Dear Alex I hope you have enjoyed, or are enjoying, your summer break. Whichever it is, you will have seen the recent major poll which showed Cheltenham, already a Remain town, moving even further to Remain (57.2%/42.8% in 2016 to 62.2%/37.8% now). This brings us even closer to the often talked about super-majority of 66%. … More We write to Alex Chalk about Cheltenham going even more Remain
Dear Alex David Cameron made it clear (or ‘very clear’ to use his mantra) before the referendum that the outcome would be regarded as advisory and not binding (hence, the absence of any safeguard requiring, for example, the active support of a majority of the electorate). Advice can be accepted or rejected. If it is … More Our Chair writes to our MP
Dear xxxx When people voted in the EU referendum last year, little was known about what a future deal with the European Union would look like. Sixteen months on, it is now very unlikely that any deal will be able to provide the same easy terms of trade and commerce with our most prosperous neighbours … More A supporter writes to his MP
We can’t reverse the Brexit vote unless public opinion shifts decisively against it. That would give MPs the courage to resist the current disastrous course of events. So what do the latest opinion polls tell us about the public mood? Until very recently, there has been little movement in the polling data for 15 months … More Clutching at straws – or straws in the wind? Are the polls shifting?
I don’t like the use of referendums for major national constitutional issues, but am reluctantly coming round to the view that they are now an established part of our (unwritten) constitution. There have been three UK-wide referendums (in 1975 and 2016 on EU membership; in 2011 on the Alternative Vote system). They have also been … More Should we have another referendum?
The Conservatives have removed the whip from two of their MEPs, Julie Girling and their former Leader in the European Parliament Richard Ashworth, for voting in favour of a non-binding European Parliament resolution which noted that “sufficient progress has not yet been made” in the Brexit talks to move to the second phase, but also … More Julie Girling loses the whip
After the Party conferences, it is time to reflect on what really happened. And where we go from here. The LibDems, the Greens and SNP support remaining in the EU. But the two biggest parties are in crisis over Brexit. Labour responds by denial, stifling any meaningful debate; the Tories by doing what they do … More Party conferences and the elephant in the room
Dear Alex Chalk We write as a group of concerned constituents. Brexit poses the most serious challenge that Britain has faced since 1945. Decisions taken in the next few months will shape our country for years to come. There are many issues at stake but the questions we ask below are of such importance to … More Open letter to Alex Chalk MP
The EU commits €2.1 billion annually to supporting and developing young people through the Erasmus+ programme by: Helping undergraduates study at other European universities Promoting voluntary work opportunities through EVS Facilitating work placements and internships, helped by our EU Twin Town connections Involving young people in Youth Exchanges, with emphasis given to those with fewer … More What could our students and young people lose if we leave the EU?
The top Tier of the Eurozone, along with the Schengen area, has the greatest integration. The current German and French governments want this to deepen, with an “ever-greater union”, even incorporating closer military cooperation. A second Tier is where the UK sits by choice. Always reluctant to be wholehearted about commitment to the European … More How many Tiers can the EU accommodate?
