The Windsor Framework: Peace with the EU at last?

This week we are returning to the longest running story on this blog and one of the main reasons it didn't get paused at one time

Brexit. There, you read that word so you owe me a fiver for the swear box!

 

You can't square a circle without cutting off part of the sides but in trying to keep some sort of trade on the Island of Ireland between the Republic and Northern Ireland when leaving the EU puts up a customs border between the North which together with Great Britain forms the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic which is a part of the EU Bloc.

Toss in the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement with everything about no borders on the Island of Ireland and the head spins.

It seems fair to say that when on the mainland we talked about leaving the EU, collectively we seemed to forget all about Northern Ireland and the economic and political complexities as if we read Great Britain for any reference to the UK.

The attempt to deal with that mess, not being able to have a customs land border on the Island of Ireland but any restrictions on trade from Great Britain was then read from an Unionist point of view as a "sell out", a loss of place within the Union.

It has lead to a good deal of animosity between the UK Government and the EU.

At the more economic level, the agreement we did get made getting everyday stuff into Northern Ireland like foodstuffs and medicines difficult because of extensive checking and paperwork (something the EU seemed to gold plate) while sending anything back required VAT paperwork.

The Windsor Framework does simplifying things by recognizing there are two types of trade, Great Britain destined for Northern Ireland alone and that destined to the Republic, the former having minimal checks even if Northern Ireland has to accept a tiny amount of EU rules and the other the full checks but with increasing use of shared information to help speed things up.

It's not take back all (land) control as simply on the Island of Ireland so long as the Republic remains in the EU, it's simply not possible because of the interconnectedness of the economies and peoples lives.

It is a pragmatic attempt to make it the best we can, which was something I felt was needed at the start but got lost in the Brexiters vs Remainers battle in Parliament and then the purists Brexiters vs pragmatists battle within the Conservative party.

Don't expect the Democratic Unionists to start being reasonable and take their place in the N.I Assembly as they'll find something to be offended with until the cows come home and really that issue of refusing to take part in the power sharing executive needs to be discussed with the Republic, then the Northern Ireland political parties to the point of a constitutional meeting where an amendment to cover what to do in such cases can be discussed and a motion tabled.

Just stalling governance over everything by such stunts is irresponsible when there is much that needs action only the N.I. Assembly can deal with.

A diversion and fingers crossed

 It's been a queer ol' week.

He's had enough but the others have a better idea like have a party and watch something fun on tv instead.

There's been a few events that would of been marked in more normal times by such scenes this week but that wasn't possible but the stuff that was possible at least kept a balance off the impending Vaccine War between the European Union and the UK that might see our contracted vaccines confiscated and restrictions on the export of vaccines held there although many of ingredients, processes and personnel come from around the world.

This is both stupid and very dangerous, the World needs vaccines to reduce global transmission plus provide protection should people get covid and to make them it requires co-operation and this risks starting a global tit for tat battle as countries place more restrictions on ingredients and complete vaccine batches deciding to keep them for themselves.

The real issue is how to increase vaccine production and some contracts are more tighter on quantities, time scales and backed by money up front including not inconsiderable levels of investment compared to others.

One hopes it gets sorted out in a responsible way.

Our day of leaving

If you're British you will have sharply polarized views on upon seeing this: you may of voted for leaving (that's most of us in this district) or may not but we are past the point of talking about the referendum, the bitter impass of the three and a half years in Parliament before last Month's General Election.

Whatever you think, come 11PM tonight we will have left the European Union. Period.
We're on a different journey now, a feeling you may feel elated over or fearful, one some of us can remember from 1973 when we joined the Mk1 EU we knew as the Common Market wondering just how it was going to work out.

I sympathize with those who are fearful although with everything that those who favoured however reluctantly leaving  being called obnoxious and toxic names while everything was done to prevent that result from being enacted I can understand a sense of "at last" too.

Point is we need to now get on with making the best of our being out of the EU and we're best starting by dropping all those insults and working together, accepting the result is now to be implemented  and working toward that common aim, being prepared to be pragmatic to achieve something that will work for us all even if it may not quite everything we might personally of wanted. Give and take in other words not grandstanding and throwing the toys about.

Let's move on and make the most of where we are.

