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EU Referendum and UK poverty
And still they keep coming (the blogs that is, not…well you know what I mean).
This is quite an interesting take from Michael Keating, Professor of Politics at Aberdeen University, although it does conclude with this rather worrying section:
There is a real prospect here for an English populist right movement of the sort we see in other European countries, with their mix of ethnic nationalism, nativism, Europhobia, protectionism and welfare chauvinism. The extreme right has never been a serious force in British politics but there have been bursts of support in the 1930s, the 1970s and the 1990s. There is no reason to think that the British are naturally immune to it.
The Aire Centre have produced an information note on the UK referendum decision and its potential implications for EU members and their family members - http://airecentre.org/data/files/resources/40/Information-Note-on-BREXIT-The-AIRE-Centre-01.07.16.pdf
[ Edited: 6 Jul 2016 at 09:33 am by Daphne ]I have few concerns about the economy when we can create a veritable mini-industry of articles on short notice of the implications of the decision. At the present time it strikes me that those articles are somewhere between astrology and futurology. There are clearly lots of credible commentators out there but ultimately nobody knows and as there’s no imminent sign of a rush to get to the point where someone signs article 50 I have rapidly hit the point where I think people are enjoying a good crisis rather than focusing on the here and now.
At present we have an advisory vote to leave, that most politicians would not challenge and and yet that may still happen. As I say, nobody knows…
I can’t help but think that the current crisis is no less “manufactured” than austerity itself.
Thanks Daphne (and the Aire Centre), that’s a really good concise briefing.
Guardian reporting that Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin, who is heading Whitehall’s Brexit unit to prepare the way for negotiations, said the legal advice was that article 50 of the Lisbon treaty can be invoked under the royal prerogative, which does not require parliamentary approval.
Brexit can be started without parliament vote, government lawyers say
Also, more damningly, the report notes Letwin confirming that the government, apart from the Treasury and the Bank of England, had made no preparations for Brexit, prompting MPs to accuse ministers of a dereliction of duty.
From the TUC’s Richard Exell:
What will leaving the European Union mean for social security policy in the UK?
Whoops.
In media interviews almost daily, Tory MP Andrea Leadsom calls for Britain to leave the EU to protect wages and raise living standards here. Then why can’t she offer a job for at least the national minimum wage?
She added that cutting EU immigration would also raise wages in Britain. But that’s hypocritical given that employers such as Leadsom herself don’t want to pay workers even the National Minimum Wage.
The MP is currently advertising for a job as a caseworker, for the measily sum of £170 a week. That works out to £4.85 an hour.
The Minimum Wage rate is £5.30 for those 18 – 20 years old, and £6.70 for 21 – 24 years of age. Leadsom gets away with it by calling the job an ‘apprentice’, which allows her to pay a lower legal minimum.
TORY MP WHO SAYS LEAVING EU WOULD PROTECT WAGES IS ADVERTISING JOB FOR LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE
Just to remind you all, this woman could be our PM very soon.
The third issue on which I urge the Government to go further is regulation and red tape for businesses. The absolute, top priority, as Her Majesty said, is to get our economy going again, and nowhere more so than in the very small business sector. We must give young people and others who cannot find a job a direct and clear incentive to create one for themselves by starting a business. I urge the Government to look carefully at scrapping the entire burden of regulation on micro-businesses with, say, three employees or fewer. I envisage there being absolutely no regulation whatsoever—no minimum wage, no maternity or paternity rights, no unfair dismissal rights, no pension rights—for the smallest companies that are trying to get off the ground, in order to give them a chance. That would all change, however, as soon as the number of employees increased.
Guardian report that the first legal attempt to prevent the prime minister initiating Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union is to be heard later this month. A high court judge, Mr Justice Cranston, has set 19 July for a preliminary hearing of the judicial review challenge brought on behalf of a British citizen.
The claim argues that only parliament – not the prime minister – can authorise the signing of article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which begins the UK’s formal withdrawal process.
First legal attempt to prevent Brexit set for preliminary hearing
Over one thousand barristers have called on the prime minister to allow a vote on an Act of Parliament before any decision is made to leave the European Union.
In a letter to David Cameron, barristers argue that ...
http://thejusticegap.com/2016/07/barristers-call-parliamentary-vote-brexit/
The hopes of more than 4.1 million people who signed a petition calling for a second referendum on the EU have faded, after a response from the government saying it was a “once in a generation vote”.
