In These New Times

A new paradigm for a post-imperial world

Brexit: Theresa May to bypass European Commission

Posted by seumasach on July 29, 2016

Every day we plunge deeper into the Brexit fiasco. We are now to negotiate with the EU by refusing to recognize it. Oh, yes! That will secure us a good deal! Already May’s facade of gravitas has cracked.

Independent

28th July, 2016

Theresa May will appeal over the head of the European Commission to the leaders of the 27 EU nations in an attempt to secure a good exit deal for the UK.

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Putin to receive Erdogan in hometown

Posted by seumasach on July 27, 2016

M.K.Bhadrakumar

Indian Punchline

27th July, 2016

The developments in Turkey are taking a dramatic turn. All Indications are that the Turkish government is in possession of definite information that the attempted military coup was orchestrated by the United States. (Anadolu)

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Let’s be clear, nationalisation is not against EU law

Posted by seumasach on July 27, 2016

At the same time as attacking takeovers of British utilities by state controlled European companies, Brexiteers on the left are very fond of claiming that EU directives prevent nationalisation. Sam Fowles provides some insights into this contradiction.

Sam Fowles

Another Europe (Source: Huffington Post)

2nd October, 2015

 

Nigel Farage thinks EU law prevents nationalisation. Ironically he seems to have got this from a recent post on Left Futures by Westminster University’s Danny Nicol. Professor Nicol argues that the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) and EU liberalisation directives prohibit renationalisation of energy utilities, as proposed by Jeremy Corbyn.

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Liam Fox slapped down by No 10 on post-Brexit trade deal

Posted by seumasach on July 27, 2016

The implosion of the Leave camp which began on the day of their pyrrhic victory will be a sight to behold. As Farage goes on his roving commission to bring down the EU, Fox is off to sell out the country to the USA. Meanwhile Redwood and the others look down their noses at a purely imaginary scenario concocted by the British press about membership of the single market accompanied by a seven year emergency brake on immigration. They truly are no-hopers. No matter how many people support you if you have no practicable policy you are doomed.

Politics Home

27th July, 2016

New International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was slapped down by No 10 last night over comments he made about Britain’s post-Brexit trade with the EU.

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China shows rancour at Russian doublespeak

Posted by seumasach on July 26, 2016

Whilst it is clear that Putin seeks, above all, a Moscow-Washington partnership, it is not clear that this is incompatible with an equally strong partnership with China. Indeed, such a partnership would be the basis of Eurasian integration. Still, one would expect Washington try to drive a wedge between Russia and China. A  Trump presidency would likely engage more closely with Moscow, perhaps finally bringing to an the Cold War. Hence, his seeming indifference to NATO. But he would at rhetorically challenge China even as the Chinese buy up broad swathes of the US economy. This triangular, US-Russia-China interplay may throw some light on the mystery of Brexit: the one clear consequence of Brexit, apart from destroying the British economy and the power of the City of London, seems to be a realignment of UK foreign policy with that of Washington after tensions had arisen over British membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the lately departed George Osborne’s wooing of China as well as the accompanying Russophobia.

M.K.Bhadrakumar

Indian Punchline

25th July, 2016

The scathing attack on Russian foreign policies in the Global Times newspaper on Sunday has no precedents. It goes way beyond the occasional sparring in a spirit of ‘glasnost’. Indeed, China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination (as it is officially described) is not at all like what it appears. (Read my article in Asia Times Russia-China entente – Lofty rhetoric, shifty discourse.)

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‘No good opportunities flowing from Brexit’

Posted by seumasach on July 25, 2016

UTV

25th July, 2016

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Martin McGuinness held separate press conferences after the meeting, with Sinn Féin’s Mr McGuinness stating his party’s assessment of the referendum results “is that there is absolutely no good news whatsoever about Brexit.”

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LSE-Deutsche Börse dealmakers were wrong to ignore Brexit risk

Posted by seumasach on July 25, 2016

With the failure of this deal looking likely and the removal of Osborne, champion of yuan-trading in the City and defender of HSBC from US regulators, from government, you really have to ask if City of London interests haven’t been sacrificed to US interests by way of the Brexit vote. Is Wall Street then about to bypass London, its traditional point of entry into Europe, in favour of Paris or Frankfurt? Is this also a result of the obvious failure of TTIP? If there is a deal, what, if anything, does the UK get by way of compensation?

FT

29th June, 2016

Anyone who believes that the merger between Germany’s Deutsche Börse and the London Stock Exchange is going ahead must have their head buried in the sand. Just like the people who designed the deal.

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Remain: an open door for Corbyn

Posted by seumasach on July 25, 2016

Cailean Bochanan

25th July, 2016

Jeremy Corbyn is on safe ground in making a U-turn over Brexit. He had originally insisted that Article 50 should be triggered immediately but now seems to have backed down on this and is talking about the possibility of a second referendum after negotiations have been completed. Of course, there will be no negotiations until Article 50 is triggered but let’s not get bogged down in technicalities.

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NI group to bring Brexit challenge

Posted by seumasach on July 25, 2016

ITV

25th July, 2016

A cross-community group comprising politicians, including former Justice Minister David Ford and human rights activists is to bring a legal challenge to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU).

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Sterling falls as surveys point to big Brexit hit

Posted by seumasach on July 23, 2016

Cutting interest rates will only further weaken the pound, fueling inflation and further undermining consumer spending. And so, we enter a vicious circle and a downward spiral. Brexit hasn’t caused this underlying economic weakness: it has merely prevented us from using our geopolitical clout to counter it as we could have done, for example, through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China which was based on our role as gateway to Europe and, consequently, our membership of the EU.

Irish Examiner

23rd July, 2016

Sterling fell as reports suggesting that the UK’s manufacturing and services industries contracted in July heightened speculation that the Bank of England will cut interest rates as soon as next month.

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UK’s financial services sector will retain its passporting rights despite Brexit, Boris Johnson says

Posted by seumasach on July 23, 2016

Johnson’s “everything will remain the same despite Brexit” argument reflects either that he is completely delusional or that he is strongly hinting that Brexit is not going to happen at all. Regarding passporting rights, that will be in the hands of the Europeans and it is no secret that Paris and Frankfurt are vying to succeed London as Europe’s financial sector. His assurances lack all credibility and reflect the bizarre post-Brexit limbo into which we have been cast. Meanwhile, as the incoming capital flows on which we are dependent dry up, the perspectives for the UK economy and living standards are dire in the extreme.

IBTimes

23rd July, 2016

London will remain a global financial centre, according to Boris Johnson, the UK’s newly appointed foreign secretary. Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Johnson dismissed fears over the country’s financial services sectors losing its passporting rights amid the Brexit vote.

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