A Eton and Shrewsbury Mess

There's only one set of things that have been on everyones minds this week and it's also pointless even trying to say "this will happen" cos things are in such a state of disarray that frankly no one knows what might happen and where we'll end up.
It's around that thing we have been unable to escape in the last three years that have seen two general elections, three prime ministers and a european union election - yes Brexit.
Let's start with proroguing parliament,  a measure applied from last week by the Prime Minister and given approval for by the Head of State (The Queen) that really wound some people up saying to pause parliament is undemocratic.
First thing to say is often it is paused typically whenever a Prime Minister wishes to bring in new measures and is more often than not before the Opening of Parliament by the Queen. 
There is no legal restriction on the number of times in any term it may be nor if the number of days. Boris Johnson wanted 23 days in part for his own legislative program apart from resolving the conundrum that is Brexit and John Major got more in controversial circumstances in the 1990's.
A appeal against it in Scotland was rejected because it was found to be Lawful and all was was a matter of Political Judgement not reserved for legal interpretation.
We can say he is therefore entitled to do it.
Part of the significance around the timing is as things stood come October 31st, we would be leaving the EU with or without a deal and it is the idea of leaving without that is exercising Members of Parliament to the point the passed a law preventing it.
Let's back track a little here.
No Prime Minister said they wanted to leave without an agreement which for the avoidance of doubt is undertaking agreed by the United Kingdom AND the EU BEFORE we start trade negotiations covering tariffs, customs arrangements, plus the major issue of the Northern/Southern Irish border.
You are simply are not allowed to start those negotiations UNTIL you have agreed to leave with the EU or have left by any other means making it necessary.
The EU is insistent on the so called Irish Backstop that has Northern Ireland subject to EU customs rules to keep trade flowing without restrictions and borders with the Irish Republic unless THEY felt other workable arrangements could replace it no ifs, buts or maybes AND entirely their own call.
The UK Parliament voted three times down an agreement between then Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU that included just that because it disagreed totally with it (and treated one part of the UK Northern Ireland on leaving as if it hadn't).
In a two week period the Speaker very controversially allowed MP's themselves time to discuss and put forward alternative proposal that they did and to which MP's also rejected.
The reason we faced NO DEAL was because-actually Parliament CANNOT agree a deal itself that the EU can also agree to.
This week the same MP's decided with 27 member majority not to allow leaving without a deal  even though they themselves can't agree one having had three years to do so a point likened by the Prime Minister as to going round and round like a circus which in that respect regardless of my view is true - we are while saying they haven't been give enough time to discuss Brexit.
I could hold my head in my hands and darm well scream my beeping head off when I hear that as as far as I can that's pretty much most of what Parliament has being done in that time - debating it.
Plus the extra time has to be agreed by the EU (and they don't have to).
The trouble with agreeing the custom union is we HAVE to use EU Customs Agreements with NO say in them and no ability to make our own either so it would not be in the EU but still subject to them. Not really an exit from the EU which the voters wanted.
The problem is they can't agree a beeping thing by way of this agreement before leaving so realistically all you can do is either leave without and get a trade deal in double quick time honouring the referendum AND the european parliament votes OR apply to rejoin the EU.
Reapplying it should be remembered isn't automatically the route to restore the UK to where it was with our opt-outs and exemptions and may even involve agreeing to further measures to bind is in more such as a guaranteed period where will will not be allowed to leave, working toward the adoption of the Euro and so on. 
That would tie the hands of any incoming Prime Minister.
It's most unlikely you'd be told what an agreement would be BEFORE you decided to rejoin either  which is the converse of the Pro Remain argument against leaving which isn't an improvement on the uncertainty and fear that some people have.
Both leaving without an agreement or reapplying BOTH have risks and within sections of the community potential losers and winners and unless the EU were to set out terms for both first I honest don't think another referendum would really help.
I honestly feel getting involved in the the EU with the unwillingness of Mp's to insist on a referendum at the point of the Maastricht agreement and Lisbon Treaty failed to test the voters enthusiasm  for "ever closer union"  and I say that as someone who was favourable to the then Common Market and who with some reluctance concluded what increasingly not acceptable within the relationship was not amenable to change from within.
It was the inability of David Cameron to do that around 2015/6 that set all this off and he did tell the EU as much.
We also face the situation that the Prime Minister isn't being allowed to go the country either because a piece of legislation only passed in 2011 by David Cameron and Nick Clegg then leader of the Liberal Democratic Party only allows for breaking a fixed four year term IF you can get 66% of the Mp's to agree and they're not.
Labour are refusing UNTIL No leaving with No Deal is blocked.
That figure is a extremely high bar, almost without precedent which allows the opposition to determine in the kind of mess we are in now not allow the ball in this stand off to be put back to the people to determine by either returning the Governing party with a majority for its program or or the opposition and their alternative.   
It needs an amendment to a simple majority of Mp's in a free vote to do the job it is meant to. 

