Tel. +44 (0)20 7287 4414
Email. info@brugesgroup.com
Tel. +44 (0)20 7287 4414
Email. info@brugesgroup.com
The Bruges Group spearheaded the intellectual battle to win a vote to leave the European Union and, above all, against the emergence of a centralised EU state.
The Bruges Group spearheaded the intellectual battle to win a vote to leave the European Union and, above all, against the emergence of a centralised EU state.
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Bruges Group Blog

Spearheading the intellectual battle against the EU. And for new thinking in international affairs.
UK_US Natural Partners

The EU has blown it: even Labour now prefers a trade deal with America

The bloc must tear up its post-Brexit script or risk letting the US swoop in and carry Britain awayby  Andrew Evans-Pritchard  If the EU seriously wishes to draw Britain closer into its commercial and political sphere, it will have to tear up the post-Brexit script and abandon the punitive pedantry of the last eight years. Otherwise it ri...

  259 Hits
handshake-36806_1280 More than an agreement.

Explanation of the forthcoming EU-UK Defence and Security Pact 2025,

 1. The Labour Government intends to conclude a 'defence and security pact' ('The Pact') with the EU next year and the likelihood is 'almost certain'. No events which would prevent this pact are currently anticipated. The only factors which might delay or even prevent would be UK public outrage which would require public awareness and/or US Go...

  476 Hits
ai-generated-8629744_128_20240731-105916_1 Downward Trajectory?

The Downward Trajectory of American Politics

Not since the assassination attempt of the late US President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., has there been an attempt on the life of a president or presidential nominee prior to last week. A 20-year-old male with no criminal history borrowed his father's rifle, made his way onto the roof of a warehouse 150 yards from where former President Dona...

  954 Hits
montgomeryandthebattleofthebulge

Montgomery and the Battle of the Bulge

16th December 1944, western Europe. Hitler launches his last great gamble in the west. Fanatical Nazi soldiers were unleashed on unsuspecting Americans resting far away from where they thought the fighting would take place. The Battle of the Bulge was underway. This film explains the key role that the controversial victor of El-Alamein, Field Marsh...

  1352 Hits
laundry Off to the Laundry!

Why the UAE is Becoming a Liability

The United Arab Emirates is causing increasing concern in democratic capitals. Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted western nations to impose sanctions on them. The purpose was to constrain Russia's ability to wage an illegal war through economic sanctions. Although a bullies appetite is never sated this has not deterred the UAE and to a lesser ex...

  854 Hits
justice-7304992_128_20240509-125538_1 Skewed Justice is not Justice

European Convention & Court of Human Rights

Other reasons for getting out  I have put together some material which I think should help to get the UK out of the ECHR completely and thus, also, enable us to stop the small boats. The failure to achieve this has been given as a major reason for the Tories' forthcoming debacle. There are plenty of people, even in Parliament, who are upset ab...

  1569 Hits
ghost-ship-8306430_1280 Democracy Heading for the Rocks

Democracy on the Rocks?

The Tory party having abandoned Conservatism is now drifting like a metaphorical Marie Celeste. From the Heroic 80 seats to a potential near zero. An updated story of "From Hero to Zero". Rishi Sunak having usurped the leadership plays Captain Ahab uninterested in the calamity he has unleashed. The plan is working he cries while the Tempest rages. ...

  1618 Hits
greenintoothandclawbooks

The polish comes off Davos, but the Great Reset continues

Is the World Economic Forum's annual shindig in the Swiss Alps becoming an embarrassment?As more and more people wake up to the hypocrisy of those preaching from the podium and the dystopian designs of the Great Reset, the air is chilling. Yet the show must go on. The WEF may be floundering, as observed by James Pinkerton in the 'Rise and Fall of D...

  1434 Hits
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Supply Chain Warriors

Successful American and British military action against Houthi targets in Yemen may not achieve positive results without negative consequences. There are four seas that rule the supply chain world - the Caspian and its link to the Black Sea with its waterway to the Mediterranean with its canal to the Red Sea. This is a lot more than grain and oil b...

  1247 Hits
Shuttle Get Back to Where You Once Belonged

Get Back to Where You Once Belonged

A year ago, I wrote suggesting that many of the current Conservative MPs would rue the day they ditched Boris. The blog was published in October 2022, and identified three key reasons why people had voted Conservative in the 2019 election: (1) Boris's call to 'get Brexit done' – this reflected the national mood when 'leave' won the referendum in 20...

  1465 Hits
Berlin Lessons Learned?

Has Germany Learned from its Past?

Germany is a relatively young country. Created as a 'Customs Union' it quickly became an Empire as Bismark consolidated power through a war with France. In 1871 all members of the Zoll Union became provinces of the Empire, with the exception of Luxembourg whose ruling Duke opted out. Bismarck introduced reforms such as health insurance, but mainly ...

