Let’s cut to the chase: What ARE the strongest arguments for the UK to rejoin the EU? I asked Chat GPT 4.0 for the answer, which it gave in precisely 2 seconds. Clearly, I’m now redundant. But the case to rejoin the EU certainly is not. If only we could rejoin the EU as fast as AI gave its reasons to do so. Read the rational arguments configured by Artificial Intelligence. THE ANSWER BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Rejoining the European Union (EU) is a complex and multifaceted issue, but there are several strong arguments that proponents put forward: ECONOMIC BENEFITS Trade and Market Access ..read more

Many people, including politicians and journalists, don’t understand the difference between ‘free trade’ and ‘frictionless trade’. This has caused a huge misunderstanding across the country, leading to the mess we are now in. In summary, ‘free trade’ means that goods (sometimes only some goods) can be exported and imported between countries without tariffs – hence the phrase, ‘free trade’ or ‘tariff free’. But those goods, even though tariff free, must still go through customs and are subject to checks, often causing many delays. And even though it’s called ‘free trade’ there are other barrie ..read more

The European Community, now called the European Union, was started for one reason alone: to create lasting peace and security between its members following the most devastating war the world had ever known. Don’t take my word for it. Read what UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said to the European Parliament on 9 December 1986: “70 years ago Europe had just experienced, on the battlefields of Verdun and the Somme, the bloodiest fighting, the most tragic waste of a generation, that the world has ever known. “The Second World War was to bring further heartbreak and destruction. “Our Commun ..read more

Back in 1988, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government was ultra-keen to get British businesses fully prepared for Europe’s new Single Market, due to be launched four years later in 1992. Prime Minister Thatcher enthusiastically launched her government’s ‘Europe Open for Business’ campaign in a keynote speech on 18 April 1988. Mrs Thatcher, who championed the concept of the Single Market and was one of its architects, saw it as the key to Britain’s future success. She said: “How we meet the challenge of the Single Market will be a major factor, possibly the major factor, in our competitiv ..read more

I’m so impressed with the new book, Fixing Broken Britain by Alun Drake, that I’ve made a 2-minute video about it. Anyone who lives in Britain, or observes it from afar, knows it’s a broken country. But none of the main parties are addressing why it’s broken – or how to fix it. But that’s precisely what journalist Alun Drake does in his superb book, which pinpoints the problems and offers practical solutions. His lucid insights are presented with flair, humour, and wisdom. Alun’s book isn’t a bid to launch a new political party, however. His constructive solutions to the United Kingdom’s deep ..read more

Babies are being born in Britain who will grow up never having experienced the benefits of EU membership. The right to live, work, travel or retire across most of our continent. The life-changing experience of studying abroad with other young people under the Erasmus scheme. The enormous job and career opportunities more easily accessible across Europe for EU citizens. The profound feeling of being part of a community of countries that has helped to nurture peace and collaboration between them. The right to participate in the running and future direction of Europe. And so many other EU benef ..read more

The Conservatives 2015 manifesto promised ‘votes for life’ for all Britons living abroad – in line with other major democracies, such as the USA, France, Italy, and Canada. Britons who’d been living abroad for more than 15 years weren’t allowed to vote in UK elections. But the Tories pledged to change that. Those Britons abroad – estimated to be 3.4 million – had expected to vote in the EU referendum to be held just a year later. But the government broke its promise, claiming there wasn’t time to implement votes for those Brits in the referendum. Poppycock. If there was time to organise a ref ..read more

On the day after the EU referendum, 24 June 2016, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, stood outside 10 Downing Street. He could have said: “The people of the United Kingdom have all had their say.” But he didn’t. He didn’t mention “United Kingdom” at all. What he actually said was: “Over 33 million people, from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar have all had their say.” And this is a key point. Of the five territories asked to take part in the referendum, three strongly voted AGAINST Brexit. Despite this, Brexit went ahead. Brexiters are quick to point out ..read more

UK democracy needs radical reform, but there’s little evidence our leaders are ready to take up the challenge, writes Alun Drake. I’m a great fan of jokes involving defective light bulbs. Here’s an example: how many climate change deniers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: none, because they claim it’s too early to tell if the light bulb is really broken. My all-time favourite in this series goes as follows: how many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: only one, but the light bulb must want to be changed. For me, this is so much more than a punchline. It can a ..read more

Eurosceptics often claim that they love Europe but hate the European Union. They assert that Britain can still be part of Europe without having to be part of the European Union. That, of course, is true to an extent, but it rather misses the point and purpose of the EU. The European Economic Community – later to be called the European Union – was started in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, with the express intent of avoiding wars on our continent ever happening again. That was the passionate resolve of those who are regarded as the eleven founders of the European Union, includ ..read more