by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 26th November 2019 Jeremy Corbyn has rarely in recent decades feared political controversy. On issues such as Ireland, the Middle East, NATO, income redistribution and renationalisation, he has advocated with candour and persistence views that have been unattractive, even shocking to many electors. Many [...]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 23rd October 2019 At the weekend the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd gave an interview that will usefully epitomise for future historians the moral and intellectual confusion on European issues of the One Nation wing of the Conservative Party she represents. […]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 18th October 2019 This article was first published on Eurobabble. Editor’s note: As foreshadowed in this article, the House of Commonsdecided on 19th October to defer more detailed discussion of theWithdrawal Act until the following week. The votes of the DUP werecrucial in securing [...]
As the deadline of 31st October approaches, it becomes daily clearer that a plausible path exists for the prevention of a “no deal” Brexit and indeed for the prevention of any kind of Brexit. The dangerous incompetence of Boris Johnson’s government on the European issue has finally persuaded many, probably [...]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 11th September 2019 Parliamentary opponents of Brexit, and in particular opponents of “no deal”, are understandably encouraged by the passing of legislation designed to prevent the Johnson government from taking the UK out of the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement on 31st October. It [...]
“We can tolerate neither our vices nor their cures” (Livy, Roman historian, 1st century AD) by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 2nd September 2019 The recent unexpectedly lengthy prorogation of Parliament, carried out with brutal speed and secrecy, should be a salutary reminder to those hoping to prevent a “no [...]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 12th August 2019 The arrival of Boris Johnson in Downing Street and the impending Article 50 deadline of 31st October have given a new sense of urgency to political players and observers, particularly among those opposed to Brexit. Specifically, it is increasingly accepted that [...]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 30th July 2019 It was a disappointment to many that the Labour Party and those Conservative MPs opposed to a “no deal” Brexit did so little last week to oppose the installation of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. The summer recess will, however, allow [...]
Uncertainty is a constant and deleterious feature of the Brexit experience. The prospect that the United Kingdom (UK) might – or might not – soon be leaving the European Union (EU), on terms and at a date that are uncertain, is a source of immense destabilisation. It has many manifestations, [...]
by Brendan DonnellyDirector, The Federal Trust 9th July 2019 Much justified criticism has been heaped upon Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt for the unrealistic European policies they have promised the Conservative membership in the current leadership contest. It is not however always sufficiently understood how necessary such unrealistic promises are [...]
