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.
Image
Image
Image
Image

Bruges Group Blog

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

Dangers to National Security and Individual Freedom in Mrs May’s “withdrawal” Agreement

Warning! If voted through, this agreement will be irreversible. Parliament will have bound its successors to the EU, possibly into the next century.   The Outline Political Declaration prefacing this "deal" says we share basic values with other EU nations and reaffirms our commitment to the ECHR. This is supposedly the ideological basis for th...

  9859 Hits

Legal aspects of Brexit as the Brexit deadline of 29th March 2019 draws near

A no deal scenario is by no means a legal or economic vacuum. After the UK leaves as seems increasingly likely it will be in a similar relationship with the EU as is any country outside of the EU (referred to in the EU Treaties as 'third States' or 'third countries').  This research addresses some legal aspects of the Brexit process as it ente...

  5344 Hits

The Withdrawal Agreement's Protocol is neither a 'backstop' nor temporary

MARTIN HOWE QC This article dated November 22nd 2018 appeared in Brexit Central. https://brexitcentral.com/withdrawal-agreements-northern-ireland-protocol-neither-backstop-temporary/ Within the draft Withdrawal Agreement ("WA"), 175 pages consists of a Protocol whose formal title is "Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland", together with 10 detailed ...

  5523 Hits

How Matters Now Stand

Parliament is not allowed to surrender law making to a foreign jurisdiction. Theresa May's withdrawal agreement seeks to hand our right to self-government to the European Union.     The foundation of our democracy lies in the answer to the question: where is the origin of power? The answer is that all power is vested in, and consequently ...

  7233 Hits

Bismarck's Ghost

The spectre of Charlemagne (Karl der Große) has tantalised demagogues in the western part of Eurasia for centuries. The dream of recreating his short-lived empire has cost countless millions of lives. European history is littered with the shades of failed empires. The result of personal egos, they were bound to fail when the egos dimmed. The latest...

  7692 Hits

The New Imperialists

Bright blue flags with the circle of yellow stars, hoisted with the hubris of progressive post-nationalism. The colours don't seem quite right, do they? In London, foreign tourists flock to our historic buildings, where the theme is red, white and royal blue. However, stand across the road from the Remain vigil at Westminster, defiantly waving your...

  4798 Hits

Economic Impact of UK Trade with the EU and Non EU Countries 2000 - 2017

  9621 Hits

It’s time to call the Irish bluff

Amidst the political fallout in the UK following the government's controversial draft Brexit deal, an equally important development in Ireland went relatively unnoticed. During the ruling Fine Gael party's annual conference, foreign minister Simon Coveney confirmed that Ireland has no plans to prepare infrastructure for a hard border with the UK, e...

  6420 Hits

Operation Killing Brexit

A calculated campaign is underway to effectively nullify the 2016 referendum and keep the United Kingdom in the European Union for the foreseeable future. The latest development in this ongoing saga is the attempt by the Prime Minister to extend the transition period bringing it closer to the next General Election in 2022. We all remember that duri...

  6081 Hits

THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE FOR A NO-DEAL BREXIT

Any sort of trade deal with the EU is bound to result in economic meltdown. Here's how and why.  Author: John Poynton This graph shows our Balance of Payments Current Account – in effect our national profit and loss account, comprising mainly but not exclusively of trade – split into two separate components; our trade with the EU (the red line...

  7865 Hits

Democracy

Many of those who insist that the 2016 referendum was only advisory are now demanding a second referendum. If the first one was only advisory, how could a second one not be advisory too? What they mean is that pro-EU MPs and unelected pro-EU peers should make the important decisions in this country, not the uncouth British people, who can't be trus...

  6187 Hits

“We Won’t Get Fooled Again”

  6761 Hits

Perspectives on Reforming the European Union

  5848 Hits

The Draft Withdrawal Agreement: an analysis

Analysis of Theresa May's Brexit proposal.  Can the UK claim to be an independent state? Introduction The current draft of the agreement "on Withdrawal of the UK from the EU and EURATOM" (the "Agreement") can be found here... https://ec.europa.eu/commission/files/draft-agreement-withdrawal-united-kingdom-great-britain-and-northern-ireland-euro...

