Labour and Plaid Cymru ran Wales pretty successfully for three years (2021-24) without a formal coalition. Could Swinney and Sarwar take a leaf out of the same boat?… Read More »
UK a Small Economy Bystander as Geopolitical Instability Grows
What would you do if you were Keir Starmer now? Would you rejoin the EU, meet China’s President Xi Jinping, stop supplying arms to Israel, encourage the Chancellor to free up regulations on bankers’ bonuses, adopt a ‘pragmatic’ approach to Trump’s election victory or tell the UK public they don’t have to change their behaviour in the face of out of control climate change?… Read More »
The EU in the World: Rising to Today’s Challenges or Losing Influence?
As Europeans look nervously towards the outcome of the US presidential election, there is no shortage of articles exploring how a Trump or a Harris presidency will impact on the European Union (for a good overview see this FT piece by Tony Barber). And, unsurprisingly, with the exception of some of the EU’s far right politicians such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, there is widespread concern at the deep impact a Trump presidency would have.
The outgoing president of the European Council, Charles Michel, has said a Trump victory would be a wake-up call for Europe “to act more to take our destiny in our own hands.”… Read More »
Council of the Nations and Regions: seven questions Scotland’s First Minister must put
Keir Starmer is due to chair the inaugural meeting of the UK government’s newly created ‘Council of the Nations and Regions’ in Scotland this Friday. The summit is due to focus on investment and growth ahead of a much bigger international investment summit to be held in London the following Monday.… Read More »
The Labour Government, Scotland and the EU
As it heads into its party conference, after its July general election win, Labour should be riding high. But, while Keir Starmer’s government is three-quarters of the way through its first 100 days, you would struggle to find any clear, transformative strategy, bringing a new sense of dynamism, hope and constructive action to the UK. … Read More »
Scotland and the EU: Lessons from the Last Decade
Ten years after the 2014 referendum and Scotland is outside the EU alongside the rest of the UK. The threats in 2014 that an independent Scotland would find it difficult or impossible to rejoin the EU after independence, never valid, are now ironic indeed and have been so since the 2016 Brexit vote.… Read More »
Blowing up the transatlantic bridge
The imminent advent of a Trump 2.0 presidency is concentrating the mind of Europeans as they confront more tumultuous instability at home and abroad. More Europe is, with risks, the preferred option.… Read More »
The EU, the UK and Scotland: what now?
Creating strong, constructive relations with the EU and its member states is a welcome sight after the Tories’ destructive chaos of Brexit, including the damage to the UK’s international reputation and influence.
But how much difference is it going to make to the reality of the UK’s position fully outside the EU? And does Scotland get any say in how this all unfolds?… Read More »
