After the financial crisis revealed the weaknesses of an economy fuelled by service industries and importing goods, all three main parties pledged to make Britain a great exporting nation once again (like Germany). Since the Coalition entered office, there has been a small mark up in the amount of goods we send to overseas customers.… [Read More]
Even if you listened closely to Ed Miliband’s Labour conference speech, you’d be forgiven for missing his immigration discussion. He missed it too. It was part of the planned script omitted along with Labour’s deficit commitment: Immigration benefits our country but those who come here have a responsibility to learn English and earn their way.… [Read More]
Bulgaria will go to the polls on October 5th for what will be the third time in the last two years. The EU’s poorest country has changed hands back and forth between the centre-right GERB party and the Socialists amidst political scandals, social unrest and economic woes. In Febuary last year, anti-poverty protests, triggered by… [Read More]
Yesterday’s keynote conference speech by the Labour Leader Ed Miliband contained a lot for policy analysts to chew on during the coming months. Though the speech received a frosty reception this morning, especially in light of his accidental omission of sections on deficit reduction and immigration, it did its job of shoring up well-established Labour… [Read More]
Sweden’s Social Democrats won 31.2% of the vote in the September 14th general election, meaning a return to government after eight years. The outgoing prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s centre-right Moderates lost 23 Riksdag seats. Meanwhile the far-right Sweden Democrats grew significantly, collecting 12.9% of the votes, which translates into 49 seats through proportional representation. This is… [Read More]
Scotland has voted ‘No’ to independence by a majority of 55%. The victory of the Better Together campaign will be a relief to Westminster, as the prospect of Scottish independence became more and more real over the past few weeks. If the Tories win the general election next year, the next referendum in the UK… [Read More]
This morning’s Times(£) carries the threat that English and Welsh MPs could vote down proposals for further devolution and funding to Scotland after a ‘No’ vote, unless the Government proposed further devolution to the rest of the UK. Backbench MPs are concerned that it would be unfair for Scotland to receive further powers while Scottish… [Read More]
‘The day we wake up after a yes vote the streets would not be paved on gold,’ noted Nicola Sturgeon, deputy first minister, this morning. This expectation management is reasonable. If Scotland votes for independence it will not suddenly become a disaster nor a Norwegian-model triumph. For the next few years Scotland will simply be… [Read More]
It has been little noticed by much of the media given the crisis facing the Union this week, but Jon Cruddas and Jonathan Rutherford have just published a document which should give Labour supporters hope that their party really can dominate the political debate in the years to come. One Nation: Labour’s political renewal is… [Read More]
If you’re looking at the potential benefits of exiting the EU, as Civitas has done in a number of publications in recent years, it’s only fair and responsible to look at the potential downsides too. What is needed more than anything in the EU debate is a mature discussion. Judging by some of today’s response… [Read More]