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Brexit

  • The Left Exhume Another of their Undead to Guide us Back Into the EU

    2021-04-07

    Not content to serve up recent helpings of Tony Blair, they are now wheeling out Lord Adonis to persuade us of the error of our ways.

    Remember the "People's Vote" campaign? How voting again until we gave the right answer was supposed to be the only democratic way to resolve the horrific idea of having to make our own way in the world that the Brexit vote had somehow conjured up? Well don't worry, there will soon be a new campaign organised to rejoin the EU, that's if the good folk at BrexitWatch have go their story straight.

    Perhaps lockdowns have stirred fond memories of the superior talent for centralised bureaucracy with which the EU is so well endowed, or perhaps Tony has been sent back to Blighty to get a grip and recover the situation, but whatever the reason, it seems that we are set to enjoy a resurgent campaign to "Rejoin the EU".

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  • Brexit Agreement Starts to Unravel?

    2021-03-05

    Caroline Bell writing for Briefings for Britain reviews the state of the NI Protocol and the shenanigans taking place around it.

    Things must be bad if Lord Frost is brought back into the frame! Perhaps his negotiated agreement suffers from the traditional "constructive ambiguity" so beloved of negotiators when the clock has stopped ticking . . .? Or perhaps in EU hands that becomes "destructive ambiguity"? We shall see, but the contrast between the UK-EU and the UK-US negotiations is striking.

    "Hostages will be taken"

    Does the EU want a trade deal or not? It might be thought that it has never negotiated for a trade deal, but always for keeping

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  • From House of Chaos to House of Complacency

    2021-02-24

    During Mrs May's tenure, the House of Commons became the house of chaos as opposing factions seemingly bent every rule in the book and every  convention in Parliament in a futile bid to overturn the verdict of the People without taking the blame for so doing. The squabbling and scheming reached epic levels and the cartoonists (to misapply a quote from Harold Macmillan) had "never had it so good".

    Contrast that with the current state of play where Boris and Matt get by without bothering to present their diktats in the House, Her Majesty's loyal opposition is so loyal that it only ever argues for the restrictions to be tighter, and with very few honourable exceptions no serious attempt is made to do anything other than tow the party line and support the government.

    In this article for Brexit Watch Ian Logan points up the situation over Brexit where

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  • Ben Habib Launches Lawfare over the NI Protocol

    2021-02-22

    Ben Habib explains what he is up to - he is taking Boris to task for the Northern Ireland protocol that is currently dividing the Union.

    Today we are writing to the Prime Minister. This government is driving a coach & horses through the Act of Union. We have no option but to take legal action

    Whilst it's good to see initiatives like this that take the preservation of the Union very seriously, surely the point is that Parliament should be taking the lead here?

    The very fact that politicians are now resorting to legal action speaks volumes about the fiction that Parliament is composed of those who represent the views of the people.

     

    Like / Dislike this video

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  • Post Hoc Analyses of Brexit - Wolfgang Streek

    2021-01-25

    We feature today two articles by Wolfgang Streek of the Max Plank Institut.

    Firstly an analysis of the mutual incomprehension evident in the attitudes that the British and EU elites had for each other prior to and during the Brexit process, as published by SideCar.

    I'm not sure that I would agree with every point he makes, but the geopolitical motivations make for interesting reading.

    Secondly by the same author:

    The European Union is a liberal empire, and it is about to fall

    For me, the words

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  • BREXIT - Lawyers for Britain Give their Reaction

    2020-12-31

    Well, tonight we have lift-off, whatever that may mean.

    Lawyers for Britain give their initial verdict, having had all of a day or so to peruse the vast number of pages comprising the deal.

    Download their preliminary verdict here.

    "Were these threats to materialise, that would be flat contrary to the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland and would alter the constitutional status of Northern Ireland within the UK. As such, it would amount to a major breach of the core principle of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement that NI’s constitutional status cannot be changed without the consent of the people of Northern Ireland"

    Ouch.

    "Given its duties to safeguard the constitution and internal market of

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  • Immigration Enforcement - Sabotaged?

    2020-12-28

    Bring back Tony Blair - all is forgiven?