  1207 Hits
leopard-7745548_128_20231208-143835_1 Ukraine War

The war drags on

The Ukraine war drags on. It nearly ended in 2022, but the adversaries thought better of anything so untidy as a peace treaty. Since then, thousands of lives have been lost in an internecine struggle where intransigence has become policy and revenge a war aim. Montgomery cautioned the USA in the 1960s that its war in Vietnam was "insane" because it...

  1131 Hits
spider-155449_1280 The Spiders and the Web

The Spiders and the Web

Are Israel and the West walking into a trap? In this increasingly binary, digital and divided world people are encouraged to take sides on almost anything and respond to events, people and actions emotionally rather than objectively. Israel's response to unspeakable acts of terror against its civilians has resulted in death and injury to women, chi...

  1361 Hits
flag-1040565_1280 The Commonwealth of Nations

North and South in a new geopolitical dichotomy

.What used to be East and West is now the global North and South in a new geopolitical dichotomy. While not strictly ideologically divided, the ascendancy of (southern) BRICS members being largely economic, they and the whole Global South are increasingly defined politically according to their perceived history. Much is spoken about multipolarity b...

  1451 Hits
G12 Is Freedom Under Threat?

The Elites: Myth or Reality?

The word 'elites' has come to mean a shorthand for 'the powers that be', which may include or be separate from and above one's elected representatives including international regulators that dictate to and restrict governments. This comprising an embryonic world government for whom and for which no one voted. According to various conspiracy theorie...

  1613 Hits
RO-Book World War II The First Culture War

World War II The First Culture War

Robert Oulds new book, 'World War II The First Culture War', is a remarkable literary accomplishment. This is history of a different sort. It looks in detail at nations, cultures and people and examines the reasons for events. Rather than a catalogue, with endless references, of events, it examines the reason for the event(s). When the events thems...

  1764 Hits
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Affairs are now soul size

Why do bad men do bad things? Because they are mad, that is the modern explanation. But 'mad' is just English for 'I don't understand.' It's become common wisdom that all religious belief from Animism to Zoroastrianism is wrong, loopy and solely responsible for mankind's atrocities; but it's the irrationality and inhumanity of worldly wisemen that ...

  1272 Hits
UK-EU-fight

'The European Project is Making People Poorer'

Have we in the UK been getting steadily poorer year-on-year over 46 years in the "European Project" [the EEC and then the EU] than if the UK had been out? What is the evidence? Remainers claim "We're better off in". But is it true? And if "We're better off out" people should know. The UK is tipped to overtake Germany and become the largest economy ...

  10841 Hits
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The Persistence Of Memory

The Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki is carefully guarded. The man who let us in the outer door asked where we were from; it may have been more than polite interest. The inner door was electronically operated by another watchman in a shadowy cubbyhole. The first room held stone fragments from the centuries-old 80-acre Jewish cemetery outside the city'...

  1338 Hits
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Greece's Vampire Squid Rings

In 2010 journalist Matt Taibbi shot to a new level of prominence with his 'vampire squid' label for Goldman Sachs '… relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.' Greece's Establishment has chosen to use that as a model. In a moment, we will look at the official scam known as 'Hercules'. As with the concentration of p...

  1343 Hits
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Greece's New Democracy

From Our Man In Thessaloniki Greeks go to the polls on Sunday to elect their national legislature. Voting is compulsory, even for Greeks abroad (as so many are, since the economy crashed), but the obligation is not enforced and the turnout in 2019 was less than 58%. Foreigners who are permanently resident may also take part (something that our Sir ...

  1381 Hits
Ten The Government are Not Listening

European Scrutiny Committee Letter To Rishi Sunak

European Scrutiny CommitteeHouse of Commons London SW1A 0AATel (020) 7219 3292 Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.parliament.uk/escom From: Sir William Cash MP 15 May 2023 Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP Prime Minister10 Downing StreetLondon SW1A 2AA Change in Government policy on Retained EU Law and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill Dear P...

  1671 Hits
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Out pops the cloven hoof

Yesterday (Thursday 11 May) was a wonderful demonstration of why we are blessed to have a sovereign Parliament. The Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch had informed the Press before telling Parliament about the decision to remove the deadline for abolishing hampering EU legislation. Coming to the House to explain, she began with an unfortunate turn of...

  1373 Hits
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A tale of three seas

 Three seas and two waterways comprise what is arguably the most important geopolitical hub on the planet. The Black Sea, Mediterranean and Red Sea are joined by the Bosporus and the Suez Canal as a vital trade and security crossroads connecting Europe with the MENA countries and Asia. During the Cold War the Black Sea was dominated by the War...

  1723 Hits
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What is the EU for?

The EU has never quite decided on its mission statement and this has caused difficulties for itself and for us, even after our withdrawal. Its deepest roots lie in the desire to prevent a repeat of World War One. At the fateful Versailles peace conference in 1919 the French minister of commerce and industry, assisted by Jean Monnet, was seeking Eur...

