If Brexit has put wind in Scottish nationalist sails, it has also upped the complexity. Pulling off a successful secession has gotten tougher
May 6 will be an interesting day for anyone following politics in the United Kingdom. Along with various local council votes, there’ll be an election for all 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and a byelection for the vacant Westminster seat in Hartlepool. The results of the last two will be keenly watched. There’s not…
Since Canada established its agreement with the EU, the EU's nonsensical barriers have stood in the way of businesses trading internationally
The United Kingdom is inching closer to the end of its transition period between leaving the European Union and officially dropping its trading relationship with the remaining 27 member states. As of Jan. 1, the U.K. will make its way in the world on its own, trading off the back of entirely new deals already…
The EU’s tough quality assurance rules mean CETA hasn’t delivered for Canadian farmers. Brexit could be the answer
Britain has officially left the European Union and faces the challenge of negotiating a new trading relationship with the bloc before the end of the transition period on Dec. 31, 2020. As a net importer of most food products, the United Kingdom faces a choice of making concessions to the European Union to maintain access…
Convicted terrorists might well spend a handful more years in prison, but tens of thousands of other radicals remain at large across the United Kingdom
Just days after Britain officially left the European Union, United Kingdom residents were reminded of the immediate terror threat right under our noses by a multiple stabbing in Streatham, south London. Last year, the number of homicides in the capital city rose to a 10-year high, largely as a result of surging knife crime. Many…
Should Sinn Fein come to power, it’ll be interesting to see how they deliver results. Making promises is easy. Getting a job done is different
Ireland’s recent election produced an unusual result. You might call it downright peculiar. Or maybe just momentous. Irish politics has been dominated for the past century by two parties whose origins derive from the civil war that followed the establishment of an independent Irish state. In many cases, family voting patterns were faithfully handed down…
As the Canadian leaves his post as governor of the Bank of England, his legacy is one of bias and wildly incorrect predictions
Canadian economist Mark Carney is stepping down as the governor of the Bank of England, to be replaced by Andrew Bailey in March. So it’s fitting to look at how his anti-Brexit bias and activism have damaged his legacy. Anybody actively involved in the Brexit debate is certain to hold strong opinions about Carney, as…
Trudeau is failing Canadians if he doesn’t step up to save what could be a continued source of positive trade with the United Kingdom for Canada
Brexit uncertainty is no more, following the election of Boris Johnson as prime minister of the United Kingdom with the largest Conservative majority since 1987. The U.K.’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union will be official on midnight, Jan. 31. But that isn’t the end of the story. By December 2020, the end of the…
Prime ministers often come and go without making a material difference. For better or worse, Johnson looks like an exception
Boris Johnson has been called many uncomplimentary things, charlatan and clown being among the milder epithets. Even those sympathetic to his current agenda are liable to use terms like “unprincipled opportunist.” However, another descriptor is becoming increasingly apt. Johnson is shaping up to be a consequential politician, defined as one who makes a difference. A…
The Commonwealth that binds the U.K. and Canada is a great positive for the world. And the influence of colonialism isn't all bad
Public support for the monarchy in Canada is lower than in the United Kingdom, but Queen Elizabeth II’s reign isn’t over yet and there’s no real reason to believe Prince Charles won’t become the next head of state. Quebec aside, Elizabeth remains extremely popular throughout Canada. Polls show eight out of 10 Canadians positively endorse…
A separate Scotland and a unified Ireland would certainly face new challenges. But life might be easier for the English
If Brexit happens and has the unintended consequence of facilitating Scottish independence and Irish unification (picking up where last week’s column left off), what would that mean for various groups? For Scottish unionists, leaving the United Kingdom would certainly be a major psychological wrench. Unlike, say, the former states of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia – both…
May 6 will be an interesting day for anyone following politics in the United Kingdom. Along with various local council votes, there’ll be an election for all 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and a byelection for the vacant Westminster seat in Hartlepool. The results of the last two will be keenly watched. There’s not…