Having typed this I'll cuddle up to my plushies - beeping grown up messes! 
 

Post European Parliament elections

In what might, in these chaotic fast moving days no one can be sure of anything  anymore be last political post for a bit we have seen the Prime Minister submit her resignation on Friday sooner than expected here but expected nontheless and the internal process of eleven so far Conservative Members of Parliament putting themselves forward to be party leader.
This is usually fought over in stages until one emerges but the feuds have already started and a "Stop Boris" (Johnson) campaign has started .
Meanwhile after the last voting on Sunday elsewhere in Europe was concluded, vote counting started in Great Britain with Northern Ireland which used a different voting system to us plus the Western Isles of Scotland starting Monday.
Scottish politics has been different since devolution and while the actual seats allocated care of the D'Honda kinda proportional but not quite  system won't be know for sure by Monday the strongly pro EU Scottish Nationalists look likely to take all but one seat and the other going to The Brexit Party as Scottish Labour and the Conservatives hemorrhaged votes badly.
Meanwhile in England and Wales the ruling Conservatives achieved the lowest proportion of the popular vote since 1832 and Labour lost a good deal of support in pro leave areas and not help by having a confused message for those who did wish to remain.

 In this region, the West Midlands the single largest party was The Brexit Party who got 37.5% of the popular vote, with similar results in our near neighbours in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Stop anyone on on the streets of Stoke, Aldridge, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Wednesbury, Stourbridge, Birmingham, Rugby and Telford and they'd tell you they voted to leave and even those who didn't have little time for those responsible for us not leaving so people voted Brexit Party to make it plain what they want - to leave - and to which we were promised would be respected and acted upon.
We don't have time for people fighting to deny what people voted for here regardless of our own views and that attempt to do so is something that has left people quite angry.

(photo credits:BBC)
It was no surprise to me Rupert Lowe, Martin Daubney and Andrew Kerr of the Brexit party won seen here at Birmingham's ICC celebrating where our count was held were declared representatives.
Labour got no one elected and there was one each for the Green Party, thePro EU Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.
The only major exception was London where four Liberal Democrats were elected but as the only area where there was a big majority to remain in the 2016 Referendum, that would not surprise me give it was their party's clear message.
In Wales where at one time thanks in part to devolution and Welsh Language culture the Plaid Cymru ("The party of Wales") lost out to the pan British Brexit Party as did labour and the Conservatives.
It would appear the British public used the election in effect as a referendum on leaving or remaining in the European Union and voted the Brexit Party in indicating clearly when they said they wanted to leave in 2016, they meant it.
It also shows however there are a significant minority who are adamant it will not be allowed to happen.
It illustrates the need whoever becomes the next Prime Minister before any General Election happens the need to make a clear choice to leave or remain as it simply cannot be fudged and in the words of many of us in this region, darn well get on with it and be straight with people.
Another issue is because this transcends party politics,  some people voted for parties that normally they would not this includes a good number of Labour people and because Alastair  Campbell former Prime Minister's Tony Blair's PR person did vote for the Liberal Democrats and said before the count he was, he's been expelled from the party that people who have been Anti-Semitic have at best been merely suspended for a brief point.
For me the Labour Party's deputy leader Tom Watson got it right in saying the action was 'spiteful' and former Labour MP and speaker Betty Boothroyd said as much too.
Given this was an issue that divides the party and his reason was because he felt their policy was not clear, to me it would of been enough to had said "and don't do it again".

