Scrutiny, accountability and the neutering of Parliament
Scrutiny and accountability are the yin and yang of Parliamentary process, one reinforcing the other. But there has been a worrying trend for scrutiny to be sidelined, and for accountability to be abandoned, when it suits the Government.Pay to Play: So you want to be a touring musician? Better have deep pockets
Britain, so long a breeding ground for musical talent from all backgrounds, has manoeuvred itself into a position where only those with spare money will be able to tour in Europe. Welcome to a world where you have to pay to play.The winners so far in 2021
With the first page of the 2021 calendar now scrumpled in the bin, it’s a good time to look at some of the early winners – or apparent winners – in the year’s opening weeks.Workers’ rights, travel rights and a French letter
And so, unceremoniously, on the late-evening Peston show, a threat to workers’ rights that was never, you know, really, a threat to workers’ rights, was shelved in yet another Government U-turn.A sobering tale of red wine and red tape
Every 13 seconds someone, somewhere, opens a bottle of wine from Daniel Lambert Wines. He was under no illusion that Brexit was going to make things more difficult for him and his team. Here is what happened.Fish wars: Seven reasons Britain could get that sinking feeling
Read the new blog from Best for Britain: Fish wars: Seven reasons Britain could get that sinking feelingBrussels bolts the back door while Britain lurks on the lawn
Read the new blog from Best for Britain: Brussels bolts the back door while Britain lurks on the lawn. What both sides have got out of negotiations.The hunger games: Three reasons your food is going to get more expensive
Read the new blog from Best for Britain: Three reasons your food is going to get more expensive - unless the government let's go of its fishy fictions.Car making in Britain: A Rolls-Royce industry dodging Brexit potholes
Read the new blog from Best for Britain: The devastating impact of No-Deal on British automotive manufacturers, their employees, and the communities in which they are based are well known at every level of government.Red tape: A piscatorial take
Read the new blog from Best for Britain: Taking back control of our fish is starting to smell a little off. The fishing industry is heading for a brave new waterworld of red tape and tariffs.British entrepreneurial spirit knows no bounds, until a pandemic comes along We are known for fair play - that's why I voted against the Internal Market Bill
Read Baroness Altmann's new piece for Best for Britain: "The UK is known around the world for our fair play, our probity and commitment to the rule of law - that's why I voted against the Internal Market Bill"The Donkey in the room - why Joe’s win is a problem for Johnson
Read the blog: Many are celebrating Biden’s win. But No.10 has reasons to feel nervous about Joe’s big win. The Internal Market Bill is the elephant in the room of UK-EU negotiations - or is it now a donkey?Warnings ignored – so now the best Johnson can do is make things worse
Read the blog: A British watchdog barks. National Audit Office says the best case scenario for the UK-EU trade is 'significant disruption'. We all saw it coming, but our leaders ignored the warning signs.For once, the selfish option is the best option
Read the blog: Best for Britain’s latest polling shows the public is deeply unhappy with how the Brexit transition period has been handled by British politicians. Mark well those words from Steve Baker: Brexit is all on Boris now.Why it’s time to talk to the FBI, Prime Minister
New Best for Britain blog: FBI hostage negotiators have much to teach this Prime Minister about effective tactics, in Brussels and in Manchester.Failing Five: No deal impacts no one is talking about
Read the new blog on the five no deal impacts no one is talking about. We've all heard about queues at the border, but have you heard about the vet shortage? Leaving without a deal and without a plan will have wide-ranging impacts for us all.A message from the fields: Beware Johnson, the Pied Piper of farming
For many of us, farming is something that happens to other people. We have vague images of cows, and tractors and fields. How exactly this turns into food on our shelves is not something many people give a lot of thought to.UK trade deal with Australia 'must not legitimise animal mutilation'
Former Australian PM Tony Abbott has been accused of ‘ignoring animal mutilation’ following comments he made about a UK-Australia trade deal. He failed to mention key areas where standards diverge, including the controversial technique of ‘mulesing’, the deliberate slashing of lambs by farmers.Nothing reasonable about it: worst-case scenario for food poverty in the UK
Read the new blog on how a 'reasonable worst case' of food shortage isn't all that reasonable for the millions of Brits already struggling to put food on the table.