The Irish banking crisis may be a little parochial, but the Irish government’s reluctance to act immediately on the EU money laundering directive is indicative of the relations between Brussels and the national parliament. Let’s take a recent concrete example of the 2015 anti-money laundering directive, which has lain dormant in the corridors of […]
“It won’t cut mustard’
It is an expression I haven’t heard for decades while living abroad, but suddenly it is everywhere in the newspapers, referring to the British proposals for border controls in Ireland, after the UK finally leaves the EU in March 2020. It means, in plain language, it simply won’t work. But Irish border is not the […]
The Politics of Communication: ‘Sovereignty’ versus ‘Trade’
Political commentators say that luck is an essential part of any political career. But others will reply we make our luck. Indeed, Theresa May must be relieved that the Brexit debate is off the front headlines, and she has an opportunity to communicate a far different image of her leadership than the one the public […]