Author Archives: tpbale

Brexit threatens to blow the British party system apart. Differences over the UK’s relationship with the EU have never been deeper, more salient and more entrenched than they are now. Europe has become a fundamental cleavage, rivalling those which have … Continue reading →

A split in one of the two big British political parties has long been the subject of fevered speculation. Now it’s finally happened. Pundits and pollsters are racing to weigh in on the decision of seven Labour MPs to leave their … Continue reading →

Nearly two thirds of British people think that the EU has been a harsh negotiator over Brexit, according to the latest survey by the Center for European Research at Queen Mary University of London. Donald Tusk recently caused anger by suggesting that there is a “special … Continue reading →

In order to stay in office, the Prime Minister had to promise her party that she would be gone before the next election.  But there’s little agreement among Conservative members – and even less agreement among Conservative voters – as … Continue reading →

‘Jesus.  Never mind having their cake and eating it, too.  They want the flipping moon on a stick.’ Whether that’s how politicians and staffers will actually react to What People Want to see in Parties, I’ve no idea.  But I confess: … Continue reading →

As the smoke clears at the end of one hell of a week at Westminster, Theresa May has to choose between her party and her country. Either she decides to risk the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal on … Continue reading →

The Labour politician Jim Callaghan famously remarked to his colleagues in 1970 that a referendum on Europe might end up being “a little rubber life raft” into which they all might one day have to climb. Just five years later they did … Continue reading →

We know – at least we think we know – that voters don’t think much of Theresa May’s deal.  But we don’t really know why – until now, perhaps.  A YouGov survey of 1754 adults in Britain conducted on 7-8th January … Continue reading →

Ever since the EU withdrawal deal was published in November, Mrs May has been struggling to persuade MPs to back it. On Tuesday, we should learn whether she has eventually managed to win them over or not. Her attempts to do so have not … Continue reading →

Those who sign off their tweets with #JC4PM2019 may find it difficult to contemplate but sometime, somehow, their man will eventually have to give way to a successor. It may not happen soon. But it will happen. No one, least … Continue reading →