brexit Archives | Page 6 of 10 | MelaniePhillips.com

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

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

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

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,…

Britain

The real symmetry of extremism now threatening British politics

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 Melaniebrexit, Conservative party, Independent Group, Labour party

Both Theresa May’s government and the Labour Party leadership are now being threatened with a haemorrhage of their MPs. Both groups poised to revolt are posing as the beleaguered custodians of the centre ground which has been taken over by extremists in both parties. Seriously? Let’s boil down to essentials just what they’re all saying. The Times (£) reports: “About 100 members of the Brexit Delivery Group, which comprises Remain and Leave Tory MPs, warned the chief whip Julian Smith in a letter that they were prepared to force the…

Britain

Why the UK must now keep its nerve

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 Melaniebrexit, Corbyn, eu

There are now seven weeks to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, and things are getting messier and angrier by the day. Well, there’s a surprise. Faced with Mrs May’s request from the British parliament to compromise on the Irish backstop, as a result of which it might then agree to a deal, the EU told the UK to go to hell. Donald Tusk, the EU Council president, observed on Twitter: “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted…

Videos

Our crazy world: Ireland bigotry, EU bares teeth on Brexit

February 5, 2019 Melaniebrexit, Crazy world, eu, Ireland

Please join me in the video below for my latest chat about our crazy world with Avi Abelow of Israel Unwired. We discuss the bill which is currently going through the Irish parliament to boycott Israeli goods or services produced in the disputed territories or eastern Jerusalem. You can read what I wrote about this piece of poisonous bigotry here. We also discuss the latest in the Brexit crisis, in which the EU negotiators have decided to double down on their intransigence by refusing to re-open negotiations with the UK…

Britain

The EU: an economic basket-case with the instincts of the mafia

February 3, 2019February 3, 2019 Melaniebrexit, eu, German economists, No Deal

The EU’s Brexit negotiators (who appear to believe that until this moment their knuckle-dusters have been concealed) clearly think that now’s the moment to take off the gloves. Faced with Theresa May asking them ever so nicely to re-open negotiations to get rid of that troublesome Irish backstop, they have not only said no. They are reportedly now doubling down on their intransigence in the belief that this will force the Brits to come crawling back on their knees. The Sunday Times reports (£): “There is the prospect of a…

Audio

The moral maze of the British constitution

January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 Melaniebrexit, constitution, Moral Maze, MPs

BBC Radio’s Moral Maze, on which I am a regular panellist, started its new run last night with a discussion about the moral duty of MPs. With the Brexit crisis setting government against parliament and parliament against the people, we asked whether the principal duty of MPs was to their constituents or to their conscience, and whether sovereignty lay with parliament or the people. Is the British constitution currently working as it should, or are MPs trying to subvert it – and is it ever going to be the same…

Britain

Any compromise would subvert the will of the people

January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 Melaniebrexit, eu, No Deal, Withdrawal agreement

Much has been made of a possible compromise on the Irish backstop. Even if the EU were to agree to this, however, Mrs May’s proposed deal remains a stinker. The Withdrawal Agreement would trap the UK with no exit unless the EU agreed. It would subordinate Britain’s defence and security structure to EU control and endanger British security ties with its main allies. It would continue to subordinate the country to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Above all, the UK would remain hostage to the EU during the…