  1285 Hits
houses-of-parliament-4444870_1920 Royal Republic

The Struggle for Liberty

As we approach the Coronation we can expect much malign and ill-informed comment from people who do not understand our political system. One reason for their ignorance will be the deplatforming of speakers who could put them right, such as the redoubtable David Starkey, shunned by the woke for their misrepresentation of an impatient and infelicitou...

  1463 Hits
stop-1001138_1920 Time for honesty and courage

Has Anyone the Courage to Lead?

Since the referendum governments have squandered opportunity. We should be in a strong position, but a combination of Pro EU Tories, the Blob and the Civil Service has put democracy at risk. The daily attacks on Brexit citing idiotic opinion polls, demonstrate a determination by the opponents of democracy to take us back into the EU whatever the co...

  2185 Hits
europe-3256079_1920 EU Laws are Holding Back British Growth

Rishi Sunak Must Rip Up EU Laws Immediately to Deliver on Brexit’s Promise

The Bruges Group is pleased to republish this article by Barnabas Reynolds  Brussels' rules are prescriptive and controlling, and are holding back British growth The Prime Minister must restore Britain's sovereignty over our laws The Government is seeking the power to remove some of the vast swathes of EU-inherited law by the end of 2023 in it...

  2251 Hits
lifeboats-6590295_1920 Wasted UK Money & Resources

Nothing is Done

In the Middle Ages, before the widespread use of gunpowder, the moat of a castle was an effective means of defence. Although the age of castles as strongholds is long gone we in this country have one trusty moat which has protected us for centuries, and I have often remarked, when contemplating history, and indeed modern threats, "Thank God for the...

  1794 Hits
big-ben-2007165_1920 Freedom

PATRIOTISM AND FREEDOM
A libertarian defence of national sovereignty

Three quarters of a century ago, when Britain was fighting for her life and the freedom of Europe, no important body of opinion would have questioned the value of patriotism or the importance of preserving and cherishing our nationhood as a focus of resistance to Nazi totalitarianism. Pride in our heritage, our sense of connection with the past and...

  3524 Hits
Chris-Heaton-Harris

HeatON-Harris to Deliver on Protocol - The Union is Under Threat

The appointment of Chris-Heaton Harris as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was greeted warmly by unionists, ever hopeful that at long last we would have a Secretary of State who cared as much about protecting the rights of unionists as those of nationalists. Moreover, there was a great hope that this UK Government would break with the sy...

  3375 Hits
Union-Jack-bunting-on-Shankhill-Road

The Northern Irish Protocol Must Go Now

The Acts of Union is the present constitutional foundation of the United Kingdom. As the late Lord Trimble, the unionist architecture of the Belfast Agreement, said: The Acts of Union is the Union. The Northern Ireland Protocol "subjugates" (in the words of the Court of Appeal) Article VI of the Acts of Union, and therefore it follows that it subju...

  3252 Hits
the-statue-of-liberty-2602636_1920 Liberty under attack

Libertarians Are Not Our Friends

In a very revealing article many years ago called "Why I am Not a Conservative," a very famous libertarian let the cat out of the bag. He loudly denounced the argument for tradition and custom by calling for a form of anything goes liberalism and atheism. Some go even further, coming close to anarchy with their complete opposition to the state and ...

  2102 Hits
janus Duplicity

We are being hoodwinked (again) by the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

 The following analysis by Ben Habib is reprinted from: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/ben-habib-we-are-being-hoodwinked-again-by-the-northern-ireland-protocol-bill-3750685 Ben Habib is a Newspaper Columnist and former Brexit Party MEP I am having a profound sense of déjà vu. In 2019 I said the Prime Minister's oven ready deal was a...

  7691 Hits
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door-1587863_1920 Bolted Door

KNOCKING AT THE EU’s DOOR

 Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first Minister, has been banging on, yet again, about holding another referendum on Scottish independence and is proposing to hold a plebiscite during October 2023. This is despite the fact she lost the so-called 'once in a lifetime' independence referendum in 2014. If the people of Scotland go mad and vote to break...

  1950 Hits
london-453099 Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

REPORT BY LEGAL STAR CHAMBER ON NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL BILL

Sir William Cash MPRt Hon David Jones MPMartin Howe QCBarnabas Reynolds The constitutional and legal position of the United Kingdom in relation to the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland (the "Protocol") is founded on Section 38 of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 ("EUWAA 2020"). There are also pertinent issues relating to international ...

  1996 Hits
A-Coughlan A festschrift for Anthony Coughlan

A festschrift for Anthony Coughlan: Essays on sovereignty and democracy, edited by Frank Keoghan, Ruan O’Donnell & Michael Quinn, hardback, 159 pages, ISBN 978-0-09955975-2-5, Iontas Press, 2018.

