Kitney

July 31, 2019

Can Boris Johnson tame the Brexit monster?

Boris Johnson has set an impossible pre-condition which he knows must lead to a no-deal Brexit, writes Geoff Kitney. So far, so good for Boris…

June 17, 2019

‘Free’ trade with the US could prove costly

Britain Beware! Special relationships are rarely worth much when national interest overtakes rhetoric, writes Geoff Kitney. When President Donald Trump made his recent trip to…

May 24, 2019

May resigns – and Johnson is waiting in the wings

Too late now for Theresa May, but Australia has just provided a lesson: get the politics right first and worry about the consequences later, writes…

April 15, 2019

A changing climate boosts the political divide

The young have taken to the streets in peaceful protest showing governments that they too have a voice. The upcoming Australian election may prove them…

March 18, 2019

Complex language of trade falls on deaf ears

The empty space that sits where detailed, comprehensive and forward-looking planning for British post-Brexit trade should be set out is arguably the most perplexing example…

January 31, 2019

Brexit is now all about the art of the possible

Theresa May’s current political strategy seriously risks running into a dead-end from which it will only be possible for a new prime minister, taking a…

January 10, 2019

Brexit reality: the UK is part of Europe

A shallow stretch of water between mainland Europe and mainland UK does not separate the United Kingdom from the consequences of what happens in Europe….

December 28, 2018

Party strategists struggle to woo voters

There is a deep sense of frustration about how to stop and reverse the breakdown of understanding between ordinary people and the political leaders and…

December 17, 2018

A mess from which there is no apparent escape

The Brexit proposal – that Britain should simply walk away, sticking a finger up to the EU as it leaves and embracing the glorious opportunities…

November 19, 2018

Ideologues gamble with a nation’s future

The idea of ‘pure sovereignty’ which Brexiters argue would be possible for Britain outside the European Union is an unattainable dream, writes Geoff Kitney. Who…

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UK prime minister’s letter to Donald Tusk
“The date of the UK exit from the EU, October 31, is fast approaching. I very much hope that we will be leaving with a deal. You have my personal commitment that this government will work with energy and determination to achieve an agreement. That is our highest priority.”
10 Downing Street, August 19 (pdf)

Johnson increases efforts to ditch backstop
Boris Johnson has been rebuffed in his latest efforts to jettison the Irish border backstop from the Brexit withdrawal agreement, following his letter to the EU setting out why he sees it as “inconsistent” with his vision for the UK’s relationship with the bloc. In a letter to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, on Monday, the prime minister said it was his “highest priority” to leave with a deal, pledging “energy and determination” to strike a new agreement. But he also outlined why the backstop was anathema to his vision for the UK’s post-Brexit future. “When the UK leaves the EU and after any transition period, we will leave the single market and the customs union,” Mr Johnson wrote. “Although we will remain committed to world-class environmental, product and labour standards, the laws and regulations to deliver them will potentially diverge from those of the EU. That is the point of our exit and our ability to enable this is central to our future democracy.” … Mr Johnson’s letter has received a broadly negative response. One senior EU official said they were “amazed” at the contents of the prime minister’s letter, citing that it contained no legal solutions for managing the “unique circumstances” of the border in Ireland. Financial Times, August 20

EU unconvinced by Johnson’s fresh bid to remove backstop
Boris Johnson has written to the EU suggesting the backstop could be replaced by some form of commitment to prevent a hard Irish border in his first major move to explain the UK government’s new position to Brussels. Ahead of talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, Johnson released a four-page letter setting out his position that the backstop is “anti-democratic and inconsistent with the sovereignty of the UK”, because it could keep the UK indefinitely in a customs union with no means of exit … On Monday night Brussels sources once again ruled out any renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement, including the backstop. “There was a two and a half year negotiating process in which the EU compromised, including on the question of the backstop,” a well-informed source told the Guardian. “The withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation and the backstop is not open for change. A legally operable backstop to avoid a hard border remains central to the withdrawal agreement for the EU27.” The Guardian, August 20

Li Ka-shing buys Greene King in £4.5bn deal
One of Asia’s richest men has agreed to buy Greene King in a deal valuing the brewer and pub operator at more than £4.5 billion. Li Ka-shing will add the maker of Abbot Ale and Old Speckled Hen to his burgeoning slate of British assets. The 91-year-old already owns the Three mobile phone network, Superdrug pharmacies and stakes in Northumbrian Water and the gas supply lines in Wales and the west of England. The 850p-a-share cash offer from CK Asset Holdings – a vehicle controlled by Mr Li – was 51 per cent higher than last week’s closing price and values Greene King’s stock at £2.7 billion. After absorbing its £1.9 billion debt, CKA’s final tab will rise to £4.6 billion. The Times, August 20

Apple splashes $6bn on shows in streaming wars
Apple has committed more than $6bn for original shows and movies ahead of the launch of its new video streaming service, a ballooning budget aimed at catching up with the likes of Netflix, Disney and AT&T-owned HBO. The iPhone maker has been preparing its foray into media for years, after hiring Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two well-known executives from Sony Pictures Television, to lead the charge in 2017. The pair were initially armed with $1bn to commission original content over their first year but the budget has expanded and the total committed so far has passed $6bn, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars alone on a star-studded series featuring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell called The Morning Show. According to people familiar with the matter, that amounts to a higher price per episode than Game of Thrones, which reportedly cost $15m for each episode of its final season. Financial Times, August 20

Markets rally as Trump eases terms on Huawei
Stock markets rallied yesterday after the United States appeared to extend an olive branch to Beijing before trade talks next month and as President Trump called on the US Federal Reserve to slash interest rates. The US Department of Commerce granted a further reprieve to Huawei by extending by 90 days a grace period in which it can continue to trade with American companies. The Trump administration is using China’s top telecoms manufacturer as a bargaining chip in its trade war with Beijing. It put Huawei on its “entity list” in May, effectively banning American companies from doing business with it. Huawei was later allowed to buy from US suppliers that held special licences under an agreement that was due to expire yesterday. The Times, August 20

Indian spacecraft begins orbiting Moon
India’s second lunar module has begun orbiting the Moon, nearly a month after blasting off, officials have confirmed. The manoeuvre to put the module into the lunar orbit was completed at 09:02 local time (04:32 GMT) on Tuesday. Chandrayaan-2 was launched from the Sriharikota space station on 22 July, a week after the scheduled blast-off was halted due to a technical snag. India hopes the $145m (£116m) mission will be the first to land on the Moon’s south pole. Last month’s launch was the beginning of a 384,000km (239,000-mile) journey. Scientists hope the lander will touch down on the Moon on 6 or 7 September as planned. BBC news, August 20

Plan to hold Scottish indy vote in 2020 in doubt
Nicola Sturgeon’s preference for holding another referendum on Scottish independence in the second half of next year has been put in doubt after the Electoral Commission recommended a gap of at least nine months between the completion of the required legislation and polling day. Legislation to enable a second referendum was introduced by Sturgeon, the first minister, to the Scottish parliament in May. This could be completed by the end of 2019, but supporting legislation would then have to be passed to specify the details of the poll. In a submission to the Scottish parliament’s finance and constitution committee, published last week, the Electoral Commission insisted it should be given 12 weeks to assess the wording of the question to be put in the referendum. Referendum wording has been the subject of some controversy, since the draft bill states the commission will not be consulted if it has previously assessed or recommended a question, as was the case with the yes/no format used for the 2014 referendum. The Guardian, August 19