Simon Jenkins's Blog, page 27

The United Kingdom is broken. It’s time for a new British federation | Simon Jenkins

Celtic grievances have erupted once more, and can no longer be waved away by Whitehall

The legendary Welsh rugby star Phil Bennett, who died last month, would rouse his team against England, calling them “bastards … taking our coal, our water, our steel … They exploited, raped, controlled and punished us – that’s who you are playing.” It was fighting talk, only half in jest. It was Celts against the English.

In British history and politics, the Celts have grievances that wax and wane, but they nev...

Keir Starmer’s Brexit plan is a mouse of a policy – what is he so afraid of? | Simon Jenkins

By refusing to discuss rejoining the single market or the customs union, Labour can’t deal with the ‘fatberg’ of red tape

The Labour leader Keir Starmer has at last peeped from behind his policy curtain and squeaked that he can “make Brexit work”. No, no, don’t worry, he is not against it, heaven forbid. He would not even wink at the single market or the customs union. He is just against the ostracising of scientists, the persecuting of vets and the “hulking fatberg” of red tape.

Labour’s silence ...

Scrapping the NI protocol is just the start. Johnson’s trade wars are Trumpism in action | Simon Jenkins

Brexit has left Britain out on a limb. Yet the PM seems hellbent on alienating our trading partners to boost his own position

Britain’s foreign policy is now at the mercy of Boris Johnson’s reckless quest for survival. At home he grasps for votes with Irish border controls, protectionist tariffs and immigrant quotas. Abroad, he tours Europe demanding total victory in someone else’s war while promoting the most intense economic disruption in the continent’s peacetime history. Every visit is treate...

Second homes can be a blight and a blessing on British towns. We need the right balance | Simon Jenkins

Since childhood I have lived some of the year in a Welsh valley. It is possible to become a part of the local community

Whitby has had enough. So have Mevagissey and St Ives. So has Brighton. So have the Lake District, the Cotswolds and half the beauty spots in Britain. No more second homers. Lockdown, staycations and “work from home” have seen an influx of newcomers, sending local property prices soaring by 20% over the past two years. Brighton this week voted to ban new building for non-primary...

Whenever Johnson has a problem, he calls Zelenskiy – and the bill is rapidly mounting | Simon Jenkins

Each domestic disaster is followed by a call pledging more aid to Kyiv – it’s the most expensive therapy session in history

What do you do when in deep trouble? Boris Johnson is having his fill of it, but does he consult his chief whip, his political aides, his secretaries or his wife? Intriguingly he turns to someone in even deeper trouble that himself, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Last Wednesday the prime minister suffered the humiliating departure of his so-called “ethics” advis...

The answer to the Parthenon marbles dispute: George Osborne and a 3D printer | Simon Jenkins

If the British Museum chairman is serious about returning the treasures to Greece, making copies offers a face-saving solution

The British Museum chairman, George Osborne, has mooted the possible return of the Parthenon (or Elgin) marbles to Greece. This is thoroughly good news. He is not the first to suggest a “marbles deal”, but he is the first to suggest that “seeing them in their splendour in Athens” is a virtue to be sought. More importantly, he seems to accept that this has passed on from t...

Get ready for King Charles, the monarch who speaks his mind | Simon Jenkins

He has described as ‘appalling’ the Tories’ plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Don’t expect him to change

The government’s decision to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda faces more serious opposition than from the Prince of Wales. It has come from international lawyers, Amnesty International, civil service unions, the weight of liberal opinion and now the court of appeal. Even so, for the prince to reportedly declare the prime minister’s policy on migration to be “appalling” is unusual. Is it...

The west’s calls for a total victory in Ukraine can lead only to ruinous escalation | Simon Jenkins

Whatever settlement is reached to end the war, it will be a compromise, no matter the talk of unwavering support

As war in Ukraine drifts out of the headlines, it reaches a point of maximum danger. Can the parties be led towards compromise and settlement, or will their desperation, coupled with war fever by nonparticipants, drive the conflict into wider escalation and risk of catastrophe?

The British government has offered Kyiv what it calls unwavering support. Boris Johnson has thus delegated his...

The storm clouds of Brexit and Covid have moved on – but Britain just isn’t working any more | Simon Jenkins

From childcare to the courts, public service failures are causing chaos. Recent crises have taken their toll, but so have botched privatisations

Tried getting through to a GP’s surgery lately? Or a bank? Or the customer services of almost anything? Catching a flight? Good luck. Waiting for a train? Stay calm, fingers crossed. Patience is a virtue – and, right now, an absolute necessity.

The government is passing through a vale of tears, and for once it is not entirely the fault of the prime minist...

The EU should forget about sanctions – they’re doing more harm than good | Simon Jenkins

Far from compelling Russia to exit Ukraine, they are causing great suffering worldwide as food and energy prices soar

Six million households in Britain face the possibility of morning and evening blackouts this winter to maintain sanctions against Russia, as do consumers across Europe. This is despite Europe pouring about $1bn a day into Russia to pay for the gas and oil it continues to consume. This seems crazy. Proposals by the EU to halt the payments are understandably being opposed by countri...