Anthony Coughlan is known to most of us for his heroic work for the National Platform of Ireland, which campaigns for Ireland's independence from the EU. As Michael Quinn writes, "He has tirelessly campaigned against the centralising and unaccountable EU bureaucracy; articulating instead the alternative case for a Europe of independent and co-opera...

  5149 Hits
margaret-thatcher-67746_1920 Margret Thatcher

BARONESS THATCHER, THE GREATEST

The day of writing this article is the 16th May, which was the birthday of Bertram Edward Bennett (Bertie Bennett to all who knew him), who was my father. He was Born in the slums of Birmingham in 1915. As a young man and being a devoted socialist, he joined the Communist Party who promptly told him he should also join and infiltrate the Labour Par...

  1799 Hits
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Is globalisation defunct?

Is there a need for a rethink of the 21st century direction of travel of globalisation, the concept of a global village, 4IR, communitarianism and supranationalism, as conceived at the end of the previous century? Vulnerabilities of scale The devastating impact of the pandemic on economics, trade, logistics and the global supply chain, plus the imp...

  2407 Hits
Anglo-American280

The United States and Europe Redefined

It is past time to re-evaluate key U.S. assumptions about Europe and the European Union.  For far too long, America and Europe have had a very one-sided relationship. It is like a codependent marriage, in which one partner sacrifices his or her own needs for those of the spouse. That person's actions will completely revolve around the other pe...

  2812 Hits
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Revealed: EU did not fully stop arms sales to Russia until recently

Toothless EU 2014 embargo on export of weapons to Russia finally enforced on 8 April 2022  Removal of loophole covered up by EU – not mentioned in latest sanctions press release In our previous report of 25 March on EU arms sales to Russia between 2014-2020 we revealed how a clause allowed weapons contracts to continue to be fulfilled if they ...

  2438 Hits
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Klaus Schwab’s Tower of Babel

The European Union and Davos-style globalism is saturating the globe on all continents. It pretends to make the world a better place. It does no such thing.  The Tower of Babel was real. The structure, reaching far into the skies, was built in the land of Shinar, in ancient Babylon. It was constructed some years after the Deluge, or what is co...

  5092 Hits

Will the EU ever say ‘thank you’ to the United Kingdom for defending its territory?

RAF deploys fighter jets and Expeditionary Air Wing personnel to EU's Romania.  Once again, Brexit Britain flies to the protection of the EU On Saturday the Ministry of Defence announced that British Typhoon jets and Royal Air Force personnel are deploying to Romania. They will operate as part of NATO's 'Air Policing mission' for the Black Sea...

  2413 Hits
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EU sanctions busted by the French again

 While others close their Russian doors, French tills in Russia keep ringing. French companies find reasons to do business in Russia while British companies pull out Economic sanctions from Western nations were meant to send a message to President Putin: Stop the war and withdraw from Ukraine. The French are ignoring world opinion. Many busine...

  2033 Hits
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British consistency makes it No.1 for Global Soft Power since 2010

Facts4EU.Org presents their review of the major Global Soft Power rankings in the world. Their analysis of these rankings covers every year from the first in 2010 until the latest for 2022. We reviewed the three emerging ranking systems that have over time become more and more detailed and analytical. We started with the Institute of Governmen...

  3634 Hits
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UK Government in chaos as it caves to EU again

Backs down on NI Protocol, then withdraws proposed rule changes, but wins in Appeals Court.  The Government is busy on Ukraine but what about the integrity of the UK? Despite past assurances of being willing to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol it continues in place after the British Government revealed its true self yesterday. Firstly it ...

  2437 Hits
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Warning: Economic headwinds ahead

The impact of loose monetary policy long after the financial crash reverberations had largely ended and repeated after the worst of the pandemic (creating the worst economic contraction for 300 years) had passed, is now taking its toll on inflation and interest rates. February saw a rash of economic metrics that when consolidated alongside other re...

  2091 Hits
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The House of Cards is a busted flush

The USA is bust. Not officially of course and as Francis Underwood (I know, it was Urquhart first but humour me) would say, "You could say that; I couldn't possibly comment". With Federal Government debt in excess of $30Trillion and debt servicing alone of almost $600Bn per annum, the country is ill prepared in every conceivable way for a protracte...

  1962 Hits
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Immigration and human behaviour

I have been lucky enough to enjoy a 57-year successful career in business. I was also a board member of Business for Sterling and of Vote Leave and before coming to the UK I had some experience in USA politics. One of the things I have learned over the years is that when things are not going well, you might be working on the wrong thing! Another va...

  2441 Hits
Mark-Francois-Bruges-Group

'Spartan Victory' - Interview with Mark Francois MP

"We were the 28 MPs who saved Britain, we saved our nation and this is the inside story of how we did it." The Rt. Hon. Mark Francois MP The Bruges Group led the intellectual debate for Britain to leave the European Union and now we have the story from within, the story of the ERG from an MP who was at the heart of Brexit. 28 Members of Parliament ...