  13094 Hits

Lest We Forget

For centuries, wool was the mainstay of our economy; so vital that Edward III ordered his Lord Chancellor to sit on the woolsack. Export of raw wool financed trade and new towns. Flemish and Huguenot weavers fleeing European persecution added their skills. By the 16th century, English cloth dominated European markets. It provided the trade good use...

  5189 Hits

It’s not a People’s Vote we need – it’s a People’s Revolt

If - and that's a big if - there were a parliamentary decision in favour of a fresh referendum on the EU, how should the Leave majority respond? Let's ask recalcitrant Remainers to put themselves in our shoes. What incentive would there be to vote again? What faith could Leavers have in the system, if they overcame the odds stacked against them for...

  8615 Hits

Single Market

  7322 Hits

Margin

  5306 Hits

Irish Border Issue

The EU's backstop is not an insurance policy but a trap (Roger Kendrick in BrexitCentral, 22 October.) "The backstop is not an insurance policy which will never be needed or used. It is an ingenious device developed by the EU to create a comprehensive lock on the future trade and regulatory policy of the UK thereby ensuring that the UK would be und...

  5457 Hits

Binding

Oddly, many who insist that the 2016 referendum was only advisory are now calling for a second referendum, for a 'People's Vote'. If the first one was only advisory, how could a second one not be advisory too? What they mean is that pro-EU MPs and unelected pro-EU peers should make the important decisions in this country, not the uncouth British pe...

  4726 Hits

Beer and sovereignty: similar stories of stolen identity

Anyone remember Watney's Red Barrel? This ubiquitous, tasteless brew was a product of the overhaul of the British brewing industry in the 1960s and 70s, as the plethora of local breweries steeped in heritage were systematically bought out by the 'Big Six' of Bass Charrington, Whitbread, Watney Mann, Scottish & Newcastle, Allied and Courage. Up ...

  4093 Hits

Unlocking closed minds

Between the huffing, puffing and wheezing as a group of us old farts peddle away on our stationary bikes in the gym, there is often a lot of banter, especially taking the micky about the football teams each of the chaps support.The reason we are all there at the Heartcare gym is due to all of us having various heart problems or, as in my case, suff...

  4642 Hits

“Gimme Some Truth”

  5225 Hits

Brexit must mean a clean break militarily

Supporters of Brexit have disagreed with each other – sometimes quite vehemently – when it comes to trade issues. Which model shall we go for? WTO? Canada? Norway? Take your pick, but you'll find someone equally committed to Brexit who will tell you that you're wrong. The focus of the Brexit debate has been trade and no one would deny that our futu...

  8368 Hits

Spanner in the Brexit works

In the context of Brexit, things would be so much tidier if it wasn't for Northern Ireland. The province not only obstinately voted Remain, but also inconveniently promises to bring with it a new, uniquely porous, EU land border. If somehow one could leave Northern Ireland as a member of the EU and have the frontier redrawn in the Irish Sea, life w...

  5287 Hits

The Extreme Middle and a New Theocracy

The EU has accused one of its members, Hungary, of not upholding European Values. The EU parliament has voted to 'launch action' against the government of Viktor Orban. There are many charges, but according to Judith Sargentini, the EU parliament's rapporteur on Hungary: The main issue is that Hungarian citizens are losing out on an inclusive democ...

  7141 Hits

Brexit update videos

Steve Baker MP presents five videos updating Brexit and explaining its significance:  1 - Self-government and trade 2 - The Withdrawal Agreement 3 - What is possible: the internal market vs a Free Trade Agreement  4 - What's wrong with Chequers, the Government's plan?  5 - It is time to make an advanced FTA work for the who...

