The Brexit Crisis and Problem with Absolute Sovereignty: From the loss of the American Colonies and Ireland to Brexit
The Brexit Crisis and Problem with Absolute Sovereignty: From the loss of the American Colonies and Ireland to Brexit Gerry Hassan Bella Caledonia, July 26th 2019 Britain is not only in crisis but under Boris Johnson’s new hardline Brexit government is heading for the rocks and disaster at turbo-charged speed. Yet with wall-to-wall mainstream media commentary on all things Brexit and Boris Johnson, a number of key characteristics are missing. The first is any understanding that Brexit is nearly entirely an English phenomenon and not only that but an expression of virulent, reactionary English nationalism. Secondly is the unpalatable reality
Fear, Loathing and the Problem of ‘Sovereignty’ in the EU Referendum
Fear, Loathing and the Problem of ‘Sovereignty’ in the EU Referendum Gerry Hassan Scottish Review, March 2nd 2016 After years of second guesses and a rising tide of Europhobia and scare stories, finally the UK faces the certainty of a vote on June 23rd on whether or not it remains a member of the European Union. This will be a debate about so much - about how people see Britain and its future, the English question, and the distinctiveness and autonomy of Scotland – all illustrating the absence of any uniform national British politics. The referendum will be dominated by
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The British Obsession with Parliamentary Sovereignty
The British Obsession with Parliamentary Sovereignty Gerry Hassan The Scotsman, January 15th 2011 The curse of the European issue has been slowly re-emerging for the Tory led government after a period of relative quiet and calm. Right-wing voices have stated that the European Union Bill with its Clause 18 defining parliamentary sovereignty is not clear and powerful enough to block the continued encroachment of Brussels into British public life. What then is this thing called parliamentary sovereignty, why are our political classes obsessed with it, and what does this tell us about the health of our democracy? Britain’s parliamentary sovereignty
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