I thought it was a hoax. When The National ran a story in November saying that the Tory “Bullingdon boys” were set to reintroduce the pint measure for champagne, I’m ashamed to admit I had my doubts.
British repudiation of the European human rights convention could blow a hole in the Belfast Agreement
02/12/2023
We have been here before. Several times. Five consecutive Tory PMs up to Rishi Sunak speculated about, or advocated, repudiating the European Convention (and Court) of Human Rights, which Britain helped draft in 1951, and of which Boris Johnson had previously spoken warmly as “one of the great things we gave to Europe”.
Record View says the Tories must be punished at the ballot box for the chaos they have inflicted on the whole country.
Will Brexit destroy the Tories?
23/04/2023
The shifting make-up of Britain’s electorate will put pressure on both.
The Retained EU Law bill is a needless own goal – diplomatically, economically and politically.
After Brexit, Britain’s competitors are running rings around us. Sunak’s not even at the races
08/02/2023
This reshuffle will make little difference: the country is going nowhere as the PM leads us further down an economic dead end.
A party that has defined itself in opposition to the EU will be left marooned by an ever-more pro-European electorate.
Paul Routledge on the everyday nightmare that Brexit is fast becoming, and now with EU business decreasing sharply, what's next for the Tories - aka the Brexit Party?
Brexit's the elephant in the room that can be avoided no longer when quitting the European Union plunges a Disunited United Kingdom deeper into economic horror.
Everyone can see that it is failing, but pretending it can work is a precondition for positions of authority.
It’s Brexit, stupid
14/11/2022
We are stuck in the Tory game of make-believe that everything is coming up roses in an English country garden. The reality is that following Brexit the rest of the world looks at England with a mixture of perplexity, pity, and amused contempt.
GIVEN the ruling Conservatives’ seeming penchant for pulling the wool over the electorate’s eyes on Brexit, it was heartening last week to hear Mark Carney deliver some home truths.
New Labour’s architect says only rebuilding bridges with the EU will solve what Sunak calls Britain’s ‘profound economic challenge’.
Conservatism is an enduring and honourable political creed that has been debased and discredited by incompetent extremists.
Less than two weeks after her government plunged the markets into crisis with a disastrous budget, Prime Minister Liz Truss used her closing speech at the Conservative Party conference to blame the meltdown on a nebulous anti-growth coalition.
Is the Brexit ideology running out of road?
16/10/2022
Many Conservative party members will be wondering where they go from here. / There is talk of damage limitation and trying to save as many seats as possible in the next election.
The imaginary enemy is back.
Populism over sense
23/08/2022
Britain first backed Brexit in a populist vote — albeit narrowly — a foolish move taking a slice of Britain’s economic strength. / Empty words and false and exaggerated claims combined with a dose of nationalism to tip the balance.
Although a narrow majority UK-wide (not, of course, in Scotland) voted for Brexit, many have already realised it was a grave mistake. It is the biggest economic, diplomatic and constitutional mistake in the history of the United Kingdom. It is likely to be proximate cause of the United Kingdom’s ultimate collapse.
The prime minister’s exit not only disgraces him and his party – it indicts the fast-unravelling project that brought him to No 10.
No Conservative will dare admit the searingly obvious: Brexit is proving a catastrophe for Britain.
I’M not sure what I shudder harder at: how many times in this column over the years of the Brexit process and since that I have had to mention Boris Johnson – or how many times I will have to mention him in the future.
Tories fall back on tribal pull of Brexit
27/03/2022
After Rishi Sunak’s spring statement, the party can no longer rely on the economy to bolster support, so old battle lines are being redrawn.
An island nation must trade with its nearest mainland, whatever our new Brexit opportunities minister claims.