  5862 Hits
b2ap3_large_herbert-image_20200907-071938_1

Cultural Marxists don't like being called Cultural Marxists

The phenomenon of fake news has become a major story in itself. CNN constantly dishing the dirt on Donald Trump with no pretence of impartiality; the Guardian blaming Russian interference for Brexit; conspiracy theories abound. Economy of truth and sensationalism are not new, but undoubtedly the problem has worsened with the internet, which has spa...

  5677 Hits

Addressing the Revolutions

The politics of Europe is such that we have in past centuries witnessed many revolutions of the kind which lead to conflicts.Today, once more, under the "leadership" of the EU we are witnessing another test.The British in their caution and concern are stepping away from the EU in the hope that Brexit will mitigate the creation of the Grand EU monoc...

  8136 Hits

Address to the Bruges Group by the Rt. Hon. Priti Patel MP to mark the 30th Anniversary of Margaret Thatcher`s Bruges Speech

  6549 Hits

Independent-thinking in Poland

One remarkable feature about the EU is the degree to which national governments of the member states obey it almost without question. Ordered by the European Court of Justice to hand over large sums of their taxpayers' money to Brussels as a fine for some technical infringement of the EU treaties, they do so like lambs and virtually without questio...

  6875 Hits

Could Brexit Effect My PPI Claim?

Although the future of Britain after Brexit still remains uncertain, there is plenty that can be done to ensure that you are ahead of the game when it comes to claiming back PPI. Here we are going to go through some of the top tips as to whether or not PPI will be affected by Brexit and how you can prevent it. What Does Brexit Mean For Banking? To ...

  4618 Hits

Stop the Sun: the EU is re-issuing Pravda for the proles

Mass media, according to a letter sent to the government of Poland, 'are the property of the whole human family. Everybody has a right to use them'.This was not a complaint to the allegedly dictatorial Law & Justice party of today, but to the bluntly oppressive communist regime in 1978. The bishops of that traditionally Christian land, whose pe...

  5915 Hits

Speech by the Bruges Group’s Dr Carl Hunter to the Conservative Foreign & Commonwealth Council

Your Royal Highness, your Excellencies, Chairman, my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon. I wish to thank the Chairman and Ms Melissa Crawshay-Williams for their kind introduction and to congratulate and thank the members of our Council for their kindness, courtesy and professionalism in arranging this event. I wish to speak of the changing...

  9403 Hits

Do you expect us to negotiate?

  8233 Hits

Celebrating Margaret Thatcher's Bruges Speech

On 20th September 1988 Lady Thatcher made her seminal Bruges Speech. As Prime Minister famously said to the College of Europe in Bruges; "We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at a European level, with a European super state exercising a new dominance from Brussels." This speech revol...

  9800 Hits

Perfect timing by the European Union

The way in which the EU goes about producing the laws that bind the rest of us - whether our politicians like them or not - can be difficult to understand. If you're not intimately familiar with it, don't worry. You're in good company. If really interested, you'll find it in Arts.288-299 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a tur...

  6530 Hits

Outsourcing and the Death of Democracy

In 1989, events that led to the fall of the USSR overshadowed one that arguably would have an even greater economic, cultural and political impact. According to Poole College of Management, outsourcing was formally identified as a business strategy that year. The collapse of Carillon in January 2018, the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of po...

  7918 Hits

The Brexit Game Changer – Import Excess Tax

 A policy model for a clean Brexit - no queues at Dover, no Irish hard border Membership of the EU Customs Union and the (largely contrived) Irish border issue are once more on the front pages. After success in the Lords, Remainers smell blood and are slavering at the prospect of defeating the Government in forthcoming Commons votes. Given thi...

  8513 Hits

Trump should prove his commitment to free trade with a UK-US Free Trade deal

There are several indicators that the US economy is doing very well at the moment. According to a recent BBC report: "The US economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly four years in the second quarter, expanding at an annualised rate of 4.1%, official figures show. The gains were driven by strong consumer spending and a surge in exports"[1] In addi...