EU too

Yesterday, we voted in that election we were not supposed to had been taking parting in for 73 seats in the European Parliament because we were supposed to had left it in March and it has cost us something like £156 million and cost the parties some can ill afford too with few prepared to make contributions to pay for offices, staff, election expenses and so on.
Given the unfolding events in Westminster it may be literally be the last days of Theresa May as Prime Minister as the calls for resignation reach fever pitch and the kind of ruling but lacking a majority Conservatives will no doubt go through a process of choosing its leader that for now at least will become Prime Minister. That's how the constitutional set up works because we don't vote for them thank goodness.
This said it may be the case some might be tempted to push for a early General Election with that new leader just about in place, facing the same beeping conundrum of delivering brexit in a  hopelessly split party that reflects the sharp polarization in the country.
There is no middle ground.
Results from that European Parliament Election won't come in until late Sunday and possibly Monday because being a pan-European election others are holding theirs on different days but as this is typed (phrase of the year for this blog) it looks like the Brexit party will get about 38% of the popular vote and something like 36 of the 73 seats accuring to OPINIUM poll tracker (Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dem 15%, Lab 17%, Green 7%, Con 7%, Change UK 3%, UKIP 3%) based on a sample of 2,004 adults).
Most pollsters show a clear lead for Brexit party with most of the pro Leave voters behind it.
One thing anyone seriously contemplating a third set of elections this year - a General Election UK wide - should consider is the parties may not have the money to fully field and run one with candidates for every seat because the donors aren't donating and in the instance of the Conservatives ones are severely hacked off because of way Brexit has been handled.
We'll see how it turns out next week but don't say you haven't been warned...

And now the thing we weren't supposed to be in

In little over a week in Britain we go to the polls in an election few wanted nor expected to take place at all since the referendum to leave in 2016 and had the timetable to leave been kept to simply would never had happened.
But it certain doesn't feel like an election is taking place with posters, meetings featuring local party leaders with candidates and leaflets of any sort coming through the door to the point only on Monday May 13 did we have the first Party Political Broadcast for it shown on public tv.
The two main parties were trounced soundly in the English local government elections with the ruling Conservatives losing over 1,300 seats more than they had in a quarter century and the opposition Labour party failing to capitalize on the sheer chaos over Brexit to the point they too lost seats.
In my region three council areas are in No Overall Control, two more than last time that cover the North Staffordshire Region ditto much of the Cheshire area.
Part of the reason why things nationally as the way they is the European Union doesn't divide the parties themselves into different groups it divides each individual party more so with such a sharply polarized take that even last minute attempts between senior Labour and Conservatives to find a withdraw look likely to fail because each parties regular Mp's and members are hostile to it and each other.
This would explain the so low key you wouldn't know it was happening lack of campaigning by both parties they don't have their heart in something each party is hopelessly split over to the point labour were even struggling to cobble together a manifesto that wasn't being condemned by its own members.
To me there is strange thing haunting the political scene and it appears to be the effective demise as single coherent parties of Labour and the Conservatives who cannot 'fudge' this issue of our time and the emergence of newer groupings with clear cut positions such as The Change UK party  (The Independant Group) who are pro-remaining in the EU and the Brexit Party who are for leaving as the majority of people voted for with no special relationship or agreement with the EU.
As it is independent opinion polls suggest the Brexit party would gain a lot of votes which with the proportional representation system would produce a lot of European Members of Parliament who would be very embarrassing for the current government and add fuel for changing the way the EU works as not everyone on Continental Europe agrees with it even if they don't wish to leave unlike us.

Crunch time at Brexit

With a week on the clock, you cannot escape the at times hourly updates around "Brexit" as the tensions are ramped up several fold.

 I don't know anyone who isn't on edge over how the process that has taken 1,002 days seems to of achieved nothing, not one thing parliament has actually agreed on to take our leaving forward but only said what it is they don't wish to see.
In that respect Prime Minister May's frank comments in Wednesday's televised address to the nation make sense to me as much as they have annoyed the heck out of Members of Parliament.
However we voted in June 2016, most of us expected that vote to be respected and for M.P.'s to work toward a plan for leaving by agreement with the EU and then move toward settling questions around retaining good trading relations while being able to exercise our rights having left to make fresh agreements with other non EU countries.
This simply has not happened but moreover we are stuck in a major constitutional crisis about how parliamentary business is supposed to be run, a speaker who it is regarded is being partial in his decisions and a week to get an agreement passed unless an extension on the leaving date is granted that will come with terms from the EU.
If that isn't enough there is an implied threat the Prime Minister might even resign which would plunge the majority Conservatives into a leadership campaign that would take over three weeks and still leave the winner with the conundrum that is Brexit to deal with just the same.
It appears overnight EU leaders have agreed a delay to of a fortnight if Parliament doesn't agree to a deal and up to April 22nd if they do
I suspect many of us have had enough.

Brexit and that darn border issue that won't go away

No, I'm not about to do a "Blue Peter Reports" from bit as apart from anything else they'd never have have anything political on the show which given it's for children is quite right although sometimes I'd watch some of the current affairs shows in my mid teens just cos I was curious to what the grown ups were talking about.