Parliament must consider all petitions that reach a threshold of 100,000 votes for a debate and, although the decision has yet to consider the motion for a debate, the Foreign Office responded to the signatories by email on Friday evening, pointing out that over 33 million have had their say.
The petitions committee’s own statement underneath reads that the decision on the petition was to be postponed until 12 July. “The committee wishes to make clear that, although it may choose to schedule a debate on this petition in due course, it only has the power to schedule debates in Westminster Hall – the second debating chamber of the House of Commons.
“Debates in Westminster Hall do not have the power to change the law, and could not trigger a second referendum.”
Brexit: no second EU referendum despite e-petition, says government
Meanwhile, our new PM-in-waiting was pretty clear what she thinks about the situation yesterday…
In her speech, Mrs May said of the referendum result: “Brexit means Brexit and we’re going to make a success of it,” adding that there would be “no attempt to rejoin [the EU] by the back door”.
Theresa May vows to put Conservatives ‘at service’ of working people
Via theyworkforyou.com:
An online petition that calls for a second EU referendum will be debated in Parliament after it was signed by more than 4.1 million people. The Petitions Committee said the debate would be on 5 September as a “huge number” had signed it
In a statement, the House of Commons Petitions Committee said a debate on the petition would allow MPs to “put forward a range of views on behalf of their constituents” and a government minister would respond to the points raised.
But it said: “A debate in Westminster Hall does not have the power to change the law, and won’t end with the House of Commons deciding whether or not to have a second referendum. It will be up to the government to decide whether it wants to start the process of agreeing a new law for a second referendum.”
So that’s as clear as mud then. There will be a debate, but there won’t be a second referendum, unless the government decide to start the process of agreeing a second referendum….which Therese May has said they won’t.
Brexit: Debate on second EU referendum after millions sign petition
New Chancellor and now new Justice Secretary ... Michael Gove has been sacked
Waiting with bated breath to see whether Crabb has permanently departed from the lobster pot…
Considering he announced his own leadership candidacy after it was already clear that TM was the frontrunner I should think Crabb will be lucky to move sideways
Waiting with bated breath to see whether Crabb has permanently departed from the lobster pot…
My guess is that he hasn’t been sacked as apparently, all those removed from posts were informed in the Commons this morning (to avoid the walk of shame up to Number 10), and Guardian reports that Mrs May has just arrived back to Downing Street to start filling up all the vacancies from her pretty ruthless round of sackings.
Goerge Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Michael Gove, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Oliver Letwin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
John Whittingdale, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health
New Justice Secretary ..... Liz Truss
New Justice Secretary ..... Liz Truss
Generally voted for restricting the scope of legal aid
From TheyWorkForYou.com https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24941/elizabeth_truss/south_west_norfolk/votes#misc
From here wiki
Criticism
Critics who have attempted to engage with her, according to George Monbiot in The Guardian,[72] have said that she is “indissolubly wedded to a set of theories about how the world should be, that are impervious to argument, facts or experience. She was among the first ministers to put her own department on the block in the latest spending review, volunteering massive cuts. She seems determined to dismantle the protections that secure our quality of life: the rules and agencies defending the places and wildlife we love.”
Not to be truss-ted then?
Great! Another non lawyer becomes Lord Chancellor.
Entirely consistent with the newly fashionable contempt for “experts” (and anyone else who actually knows what they’re talking about!). Why else appoint BJ to the foreign office?
Waiting with bated breath to see whether Crabb has permanently departed from the lobster pot…
My guess is that he hasn’t been sacked as apparently, all those removed from posts were informed in the Commons this morning (to avoid the walk of shame up to Number 10), and Guardian reports that Mrs May has just arrived back to Downing Street to start filling up all the vacancies from her pretty ruthless round of sackings.
Goerge Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Michael Gove, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Oliver Letwin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
John Whittingdale, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health
Mmmm! I wonder where I’ve heard this before.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives_(1962)
Crabb has gone .............
Stephen Crabb resigns as work and pensions secretary, saying it is “in the best interests of my family”.
Surprised Crabb has gone, thought he’d have moved sideways….
Stephen Crabb resigns as work and pensions secretary
IDS and Chris Grayling are available aren’t they?
IDS and Chris Grayling are available aren’t they?
5 minutes ago: ‘Chris Grayling, who headed up Theresa May’s short leadership campaign, has just entered Downing Street.’
Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary ...
I should really do some proper work but .... Andrea Leadsom has just gone into Downing Street ...
I should really do some proper work but .... Andrea Leadsom has just gone into Downing Street ...
gulp.