Brexit

21.03.2016 Brexit

In this EU referendum so far, the Tory Party is the problem, not the EU – but no-one is saying that

If you read ex-PM John Major’s Telegraph piece from Saturday about the dangers of Brexit you’d think all is generally well in the fine and pleasant land of England. Our pick and choose with regard to the EU has worked,

06.03.2016 Brexit

The EU referendum will not improve UK-EU relations, so federalists and progressives outside the UK should advocate Brexit

The standard way of looking at the UK’s EU referendum in other capitals around Europe, and indeed within the EU institutions in Brussels, is that – often a bit grudgingly – people feel it would be better for the EU

26.02.2016 Brexit

#BERBritsBrexit – a brief summary

“What do you think Brits in Berlin think about the prospect of Brexit?” Matt Hanley asked me. So we set about trying to find out – by putting on an event on 24th February entitled #BERBritsBrexit (details of the event

26.02.2016 Brexit

#BERBritsBrexit – photo album

All photos © Mirko Lux. Used with permission. If you wish to re-use any of these photos please contact Mirko!

06.12.2015 Brexit / UK Politics

The UK government and EU flood aid money: about as clear as the Cumbria flood waters

The UK has floods once more – this time in Cumbria. 60000 homes are without power, and the region had record rainfall. That follows floods in winter 2013-2014 in the South West of England. On 14th February 2014, The Independent

05.12.2015 Brexit

The UK’s EU referendum: speak to me as a person, not as a Brit

With the date for the UK’s EU referendum not yet set, it still feels like the Remain and Leave campaigns are in their early, pre-preparation phases. The logos for the campaigns are above – Britain Stronger In Europe (the official

12.11.2015 Brexit

Really, what’s the UK’s problem with EU democracy?

It’s a familiar refrain: that the EU is not adequately democratic. You’ll hear it in the Brexit referendum campaign, most notably from the advocates of the UK leaving, but even David Cameron’s letter to Donald Tusk this week (full letter

22.10.2015 Brexit / German Politics / UK Politics

UK – German relations in the context of the UK’s EU referendum

I was invited to speak at DG Cambridge on 14th October about UK – German relations in the context of David Cameron’s EU referendum. Antony Carpen was kind enough to film the speech, and put it up on Youtube: There

16.10.2015 Brexit

A response to Pete North

A gentleman called Pete North has responded to my earlier blog entry with this. While Mr North thinks it fair game to describe me thus “Jon Worth, fancies himself as a bit of a political wunderkind and sees fit to

16.10.2015 Brexit / UK Politics

The more “out” of the EU the UK is, the more damage to the economy

A tweet by Sony Kapoor: https://x.com/SonyKapoor/status/655001003041927168 This is absolutely right, and let me give a little more context. If Britain were to be like Norway – inside the European Economic Area – the democratic gain for the UK is zero.

13.10.2015 Brexit / UK Politics

The “Remain” campaign needs honesty above all

A legend persists about the 1975 referendum that confirmed the UK’s continued membership of the then European Economic Community (EEC); Britain voted to stay in an economic union back then, it is often stated, but the European Union has since

12.10.2015 Brexit

Britain Stronger in Europe – horrible framing and imagery, and a message bordering on the disingenuous

So, all hail the ‘Remain’ side in the referendum campaign! Place your trust in “Britain Stronger in Europe“, the Will Straw and Stuart Rose campaign. It’s like the late-1990s “Britain in Europe“, only with more muscle, more fight, and more