 The last time I said anything about the long discourse that is Brexit I made reference to what this map shows, the Island of Ireland which really is the biggest sticking point in this process.
The problem starts when you look at this map.
The Green portion is what is now called Northern Ireland but what was when I was younger referred to as Ulster which is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Orange portion,The Republic of Ireland aka "Southern Ireland" that since 1922 has been a self governing country in its own right.
For all our bloody history there has been good arrangements made between both halves and between the U.K. and the Republic when it comes to being able to trade and for citizens of each to have good common political, economic and social rights from day one of the partition of the Island of Ireland.
Even during the so-called Troubles mature heads on both sides went to great pains to co-operate.
One we appear to have forgotten and is directly relevant is the UK and Ireland collectively joined the Common Market in 1973 which was formally taught to me as junior child at the time in school and the whole joining marked although it's fair to say I'm not a fan of what is now the European Union.
Part of that was about co-operation about the exchange of goods and services across that border transformed to what was the Common Market and it played a part in the "Good Friday" Peace accords that delivered relative political calm and saw Sinn Fein the Pan-Irish Republican party give up support of terrorism on the streets of Northern Ireland.
Thus this stumbling block around the common Republic/EU border and that of Northern Ireland and UK is a major problem.
There is movement  of good and services between both parts of the island which pre 1973 had been agreed although there was a need for checking of paperwork and border posts moreover in this talks it appears to had been agreed such a system  - a "hard border" - has been explicitly rejected from being a part of it.
The Irish Republic is strongly opposed it.
This would be fine other than the rejection of any long term staying within the EU Customs Union on the part of the UK Government that makes such activity practically seamless coupled with the opposition of the Northern Irish DUP party and many others to any "except for Northern Ireland" deal that would also put a customs barrier between one part of the UK and the mainland.
I have to repeat my caution I cannot see any way of squaring this without actually having a Hard  Border admittedly one where every effort was made to make it as simple as possible with standardized forms and with  arrangements such as shared passport/visa checking on trains.
It isn't that one wants it but it seems to be the most honest thing to just accept it, making it the best we can out of realism as only that seems to meet the needs to ensure customs are  handled correctly for  each party and to provide a realistic trading situation.
It is what it is given we decided to leave and have started that process.
Offering any kind of an extra year of staying in with extra payments to the EU doesn't really solve this enigma apart from uniting the governing party against the Prime Minister which makes the political situation much worse providing less of the stability not just the process needs but business too.

Climbing a summit to fall

One thing you simply cannot get away from in this country is leaving the EU which we voted for in 2016, that god awful contracted word for it "Brexit" and everything that has happened since of which some indication was the "B" word has in a good many place been put on the do not discuss at the dinner party list because otherwise civil people get within inches of being at blows over it.
Yes for those fortunate not to live here, is just how things are and indeed I've had pot shots taken to me at a certain music forum from Anti-Brexiteers who read politics into anything in the mutually antagonistic atmosphere.
Friday saw the announcement of a meeting at the Prime Ministers country residence, Chequers, for the whole cabinet discuss progress to date on talks about leaving with the EU Commissioners and to put together some mutually agreed ideas  to the next meeting with them.
Let's say some of the language used was very colourful before it was agreed by all present as Cabinet policy that members whatever misgivings privately all are expect to endorse.
You may of thought this would leader to greater unity within the cabinet of late but it has lead to the resignations of the Brexit secretary himself and the Foreign Secretary plus vice leaders of the Conservative Party.
The problem is what has been suggested looks more like staying in much of the EU on different terms including having no say on measures that would continue to affect us afterward than anything that would imply independence such as being able to have your  own trade terms, tariffs, be able to pass measures independently regarding goods and services in the House of Parliament and being subject to the rulings of the European Council of Justice.
In theory we are told we could diverge from this but in accepting a common rule book legislators would be loathe to contradict the author of that book-the EU.
We know the EU rightly or from my own point of view wrongly sees the free movement of all goods and services as one indivisible entry and yet this Cabinet policy sees being able to persuade the EU to allow us to just choice goods.
This frankly is ridiculous given politics is at the core the art of the possible, what it is  two sides may give way on to reach an agreement and they see this as non-negotiable.
It seems as I said earlier in the year it would be impossible to avoid friction on the Island of Ireland between the Irish Republic and The UK and between both the Republic and Northern Ireland AND have economic and financial sovereignty which are one the main constituents of a independent sovereign state.
You cannot as far I can see it actually have a Brexit - a leaving of the EU law, rules and regulation - unless you are prepared for that which is what a good many of the leave side  accepted at the start because it was never about foreigners living here being more it about taking full control and responsibility of our destiny as one fully  independent state co-operating as an equal with others as needed and not being a part of Euro political state.
That is why here at the heart of that movement in the Midlands feelings are running very high on what is being proposed because to them it is nothing less than the rejection of what was voted for and to which opinion if anything is hardening on.

