EU referendum: Why the Brexit debate is a spark of hope for Europe, German pragmatism and British opposition should combine to prevent incompetent and unaccountable leadership October 28, 2015 The Brussels elite, not to mention the Paris political coterie, is once again expressing weariness at British criticism of the European Union. The diverse objections of the different Eurosceptic groups in Britain, seem to them, to confirm incompatibility of the UK with the EU. If Europe à la carte were at the heart of the [...]
The future of democracy must be digital: Our voting system needs to be modernised with electronic voting October 28, 2015 Yesterday’s Lords vote on the government’s move to speed up electoral registration changes should put the issue of voter turnout and participation firmly back on the agenda. The debate cannot end there. The new voter registration measures end the system under which the head of the household can sign up all its residents at once. [...]
EU referendum: Brexit could spell disaster for “brand” Britain risking less foreign investment and international trade October 28, 2015 The current debate about Britain’s future in the EU is a mixture of emotions, exaggeration and nostalgia. Without a pragmatic appraisal of the facts and consequences of the UK leaving the European Union, we could sleepwalk into a disaster. Ultimately, this would be a crisis, which could not only harm British brands but damage brand [...]
Britain is the least “European” nation in the EU, according to new report October 28, 2015 Quelle surprise? It turns out British people stand out among other European nations as being particularly unlikely to embrace any sense of European identity. A new report shows 64 per cent of Britons feel "British only", compared with 36 per cent of French who feel "French only", or 25 per cent of German residents who feel [...]
EU referendum: Prime Minister David Cameron to make case for reform in Iceland and defend EU against eurosceptics who claim UK needs a Norway style arrangement October 28, 2015 At the Northern Future Forum of nine northern European nations Prime Minister David Cameron will make his latest case for reforming the European Union. But Cameron will also defend EU membership against eurosceptics who have argued the UK needs a Norway-esque agreement within the EU, as Norway is not in the EU but is in the European Economic [...]
British Chambers of Commerce says chancellor George Osborne needs to make major structural changes October 28, 2015 A leading business group is calling on chancellor George Osborne to make major structural changes in next month’s spending review. In a submission published today, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said that the British economy “remains in need of care and encouragement” and that the group’s members want Osborne to prioritise fixing the business [...]
Steel crisis 2015: UK business secretary Sajid Javid wants emergency EU steel summit October 28, 2015 Business secretary Sajid Javid is calling for an emergency European Union meeting over the steel crisis. Javid, who is set to meet with EU commissioners in Brussels today, said “severe pressures” on the European steel sector require “urgent action”. “I want to see steel top of the EU agenda,” Javid said. “We cannot stand by [...]
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott: mass migration is a “wicked problem” October 27, 2015 In a surprising intervention tonight, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told a City audience that mass migration to Europe is a “wicked problem” and advocated for further military intervention in Syria and Iraq. In a speech commemorating Margaret Thatcher at Guild Hall, Abbott said that “no country or continent can open its borders to [...]
Number 10 announces a new review led by Lord Strathclyde into the House of Lords October 27, 2015 The government has announced new details of a review into the role of the House of Lords, following peers' votes last night to delay the implementation of tax credit cuts. A Number 10 spokesperson said tonight that the government is "setting up a review to examine how to protect the ability of elected governments to secure their [...]
Forget the data roaming charge overseas: It’s just been banned across the EU October 27, 2015 Good news for tourists and business travellers alike: Those pesky roaming charges are about to become history (at least within the European Union). The European Parliament today voted to ban data roaming charges across all EU countries, starting 15 June 2017. Roaming charges are what mobile operators charge you to use mobile internet overseas. You [...]