  5030 Hits
tatteredeuflag

Zemmour or more of the same?

With 5 months to go until France goes to the polls to elect their next president, the stalking horses have begun to fall, leaving behind 3 main challengers (including 2 women) to Emmanuel Macron: Marine Le Pen, Valérie Pecrésse and following unprecedented polling prior to confirming his candidacy, Éric Zemmour. Whilst all representing differen...

  2321 Hits
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Go woke go broke

As the sclerosis of wokeism spreads globally ever further and wider, let's take a whistle stop tour of some of the latest ridiculousness served up on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. US Democrats hate their own country, UK left follows The left of the American Democratic Party hates its own country. Where once it directed its ire at Donald Trump, ...

  2933 Hits
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COP-out

The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) talked a lot about ending all reliance on fossil fuels. But this ignores the dependency of industry on hydrocarbons. Modern society's ability to feed, clothe, warm itself, and to provide security, education, health, and culture all depend on industry. Wind and solar power depend on fossil fuels, s...

  2492 Hits

Letter to Berlaymont: Discord in the union and the European Parliament group leaders' letter

Since the European Parliament's lawsuit against Commission President von der Leyen over the Polish Court decision, the stand off between two of the three major institutions of the European Union has reached new heights, with the decisions by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), not to mention the Polish border crisis, setting the agenda. In both it...

  2443 Hits
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Forget the sermons - first read the small print

Since before the 2016 referendum and continuing non-stop, those against GB leaving the EU including - Joe Biden and other US Democrats , most EU bureaucrats, several European politicians (particularly the French) and of course our own Re-joiners - have been pursuing the following rhetoric: "You must not go against or interfere with the 19...

  2245 Hits
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Strasbourg Calling! Is the European Parliament growing its teeth - or is it the new Shadow Commission?

The decision by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal that the national constitution has primacy over EU law - a decision supported by the PiS government - has sent shockwaves around the EU establishment. The Tribunal decided that Articles 1 and 19 - referring to an 'ever closer union', and the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) respectively - ...

  3115 Hits
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The Northern Ireland Protocol: Trigger Article 16!

Where is the evidence that this ruling has saved anyone from being exposed to sub standard or dangerous products? We have heard so much from the EU Big Wigs and European politicians about how important it is to have checks on goods going from one part of the United Kingdom to another – mainland UK to Northern Ireland - it is therefore vital to...

  2270 Hits
Conference-Banner

Liberty Zone at Party Conference

At Conservative Party Conference this year, we are delighted to be hosting the 'Liberty Zone' on Monday 4th October 2021 at the Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4PF.  We are holding our annual Party Conference event this year alongside Time 4 Recovery, a group set up to pressure the government with oppositi...

  4430 Hits
AUKUS

AUKUS - Time to Raise the Periscope

By Mike Clitherow Wow, so much coverage everywhere of the AUKUS agreement and the outrage in France. Must be the Remoaners dream to be able once again knock their own country and cry for an EU member state. "Those naughty two faced Brexit Brits " they will scream. For me an important point has been completely missed in all media coverage. So n...

  2458 Hits
Bermuda

The AUKUS Agreement Isn’t Perfect

On Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia announced a new trilateral security agreement, 'AUKUS', which has the purpose of improving collaboration in the defense sectors of the signatory countries including collaboration on artificial intelligence, cyber security, quantum technologies as well as undersea ca...

  2806 Hits
Manley

In Conversation with John Manley OC PC - Former Deputy PM of Canada

I had the opportunity to speak to the Honorable John Manley, a long serving Cabinet Minister in the Canadian Government, having served in key posts such as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs – among others. John Manley is also known for having authored the Manley Report on Afghanistan in 2007 and having been...

  3422 Hits
US-Leaving-Afghan

America Retreats - What Next?

Is America's precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan just a temporary setback, or does it signal a strategic retreat, an abdication from its role as world leader? If so, it will leave a gaping void, a vacuum that others will want to step in and fill. To be a world leader a country needs not only muscle (economic, military, demographic) but also a m...

  2900 Hits
China

The CCP and the Taliban - An Unlikely Friendship

The recent withdrawal of the U.S. and its ally forces from Afghanistan has been nothing short of being consequential. The ambiguity of Afghanistan's future has already been deemed a loss for the U.S. thanks to extensive media coverage and the Taliban's rapid conquest of the nation, despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken declaring it a successful...

  2760 Hits
CP

In Conversation with the Hon. Christopher Pyne

Kendall O'Donnell and I, as contributors representing The Bruges Group, had the opportunity to speak to the Honorable Christopher Pyne, a long-serving former Cabinet Minister in the Australian Government, holding portfolios ranging from Education to Defence. We spoke on matters ranging from the domestic, such as Australia's Covid policy and the nat...

