Getting along with China Written by Alex Massie7 January 2021 At the end of last month, a significant breach opened between the EU and the United States. It was not, of course, described as such, but the settlement of an EU-China investment agreement after seven years of negotiations was nonetheless a marker of significant transatlantic …
Onwards and upwards into a new year Written by Alex Massie31 December 2020 If ever a year deserved to be signed-off by the Reverend I.M. Jolly, 2020 makes a powerful, even impregnable, case for being that year. Alas, Rikki Fulton’s doom-burdened alter ego, the star of so many Scottish Hogmanays, is no longer available. But, …
Fishing for a deal Written by Alex Massie17 December 2020 At last, after more than four years, an end is in sight. The United Kingdom’s slow withdrawal from continental Europe is all but complete. It remains to be seen if this departure is accompanied by a deal with the European Union or not but, for …
Winds of change Written by Alex Massie10 December 2020 When things begin to change, they can change extraordinarily quickly. Change is not a linear or constant phenomenon; often it accelerates. That is one conclusion to be drawn from the United Kingdom’s approach to climate change. As recently as a decade ago, the country still relied …
Planning to recover Written by Alex Massie 3 December 2020 The British government has not shone during this emergency, but even those disposed to thinking it uncommonly incompetent might pause to consider that in at least one area it appears to have performed admirably. The government’s ‘vaccine taskforce’ has successfully ordered significant supplies of multiple …
It’s only just begun Written by Alex Massie26 November 2020 In 1967 Enver Hoxha, the Albanian dictator, delivered a new year’s message to his long-suffering, much put-upon people, that is grimly relevant for our times too. “This year will be harder than last year,” he said, “on the other hand, it will be easier than …
Injecting capital, extracting profits Written by Alex Massie19 November 2020 The race to find vaccines that will protect humans from Covid-19 should be seen as an awe-inspiring epic of human ingenuity. It has been a global effort and an astonishing one. What might in more ordinary circumstances take years, appears to have been achieved in …
Nine days on, 10 things we’ve learned Written by Alex Massie12 November 2020 This week, I offer you a list. Here are 10 conclusions to be drawn from this year’s American elections. 1. The election was both close and clear-cut A wide-angle view confirms that Joe Biden won this election handsomely. Nationwide, he won more …
The future of the ‘special relationship’ Written by Alex Massie29 October 2020 Barring something remarkable, or some last-ditch act of chicanery, Joe Biden is a week away from becoming president of the United States of America. On this, every reputable pollster and the great majority of even semi-reputable pundits agree. The latest polls from vital …
Sharing the burden Written by Alex Massie15 October 2020 Good politics and fine policy do not always go together, and for good reason. Politics is often a matter of short-term advantage; a series of improvisations motivated by not much more than expediency. Policy runs on a different timescale and a different track; seeds planted today …