  5872 Hits

Prospects of a cheaper post-Brexit pint

The price of a pint is stretching the working man's wallet too far. The results of excessive taxation are plain to see, with more and more pubs closing down and replaced by flats, a convenience store or an Islamic centre. These metamorphoses are a sign of the times: the rising population (with particular growth of largely teetotal Muslim communitie...

  5364 Hits

Medical provisions post-Brexit

  A report by Victoria Hewson, Senior Counsel of the IEA's International Trade and Competition Unit There are three main factors behind the fears in relation to medical provisions post-Brexit. Here we examine what the potential problems are and the available solutions: 1. New tariffs would raise prices It has been suggested that the prices of ...

  8797 Hits

Jacob Rees-Mogg's letter to the Conservative Party constituent Chairmen with Briefing Note concerning the Chequers Deal

  5875 Hits

Genoa and Grenfell disasters: a common thread of guilt

In the aftermath of both the Genoa bridge collapse and the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, left-wing politicians and media were quick to scandalise their political opponents, ranging from sociological critique of callous capitalism to blunt reference to the 'fascist' Italian government or a Tory cull of the poor. Coverage of the Genoa calamity in the ...

  5204 Hits
Boris-hair

An Acute Outbreak of Moralitis

The 'silly season', they call it - when Parliament has closed for the summer holidays, and the newspapers scramble for titbits. Last week the media pounced on a commentary by the recently-resigned Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, the flaxen-haired politician pretending to be an essayist (or is it the other way round?). Don't ban the burqa, Boris wr...

  5727 Hits

Political Economics in the USSR and EU

Since the late 1970s, I had been travelling and doing business in the Soviet bloc and USSR. Soon after its collapse, I was working for a German company, responsible for its major interests in Ukraine and development in Central Asia. The fall of the USSR was sudden and to the ill informed, unexpected. Those of us who knew it, had wondered for years ...

  4985 Hits
Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinchaft Conference, Berlin

Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinchaft Conference, Berlin

Gresham was a 17th century banker and trader, after whom Greshams, the North Norfolk Public school is named. Mr Gresham is most famous for 'Gresham's law' which states that, 'Bad money drives out good.' In Gresham's time of coins, it meant that, one would always spend a 'fake' coin or one with less precious metal content and keep the good ones; a b...

  5242 Hits

The IEA essay prize is looking at the wrong side of the housing equation.

This week, it was announced to big fanfare that: 'The UK's worsening housing crisis has led the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to set up a £50,000 prize for anyone who can solve it – with Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg as judge.' https://twitter.com/iealondon/status/1021311057426608128 'Competitors are being asked to propose a single policy i...

  5452 Hits

EU Militia on British Streets?

Of course the mere idea of armed foreign militias patrolling British streets sounds outlandish and is usually rejected by most Brits as absurd and impossible. However, let us consider the matter more closely. The EU's plan to eventually morph into a single European State was proclaimed openly by the founders, and even later by the likes of Helmut K...

  38587 Hits

The Impact Of Brexit On The Finance Industry

As the Brexit talks continue to escalate, so too does the effect that Brexit is having on the finance industry. With many hesitant to take out short and long-term loans, the finance industry has experienced a slight slump that is slowly beginning to improve. Here, we're taking a closer look at the impact of Brexit on the financial sector. Effects O...

  5269 Hits

Why the European Arrest Warrant is a threat to our democracy

Two things that are not generally knnow about the European Arrest Warrant, and how it could be struck down... https://savebritishjustice.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/two-things-that-are-not-generally-known-about-the-european-arrest-warrant-and-how-it-could-be-struck-down/ 1. People do not realise how profoundly different the systems of criminal law use...

  12748 Hits

Think Tanks and Maginot Lines

EU Strategic Funding of Defence and Security Analysts  This research looks at the EU's strategic funding of defence and security analysts and groups in the UK and more widely across Europe. This has important implications for the debate in the UK over the UK's involvement in the EU's swiftly evolving defence, security and military plans. The a...