  3065 Hits
Eisenhower

Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

My fellow Americans: Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor. This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts wit...

  3772 Hits
US Capitol Building The US Capitol Building in Summer 2015. Photograph by Author.

As Midterms loom, the GOP is in good shape.

National elections are never far away in the United States, and while even the most disinterested of foreign observers is aware that Presidents are elected on a quadrennial basis, fewer may grasp the significance of the 'Midterms' - in which, every two years, one third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives must submit to the verdict...

  3241 Hits
Xi

Why ‘Wolf Warrior’ Foreign Policy is the New Status Quo for Beijing

Xi Jinping's acceleration of the shift towards an increasingly jingoistic Chinese foreign policy reflects a strengthening of Xi's position in China. Throughout the past 12 months, Chinese foreign policy has changed course in an aggressive manner. China spread propaganda about Australian soldiers committing war crimes in the Middle East and lashed o...

  3638 Hits
Jim-Gilmore

Interview with Ambassador Jim Gilmore

Kendall O'Donnell and I had the opportunity to speak to Jim Gilmore, former US Ambassador to the OSCE, Governor of Virginia, and Chairman of the Republican National Committee, among other roles. We spoke on matters international, regional, and domestic, on topics stretching from President Biden's foreign policy, European security and the EU's role ...

  4802 Hits
US Skyline

Why the United States Needs to Re-think Ideas Such as the Wolfowitz Doctrine When Thinking About Dealing with China

A new consensus: Why the United States needs to re-think ideas such as the Wolfowitz Doctrine when thinking about dealing with China  The U.S.A. is no longer in a position of primacy in the Indo-Pacific; to regain hegemony, it must alter its policies. U.S foreign policy, ever since the tenure of President Woodrow Wilson and his famous 14 point...

  4325 Hits
Land-of-Hope-and-Glory

Land of Hope and Glory

How the Commonwealth of Nations Can Become the Most Innovative Bloc in the World  By Alexander Flint Mitchell MSc Dissertation for Business Innovation with EntrepreneurshipBirkbeck, University of London2020 ABSTRACT Much has been written on the three topics of the literature review of this thesis: innovation, the Commonwealth of Nations' ...

  3191 Hits
Sir-Bernard-Jenkin

‘The Future of the Union’, Sir Bernard Jenkin MP

Panelists: Barry Legg (Chair), Lord Dodds of Duncairn, Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, James Webber Barry Legg, Chairman of the Bruges Group: Our next speaker is Bernard Jenkin. Bernard is Chairman of the House of Commons Liaison Committee, on which all select committee chairmen sit. Previously, he was Chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee,...

  3264 Hits
RC

The 'Build Back Better' Charter

The new Atlantic Charter, signed by the Prime Minister and President Biden as a 'reaffirmation' of the Special Relationship, is a somewhat mixed bag. The Atlantic Charter of 1941 envisioned a postwar world order we're all too familiar with, from respecting national sovereignty and democracy overseas to the aim of lowering tariffs. This 'New' Atlant...

  3257 Hits
Reagan-Berlin

"Tear Down This Wall": How Reagan Changed the World

Today marks 34 years since one of the most memorable and historic speeches ever made by a US President, and one that changed the course of history, it is of course when President Reagan stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and told General Secretary Gorbachev to "tear down this wall". Now as we face today's challenges, our leaders shoul...

  5382 Hits
Royal-Court

A Sad and Sorry Page for British Justice

Alexander Adamescu is to be extradited from the UK to Romania, on an accusation of having, with his late father Dan Adamescu, bribed judges in Romania in 2013, in a case concerning a construction company. He asserts that the real reason is political - that his father and he controlled an opposition newspaper, Romania Libera, and Romanian Prosecutor...

  3273 Hits
Wind

Fish, Vaccines and Wind

By Professor James Blyth The Fishing Saga The story of the UK's fishing rights scarcely needs re-telling, but it is well worth remembering. They are part of the internationally agreed economic resources of the UK, and are located primarily within the North Sea and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. They fall within the UK's exclusive economic zone (EEZ),...

  2869 Hits
Billy-Vunipola-BLM

Why There's No Room for Politics in Sport

There are some things in life that should never mix, pineapple and pizza, baking soda and vinegar, but perhaps more than both of those examples is sport and politics! This last year has emphasised that more than anything, from taking the knee before every single sporting event to the supposedly controversial opinion of male athletes competing in wo...

  7133 Hits
Irexit

Coughlan Hollowing Out

The hollowing out of Irish independence: how the Irish people were made citizens of an EU Federation, by Anthony Coughlan, pamphlet, 16 pages, The National Platform, January 2021. The indefatigable Anthony Coughlan has produced another fine contribution to the debates about Brexit, Irexit and the EU. He is a lifelong campaigner for Irish independen...

