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There may be ways in which Britain still influences the United States, but they are as nothing compared to the influence the United States has on us. Few of us follow in much detail political debates in France, almost nobody could name the leader of Latvia or Slovenia. A shared language …

The countries of the EU have often staged referendums about the terms of membership.  About 20% of all of these referendums have gone against the EU. (see Wikipedia: EU Referendums). Second referendums are frequent in the EU if the decision on the first goes against EU policy.  There have been nine …

It’s been a while since I last put together an opinion piece because I’ve either not had the time or ability to think of something to put together. Nevertheless, I thought I’d try and put together at least one more because very soon Uni work is likely to start piling …

The latest kinder, gentler politics kerfuffle is footage of a feckless young character called Sion Rickard, a classic example of what you get when you abandon discipline and rigour in education, suggesting that Toryism can be educated out. Don’t you just love it when the young and unemployable explain to …

There is something peculiar about the EU and its member states. They want the UK to defend them if they are threatened militarily. They want us to come to their rescue if their banks fail or their single currency gets into trouble. Yet they think they can treat our democracy …

How often do we hear the expression ‘we’ve always done it that way?’ This is usually the response when a new idea, concept or methodology is introduced into our lives – our workplaces, our social lives, our marriages, our religions, our politics. It is presumed to be the ultimate put …

This post originally appeared on Conservative Home on 14 September 2018. It is March 2019 and the UK has finally reached a Brexit agreement! No, it is not with the EU – unfortunately those talks broke down over the issue of Northern Ireland’s lightly trafficked border. No, this deal is with the …

While some professions seem to be capitulating to the mores of millennial fragility and safe space culture without a shot being fired – including some of the industries once thought least likely to go soft – it is good to see at least one group pushing back. Sensing a looming threat from a Guardian Op-Ed which …

The Government has proposed that the UK should be subject to the full EU Customs Union rules for the trade in goods so that goods can flow between NI and the Republic of Ireland exactly as they do at present.  Is it necessary for the UK to stay in the …

The reason why the UK works as a country and the EU doesn’t work is fundamentally linguistic. Lots of people from Scotland live and work happily in other parts of the UK. We have all likewise met people from England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have moved to Scotland without …

The Primrose League was a broad-based mass membership organisation which peaked in the early twentieth century. Its aim was to spread Conservative messages of fighting for Queen and Country whilst promoting free enterprise. In 1910, there were nearly 2 million members at a time when there was an electorate of …

It is a far, far better thing that she does… High drama in Britain, as vaguely-known personality Sandi Toksvig reveals – at a meeting of the Women’s Equality Party – that she is not being paid the same as her predecessor, the much more widely known Stephen Fry, to host …

The United Kingdom, along with most Western countries, has a long and distinguished record of allowing conscientious objection in wartime, the First World War being the most notable example. War is almost always a national emergency. Yet if governments can allow conscientious objection even in times of national emergency, why …

Growing up in Northern Ireland at the beginning of this century, the binary system of grammar schools and secondary moderns was still in place. If you could pass the 11 Plus, then you had one chance to leave your social background and go to a fantastic school with aspiration and …

We are in something of a phony war situation at the moment. MPs have been on holiday for a while now, but soon they will have their conferences and then they will be back to work. Between now and next March something momentous is going to happen one way or …

At a conference on religious freedom, in Washington DC, organised at Capitol Hill by Coptic Solidarity, the author called for an international world wide day to highlight the right to freedom of religion or belief.  With fellow speakers, Canadian MP Garnett Genuis and New Jersey Congressman, Chris Smith The first …

I would hazard a guess that most people have heard the refrain “greedy bankers” to denigrate the wealthy individuals who work in the financial sector. However, how many are actually aware of what these people do, and what role does investment banking actually play in the economy? Not ‘just’ greedy …

Any observer of Western politics will have noticed the rise and rise of Identity Politics.  Why is this happening? It was once tacitly assumed that the participants in political debate had good intentions even if you thought they had the wrong ideas.  Identity Politics abandons the assumption that opponents have …

The second edition of Brent H. Cameron’s book, “The Case for Commonwealth Free Trade: Options for a new globalization is available now on Amazon worldwide. It is approaching the end of 2018, and the end of our comfortable complacency. Here, in Canada, we are entering a period of great uncertainty as our …

It’s nearly four years ago since we had the Scottish independence referendum. Some of us are still fighting it, but most of us have moved on. Four years is rather a long time. The First World War only lasted a little longer than four years. A baby learns to speak …