    Migration Watch documents the failure of the Boris government to quell levels of illegal immigration, now running rampant, relative to past years, at a time when there are already more unemployed than need be due to the said government's controversial measures supposedly to control the spread of the "pandemic".

    If this is how they will continue to avoid controlling illegal immigration post Brexit (and why would they not?), we could be in for more lawlessness as more illegal immigrants vie with indigenous British for available jobs - all to the detriment of employment prospects at the lower end of the market, and a probable increase in those being paid less than the minimum wage as a plentiful supply of illegals willing to work for less money increases the opportunities for unscrupulous

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  • End of Transition in Name Only?

    2020-12-18

    Brexit Watch makes a good point.

    Interminable never-ending "negotiations" may end up effectively leaving us indefinitely  "in transition" (ie: BRINO) to all intents and purposes - how could this be?

    It's up to Boris - if he permits this sleight of messaging then he will have only himself to blame for not cutting the negotiations off at the knees at 24:00 on 31st December.

    After all, on 1st Jan, even if the EU wants to let current arrangements continue, we don't have to - we can pick and choose!

    We can have no objection to negotiating after the 1st January, but Boris would be well advised to put some clear blue timing between ending pre-exit negotiations and starting post-exit negotiations, and should emphasize the different basis on which these are being undertaken (not to mention the immediate

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  • Always Darkest just before the Brexit Dawn?

    2020-12-15

    They say that it is always darkest just before the dawn . . .   or maybe just before the final betrayal?

    We have no real knowledge so this is just a placeholder, but there are clear worries. Watch and wait . . .

    Like / Dislike this video here.

  • A Quick Skate through History - Alan Sked Reviews The State of Politics Today

    2020-12-09

    Alan Sked, the academic founder of the Anti-Federalist League which subsequently morphed into UKIP, reviews the state of politics today for Brexit Watch, with special attention to the state of politics north of the border.

    He reminds us of a lot of good points which underscore the impracticability of top-down centralised government by the elite, and expose the folly of the push toward Scottish independence.

    Whilst "too small and too much in debt to be independent" has some truth (ask the Greeks), "too big to be flexible and learn new tricks" also has validity, and it would seem that the trick is (a) to be solvent and (b) to find the right balance.

    European Arrest Warrant to Continue Post Brexit?

    2020-12-05

    Some of us have been concerned for many years now that our perfidious Parliament will allow the EAW (European Arrest Warrant) to live on well beyond its Brexit end-by date.

    Torquil Dick-Erikson writing for Brexit Watch now discloses the confirmation that as far as HMG is concerned "There is no intention for extradition to any EU jurisdiction after the end of transition period to be made subject to a court ruling that there is a prima facie case".

    There you have it. i don't doubt that the EAW will be "renegotiated" post "Brexit" and repackaged to look a little more like a new arrangement, but the fundamentals will remain the same.

    So much for Habeas Corpus and our freedom from arrest and imprisonment without trial for prolonged, maybe indefinitely prolonged, periods. We can still be summarily arrested and

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  • Report by Independent Chief Inspector of Borders on Home Office response to cross-Channel irregular arrivals by lorry and small boat

    12/01/2020

    Migration Watch UK recently put out a press release covering the performance of the Home Office in managing inbound illegal immigrants.

    No prizes for guessing the overall tenor of the report.

    "it is hard to avoid the conclusion that it has neither the capacity nor the capabilities, in particular in respect of criminal investigation and prosecution, required to manage this threat more effectively"

    To which one might reasonably add "nor the will".

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  • Is the Great Sell-Out to the EU at Hand?

    2020-11-24

    Conservative Woman publishes an article by Timothy Bradshaw that goes through the current shenanigans surrounding our zombie still-on-going-long-after-deadline-death EU future relationship negotiations (excluding military matters which are being handled separately - see our article on the Davis Ellis Report).

    Are the omens good, or is Lord Frost just putting a brave face on it? Is Boris following Sun Tsu doctrine - appear weak when you are strong (by firing Dominic Cummins) and strong when you are weak . . ?

    We should soon find out - resolution one way or the other is long past overdue.

