News has broken that in the event of “No Deal”, up to 90 % of tariffs will be removed. Confirmation seems to have come from a refusal to deny from Greg Clark, Business Secretary. Naturally, views have been expressed, from all political vantage points. The opposition can be expected to …

Theresa May has seen the biggest government defeat in British history. Her Withdrawal Agreement has been kicked into touch.  The grieve amendment means that she has to bring Plan B back to parliament next week. Where do we go from here?  It is worth reflecting for a moment how we …

Michel Barnier has given Britain a fortnight to offer a divorce settlement if talks are to progress to trade. What should our reply be? We have some suggestions. Theresa May has made some very generous offers. EU countries will not be out of pocket during a transition period. Reciprocal rights …

Following a campaign that has been both turbulent and tranquil, the day is finally over. The voters can have had their say. This was an election that didn’t have to happen. The Fixed Term Parliament Act provided for a date in 2020, a year that could have provided perfect retrospective …

As Theresa May has finally triggered Article 50, Juncker and other key EU personnel have made their thoughts known. Are they worth listening to? He is quoted in various media outlets as saying: “Britain’s example will make everyone realise that it’s not worth leaving … On the contrary, the remaining …

The House of Lords has sent back the Article 50 bill with two amendments. The first concerns the rights of EU citizens. The second was to give parliament a “meaningful say” in any deal that might be reached. The proposed amendments can be seen here. The first of those amendments …

The Lords met again to debate the Article 50 bill. The day was dominated by two Liberal Democrat amendments. The scene was set for entertainment and drama. The ultimate decision would be if the people or parliament should have the final say. One amendment passed, one failed. Elsewhere, it was fun …

The House of Lords has entered the second day of the second reading of the Article 50 debate. There have been some fascinating contributions, some expected, some unexpected. One in particular stood out. It has been an interesting week for the House of Lords, starting with Monday’s BBC documentary Meet …

As the Article 50 starts to take shape, the question facing negotiators is who has the stronger position. The question has been addressed by select committees. Let’s take a practical look. At the same time that debate is in progress, sundry parliamentary select committees are hearing evidence from different sectors. …

In the wake of the EU referendum, public attention has been aroused by suggestions that the House of Lords could be the forum to block Brexit. Were they to do so, would this make it the right time to reform or even abolish the upper chamber? The House of Lords …

The march towards Brexit continues. Finally, the Article 50 Bill has been presented to Parliament and passed by the Commons. What better time to consider perspectives from the EU on what Brexit might mean? With the Article 50 Bill timescale, in theory at least, Theresa May should be in a …

Introduction Following the EU referendum on 23rd June 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU, i.e. NOT to be a member of the SEM. The government tell us that Brexit means Brexit, but not what Brexit means. This is an attempt to set out a negotiating position. Article …

A week after the referendum result, the political landscape has changed. The United Kingdom now has the opportunity to remodel itself as an outward looking nation, free of the constraints of policies decided at an EU level. It would seem that the only constraint now is our own political system. …

There is a natural impatience in invoke Article 50. Pressure is added by demands from the EU to get on with it. Should we listen? Article 50 provides for an orderly withdrawal from the EU. That such a withdrawal is carried out in a friendly way, being a neighbouring nation, …

The people have spoken. We have stood up to Project Fear and shown a desire to forge a way ahead in the world. Britain has a brave new future. This site was set up to make a small contribution to ensuring an honest debate. If the people of Britain were …

Today is the day to vote in the referendum. This is a plea for you to vote, whatever your position. We have a choice as to what sort of future we see for our country. A century ago, British, Commonwealth and other European troops were battling in the trenches to give …

Following a variety of debate, this piece was originally inspired by the claim from Angela Eagle that the Leave campaign produce questionable statistics. Ironically, the ‘In’ side produced more. Eagle can be a fantastic Commons performer, frequently running rings around Osborne at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) when Cameron is absent. …

It is clear that Remain have been plotting their campaign for some time. Cameron asked us to join him in supporting a “reformed” EU. Brexit has taken a lead in the polls. Why? Cameron has a reputation in some quarters as a political animal. Before becoming an MP, his background …

As the referendum draws near and debate increases, the natures of the campaigns have become apparent. Some minds were made up before in either side of the fence. Some are confused, some are neutral. Any academic piece will give the opportunity for the reader to decide any potential for bias. …

In our quest to follow and explore the arguments over the EU referendum, our attention turns to sovereignty and democracy. Can we unravel what they mean and more importantly, what they mean to us? These could be treated as different topics but it will hopefully become apparent in this piece …