Domestic political reflections

As I've been reflecting on other events elsewhere and dealing with some ahem 'drama' this week I though I'd set out some reflections around contemporary current affairs that have been grabbing the headlines across this year.

I think I'll begin by saying my thoughts around the use of intelligence and resourcing in tackling terrorism expressed in the aftermath of the Arianda Grande concert in May that had an impact on people in this local authority area seem to be been born out in the report into the incident. While there is talk of more police officers being deployed, it seems little real change in resourcing the surveillance side with the need to cherry pick who to closely follow  being finely balance hasn't been tackled.

The Irish Question or as my History teacher put it the 'English Question' is never far beneath the surface from the 'colonization' by Scots, the start of calls for 'Home Rule' during the Victorian era  through the Easter Rising and bloody Civil War, 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland and the 1995 'Peace Process'.

Feeling, symbolism and fear in Irish Politics counts for as half as much to either side  in Northern Ireland, itself the neutral name given to what I grew up as 'Ulster' so the issue of the co-alignment of Irish, United Kingdom and European Union boundaries was always going to be an issue in the UK's departing the EU.

"Two's company, three's a crowd" is an expression that lends itself  how that border causes issues for and between each because prior to joining  the the Common Market in 1973, the UK approach was one of special deals for the Irish Republic ("Eire") to take account of the close ties between the peoples of the British Isles notwithstanding political differences.

One of big things of the UK's leaving is the questions of the Single Market and the Customs Union because the UK and Irish Republic do trade and share some facilities such as hospitals, universities so border communities are rightly concerned about such matters.

On the other hand the customs side, taxation, declarations and  so on  they are very much EU wide matters and so ensuring checks are made in the event of the UK being completely matter in terms of lost revenue and common standards matter to them as much as to border communities the shared trade continues.

This was the idea behind in effect placing the boundary on the Isle of Ireland to eliminate the need to have manned boarder posts and associated paperwork.

The problem area with it is two-fold, one being it may solve the issue of trade with the Island of Ireland but places one in the North Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain  which counts for a higher proportion of trade between themselves than the Republic and the UK.

The second is what scuppered this weeks attempt to move on the the whole Brexit negotiations to trade, which is from a Unionist Northern Irish point of view you're not treating  the whole UK the same way and they felt it was the start of an erosion of their British Identity.

To those pro Brexit voters the terms of staying in the Single Market and Customs union - no regular ability to control migration levels year on year from the EU, the ability to set ones own tax rates and negotiation fully independently ones own trade agreements free from the EU after leaving - would be heavily compromised by acceptance across the whole of the UK. They hold effectively it nullifies the very reason they wished to leave.
It remains to be seen if there really is a solution that meets everyone's needs to this question before we are able to get around to talking about trading relations before the year is out. 

Catalonia and I

It's really quite amazing how the things that featured in my past come back and one that has come back is Catalonia, which is something I knew of because of family connections, learning about the Spanish Civil War and reading many of the novels of George Orwell.
In North America as in Great Britain his two towering texts, Animal Farm a fable of a revolution gone wrong in the form of allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and 1984 which is about totalitarian dictatorship, blind obedience to "The Party" and the attempt by defining out to prevent critical independent thought and betrayal
One book that had an influence on me was Homage To Catalonia which is his account as seen by him of being an independent fighter for the Spanish Republic against Franco that tells not just of the action but the bitter blood thirsty internal squabbles among the left-wing republican forces not least the sacrifice of non-communists by communist support and Russian Government  and the blind refusal of many on the English political left to tell it as it is.   

