European union

The coalition government therefore deserves credit for persisting with the competition at all – it could easily have been scrapped after the general election. Instead, the government committed substantial resources to the process and entered into negotiations. Without being able to compare offers from competing projects it had a duty to maintain a focus on securing value for money for taxpayers. Ultimately the realities of the Longannet project didn't allow that deal to be reached. … [Read more...] about Carbon capture in the UK is far from dead, thanks to European funding

While the nuanced position aims to accommodate both Remain and Leave voters, and is backed by several unions, there are signs of a growing grassroots revolt in favour of an unambiguous commitment to remain. Motions to the conference have already been submitted by more than 60 local branches calling on Corbyn to drop his plan to renegotiate and to commit to staying in the EU in all circumstances. The NEC will meet on Tuesday to discuss Brexit and how to handle the issue at conference. … [Read more...] about We must stop Brexit in any form, councillors tell Jeremy Corbyn

In the past four years there hasn’t been a company that has championed Brexit more than Wetherspoons and its chairman, Tim Martin. The chain of pubs has produced millions of pro-Brexit beermats– prompting concerns about corporate governance – and a special Brexit-themed edition of Wetherspoons News. It has removed European beers from its menu, replaced Jägermeister with an English equivalent to create the “Brexit bomb”, and ditched champagne and prosecco in favour of English, New Zealand and Australian wines. I’ve drunk buckets of wine in Wetherspoons pubs – some of it from a tap – and honestly, it could have come from the lush vineyards of Scunthorpe for all I cared. Let’s just say that terroir was not my overriding concern in those days. And yet, it all rankles. … [Read more...] about How Brexit drove my affair with Wetherspoons on to the rocks

Hodgson’s considerable skills as a vocal caricaturist are part of the pleasure here; so too the frequency and quality of the jokes, from those mocking our host’s nerdiness (witness the song he wrote to memorise every English county town) to those about Harold Wilson’s obsession with sandwiches. But it’s not just about the laughs, it’s about the learning. Along the way, Hodgson’s research reveals that the link between Europhilia and elitism has deep roots, that sovereignty-anxiety isn’t unique to rightwing maniacs – and that there’s much to be said for his fellow Huddersfield man Wilson’s brand of canny compromise. If not a common market, we at least need common ground – and to be able to love those with whom we disagree. … [Read more...] about Kieran Hodgson review – Brexit history skit is jam-packed with funny

Cameron's tough language about the need for Europe will be seen as a signal that the EU should avoid a repeat of its failures when Yugoslavia collapsed into civil war in 1991. It took American intervention – the negotiations at Dayton in 1995 and in the Kosovo military action in 1999 – before the war was finally brought to an end. … [Read more...] about Nicolas Sarkozy calls for air strikes on Libya if Gaddafi attacks civilians