  22119 Hits

Threatening his Lordship’s lifestyle

When Peter Mandelson was in the Labour Government and later a highly paid EU Commissioner, I was struggling running the small family business my late father had started in 1946. We just about survived the recession of the early nineties caused by the folly of the UK joining the EU exchange rate mechanism, which bankrupted a large number of small bu...

  5056 Hits

Representative democracy not bureaucratic dictatorship

  10784 Hits

The plea of an Elector to our own House of Commons

  4977 Hits
America Retreats - What Next?

America Retreats - What Next?

Theresa May's dismissal of Boris Johnson's suggestion that technology could allow customs checks without physical infrastructure (to solve the Irish border issue) is perverse. Her claim that such systems do not yet exist is not true and one must query if Number 10 talks to anyone other than the Treasury. The UK was a pioneer of electronic clearance...

  6953 Hits

EU Commission COM (2018) 556 Final document

On July 19th, the EU Commission published the COM (2018) 556 Final document that sets out advice for the remaining 27 Member States on how to prepare 'for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019' https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-preparing-withdrawal-brexit-preparedness.pdf Many Brexiteer...

  5466 Hits

CANZUK – a new alliance for the 21st Century

Seizing the opportunity Speaking in London in April this year, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: '…the reality is all of that; you could not find two countries more close in every respect; family, culture, history and values. You know Australia was the sole country outside of NATO and the EU that expelled Russian diplomats in respons...

  8989 Hits

From covert to overt treachery: the Cambridge Spy Ring and pro-EU civil servants

What is meant by treachery, and is it applicable to our establishment's sell-out to the EU? Conservative party members have been using the term about their leader Theresa May. Also implicated is the head civil servant of the Cabinet Office Europe Unit, Olly Robbins. Arguably, Robbins has been entreating to a foreign power, and is thus guilty of mis...

  14149 Hits

The Politics of Prestidigitation

Magicians never reveal their secrets, but we all know that magic lies in the distraction of one's attention. This is exactly what the politics of prestidigitation is all about. Since Emmanuel Macron's coronation at the helm of the French state, we have never heard the French make as much noise as now.This former banker has mastered the art of showm...

  5587 Hits

Mrs May’s ‘Scrap of Paper’: will it be ‘Peace for our time’?

A 'scrap of paper' was how the German Chancellor famously dismissed the Treaty of London (19th April, 1839), in which Britain, France, Germany, Austria and Russia all agreed to recognise the existence, neutrality and sovereignty of the newly – formed country of Belgium. "Peace for our time" was what PM Neville Chamberlain promised Britain, after me...

  5727 Hits

THE CHEQUERS CONCLUSION - Briefing Memo by Martin Howe QC

  5835 Hits

Brexit: an urgent appeal to Tory MPs

 A comfort zone gives the comforted a false sense of safety. For now, it would be quite possible to carry on as if nothing significant has changed: assuring messages from Conservative Party HQ; 'crisis – what crisis' coverage on the BBC or comment pages of the Times; social media bubbles where agreeable opinions are heard. But believe us at th...

  6004 Hits

Statement by Barry Legg - Chairman of the Bruges Group

 Contact your Member of Parliament Theresa May has decided to pursue a policy of Brexit in name only (BRINO). This arrangement will be worse than our current membership of the European Union as we will then be a vassal state. If this policy is implemented the electoral consequences for the Conservative Party will be dire. I urge all members of...

  25199 Hits

Populism is popular, and will overwhelm the EU

To state that a book is important may seem a cliché, but Frank Furedi's Populism and the European Culture Wars is undoubtedly so. Using Hungary as a case study, no writer has more clearly described the predicament of national culture and identity, set against the progressive EU goal of a borderless, multicultural continent. Yet the message is unlik...