I hate to say it but there times where a disrespect for Truth and Humanity are ignored when it doesn't seem to fit a narrow political objective or imperative not just by suppression of criticism but the telling of deliberate untruths.
Part of that Civil War was about individual freedoms and the centralization of the State most telling after Franco's victory.
This is where today's concern for the people of Catalonia and of wider Spain come in because while previous regimes have tried to allow more local budget setting and decision making in the manner of the UK's evolving devolution and Quebec's unique status within Canada as a separate society, the current crisis happened on a backdrop of reduced autonomy.
It seems the current Government in Madrid feels a strong Spain in difficult economic and political times requires more control from the centre and this fed into a situation where the Catalan regional elections produced support for more independence minded parties.
This lead to the recent 'illegal' referendum where pro united Spain parties  abstained and by default the only parties taking part supported independence.
It is only fair to point out under the Spanish Constitution only the State has the power to call, hold and act on such referendums and declare independence. 
The referendum being called, the Government called in the National Police to disrupt the illegal action, seizing ballot boxes  beating up voters and protesters.
To pull a old woman by the hair, to beat causing cuts and bruises those who protest and deny the right to express though voting an opinion for a good number of us brings back the images of the 1930's and indeed of fascism.
While the election was illegal, the state held the Trump Card  in that it was well within its rights to not act upon the results and so having not prevented it, seeing polling itself had started tolerated it as a safety valve. No damage was being done.
Having done that then looking at how to square more support for greater local say on matters within being in Spain would of been a more sensible approach as would engaging in the debate during that campaign.
Instead, it only appears to have inflamed tensions more and the failure to adequately censure the Spanish Government for police conduct by the European Union and many of its leaders appalls me. 

Going to the polls

I had a schedule for publishing  that I like to keep very much with but as ever real life events just have this habit of forcing a change and this one is pretty big.

This if you were to believe the press and many of the politicians was a unexpected announcement, that Great Britain's Prime Minister, Theresa May, was to call for a snap Election June 8th on Tuesday at 11AM British time.
To me it's always been on the cards, something I expected sooner rather than later as much as I and evidently the PM herself would much sooner of had a period of stability prior to the negotiations on the way to leave the European Union.
There a number of reasons, one being to draw a line under the Cameron chummy governance  period she took over from making it very much hers in her own image, all ghosts duly dispatched, with an election held with the policies she supports uppermost on a manifesto.
There is as she said on Tuesday a mismatch between the mood of the people over leaving Europe and that of members of parliament voted on on a manifesto that pledged support to it. Moreover some conservatives saw it as their duty to fight it tooth and nail not just in the Commons but the Unelected lords.
Being able to say people voted her party in with the leading issue  getting on with leaving the E.U clearly signals even to the lords the government has the mandate to act and so their role is therefore to advise and revise not to obstruct it.
It also challenges the Scottish Parliaments assertion it alone has a mandate from that part of the UK and offers the opportunity to campaign against the idea of a second referendum on leave as the leading UK wide Unionist party which there seems rather less of a majority in Scotland for.
It also sends out a clear signal to the E.U itself that the country is behind leaving and the Government can't be bought off even if some compromises may be necessary in the short term.
To me this step simply stacks up and is what I would of taken if in a similar situation.

The UK and the EU: Article 50 signed

First off thanks for the increased viewing of posts recently on this blog which is appreciated as with the changing nature of my life it's not always easy to slot in a post here although perhaps inspiration is more at hand in national life.

Wednesday was a very important in the history of our Country here in Great Britain because it was the day a letter was delivered by hand to the President of the European Commission both signalling our intention to leave it and the European Union as well setting out our intentions and expectations regarding negotiation around leaving terms and expectations.
These cover things such as trading arrangements, the rights of each others citizens in the UK and the EU, any monies owed upon leaving or rebates and security which in view of last Wednesdays events are extremely important.
That Associated Press picture  is our Prime Minister signing it at No.10 Downing Street where I did spend and afternoon and evening at by request of a serving Prime Minister so is something I do recognize!
However the negotiations go, we are past the point of the question of leave or stay raised at and shortly after last June's referendum  however some might like to believe otherwise because we are actually leaving.
This does not mean we've ceased to be a member subject to its rules and laws because until a date is agreed for leaving and following any 'implementation period' where old arrangements expire, new ones come into affect and any 'ad hoc' temporary measures introduced as needed, we are still legally in membership.
The 'Great Repeal Bill' so-called is just a rolling up of exclusively EU law formally into British law to avoid a legal black hole whereupon afterwards Parliament (both Houses of) can alter, revise, revoke or replace as a Sovereign body as it can any other Law (and is in part its purpose) but not before leaving.

