I’ve been asked to come out of blogging retirement, temporarily, to explain why Brexit has been at the root of Britain’s most serious problems since Brexit was decided in 2016 and which a growing body of commentators rate as a colossal mistake. Contrary to Boris Johnson’s repeated assertions, Brexit has not yet been done and Continue reading »
Economy
Iain Overton examines the lack of consequences for the Brexiters that promised us sunny uplands
During an appearance on LBC on Monday, Keir Starmer was asked by the presenter whether the country would be better off if Jeremy Corbyn was PM. He refused to answer: Hundreds of thousands have died needlessly since 2019 because of Tory governments. The economy is in collapse along with the NHS, other public services and […]
The current WTO rules were negotiated during the Uruguay Round without China involved or even in mind. The expectation was that China would evolve into a market economy and WTO rules would apply. China has not evolved as expected; should China change its state-controlled economy, or should WTO rules be rewritten to accommodate China? In Continue reading »
Belém, Brazil – I inaugurate this new series of columns in a New Year and a new beginning for Brazil with the inauguration of President Lula da Silva, His well-wishers poured out across the country in a revival of hope for Brazil after four years of disastrous rule under his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who Continue reading »
It’s been a year since I last visited Russia. Back then, most people I met thought the prospects of a war with Ukraine were very remote, despite the massive troops build-up on the border. So I was curious to see how attitudes had changed since then. Equally important was to see for myself how the war has Continue reading »
We must modify our sluggish democracy to act urgently, transform our economy, and save our life support systems. The alternative is for economic change to be delivered brutally by nature. This article continues the highly relevant discussion on the environment and the economy in the articles by Mark Diesendorf, Stephen Williams, Roger Beale and John Continue reading »
It is difficult to reconcile the public documents and statements relating to the AUKUS nuclear-power submarine project. Unlike the usual procurement process the defence policy justification is opaque, the schedule and costs are unclear, and the implications for Australian industry vague. Industry considerations arise in relation to both existing US and future Australian capacity and Continue reading »
For those of us focused on sustainability, we wonder what it would take for a progressive government to wake up and smell the evidence. In other words, how close to collapse does Australia and the world need to be before the government (including its public service) decides it should take the issue seriously? Would you Continue reading »
On 5 January, the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan signed a contract with Chinese companies Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co. (CAPEIC) to extract oil from the nation’s northern provinces. The oil is set to be extracted from the Amu Darya basin, marking the first time Kabul signs a public commodities extraction deal with a Continue reading »