Britain Archives | Page 19 of 46 | MelaniePhillips.com

The British in the wilderness as Brexit crisis explodes

March 15, 2019March 17, 2019 Melaniebrexit, democracy, parliament, universalism

What in the name of heaven, you may well ask, is going on in Britain? Why is the Brexit issue causing a political nervous breakdown? And should any of this matter to anyone else? In answer to the last question, yes it should. The Brexit debacle has crucial lessons for the rest of the West, as well as for Israel and Diaspora Jews. Given the pace of unprecedented shocks at Westminster, by the time you read this the Brexit crisis may have veered off in yet another direction. At time…

Britain

Despite Cox’s miraculous unicorn, Mrs May’s deal will not deliver Brexit

March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 Melaniebrexit, DUP, Geoffrey cox, Vienna convention

There are reports in today’s papers that the Attorney-General, Geoffrey Cox, is having secret talks with the DUP to persuade them that there is a way out of the Irish backstop trap after all. It was the Attorney’s opinion on Tuesday that, despite the EU’s concessions on the backstop, the legal risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop with “no internationally lawful means of exiting” except with the EU’s agreement “remained unchanged”. His blunt assessment provoked government fury that he had thus failed to provide the Brexiteers with…

Britain

Parliament versus the people

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 Melanie

So here’s how things stand. Leaving the EU with no deal is now the only way in which parliament can implement the Brexit referendum result, a decision handed by parliament to the people of Britain to make. All signs point to MPs voting today against leaving with no deal. They will be voting against the act of parliament they themselves passed, under which the UK leaves the EU on March 29 regardless of whether or not withdrawal terms have been agreed. They will thus be voting to trash the decision…

Britain Culture wars

Female empowerment? No, just feminist revenge porn

March 12, 2019 MelanieKilling Eve, psychopaths, Times

The multi-talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is both writer and star of the hit TV series Fleabag, also developed and now produces the much-lauded TV drama Killing Eve, the second series of which is due to start next month. Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show at the weekend, Waller-Bridge was asked if she felt Killing Eve had escaped censure for being too violent because it was by and about women. She replied that, although it was important for viewers to be shown violence against women, people were “slightly exhausted” by…

Britain

Mrs May’s Chamberlain moment

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019 Melaniebrexit, democracy, Irish backstop, No Deal

This morning, Theresa May was reported to be talking up as a breakthrough the concessions she has obtained from the EU on the Irish backstop, saying MPs should therefore vote tonight for her Brexit withdrawal deal. At time of writing, she is expected shortly to address parliament. The UK’s requirement was that it should never find itself bound by the backstop with no means of escape unless the EU gives it permission – which by definition, in the event of a breakdown in the future negotiations over the UK/EU relationship,…

Britain Culture wars USA

How antisemitism became unleashed in the west

March 8, 2019 Melanieantisemitism, Democratic party, Labour party, victim culture

Why is antisemitism now out of control in the west? Jew-hatred, alas, is always with us. The most we can expect is that it is kept down by unequivocal social disapproval. What causes it to explode into an uncontrolled epidemic is the weakening of that powerful social stigma. After the Holocaust, the enormity of that crime was such that antisemitism went underground. Any such expressions that did occur were regarded as the province of cranks on the fringes of society who were accordingly shunned. What tells you the Jews are…

Britain

Why Martin Howe’s advice should be rejected

March 8, 2019 Melaniebrexit, Martin Howe, No Deal

Another week, another final-endgame-crunch-crisis-make-or-break-nailbiting-cliff-edge Brexit moment for Britain’s prime minister Theresa May. I fear more such moments are yet to come. As throughout this never-ending crisis, no-one knows what will happen by the end of the day let alone by March 29 when the UK is due to leave the EU regardless of whether or not the terms of its departure have been agreed with Brussels. What we can see is that even some of the so-called “hard” Brexiteers are having a distinct wobble. They seem to have been spooked…

Britain

Making the world perfect always ends badly

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019 Melanieclimate change, revolution, The Times

A few days ago, two women appeared on TV to announce that they had decided never to have any children because they were terrified that the planet was being laid waste by climate change. The natural world was being wiped out, they said. So how could they possibly give birth to children who would have no future? Some 90 women have now joined this “birth strike” campaign. Leave to one side whether these poor women have been terrified out of their wits by a theory that is without foundation. Reacting…

Britain Culture wars

Why the Labour party cannot deal with its antisemitism

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 Melanieantisemitism, Corbyn, Labour party, Palestinians

There can be no doubting the anguish felt by decent Labour party members over the terrible poison of antisemitism that has corrupted their cause. As Harold Wilson said in another era, Labour is a moral crusade or it is nothing. After the departure from the party of nine MPs, wholly or in part over the failure to deal with its antisemitism, deputy leader Tom Watson warned of a crisis over its soul. Those who, like Watson, are appalled but are staying put say they are fighting to rescue the party.…

Britain

New episode in cliff-hanger, Stuffing the British over Brexit

February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 Melaniebrexit, Mrs May, No Deal

There’s been much sound and fury over the latest twist in the tortuous and unbearable cliff-hanger, Stuffing the British People over Brexit, and no wonder. Theresa May yesterday performed a volte face by agreeing that, in the event of Parliament voting against her “renegotiated” withdrawal deal that she will put to the Commons by March 12, MPs will then be able to vote on whether they agree to the UK leaving with no deal and that this will not happen without their consent. If the Commons duly votes against no-deal,…