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Smoke and Mirrors: The myth of a common EU foreign policy

Smoke and Mirrors: The myth of a common EU foreign policy

Ross Matthewman explores the flaws in the EU’s response to Russian action in Crimea Angry words, handwringing, special summits, and vague threats of intangible “consequences” if an undefined series of events were to take place…at some point, somewhere.  The European Union’s approach to foreign policy has never exactly been decisive and inspiring. And for all of their grand statements (“The […]

by · 25th March 2014 · Brussels & Europe
Standing up to the cyber bullies

Standing up to the cyber bullies

By Clare Ambrosino Last week Parliament Street revealed alarming new figures on the rising crime rates linked to social media. According to research, crimes on Twitter have soared by 390 per cent and there are currently no real measures to prevent a further rise in the future. This week I spoke to my former boss Sean Kelly MEP, who is one […]

by and · 24th March 2014 · Mental Health
Viscount Ridley: I’m not enough of a party animal for the Commons

Viscount Ridley: I’m not enough of a party animal for the Commons

Hereditary peer, classical liberal and climate realist, Paul Nizinskyj speaks to Matt Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley, about Tony Benn, eurocrats and the future of the House of Lords. I should probably declare an interest here. As well as being a member of Parliament Street I also wear hats for Conservatives for Liberty and the Friends of the Hereditary Peerage. So, as […]

by · 23rd March 2014 · Interviews
A line in the sand? Why a ‘No’ vote in Scotland should mean no further devolution

A line in the sand? Why a ‘No’ vote in Scotland should mean no further devolution

By Jonathan Galbraith After what feels like an eternity, the referendum on Scottish independence is now less than six months away, and as each camp now seeks to consolidate its existing support and capture new territory.  The Scottish Conservatives held their annual conference last weekend in Edinburgh – a three-day affair that also served as a rally for the European […]

by and · 20th March 2014 · Blog
Building a competitive Europe

Building a competitive Europe

By Craig Rimmer Brussels The last week was all about doing business in Europe for me. I was at a Brussels Business Association dinner on the Tuesday and the American Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, and the starting gambit in the debate on both occasions was that labour costs in Belgium are too high. Belgians on average pay the highest […]

Do the Conservatives need a Shadow Cabinet?

Do the Conservatives need a Shadow Cabinet?

Matt Gass considers the challenges facing the next election campaign Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Scotland, along with Chief Secretary to Treasury, are the cabinet level positions held by Liberal Democrats since the Coalition was formed. We are now just over a year from the planned date of the 2015 election. Against the expectations of many the Coalition […]

by · 18th March 2014 · Home Affairs, Blog
Dan Hannan: Britain is as European as Australia is Asian

Dan Hannan: Britain is as European as Australia is Asian

Fresh from his speech at CPAC ’14 in Washington DC, Daniel Hannan speaks from the Capitol to Paul Nizinskyj about the culmination of his Anglosphere tour. It’s hard to think of a serving British politician who commands as much respect in the United States as Dan Hannan – at least among conservatives. From his ‘devalued prime minister of a devalued government’ […]

by · 9th March 2014 · Interviews
Cameras in courtrooms – a fair trial?

Cameras in courtrooms – a fair trial?

By Alexandra Paterson I’m sat outside Court 6 in Manchester Magistrates’ Court watching Sky News flash up ‘Day 3 of the Oscar Pistorius trial – live updates available for iPad and mobile devices.’ This is another unfortunate of example of the trial of a grave crime becoming a media circus and is part of an ongoing and worrying trend. It’s nothing […]

by and · 6th March 2014 · Home Affairs
Peter Hitchens: When will they ever learn?

Peter Hitchens: When will they ever learn?

With the crisis in Ukraine escalating ever more towards a renewed Cold War – perhaps even a hot one – between Russia and the United States, Peter Hitchens is getting very depressed. Paul Nizinskyj spoke to him to find out why. “It’s worse than I feared, seeing what’s going on in the Crimea,” Peter sighs. “I just despair.” When we spoke over […]

by · 2nd March 2014 · Interviews
Burma, Birmingham & Benefits

Burma, Birmingham & Benefits

I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Burma, but whilst I was there I knew I had to share a few thoughts when I got home. I was in Burma for a family wedding but naturally we had some time to tour around the city of Rangoon.  The city of Rangoon is home to 6 million people […]

by · 18th February 2014 · Foreign Affairs