Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Parliament Approves Windsor Framework -- Yesterday afternoon, the House of Commons held a 90 minute debate on the Windsor Framework, the new proposed deal between the UK and EU over managing the Irish border. The framework creates two traffic lanes for goods coming into Ulster from the rest of the UK: green for goods not leaving Ulster and red for those going on into the EU via the Irish Republic. The MPs then marched through the division lobbies with a seemingly big win for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 515 to 29. Yet the 29 are qualitatively more important because of who they are. Among them are 22 Tories of the European Research Group and the rest members of the Democratic Unionist Party. In other words, Brexit is not completely done. [23 March]
Boris Johnson Publishes Partygate Defense -- Partygate is the name given to the scandal(s) that came out of Number 10 Downing Street when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister. On more than one occasion, parties at the official residence of the PM violated the Covid lock-down rules. People have been fined by the police, including Mr. Johnson. Now, he is under scrutiny from the Privileges Committee for potentially misleading the House of Commons over the matter. He will meet with the committee tomorrow, so today, he published his defense. It amounts to, "yes, I did it. But it was an accident." He is trying to avoid being ousted from the House with that defense. Something, however, has to happen because he has admitted misleading the House. [21 March]
Putin Indicted for War Crimes -- The International Criminal Court has indicted Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for war crimes. Specifically, he is charged with illegal deportation of children. This is a nasty crime, but it is not the most severe that Mr. Putin has committed in the opinion of this journal. Starting a war of aggression, as per the Nuremberg standards, would top a list of charges that stem from that initial crime. Nevertheless, it is something. One does not expect he will ever stand trial in the Hague, but it is important to point out what he is doing. [20 March]
Macron Raises French Retirement Age by Decree -- This journal has, by and large, been supportive of Emmanuel Macron, the President of the French Republic. A competent technocrat of the center, he has done things that make perfect sense for his country. In his latest move, though, he has lost the thread. Yesterday, he raised the retirement age of French citizens to 64 from 62. That is not the problem, though. What one finds irksome is his decision to do it by decree rather than letting the National Assembly vote on it. This was a perfectly sound move constitutionally, but as a political maneuver, it undermines the credibility of the government. Fires in the Place de la Concorde and 120 arrested protesters (so far) are just the beginning one fears. [17 March]
UK Chancellor Offers Budget for the Rich -- Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced his budget for Britain yesterday. Despite an increase in corporate taxes (from a Conservative government no less), the budget favors the rich and well-off. There is not much in the budget that is grounded in economic reality. Britain is short of workers, but the two obvious solutions are ignored. Immigration is going to be restricted, and higher salaries and wages are not government policy matters save for a minimum wage. The cap on pension saving, currently a million quid, is lifted. Not many people on minimum wage will ever have to worry about that. Free child care is a great idea, but the offer is only for 30 hours a week maximum while most full-time jobs require 40 hours a week. In the end, this budget is steady as it goes, at best. [16 March]
© Copyright 2023 by The Kensington Rview, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux
20 Years Online
Volume XXI, Number 47
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