    Oh wait! Some of them have tested

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  • Another Bog-Standard Report from Facts4EU

    2020-11-23

    Don't miss the latest emanation from Facts4EU, no doubt smelling the bad odour of an interminable will-they-won't they never-ending bog-roll of a "negotiation" under a clock that remains tantalisingly stopped at 1 second prior to the (latest) deadline . . .

    Will Boris pull on their chain of command? Or will he flush these irrelevant talks down the pan where they have belonged since the beginning? Or will they plumb yet further around the bend in search of a way around the mysterious blockage?

    You can tell where this is going . . .  but don't worry, it opens a new window!

  • David Ellis Report: Skynet

    2020/11/19

    David Ellis reporting today on defence matters for UK Column.

    He helps us understand terms such as Skynet, Space Operations and Multi Domain Integration. He also brings us up to date with the European Defence Union . . .

     

    Like / Dislike this video here.

    I think David is right that if the US is going to join forces with the EU then NATO is dead, long live Defence Union.

    On the other hand I can't see the US wanting to play second fiddle in the command structure, so Defence Union will be a different beast. How different?

    Well, who will be the next US President?

    If Biden scrapes in then

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  • "Official Letters Show Ministers are Still being Misled on ... EU Defence"

    2020/11/18

    Brexit Watch publishes a "drains-up" assessment of misunderstandings (and misinformations?) concerning the UK's commitments to EU Defence Union post Brexit.

    Are they being hyper-sensitive when there is "nothing to see here"? Or are elements of "our" government machine still manoeuvring to keep our MPs and the public and maybe even our ministers in the dark over the future of our armed forces?

    The fact that there would seem to be a continuing news black-out about our post-Brexit military relationship with the EU (a topic which has always been excluded from the "Brexit negotiations") may tell those of us who harbour suspicions all we need to know.

    If even some of these assertions are true then surely this amounts to criminal fraud on a grand scale?

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  • Baroness Hoey Addresses the N.I. Protocol in the Lords

    2020/11/16

    Briefings for Britain thought you would like to see Baroness Hoey’s impassioned and strong speech in the House of Lord’s debate on the Internal Market Bill - many of their Lordships being much concerned about the possibility that this would "break international law". So what does the Belfast agreement say that impinges on this Bill?

    Read the full article.

  • New BfB report shows costs of no-deal have been seriously exaggerated

    2020/11/15

    Briefings for Britain review the current state of Cummings-exit-inspired turmoil in nbr 10, and how this may impact the Brexit negotiations currently being (we must all hope) concluded in the very near future.

    From the point of view of resuming our life as an independent nation beholden in law to no other, which is what we voted for, it is clearly important that our negotiators stick to their guns and don't at the last ditch fall for the usual oft-repeated tales of imminent trading catastrophe and eternal impoverishment. Some remainers still seem to think we might be so persuaded - if only they repeat them loudly enough and long enough.

    Accordingly Bfb have

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  • The EU's "Rule of Law"

    2020/11/07

    Facts4EU report that the EU is initiating a new power-grab over its constituent parts.

    "Parliament negotiators reached a provisional agreement with the Council presidency on 05 November on legislation establishing a mechanism that would allow the suspension of budget payments to a member state violating what the EU calls its “rule of law”"

    So that's all right then - the EU Parliament has negotiated the deal with the Commission so it's all 4-square and ready to roll complete with popular approval!

    Crucially, MEPs succeeded in keeping a strong preventive aspect for the mechanism: not only can it be triggered when a breach is shown to directly affect the budget, but also when there is a serious risk that it may do so, thus ensuring that the mechanism prevents possible situations where EU funds could finance actions that are in

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  • What could possibly go wrong with the new Trade and Agriculture Commission?

    2020/11/05

    Briefings for Britain feature an article by Catherine McBride, who points up the alleged one-sided nature of the Commission, which might just have the effect of favouring a certain segment of the population.

    There is no shortage of unelected QUANGOs to tell us how we should live, but we do seem wedded to the idea that we can never have enough of them.

    Are we not in desperate need of a new body that investigates all the others to discover cui bono? Sadly such would probably turn out to be another toothless addition to the already considerable field of worthy public-interest window-dressing.

    Maybe we should reinvent the concept of independent investigative journalism instead. Indeed, it is outfits such

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