Across the Pond by Steve Parkhurst

Week of Jul 17 – 23

Read Time:3 Minute, 58 Second

By Steve Parkhurst, Senior Editor,  USDR.

Looking at the news and opinion out of London each  day.

7-17-18

‘Not what people voted for!’ IDS rejects May’s deal in fiery interview with Piers Morgan

Leading Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith trashed Theresa May’s Brexit proposals despite claiming he supports the Prime Minister’s leadership as he belittled calls for a second  referendum.

Reform business rates to increase entrepreneurship

They are rated as the taxes which are most harmful to rates of enterprise, above all others. We would all gain from improving how they  work.

Corbyn is about to win the battle for Labour’s soul, and it will change the party forever

Jeremy Corbyn’s mission to place power in the hands of Labour members is almost  complete

7-18-18

The Norway option is the only thing left that will save Brexit – but Theresa May will have to go first

Here is a good question, posed by Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, in the Commons on Monday: “Who is running Britain?” After the dramatic events at Westminster on Tuesday night, the answer is: “Theresa May –  just”.

Trade is mainly about companies and individuals, not governments

The good news is governments need to promote and tolerate trade as well as unfortunately doing their best to harm it. Governments like to tax trade, with excise duties, VAT, other sales taxes and customs dues. This both harms it, but also gives them a rationale to want to promote more of it at the same time.  They like to regulate it for a variety of good and bad reasons. The EU both poses as an advocate of more trade within its zone, and acts as an impediment to more trade outside the zone by imposing a barrage of controls and taxes on items coming in from non EU sources. The US objects to VAT on its sales into the EU, as well as to the higher tariffs like the ones on food  products.

In praise of Labour’s Brexit rebels

So this is what a principled politician looks like. Labour MPs who, despite knowing they would get flak from both Corbynistas and centrists, despite knowing the Stalinist sections of left-wing Twitter would shriek for their deselection, despite knowing they would be paraded online as ‘Tory stooges’ whom all good Labourites have a duty to despise, nonetheless voted with their consciences and rejected an amendment to Theresa May’s trade bill that could have kept Brexit Britain entangled in a customs union with the  EU.

7-19-18

Party preparing about 35 pieces of legislation to be ready to go should it win  power

‘Resilient’ Theresa May protected by ‘threat of Jeremy Corbyn’

Theresa May’s leadership continues to dance on a pin, especially after an intervention from Boris  Johnson

7-20-18

Prison isn’t working: let’s make it about hope not retribution, says Justice Secretary

Prison should “change the lives” of criminals instead of being used solely as a tool for “punishment” and “retribution”, the Justice Secretary has  said.

7-21-18

The sense of betrayal feeds the demand for a no-deal Brexit. Watch this space

The collapse of Mrs May’s Chequers plan, followed by Tuesday’s failure of the Tory Remainers to defeat the government, creates a new situation. Mrs May greatly underestimated the threat to her from the ‘betrayal’ narrative which her plan invites. Two years of getting nowhere have made people long for decision and furious at Brussels dogmatism. There is a new appetite for no delay and for no deal. ‘No deal’ however, is not the right phrase. There is a deal — and we and the member states of the EU are already signed up to it. It is called World Trade Organisation  terms.

What’s eating Elon Musk? Explosive Twitter rant is just the latest setback for the tech billionaire

All too often, it can seem like Elon Musk, 47, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla electric cars and Space X rocket exploration, is in a love-hate relationship with his co-residents on planet  Earth.

7-22-18

Britain will refuse to pay £39 billion divorce bill to Brussels if the EU fails to agree trade deal

Britain will refuse to pay its £39 billion divorce bill to Brussels if the European Union fails to agree a trade deal, the new Brexit Secretary pledges  today.

Anger grows over refusal of Vote Leave’s Dominic Cummings to answer  questions

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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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