Beyond Brexit

Brexit: when rhetoric finally faced facts

Trade experts warned from the outset that Boris Johnson was putting his ambition ahead of the reality of Britain’s ability to negotiate deals, writes Geoff Kitney. When Boris Johnson set out to…

Brexit puts paid to the ties that bind

Britain’s exit from the EU, the death of Queen Elizabeth and debate about Australia’s colonial history have led to growing calls for Australia to become a republic. When the Brexit bandwagon was…


Rishi Sunak’s Tory nightmare   

The United Kingdom is doing its best to show itself coming apart at the seams. Are things really so bad? They could well be, writes Murray Ritchie. Consider: inflation, the frightening cost…


It’s all Brexit’s fault!

With Liz Truss gone, Britain’s chaotic Conservative government is looking for its third prime minister this year and the sixth since Brexit, writes Murray Ritchie. Opposition parties scream for a general election…



Political will is in short supply

Brexit is causing a curious stasis in UK politics in the four constituent nations. It is as though no-one really knows what to do next, writes Murray Ritchie. 2022 looks like being…


Securing borders is neither easy nor cheap

The UK should beware when it looks to Australia for a solution to ‘stop the boats’. The cost to the Australian taxpayer of detaining asylum seekers has been estimated at A$4 million…


British brinkmanship is not what it once was

The Government’s “Up yours Delors” bravado could cost the United Kingdom dearly, writes Geoff Kitney. All that glitters is not necessarily gold. UK Trade Minister Liz Truss might have been well advised…


The greening of Scottish independence

The Green Party’s latest foray into government has just taken place in Scotland, boosting the drive for Scottish independence. No longer can the Greens be seen in Britain as just an eccentric…


FTA’s are not always about trade

The UK and Australia may have signed a free trade agreement but how deep does the idea of shared interests run? Geoff Kitney takes a look. All sorts of spin have been…