Nicola Sturgeon is no Mother Christmas If there is one political certainty I would bet my house on, it’s that when politicians are in serious trouble they will suddenly make a major announcement to push the damaging story off the news agenda. There is no better exponent of this trait than the media operation of Nicola Sturgeon and her Scottish government, [...]
Brexit sovereignty is on the horizon, if the government would only seize it With just 45 days to go until the Brexit transition period expires, negotiations between Brussels and London are heading into a final frenzy. At the same time, the political battle is heating up. Last week, the government’s proposed Internal Market Bill, designed to correct the most pernicious aspects of the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed last [...]
Pay attention, London: Nicola Sturgeon’s spat with Alex Salmond could scupper her mission to break up the UK Sturgeon’s spat with Salmond could scupper her mission to break up the UK At a time when Londoners are all focusing on the latest lockdown restrictions, wondering what will become of our jobs, and asking if Trump or Boris will still be in post this time next year, does anyone other than expat Scots care who wins the stair-heid rammy between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond? But care [...]
Can a new Scots Tory leader regain the party’s mojo? August 7, 2020 The Scottish Tories have got themselves a new leader. This might not move share prices or the relative values of sterling, and gossipers in the markets will now be asking “who is Douglas Ross?” But the same could have been said of Ruth Davidson back in 2011 when she became leader, shortly before her phenomenal [...]
Don’t believe the Scottish independence hype — I’d bet on Johnson’s tortoise to beat Sturgeon’s hare July 24, 2020 For his first significant political event outside the Westminster bubble, timed for his one-year anniversary of becoming Prime Minister, Boris Johnson chose to go to Scotland. The significance of that choice cannot be overestimated. Politics is as unpredictable as ever, and despite chancellor Rishi Sunak hosing Scotland with the billions confected by the Bank of [...]
By vowing to cancel Article 50, the Lib Dems are turning their backs on liberal democracy September 20, 2019 Liberalism has a proud history in European democracy. As a concept, liberal democracy has defined the West for over a century, but belief in the greater good can only come if the people decide what is good for them. For all the talk of bringing the country together, the Liberal Democrats are following the march [...]
DEBATE: Would a no-deal Brexit really be bad for business? September 5, 2019 Would a no-deal Brexit really be detrimental for British business? YES, says Dinesh Dhamija, an entrepreneur and a Liberal Democrat MEP for London Crashing out of the EU with no deal will plunge us into 10 years of trade negotiations. That means even more uncertainty – and uncertainty is a cancer for business. Already, foreign [...]
This Budget was a masterclass in dishonesty and manipulation October 31, 2018 So what was it? A cautious Budget? An astute Budget? A get-me-through-the-day Budget? Did you feel the earth move – or the need to change your financial affairs, for better or worse? Was there more than a zzzzz from the markets? It certainly was not the tax reform Budget that our economy desperately needs to put [...]
Chomping at the bit: The race is on to be the next Tory leader October 17, 2018 There will be no deal this week. It was intended, then hoped for, but a Brexit deal is now as far away as it has ever been. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that there will be a late capitulation, the mother-of-all-compromises by Downing Street, presented as a victory for all [...]
May is not a match for Boris – give him a chance to lead October 3, 2018 Boris has spoken, and such was his performance that the moment must come soon where he is given the opportunity to lead the Conservative Party before it faces further humiliation at the hands of the EU leadership, or is ultimately defeated by Jeremy Corbyn and his Momentum mob. Everyone expected Boris Johnson to cover the [...]