  5290 Hits

There is only one way out of the European Union

We voted to leave the European Union on 23rd June 2016 and technically – even politically - it should be as easy as it was when we first joined what was then called the European Economic Community in 1973. However, the context has evolved and the European Union has no intention to let the United Kingdom leave its superstructure thus relying on an i...

  6245 Hits

Save the Oceans Stop recycling plastic - Executive summary

Save the Oceans Stop recycling plastic by Dr.Mikko Punio is published by  the Global Warming Policy Foundation and can be read in its entirety on the GWPF website. (See below) A marine plastic litter crisis has been declared and the mass media around the world has given their front pages over to the story for a while now. The European Union – ...

  5278 Hits

British government's answer not good enough

The British Government says that the case is closed on Poland's right to war reparations from Germany. This fails to acknowledge the true legal position and fails to do justice to our relationship with Poland. It is my strong belief that the UK's departure from the European Union presents the perfect opportunity for Global Britain to show its stren...

  5671 Hits

Solving the Irish border question

Like a broken clock, remainers are occasionally right. One example of this is the Irish border question which many leavers have ignored or dismissed for too long. While we don't believe this issue is as impossible to solve as remainers insist, it does require an appropriate amount of attention. So far, different proposals have been suggested to avo...

  7988 Hits

Brexit good for business? Robert Oulds debates with New Labour MP Alison McGovern on Sky News

Robert Oulds and Alison McGovern MP debate Brexit and its effects on British business. Robert made it clear that there are many positives which will deliver favourable outcomes to Brexit for businesses, including access to markets around the world which would boost productivity and the economy. For businesses dealing with the EU and experiencing un...

  5306 Hits

Is the Euro going to collapse?

The Euro is a currency. That would seem blindingly obvious, but it means that there are two ways in which the Euro could collapse and one way in which it could get massively stronger. A currency is not just a means of exchange for goods and services within a country, it is also an asset that has a shifting value against other currencies, that is, t...

  10394 Hits

Robert Oulds discusses Airbus and BMW's Brexit warnings, the economy and whether or not there should be another EU referendum

On the second anniversary of the successful Leave vote, Robert Oulds condemns Airbus, in receipt of £16 billion from the EU, and BMW, for choosing this day to advise the UK to stay in the single market and customs union. While the eurozone lurches from crisis to crisis, the UK has its highest rate of employment in history and we should look forward...

  5364 Hits

Robert Oulds discusses immigration, Brexit and the EU on Sky News

 On the day preceding the second anniversary of the pro-Brexit vote, Robert Oulds discusses why the Leave vote was successful, one reason being voters knew the UK needs to have control over its borders but being part of the EU denies this.Powerful EU leaders, in particular Chancellor Merkel of Germany, encouraged immigration from outside the E...

  6944 Hits

Two years on from the EU referendum victory

Robert Oulds of the Bruges Group in conversation with Dr Niall McCrae of Kings College London on the second anniversary of the EU referendum victory.  Discussing how the people's majority decision to leave the European Union is being carried out by our elected representatives, Robert Oulds predicts increasing disillusionment with politics by p...

  5913 Hits
An Unholy Alliance

An Unholy Alliance

1. Introduction Despite Phillip Lee's last minute betrayal of the government, the House of Lord's amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill was defeated by twenty-six votes on 12th June. Whilst there is doubtless some celebrating, Mrs May is still not out of danger – in fact, the dissention amongst a number of Conservatives would appear to be growing. Th...

  6315 Hits

The EU’s influence on UK energy policy

The demand to reduce carbon dioxide emissions imposed by UK and Scottish climate legislation has resulted in crazy energy policies, damage to industrial production and increased fuel bills, and as the EU Withdrawal Bill works its way through Parliament, it would be useful to unravel and analyse some of the historical influence of the EU prior to th...

  5841 Hits

Dragi doesn’t understand how the bond markets are dangerous

Author:CATHERINE BLAIKLOCK Would you like to lend to the German government and get paid a grand total of 0.43% a year for 10 years? Or how about lending to the French government and getting 0.73% or to the Spanish government at 1.35%? An annual yield of 1.35% a year, lending to Spain and you are invested for 10 years. Doesn't sound very good, does ...

