By Steve Parkhurst, Senior Editor, USDR.
Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
4-10-17
North Korea must be tamed and Donald Trump is right to take action
The US President may be a reckless hothead but the world cannot tolerate a rogue state with nuclear missiles
Utopian thinking: Free housing should be a universal right
Defenders of a rampant free market may scream murder – but a society where state accommodation cost nothing would be a much fairer place to live
4-9-17
Russia says there is ‘no need to talk to UK’ as Boris Johnson cancels visit over Syria
Moscow accuses Britain of “not having its own position” as the Foreign Secretary cancels a visit following the deadly gas attack.
Donald Trump’s Syria strike fixed a lot of his problems – was it a new leaf or simply opportunism?
First the acknowledgement: those of us who were outraged by Barack Obama’s startling climbdown over Syria in 2013, when he made his own pronouncements about “red lines” (and hence, American foreign policy) appear ludicrous, must hand it to Donald Trump. On Thursday night, he responded to the Assad regime’s hideous war crimes in what we have always believed to be the right way. In so doing, he restored America’s international credibility and a belief in the possibility of Western leadership.
Labour anti-Semitism row reignites as senior figures split over Ken Livingstone expulsion
John McDonnell and Emily Thornberry gave diverging views in back-to-back interviews
The Atlantic alliance faces its hardest task
The West is finally cobbling together a policy for dealing with Bashar al-Assad. The decision not to support the Syrian resistance in 2013 allowed Russia to fill the void, prop up the regime and nudge it towards victory. But the alleged use of chemical weapons last week demanded a reaction.
4-8-17
The next terror attack in a jail is waiting to happen
The government asked me to look into the growing threat behind bars. Is the system brave enough to deal with it?
Give parents choice over children’s future
It is a fundamental tenet of being a Tory that a citizen should be free to spend their taxed income according to their own beliefs and aspirations
4-7-17
Meet the London bankers voting for Le Pen
With weeks to go until the French presidential election, the London branch of Marine Le Pen’s Front National are working hard. In the unlikely setting of a room above a pub near Farringdon Station, Le Pen’s supporters meet regularly to discuss their candidate’s chances.
School holidays and parent power
The Supreme Court upheld the law which states parents must send their children to school during term time unless they are ill or are being home educated to an agreed standard and programme.
4-6-17
Mark Reckless’ defection will unleash Tory paranoia in Ukip as it begins a blue purge
Ukip has lost another high-profile member after Mark Reckless announced he was quitting to rejoin the Conservatives.
Is Gove’s education legacy safe with Greening?
The Education Secretary is grappling with reform of the national funding formula for schools at a time when spending on them is under pressure.
Mark Reckless’s defection presents the Tories with a conundrum
Mark Reckless infuriated many Tories when he defected to Ukip. Now, he’s defected again – and made few people happy in the process. The Ukip AM has announced that he is joining the Conservative Group in the Welsh Assembly, where he sits as a regional representative. Not for the first time, he is following in the footsteps of Douglas Carswell – this time by leaving Ukip behind.
Scotland and a homage to Catalonia
We learn from the voice of Alex Salmond and from briefing to papers that the SNP have altered their approach to the EU. Apparently they will now say that were Scotland to have a formal vote to leave the UK, and were voters to vote to leave, Scotland would apply to join EFTA, not the EU, in the first instance.
4-5-17
Dealing with diesel
Government encouraged drivers to switch to it. Now some want to penalise them for doing so.
4-4-17
BBC has no duty to ‘broadly balance’ Brexit reports as referendum is over
The BBC no longer has a duty to provide balanced coverage of Brexit, according to Nick Robinson, presenter of the Today programme.
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Across The Pond is edited daily by Steve Parkhurst. Steve is a political consultant, a writer at his blog as well as a Senior Editor here at US Daily Review. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveParkhurst
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