“No-one can have expected the fissure in the UK’s relationship with the EU to come so soon, but the stormy discussions at the European Council in Brussels last night confirm a parting of ways that has probably been inevitable. The
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LabourList | Helmut Schmidt: the grandfather addresses the SPD
“7000 attendees, more than 500 delegates, dozens of well known German and European politicians, and one notable elderly man in a wheelchair – Helmut Schmidt. Today is the start of the SPD Partietag in Berlin (live news in German here),
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“This week I was invited to speak at Exeter University Debating Society, opposing the motion “This house believes Britain is better off out of the European Union.” I had agreed to participate before knowing the identity of the two speakers
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A generalised explanation of the decline of political leadership
Political leaders in the EU are incapable of leading us out of the current multiple crises we face. I think that’s generally understood. But what we’ve been incapable of explaining is why is leadership in such a bad way? Where is
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Cameron, Vickers, the EU and the recapitalisation of banks
It sounded a bit far-fetched – that the UK wants to set higher standards for its banks than the EU would allow. But these are Cameron’s words in his statement on Monday [from Hansard here]: To those who say that
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A simplified conversation between David Cameron, and Merkel and Sarkozy
Take a deep breath. Step aside from your preconceptions about the UK and the EU, and your views on David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sakozy. I’m trying to do that when writing this blog entry. Follow the steps of
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Cameron at least can’t block the Euro 17+6(+3?) using the Court of Justice
There’s too much still to digest in the fall-out from yesterday’s summit for me to write a full blog entry on it all, but there is one technical point on which David Cameron is wrong. As if he didn’t already
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Take, take, take, and a scant grasp of the facts – this week’s UK-EU hulabaloo
Anyone would think – from reading the stories today on The Guardian’s website – that the UK is shaping up for some major fight with the European Union over treaty reform prior to this week’s summit. There are two problems
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Another Labour MP has a go at the EU, and once more it’s disappointing
I suppose if you run Liberal Conspiracy you’re grateful for pieces from MPs and have to accept them. Today – via this tweet from Sunny Hundal – I read “We need to re-assess our approach to Europe” by Helen Goodman
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Is Diana Wallis a threat to Schulz?
It has just been announced that Diana Wallis is putting her name forward as a candidate for President of the European Parliament. She’s a long-standing Vice President of the Parliament, and is a British Liberal Democrat (who form part of
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Bridging the gulf between social media and traditional media in light of today’s tragic news about Gary Speed
“Gary Speed is dead” I read on Twitter late morning today. What dreadful news, what can possibly have happened? I turn to BBC News; that carried just a ‘breaking news’ statement. I turn back to Twitter and I read all
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What’s Ken’s equivalent of the Congestion Charge this time?
Ken Livingstone’s first term as Mayor of London is intrinsically associated with the Congestion Charge. An unpopular idea at the start it is now impossible to imagine London without it. The quid pro quo for it was the investment in
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