  6137 Hits

Brexit: Same goals; different paths - Managing divergence

On the 5th of December 2017 the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis MP (speaking in a House of Commons debate) said: "She [The Prime Minister] said that there are areas in which we want to achieve the same outcomes, but by different regulatory methods. We want to maintain safety, food standards, animal welfare and employme...

  6657 Hits

A test of your EU compliance

 Two rallies in London couldn't more starkly contrast the class divide in Britain. I was at the #FreeTommy demonstration on 9th June, a massive gathering in support of the jailed campaigner against child rape gangs. Legions of mostly white working-class blokes with a cause celebre. Inevitably a boorish element provided the material for damning...

  5466 Hits
DUP MLA: Joe Biden's Unwelcome Intervention in Northern Irish Politics

DUP MLA: Joe Biden's Unwelcome Intervention in Northern Irish Politics

The first thing we must do in examining the weakness of our government's current negotiating strategy is to look at the reality of the strength of our position as a nation. The first thing that everyone in Britain should know is the reason for this figure of 40 billion that we have agreed to pay to the EU. We do not owe them this money, in fact, we...

  4891 Hits
Live Gaming Platforms Guarantee Complete Transparency

Live Gaming Platforms Guarantee Complete Transparency

It may have come to the attention of some people that a recent tweet of mine created something of a heated debate. The tweet in question concerned the Foreign Office waiving war compensation rights following the reunification of Germany. I have also raised this issue in Parliament in the form of a written question and was shocked to find that Great...

  4528 Hits
Habeas Corpus Rights Now Reclaimed - Govt. Reverses its Position on Extraditions with the 'Deal'

Habeas Corpus Rights Now Reclaimed - Govt. Reverses its Position on Extraditions with the 'Deal'

Today Great Britain stands at a crossroads; it is here where we must decide whether we will stand strong and boldly go forward or whether we will cower before a group of unelected bureaucrats thrust out from power in their home countries. Our Brexit negotiations have featured heavily in the news recently over the Government's supposed plan to stay ...

  6644 Hits
The Case Against Government Regulation of Social Media and Tech

The Case Against Government Regulation of Social Media and Tech

In a particular scene from one of Britain's most beloved sitcoms 'Fawlty Towers,' the main character, Basil Fawlty, spends considerable time attempting to not insult a German family but ends up doing so in spectacular fashion. This moment was forever immortalised when Basil remarks 'You started it!' to which a German guest replies 'No we did not!' ...

  5904 Hits
Poland

Strengthening Alliances: How Poland should look to an Atlantic partnership with the US and the UK

As geopolitical stability in Europe is threatened by an increasingly belligerent Russia, Poland must look to strengthen her economic and regional security. While the current Polish government is already working towards this goal, it will need important strategic partners with converging interests to achieve this objective. Two longstanding allies t...

  6321 Hits

Day for Freedom: reclaiming the right to free speech

The Day for Freedom, in London on 6th May, was a showcase of characters I have followed and featured in my articles: for example, Milo and Sargon of Akkad. So I didn't want to miss it. Sadly, this invigorating and necessary event was either ignored by the mainstream media, or described by the contemptuous Guardian as a 'far-right rally'. Certainly ...

  5754 Hits

‘Peak Guardian’: banish the uneducated from the polling stations

Never underestimate the talent of Remain in scoring own-goals. Tony Blair claiming to be the rebel with a cause; Lord Adonis accusing the BBC of Brexit bias (cough, splutter); and Ian McEwan urging a second referendum because the stubborn oldies will soon be dead. These anti-democrats pollute the airwaves with their verbal farts, but as opinion pol...

  5909 Hits

Threat of Transition Period to UK Fishing Industry

When all is said and done, the Brexit negotiations can and should leave Britain in a favorable position. Britons voted to leave so that British policy could reflect its own interests, rather than that of Brussels and the European Union. Specifically, Britain's departure from the EU had the potential to enable a regaining of control of precious...

