Browsed by
Category: Article 50

In safe hands? Whose finger is on the Article 50 button?

In safe hands? Whose finger is on the Article 50 button?

Comments 0 Comment

Embed from Getty Images Alastair Meeks wonders whether the Royal Prerogative would really suffice “Who? Whom?” Lenin asked.  These are questions that confront the government and Parliament when determining who decides to pull the trigger to leave the EU: who is going to take control and who is going to be dictated to?  We are set for a constitutional power struggle to be fought in the courtroom and the next chapter unfolds next month. John Grisham would doubtless not start…

Read More Read More

Meet Liam Fox, the 21st century Gerald Ratner

Meet Liam Fox, the 21st century Gerald Ratner

Comments 0 Comment

This is the minister supposed to be prompting British business around the world https://t.co/vH1iYbLbRm — Jim Pickard ? (@PickardJE) September 10, 2016 Yes, Liam Fox really said UK business is too fat and lazy. Here's our exclusive transcript https://t.co/4DwsX7xrNo pic.twitter.com/vOKb9QFitE — The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) September 10, 2016 The Guardian reports on a Times story Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, has been attacked by businesspeople and politicians for suggesting British executives would rather play golf rather…

Read More Read More

Today we should have been getting the new Prime Minister

Today we should have been getting the new Prime Minister

Comments 0 Comment

The picture above sums up the last few months in British politics, the reaction live on television of Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor of The Times, to Boris Johnson withdrawing from the Tory leadership race. Theresa May’s lack of a mandate could cause her problems. If events had gone to schedule, the result of the Tory leadership contest would have been announced today, Andrea Leadsom’s disastrous ‘mother superior’ interview helped put the kibosh on those plans. But in hindsight Theresa May…

Read More Read More

The Tories set to re-introduce Fox hunting with hounds if the International Trade Secretary doesn’t wind his neck in

The Tories set to re-introduce Fox hunting with hounds if the International Trade Secretary doesn’t wind his neck in

Comments 0 Comment

Liam Fox and Boris Johnson locked in feud over who controls Britain's foreign policy https://t.co/lmXFdd3A7O — Telegraph Politics (@TelePolitics) August 13, 2016 Taking the 10/1 on Liam Fox being the first cabinet minister to leave the cabinet looks tempting. Today’s Sunday Telegraph has a story which says Liam Fox and Boris Johnson are locked in a bitter Whitehall feud over who controls key parts of Britain’s foreign policy, a leaked letter seen by The Telegraph reveals. Just weeks after the two men joined…

Read More Read More

According to the betting markets, at least, Article 50 is going to be invoked later rather than earlier

According to the betting markets, at least, Article 50 is going to be invoked later rather than earlier

Comments 0 Comment

One of the betting markets I got into in the week after the referendum was when would Article 50 be invoked. My view was and remains is that this is going to take longer than many anticipated. I got 5/2 that it would be after the end of 2017 and I’ve got a bit on Betfair which has a cut off date for its final time segment of June 30th 2017. There are so many hurdles ahead not least a…

Read More Read More

Alastair Meeks argues that any cuts or tax rises caused by BREXIT should be borne primarily by those groups that voted Leave

Alastair Meeks argues that any cuts or tax rises caused by BREXIT should be borne primarily by those groups that voted Leave

Comments 0 Comment

Six weeks on a look at the aftermath and beyond Enough already.  The referendum has been fought and the good guys lost.  The country decided to follow the lead of those pandering to xenophobes and obsessives.  So be it.  What next? Clearly we are not going to get any guidance from those who led the Leave campaign.  Nigel Farage has left the field, Michael Gove has been sent to the sidelines and the three Brexiteer ministers are more concerned about…

Read More Read More

Labour’s massive challenge: Support for Corbyn as “best PM” is inversely proportional to people’s likelihood to vote

Labour’s massive challenge: Support for Corbyn as “best PM” is inversely proportional to people’s likelihood to vote

Comments 0 Comment

There’s a new YouGov voting poll out which has the Tories extending their lead to 12%. The figures are: CON 40% LAB 28% LD 8% UKIP 13% This means that the Tories have double digit leads in four of the five polls since Theresa May became PM. Clearly she is enjoying a honeymoon bounce but, on top of that, she is facing a Labour party that appears to be at war with itself. One part of the poll that show…

Read More Read More

Why I’m betting that it’ll be next July at the earliest before Article 50 is invoked

Why I’m betting that it’ll be next July at the earliest before Article 50 is invoked

Comments 0 Comment

Theresa May: Article 50 will not be brought forward https://t.co/SeSAC0MigX pic.twitter.com/bVzngcgpww — ITV News (@itvnews) July 15, 2016 Several bookies, including Betfair, have got markets up on when, if ever, Article 50 will be invoked. This is, of course, the formal process that would see the exit of the UK from the EU. There’ve been two articles this afternoon that cause me to suggest that this will be later rather than sooner. Ian Dunt has an excellent explanation here while…

Read More Read More