  3116 Hits
UVDL

von der Leyen’s Götterdämmerung

Twilight of the Gods" was Richard Wagner's last in the cycle of music dramas called, "The Ring of Nibelung," which is based on old Norse mythology prophesying war among beings and gods that results in the burning and remaking of the world. It is always deeply dissatisfying when a negative prediction comes true—especially predictions which are meant...

  3548 Hits
JPB

Obituary: Jens-Peter Bonde (March 27th 1948 - April 4th 2021)

By Morten Dam  The long serving eurosceptic stalwart and Danish MEP from 1979 until 2008 has passed away. After a time of illness he died in Arresødal Hospice in the north of Zealand, Denmark. Jens-Peter Bonde has been an influential eurosceptic voice for over a decade. He was a founder of Danish People's Movement Against EU in 1972 and has be...

  3457 Hits
Todd-Muller

Interview with New Zealand MP, Todd Muller: CANZUK and More

I had the opportunity to speak to Todd Muller, MP for the Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand, the Opposition National Party's Spokesperson (Shadow Minister) for Trade, Export Growth, and Internal Affairs, and the Former Leader of the Opposition. We spoke on matters international and domestic, concerning Britons, New Zealanders, and hi...

  3017 Hits
trade

The UK’s post-Brexit Role within the Indo-Pacific Strategy Debate

The term 'Indo-Pacific' first came into practical use by the British Government in the 1960s during the height of the empire's process of decolonisation. As a strategy, it sought to conceive what the UK's position within the region would be as the country gradually withdrew its influence there. The structural constraints of the Cold War—which had m...

  3314 Hits
Uyghur

Our Product Consumption Should Not Come at the Expense of Uyghurs' Freedom

Many of us have been saddened to learn of the atrocious inhumane treatment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang over recent months. Although constantly denied by the CCP, evidence of genocide is undeniable. The CCP claim they are offering 're-education camps' to Uyghurs, said to offer family planning programmes and...

  4268 Hits
Ben-Habi_20210211-002626_1

In Conversation with Ben Habib: Brexit, Lockdown and China

I caught up with former Brexit Party MEP, Ben Habib who now runs the pressure group 'Unlocked', campaigning for an end to lockdown and highlighting the economic and social damage of remaining in lockdown. You can watch the full conversation on YouTube, with links to the videos throughout or digest a condensed summary on each question and debate poi...

  7395 Hits
President-Trump

With the Anglosphere Champion Gone from the Oval Office, We Shall Have to Lump it for Four Long Years

In November, Nigel Farage tweeted, "Biden hates the UK," https://twitter.com/nigel_farage/status/1325166010106851328?lang=en. That statement may have been deliberately unnuanced for effect, but it contains more than an element of truth. So too, many on this side of the Atlantic wonder if Biden, hell bent to roll back the policies of his predecessor...

  5353 Hits
EU-defence-

The Deal’s Backdoor Route to Defence Entanglement

The Government's deal with the EU coupled with last-minute law changes in Brussels produce a new set of legal obligations which will renew concerns about UK involvement in 'Military EU'. Why was the Brexit vote actually a reprieve for the remain campaigning establishment? Because it meant they would never have to explain the arrival of EU mili...

  4671 Hits
Shipbuilding

How a Legal Mystery Reveals the Continuing EU Threat to UK Shipbuilding

For years, politicians and industry associations have claimed that the UK can simply ignoring EU defence contract rules which require an international competition where the cheapest bid wins. If the rules were rigid, UK defence and shipbuilding industry would lose many UK Government contract overseas. But the rules are not rigid, they have always c...

  4270 Hits
AstraZeneca

The EU’s Vaccine Nationalism Must Not Be Tolerated in a Global Crisis

For all the grand declarations of "new beginnings for old friends", Ursula von der Leyen's most recent assault on the British people again exposed the wolf behind the wool. Despite the midnight back-track, the fact that the European Commission had believed itself justified to announce plans for a vaccine export ban, cannot be easily forgiven. Those...

  8029 Hits
USA-election

Counting the Votes

Back in the late 1990's my then regular watering hole was closed for a full refurbishment, which was received with much dismay by the regulars as pub refurbishments always meant a complete revamp and the ruination of a favourite place to meet friends over a pint or two. During this period all the regulars set up home in the bar of a local hotel nea...

  3332 Hits
lorries-at-Belfast-port

All at Sea

By David Scullion It's been a fortnight since the Northern Ireland Protocol was introduced and yesterday in parliament the DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson secured an Urgent Question on the problems it has caused in that short time. Responding, Michael Gove (who privately hinted to Brexiteer MPs it would never be introduced) said that there had been "c...

