The dream has crumbled, replaced by the Nightmare on Threadneedle Street. Britain’s decision to leave the European Union immediately placed the City under siege, and it could fall, with consequences disastrous for the economy. From his central keep, the Governor of the Bank of England is marshalling his forces to repel a market assault that […]
The biggest boost for the UK Remain Campaign could yet come from the unlikeliest source. After eight years of misery and slump, the Eurozone is rising fitfully from the ashes, with a strong euro depressing sterling and thereby bringing cheer to British exporters. For the moment, it is a bit like our distant ancestors crawling […]
A flawed syllogism has emerged from the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. This is how it goes: The Schengen Agreement exposes Europe to terrorist infiltration. The Schengen Agreement is integral to the operation of the single market. Ergo, Britain should leave the European Union. In respect of British security, this makes no sense. As […]
The return of sovereignty, we are told by the Leave campaign, is at the heart of the Great EU debate. Yet it is nation states, acting on their own account, that have made by far the biggest inroads into the UK economy in recent years. If you are old enough to cast your mind back […]
Professional football clubs in England have traditionally been the playthings of wealthy men. But until the creation of the Premier League, owners were almost always English, most of them with businesses located within ten miles of the club grounds. They appointed the manager, propped up the finances and agreed the salaries of both players and […]
If the upcoming EU summit intended to answer the English Question should turn ugly, at least we all know where to look to find the villain of the piece. Or do we? It won’t be Angela Merkel. That’s for sure. In the Great Debate over Britain’s future in Europe, Mutti is looking out for Germany. […]
Was there ever a Special Relationship between the U.S. and UK, and is there one now? The answer is yes and no. Yes, there used to be. Now there isn’t. Get over it. Barack Obama pays us no heed. One of his first acts as President was to remove the bust of Churchill from the […]
It could turn out to be a pyrrhic victory. The rout of the Front National by the combined forces of the Socialist and Conservative parties in the second round of the French regional elections does not spell an end to the hopes of the Far Right. Though the Centre has held, it has diminished and […]
It is too easy, though far from glib, to say that my beloved Paris is in shock. But while getting on with business, La Ville Lumière is definitely subdued. The likelihood, as with veterans of war when they return home, is that the city will take some time to fully internalise the reality of its situation. On […]
As David Cameron prepares to post his letter to EU President Donald Tusk, setting out his minimum conditions for avoiding Brexit, Walter Ellis urges him to ignore the doomsayers Key & Peele, a weekly TV show starring America’s most acclaimed comedy duo of recent years, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, featured a recurring sketch in which […]
You don’t have to be a fan of Charles De Gaulle or François Mitterrand, or even Jacques Chirac, to conclude that the 2017 French presidential election is unlikely to be a contest for the ages. The French have fallen out with their leaders much as the British have lost faith in theirs. Assured by the […]
