September 24, 2019

Brexit : Prorogation was Unlawful !!! Bercow can re-open Parliament immediately.

All 11 judges were unanimous that Johnson's prorogation was unlawful, and that it was as if it never happened. The House of Commons and Lords can resume immediately.

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2019/0924/1077789-prorogation-court-ruling/

The UK's highest court has ruled that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was "unlawful".

The prime minister advised the Queen on 28 August to prorogue parliament for five weeks, and it was suspended on 9 September until 14 October.

Mr Johnson said the five-week suspension is to allow the government to set out a new legislative agenda in a Queen's speech when MPs return to parliament.

But those who brought legal challenges argue the prorogation is designed to prevent parliamentary scrutiny of the UK's impending exit from the EU on 31 October.

The Supreme Court heard appeals over three days arising out of separate legal challenges in England and Scotland, in which leading judges reached different conclusions.
At the High Court in London, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other judges rejected campaigner and businesswoman Gina Miller's challenge, finding that the prorogation was "purely political" and not a matter for the courts.

But in Scotland, a cross-party group of MPs and peers led by SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC won a ruling from the Inner House of the Court of Session that Mr Johnson's prorogation decision was unlawful because it was "motivated by the improper purpose of stymieing parliament".

September 5, 2019

Brexit : Boris Johnson's brother announces he will NOT stand at the next General Election ! BIG news

Said he couldn't resolve Family loyalty v the National Interest (Couldn't square the lies, I presume).


Jo Johnson
@JoJohnsonUK
·
10m
It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister. #overandout

September 3, 2019

Brexit : The Fragility of democracy and why winner takes all economics led to the rise of populism

EP21: The Fragility of democracy and why winner takes all economics has led to the rise of populism

David McWilliams, Economist

Published on 2 Sep 2019

Democracy is often taken for granted and many countries are currently testing its resilience right before our eyes. On this episode we break down how we ended up in this political/economic/social mess

September 1, 2019

Black is the colour - Christy Moore

August 27, 2019

Are we heading towards a global economic slowdown?

Economist David McWilliams Podcast


Highly relevant to American based DUers

With the central bank cutting interest rates last week we thought it would be a good idea to analyze the current market signals and try to breakdown what might be looming in the future for the global economy

August 27, 2019

The David McWilliams Podcast : EP14: The next phase of Brexit

David McWilliams is an Irish Economist, who predicted the Economic Crash in Ireland (and worldwide) in 2008. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin and did his Masters at the College of Europe, alongside many of today's EU technocrats. He has a fantastic knack of explaining what's going on, in clear, simple and understandable terms to the general public. He is a Fellow of the Sanders Institute, and when asked by Sanders, McWilliams said "But I'm not a Socialist !"

This episode is an explanation of the origins of Brexit, and is seriously well worth a listen.

August 25, 2019

Katie Porter in a lovely interview with Chris Hayes

https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=63176983&refid=asa

August 14, 2019

Nancy Pelosi repeats pledge that US-UK trade deal won't pass Congress if Brexit 'imperils' Northern

Ireland.

Lol.

US HOUSE SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi has repeated her warning that a US-UK trade deal wouldn’t pass through Congress if Brexit undermines the Good Friday Agreement. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Monday that the US government wanted “to move very quickly” on a trade deal with Britain after it leaves the EU, and that they were “first in line” for a future trade deal.These comments which were welcomed by Brexiteers, as the threat of a no-deal Brexit looms ahead on 31 October.“No longer at the back of the queue,” Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees Mogg tweeted, with a link to Bolton’s comments.

The UK currently trades with the US under the EU’s trade rules, which must be followed by all member states. One of the main arguments in favour of a hard Brexit is that it would leave the US free to negotiate new trade deals with other countries. If the UK’s post-Brexit rules diverge greatly from the EU’s, it compounds the problems on the island of Ireland – the more different the rules are, the more necessary a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland would be. Today, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, repeated comments that she made in April during a visit to Ireland where she stated that the Good Friday Agreement needed to be protected no matter the Brexit outcome, and said that it was “a value” that she and her colleagues would protect.

SNIP

Whatever form it takes, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Good Friday Agreement, including the seamless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, especially now, as the first generation born into the hope of Good Friday 21 years ago comes into adulthood. We cannot go back.

“If Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress. The peace of the Good Friday Agreement is treasured by the American people and will be fiercely defended on a bicameral and bipartisan basis in the United States Congress.”

This is a BIG DEAL. The UK will be desperate for a trade deal with the US, if Johnson pushes it to a No Deal Brexit. And if the UK renege on the €39bn that they owe the EU, they can go for a high jump if they want a trade deal with the EU, until that is paid. They're f****d imo.

August 12, 2019

MSNBC's The Swamp part 3

August 5, 2019

Brexit: Why the Irish backstop matters

Jonathan Powell was the UK’s chief negotiator in the Belfast Agreement talks, and he knows what he's talking about.

Subsequently, he did an interview with the Irish Times

Boris Johnson will “abandon” the DUP if he wins an election, to secure a Canada-style free trade agreement for Britain, the UK’s chief negotiator in the Belfast Agreement talks has predicted. Jonathan Powell said he believes the British prime minister is building an “English national party” and is in a strong position to win a snap general election which will mean he no longer needs DUP support. The Conservatives are in government in Westminster with a razor-thin majority through a confidence-and-supply deal with the Democratic Unionists’ 10 MPs.

Mr Powell, former chief of staff to ex-prime minister Tony Blair, told RTÉ’s Marian Finucane show that he believes Mr Johnson is pursuing a Canada-style free trade agreement with the European Union after leaving the bloc which will mean Britain being outside the Single Market and the Custom’s Union. “That means Northern Ireland would have to go back to the original backstop [guarantee against a hard border],” he said. “There would definitely have to be special measures for Northern Ireland in that case and there would definitely be a border down the Irish Sea.” Mr Johnson has only two options – for the EU to back down on his demand for the backstop to be scrapped, or to call a general election to shore up his own mandate, said Mr Powell.

SNIP

“He is turning the Tory party into an English national party. “They are not interested in Scotland, they are abandoning the Tory party in Scotland which has a very different position and they are focusing entirely on trying to win seats in England. If they get that, those are the interests they will protect.” Mr Powell, who helped to broker peace in the North, said Mr Johnson was pursuing a “clever strategy” and the DUP have a “problem politically”.

“The DUP has a relatively weak leadership under Arlene Foster,” he said. “It is at least two parties. It is the party in Westminster and the party in Northern Ireland – they have two rather different interests. “Someone like [DUP East Antrim MP and the party’s Brexit spokesman] Sammy Wilson likes hanging out in the bars with the ERG [European Research Group], the right wing of the Tory party, and they are very much signed up for Brexit,” he said. “Those who have to contest local Assembly elections in Northern Ireland.. their support is more dubious about the virtues of a no-deal or hard Brexit.

“I think the DUP have a problem politically and they are very unlikely to back down on anything that undermines the union, but if it gets past that, they are in a more complicated position.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/johnson-will-abandon-dup-for-free-trade-deal-jonathan-powell-predicts-1.3976861