An Absence of Negotiation: May vs Trump

It seems like a contradiction: one represents the ultimate populist, celebrity leader; one, the ultimate traditional, Conservative establishment. Yet both have held their respective governments to ransom over problematic foreign policy: for Trump, the trade war; for May, exacerbating Brexit. Both have reached for the claim to hold a people's mandate in order to override …

The Descent of the Executive in British Politics

To many, British politics is unrecognisable compared to its pre-referendum state. At that time, though some had issues with the ideologies and policies at play, the system itself largely functioned as intended. You had a Prime Minister who would - and did - resign when the situation indicated they could no longer credibly sustain their …

Thoughts on Brexit and the general public: frustration and a people’s vote

Just some quick notes on a sentiment I've heard expressed across class and economic backgrounds which was just summarised neatly by one member of the public in Hartlepool: that we've negotiated for two and a half years, it's got us nowhere. We wanted to leave, so let's leave now. Common phrases include: for it to …

Fog of war in the Brexit crisis

If there's one core issue to Brexit, it's the extent to which no one really seems to have a viable solution. There is no easy answer which will fully satisfy every faction. Had we taken a different approach to the result in 2016 (an option made vastly more difficult by the results of the 2017 …

We have a Brexit Government, not a Conservative one

If there is one fact we can all agree on, it is that Brexit has completely shifted the centre of gravity in UK politics. Just as Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s ratcheted the centre ground to the right over her ten-year tenure, Brexit has yanked it into another dimension like a slow, inexorable landslide, which …