Will the cabinet resignations lead to a softer Brexit?
On Friday, after months of prevaricating, May convened a cabinet meeting at Chequers to finally present to ministers a plan that committed to firm positions on some of Brexit’s most…
Cabinet chaos
Today’s EU summit serves as another reminder of how much work remains to be done if the UK is to leave the EU with a trade deal in place. With…
The return of David Miliband?
This week heralds the return to the British political stage of a former Labour Party heavyweight. Once seen as a future leader, perhaps even Prime Minister, a voice of reason…
The Irish border and a hard Brexit
Of all the obstacles to the government’s preferred Brexit plan, the Irish border issue remains the most intractable. May’s government remains committed to leaving the EU’s single market and customs…
Boris’ Brexit speech – Right message, wrong messenger
Boris Johnson’s speech at Policy Exchange today marks the first of a series of government speeches on Brexit. The aim, presumably, is to present to the country the impression of…
Brexit analysis in a fact-free debate
Behind-the-scenes Brexit preparations continue to cause embarrassment for the government as news of a new, wholly negative Brexit analysis has leaked into the public domain. The analysis, leaked to BuzzFeed,…
Blair’s Brexit Gamble
Tony Blair today made one of his most explicit interventions into British politics since leaving political office in 2007. In an article entitled Brexit - What We Now Know written…
Brexit: Making progress or treading water?
More than eight months after May triggered the two year Article 50 withdrawal process, Brexit negotiations are worryingly static. The most complicated part of the process – negotiating a bespoke…
Is the Industrial Strategy the answer to Britain’s productivity crisis?
On the 27th November, the Government launched its new post-Brexit ‘industrial strategy’. This programme is designed to boost the UK’s economy, build on the country’s key strengths, and set out…
Liberal Democrat Conference: A missed opportunity
At Liberal Democrat Party Conference, Vince Cable argued that the Liberal Democrats could be the party of Government and that it was his job, as Liberal Democrat leader, to be…