Leaving minus part of ones country

Harder, more old school posting today that between the everyday fluff this blog was more noted for that that other one never goes into brought about this weeks Current Affairs.
Getting on for nearly nine months back, we had here in the United Kingdom, a referendum that asked us if we wished to remain in the European Union or if we wished to leave.
Very much a simple tick which of the two boxes you agree with thing although nobody would say the propositions themselves don't have complexities and for some people the final outcome was more a finely balanced judgement than just a straightforward Yes.
Well the one thing we do know know is our Prime Minister will start the formal process of leaving with its discussions by months end having gotten Royal assent Thursday with much arguing around the legality of Government just starting the process and what if any approval by Parliament is required upon the completion of negations by both the United Kingdom's and the European Union's negotiators.
Going back some two and half years ago however Scotland held a referendum of its own about remaining  a member of the United Kingdom or establishing itself as a fully independent state to which the outcome was to remain a part of the United Kingdom by a majority of ten percent.
Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the majority SNP party and First Minister of the Scottish Parliament however has decided  that although it was said to be decided for a generation, the UK exiting the European Union including leaving the Single Market and Customs Union to control migration and make own trading agreements so undermines Scotland that another be held between the Fall of 2018 and Spring 2019 and is pushing a bill through institution to cause it to be considered by the UK House of Commons.
The problem with this is it would be right in the middle of the negotiations for the whole of the UK to leave the EU including any terms that would effect Scottish Interests and these would be helped by the best brains of the Civil Service so not only does this add extra layers on for Scotland, the nature of what may even be agreed under Independence may alter it plus these same 'brains' would not be available for those talks.
Even if all of this were to happen, upon the UK leaving the EU, that would take Scotland out and so it would need to wait in line to apply as itself (there would be no question of 'taking' the UK's place) so for a period Scotland would be outside the EU anyway.
Then, many Scots who do favour independence don't like the EU whose popularity has dropped a lot so mixing the idea of Independence with joining an unliked institution that does usurp some sovereignty may not play out too well.
As well some four-fifths of Scotland's business is with the remainder of the UK and that upon Scotland joining the EU would be effected by the terms  agreed between the remainder of the UK and the EU plus they'd be expected to work toward or adopt outright the Euro as currency that would complicate life for individuals crossing the border and business.
Then the border itself may need fortification being a EU/England+Wales+Northern Ireland one that may require checkpoints, guards and travel documents.
Who is going to pay for that if Scotland votes for independence? The English taxpayer who will be no doubt livid???
 If this question really needs re-examining, on grounds of practicality and giving everyone an informed basis of what life post Brexit would impact everyone including Scots, this really is best left until at least 2020. Maybe as former Prime Minister Brown is suggesting a more overtly federal structure for the whole UK including Scotland is a more realistic option for all of us?
It just smacks of political opportunism rather than a serious attempt to deal with real issues.

We are leaving

After all the turmoil that followed our referendum on remaining or leaving the European Union last year, the wheels are slowly beginning to turn following last weeks vote in the Common's in favour of activating the so-called Article 50,  the clause that allows for a negotiated method of leaving. 
This clearly signals what however narrow the vote overall was although here in the Midlands, it was strongly in favour of leaving, we are actually going to leave after various attempts to tie up this and the tension felt across the country over it.
I think it's important to remember in outline, the Prime Minister put in place a call for this vote that  was voted for by Parliament which gave the choice to the people and from that for it to be respected even if by failing to include the wording  that was in the Governments leaflet we all had that clearly implied having voted they would accept it as binding.
To me this shows yet again MP's not being sufficiently responsible in scrutinizing legislation, making sure it is clear, beyond reasonable legal doubt  what should of happened from the minute the votes were counted and the result declared.
To make the most of the return to full sovereignty  which includes the right to run our country in accordance with our wishes, we really need to ensure the legislature is working at it's best.

On events yesterday in Brussels.

Here we go again. Another terrorist attack in Europe seemingly connected to the outrages last year in Paris featuring a Brussels centred cell of Isis this time in Brussels itself taking 34 lives so far and injuring hundreds involving bombing the Airport as pictured above and the Metro.
Investigations no doubt will continue into how it was two people were able to bring the explosives into the departure lounge  and what if anything Belgium know about the high level terrorism alert that started Friday with the  arrest of a suspect from the Paris attacks.
One thing is though is just how we can balance the concept of  'open borders'  not least the common border scheme in Europe that the UK isn't a part of and at the same time deal effectively with people who attempt to use it to cause mayhem and murder on our streets. 
A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and there are some indications some countries are less effective at applying checks that a person having gotten through are able to move with ease elsewhere.
Equally while I'm sure nearly all migrants arriving have no truck with terrorism, can we be sure others are not taking advantage of this to get in?