Category Archives: Uncategorized

The EU, the Scottish referendum and the EU referendum

Posted on October 16, 2014 by

A speech I gave yesterday, 15 October 2014, to Forum 2000 in Horsforth, West Yorkshire Introduction In January last year, the Prime Minister announced there would be an in/out referendum in 2017 after a renegotiation of the terms of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alan Johnson, Better Together, Britain in Europe, Canada, Conservatives, Cymru, EU Referendum, European Council, European Union, Immigration, Liberal Democrats, Referendum, Royal family, Scotland, Scottish Referendum, Speeches, UK Prime Minister, UKIP, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, Wales, Yes campaign | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOES THE YES CAMPAIGN LIKE THE SCOTS?

Posted on August 29, 2014 by

Does the Yes Campaign in the Scottish referendum even like Scotland and the Scots? I have long had my doubts, but after Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney’s confirmation that an independent Scotland would default on debt and First Minister … Continue reading →

Posted in Better Together, Scotland, Scottish Referendum, Uncategorized, Yes campaign | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PM missing the point

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

A generous 7½ out of 10 for the Prime Minister, when he could so easily have got 10. Lord Justice has not proposed removing press freedom by legislation. He is not pointing the way across a Rubicon or advocation a … Continue reading →

Posted in government, Hacking, Leveson, Leveson Report, Politics, Press, Press regulation, UK coalition, UK Government, UK press regulation, UK Prime Minister, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leveson

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

I like what I heard in Lord Justice Leveson’s impressive statement. Like most people commenting I have yet to read the report (it will take a while), but the proposals he summarised in his statement seem right. Will the vested … Continue reading →

Posted in government, Hacking, Leveson, Leveson Report, Press, Press regulation, UK coalition, UK Government, UK press regulation, Uncategorized, Whitehall | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time for David Cameron to change

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Intoxicated by the toxic praise of the Eurosceptics of both the right and the left, prime minister David Cameron cannot stop trying to undermine the rest of the European Unions’ attempts to solve the Eurozone crisis. There are at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain in Europe, Credit rating agencies, Debt crisis, December 2011, Eurozone, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2nd Update: The United Kingdom and the Eurozone crisis

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Here is common sense and leadership from justice secretary Kenneth Clarke in today’s Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5606a946-201a-11e1-8662-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1fomGwuZY. (You may have to register to read it, but registration is free). He was a good minister to work for, as I recall. Also … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain in Europe, Debt crisis, Eurozone, government, Politics, Sovereign states, UK coalition, Uncategorized, Work-life balance, Working Time Directive | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Immigration

Posted on November 8, 2011 by

Is it not a delicious irony that it is a Conservative home secretary on whose watch immigration checks were scaled back apparently without ministerial sanction so that she does not now know how many people were let in improperly? We … Continue reading →

Posted in government, Immigration, Politics, UK coalition, Uncategorized, Whitehall | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment