While it is sometimes compared to a federal superstate, the European Union is different from most federations in that it contains an exit clause: Article 50. But how did Article 50 come to be? Based on a new study, Martijn Huysmans provides a theoretical and empirical account of its origins in the 2002-03 Convention on the Future of Europe.
The […]
What is the Irish government’s Brexit wish-list? The suggestion that Irish unity, as opposed to safeguarding political and economic stability, is the foremost concern of the Irish government is to misunderstand and misrepresent the motivations of this key Brexit stakeholder, writes Mary C. Murphy.
Following the UK vote in favour of Leave, the Irish government moved swiftly to identify its priorities […]
Why is Jeremy Corbyn ignoring calls for a second referendum, despite these being backed by a substantial part of his party’s membership, as well as by non-members? Eric Shaw explains the factors affecting Labour’s inability to agree on a clear and feasible Brexit policy, and warns that inevitably divisive decisions will have to be taken.
The Labour Party’s stance on […]
When Theresa May proclaimed ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’, she was talking primarily about the long-term UK-EU relationship, not the initial divorce. Craig Berry explains how, through a combination of opportunism and incompetence, Britain crashing out of the EU has become a very real possibility.
The postponement of the parliamentary vote on the withdrawal agreement until the […]
Why has British politics been at a seemingly endless deadlock since 2015? Artemis Photiadou brings together the most salient strands of political science research that have attempted to explain electoral preferences, post-Brexit realities, and party politics in 2018.
Britain is undergoing a period of contradiction and impasse. As it attempts to ‘take back control’ of its governance and move away […]
European Parliament elections may not have been popular, but they used proportional representation – something which England’s national elections lack. Heinz Brandenburg looks at what this means for smaller parties, which have a hard time making headway under the first-past-the-post system.
One of the few certainties about Brexit is that the UK will cease to participate in European Parliament elections. To many, […]
Brexit has revealed some of the tools that govern the legislative process and how these interact with party politics. Louise Thompson summarises the key procedural dilemmas faced in the Commons so far, and explains why things could get even more complicated in 2019.
As we watch the continued unfolding of the Brexit story and wait to see when (and if) […]
Low income households under austerity: a notable rise in debt for essential needs
Brexit was not the voice of the working class nor of the uneducated – it was of the squeezed middle
Exploitable loopholes: how the self-employed non-resident status can be a route to child maintenance evasion
How effective is Parliament in controlling UK government and representing citizens?
Rent controls in London? What is being suggested is not new – indeed it looks pretty mainstream
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
The left-wing case for a second referendum: Labour’s obligations to members
The left-wing case for a second referendum: Labour’s obligations to members
The Labour Party’s leadership has so far refused to take steps towards seeking a second referendum. Now is the time to break the latest Brexit deadlock by honouring the party’s conference commitments and by sharing responsibility with members, argues Lea Ypi, and discusses what a second referendum ought to be about.
In assessing the left-wing case for a second EU […]