The easy bit of Brexit is over – now comes the hard part
- 10 Feb 2017
For all the huffing and puffing the fact is the UK has yet to formally talk to anyone but itself about Brexit. For three days in early February 2017 the House of Commons debated and voted on an historic issue – should the Prime Minister be given the authority to give the Eu...
The key to navigating Trump’s new world: only connect
- 6 Feb 2017
Staying connected is the key to success for you, me, Donald Trump and Theresa May This week my email stopped working. Technically the term is “went down”, a term which gives a pleasing, if spurious, sense of a physical event having occurred. I gazed into the screen, everyth...
Trump has the opportunity to do something historic. Will he squander his chance?
- 23 Jan 2017
For a winner Trump seems gripped by a raging sense of insecurity. On the face of it Donald Trump’s pre-occupation with the size of the crowd at his Inauguration is perplexing. Who cares? Really it seems such a piffling point. There were many people there in Washington on th...
Theresa May lays out her vision for Brexit
- 17 Jan 2017
For the first time in a long time we have a Prime Minister with a clear sense of purpose. The Prime Minister has set out clearly her guiding principles and for Brexit. She told us much we already knew, and confirmed other things that had been reasonable assumptions if you h...
May has the strength of character to make a success of 2017
- 5 Jan 2017
For those who think politics does not matter last year provided a rebuke. Politics matters. Politicians matter. How we chose them and who we chose to elect matters. The year ahead will be one of great year of change and the outcome will rest on political leadership. Do our l...
British persistence: One hundred years ago, one hundred years on
- 23 Dec 2016
One hundred years ago Britain was preparing to celebrate the third Christmas of the First World War. 1916 had been a difficult year. The great battles of the Somme and Jutland had been fought. Neither had been lost, but neither quite won either. Overall victory was not yet in ...
An oath of allegiance to British values is an absolute stinker of an idea
- 19 Dec 2016
Christmas is nearly here and everyone is tired and distracted. The last year and a half has been a tumultuous one for British and international politics, and in the UK MPs, Peers, Ministers and their officials are all looking forward to a break. Many are still trying to come t...
The Cabinet Office: required reading for all students of government
- 16 Dec 2016
Over the festive period, Reaction authors are writing in with their favourite books from 2016 that they feel would make perfect gifts for Christmas or ideal New Year reading. Publisher Iain Dale has a keen eye for a good book. His current ‘day job’ as a presenter of LBC mig...
In defence of Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy
- 14 Dec 2016
First Nick Timothy and now Fiona Hill are having their role as Theresa May’s Joint Chiefs of Staff examined. Not surprisingly there is intense media interest in the two people who are the Prime Minister’s closest assistants and advisors. Their every move and action is scrutini...
The Supreme Court and British Values have had a good week
- 8 Dec 2016
The UK will leave the EU. The UK’s membership of the European Union will stop. Article 50 will be invoked. The overwhelming vote of support for this to happen by MPs though not legally binding gave further very fair political wind to its invocation. Both of these things ...