Promoting the Politics of Hope
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran and Green MP Caroline Lucas secured important debate on the Climate Emergency last week. No Conservative MP from Cornwall turned up! Young people have done a fantastic job to highlight that climate change is the biggest challenge which politicians must tackle urgently – far more important than the “B” word […]
I was pleased to be able to pop in to a celebration of Cornish enterprise and cuisine in Parliament whilst in London on St Piran’s Day – an event originally set up by Dan Rogerson and me 17 years ago. Congratulations to Steve Double and Scott Mann for keeping this important event going. And to […]
Brexit – that vortex where fantasy meets reality – has left the UK humiliated and facing perpetual torment. In my experience there are a small group of EU obsessives who live for nothing else. For them, having a never-ending debate about the UK’s relationship with the EU would be heaven-on-earth! Of course it’s plausible that […]
Professor of EU Law, Michael Dougan, commented “There is still no mechanism by which the UK is entitled unilaterally to terminate the “backstop”” after analysing the so-called “Strasbourg Agreement” published last night. His Summary comment sent to me earlier this morning, after burning the midnight oil is set out below and his full analysis […]
Postscript for the outstanding Paul Flynn – Labour MP for Newport West – who died last week. Good friend and mentor. Hilarious. Sage. His brilliant “Commons Knowledge” (1997) included a “Ten Commandments” for MPs which ended – “10: Neglect the rich, the obsessed, the tabloids and seek the silent voices”.
The International Court of Justice has ruled that the UK must hand back the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. I’ve campaigned for this for decades, being an officer of a Parliamentary group which fought for justice. All inhabitants of the main island – Diego Garcia – where expelled by the British in the 1960s […]
The Government’s statistician (the ONS) reported this week that Government policy had helped to widen inequality. Average income for the richest fifth in Britain increased by nearly 5%. The poorest fifth saw income fall by 1.6%. This was mostly caused by Government cuts to tax credits for low paid workers and other cuts in welfare.
Yes. Theresa May and her Ministers have succeeded in making the UK the biggest laughingstock on the planet. Fighting off impressive competition from the US White House they managed to scale new heights of shambolic ineptitude in their handling of Brexit to achieve a degree of national humiliation not seen before. Those who’ve attended any […]
Eight years ago I started pushing a care workers’ Charter to improve pay and conditions for the heroes who provide home care. Although this should have been sorted by the Government, it hasn’t been. However, I’m pleased that Liberal Democrats on Cornwall Council have now been able to introduce a “real living wage” base line […]
Is the progressive centre-left splintering into factions? Factions which re-rehearse historical disagreements with each other? Or are we witnessing early turmoil which will lead to a more cooperative and powerful re-alignment? 11 brave MPs resigned this week in protest at increasing evidence of intolerance and bigotry in the ranks of their former Parties. They deserve […]