in full, not the watered down lefty version Dominic P: w...

There were tears and regrets among nationalists as Arlene Foster announced she’s preparing to pack up and leave ahead of the imminent arrival of a united Ireland. Mr G. Adams of West Belfast said he’d be “sorry to see Arlene go (not)”. Mrs Michelle O’Neill of Tyrone said, “what will we do without her? We’ll have nobody to hate now. We could try Nigel Dodds but it wouldn’t be the same. He’s too clean-cut and sensible. You just can’t work up as much anger about him. Arlene was outstandin’ with her squandering public money on heating chicken sheds, anti-Irish policy and hatred for the Good Friday Agreement. She’ll be sorely missed by all true Republicans.” There are regrets in Dublin too. There have been rumours Arlene is secretly infatuated with dashing southern leader, Leo Varadkar. Arlene has been making eyes at Leo, sending him flirtatious messages, but his response has been ice-cold. “I did all I could to be nice to him and what did I get? Nothing, not as much as a peck on the che...