  3741 Hits
Tags:
Sturgeon-and-von-der-Leyen

Sturgeon's Desperate Bid to Beg von der Leyen for EU Membership

By Richard Percival  Nicola Sturgeon has been pestering President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen and other Brussels officials with letters and emails in a desperate attempt to get Scotland to rejoin the EU, leaked correspondence seen by Express.co.uk shows.  About 25 letters and emails released under Freedom of Infor...

  3345 Hits
Boris-Johnson

We Got Brexit Done!

The Bruges Group Statement on Britain's EU Exit  https://www.brugesgroup.com/blog/statement-on-britain-s-eu-exit ERG Star Chamber Legal Analysis The full text of the Star Chamber's analysis of the trade deal https://lawyersforbritain.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ERG-Legal-Advisory-Committee-Opinion-on-EU-UK-Trade-and-Cooperation-Agreeme...

  5211 Hits
Brexiteer-MPs

Are Brexiteer MPs Happy?

By David Scullion There was expectation of a Brexit trade deal announcement on Sunday night, but then we were told the differences between the two sides were too great to bridge. Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen, the EU commission President, spoke on the phone and, we're told, asked both of their negotiating teams to work out what the big dif...

  3596 Hits
Sammy-Wilson

Sammy Wilson MP: UK’s Trade Deal With The EU Must Live Up To Brexit Promises

By The Rt. Hon. Sammy Wilson MP - DUP Member of Parliament for East Antrim  As the U.K. edges toward a final deal on its future relationship with the European Union, it is important that we ensure the agreement delivers on what was promised. Already it is clear that last year's Withdrawal Agreement was fatally flawed. It leaves Bruss...

  3136 Hits
Sir-John-Redwood

Sir John Redwood: Biden, Brexit and Lockdown 2.0

Starting with the implications of the second lockdown, the former Cabinet Minister said it will be damaging for the economy though not as damaging as last time. The virus should be taken seriously – and treatments should be sought etc. – but let's get life back to normal for those free from the disease or not at much risk, he said. Sir John hopes t...

  3564 Hits
MAGA

Why Donald Trump is on the Way to Another Victory

President Trump will win big since Republican voters are super energised and are turning out in massive numbers to vote for him, on the other hand Democrat voters are not enthused by the incompetent and senile 'Sleepy' Joe Biden. The polls that predict Biden is winning the US election so far, which is already underway, assume that there's...

  4750 Hits
President-Trump-Union-Jack

Why the UK Needs a Trump Victory

As the US general election approaches, it is very much in our interests on who wins, there are some people in the Conservative Party suggesting it would be beneficial for Joe Biden to be inaugurated and to walk into the White House on 20th January, following the US general election next week. However, I think there'd be nothing worse than Mr B...

  6211 Hits
Britain outside Europe; The need for a fundamental, multilateral based UK Indo-Pacific Policy

Britain outside Europe; The need for a fundamental, multilateral based UK Indo-Pacific Policy

By stating that the UK should prepare for a no-deal Brexit as both sides refused to compromise, the Rt Hon Michael Gove produced a shattering rebuke to Macron's hardliner posture over the negotiations. This change of tone from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster exhibits an overdue realisation that Britain must have a plan for all eventualitie...

  4090 Hits
Felixstowe Felixstowe

Independent Trade arbitration is a right, so why is the EU flouting it?

As negotiations began the week of an EU summit on the 15th October, there was talk of the EU pressing their chief negotiator Michel Barnier to insist on tough enforcement rules for any UK trade deal. This came as a result of their shock to the Internal Market Bill, yet while any dispute resolution mechanism is normal for any trade deal, the words '...

  3074 Hits
UkK R&D UK R&D

The UK desperately needs a breakthrough in R&D, but Europe isn’t the catalyst for change

Perpetual doom and gloom for British science as a result of uncertainty with our relationship with Europe is the mood in the FT this week. The paper recently reported that research and development (R&D) collaboration by British businesses under the EU's research grant scheme has halved since 2016. But contrary to the FT's personal Project Fear ...

  3760 Hits

The EU’s hypocrisy over the Internal Markets bill is clear, but shouldn’t come as a surprise

wIf the past few weeks have shown us anything it is that if the EU still sees itself as a peace project, then its view of itself is as misguided as it's regard for international law. As threats from the Commission, mainly Maros Sefcovic, to look at 'all legal options' against the Internal Market bill grew, you can easily pass over the fact that the...

  3384 Hits

Contact us

Director : Robert Oulds
Tel: 020 7287 4414
Chairman: Barry Legg
 
The Bruges Group
246 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street
London W1B 5TB
United Kingdom
KEY PERSONNEL
 
Founder President :
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven LG, OM, FRS 
Vice-President : The Rt Hon. the Lord Lamont of Lerwick,
Chairman: Barry Legg
Director : Robert Oulds MA, FRSA
Washington D.C. Representative : John O'Sullivan CBE
Founder Chairman : Lord Harris of High Cross
Head of Media: Jack Soames