  5996 Hits
eurozonemap

The Euro’s Battle for Survival

 Entering the Red Zone In this paper, Bob Lyddon explores the various caveats and consequences of the Eurozone's survival and continuation, and discusses the UK's role in or alongside the Eurosystem post-Brexit. As an expert in international banking, Lyddon works through his own consultancy company, Lyddon Consulting Services, and has written ...

  6355 Hits

Brexit and Beyond

John Kerr set about penning Article 50 in the early 2000's. The initial draft was subsequently changed due to elections in France and elsewhere providing a curved ball that Brussels had not anticipated. However, in 2009 – 7 long years before the EU referendum vote in the UK – The Lisbon Treaty was signed and Article 50 was brought into European law...

  6100 Hits

Sargon of Akkad: crusading for liberty from EU group-think

How can the younger generations be enticed away from the group-think that defines the EU as a paragon of virtue? They won't be persuaded by Leave-supporting politicians or mainstream media, but they might listen to Sargon of Akkad. This is the YouTuber from Swindon, real name Carl Benjamin, who has taken his cyber-sword to the stifling so-called 'p...

  5344 Hits
Play Smart Play Safe

Play Smart Play Safe

​ The recent Hungarian elections on 8 April found incumbent Viktor Orban of the Fidesz party in office for a third consecutive term. He has served as Prime Minister since 2010, as well as from 1998 to 2002. Fidesz is a nationalist party, and Orban's relationship with Brussels and the European Union is historically strained, as many of his policies ...

  5957 Hits
Obituary: Jens-Peter Bonde (March 27th 1948 - April 4th 2021)

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

At one year out from Brexit, Bruges Group Director Robert Oulds discussed UK economics, the Northern Ireland border, and trade with Chief Economic Advisor of the Centre for Economics and Business Research Vicky Pryce on TRT World. Interviewer Mobin Nasir highlighted the uncertainty in these areas, and suggested that economic statistics are signs of...

  5412 Hits

'Protectionism': an elitist meme to silence the plebs

A humiliation worse than Suez, warns Jacob Rees Mogg. He was referring to the transition deal with the EU, which does not return a single power to Britain as we officially leave the EU in March next year. He could have used the same phrase for the passport fiasco, as our leaders have awarded the contract to a Dutch-French company instead of a respe...

  5651 Hits
New Year, same old Border Farce

New Year, same old Border Farce

On 20th March 2018, Member of the Estonian Parliament Igor Gräzin addressed the Bruges Group in the House of Commons. Born 27th June 1952 in Tartu, Gräzin is an Estonian politician. He is serving as a Member of Parliament in Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, and won another term in the 2011 parliamentary election. Gräzin is a charter member ...

  5667 Hits

The impact of Brexit on online poker

Should the people have the final say on the Brexit deal?​ Three leave campaigners, Chloe Westley of TaxPayers' Alliance, Tom Slater of Spiked, and Bruges Group Director Robert Oulds debated the question of a second referendum on BBC's The Big Questions with Nicky Campell on Sunday 18 March. Advocating for a second referendum was Eloise Todd of Best...

  5772 Hits

Brexit the Opera: Gutted in Grimsby

On a grey winter day in 1972, Air Force One touched down on Chinese soil. Although little tangible benefit came of President Nixon's surprise visit to Chairman Mao and the impenetrable communist state, it was one of the most theatrical acts of diplomacy in modern history. And it was recognised in the opera 'Nixon in China' by John Adams. Perhaps Ad...

  4949 Hits

Ireland and EU Defence Integration

There's been a lot of talk about something called PESCO and whether it breaches the Irish constitution or the concept of neutrality. What is Irish neutrality and what does the Irish constitution say about it? First there's whether Ireland takes part in activity outside of its own territory and second there's whether Ireland permits other countries ...

  6756 Hits
UK Government in chaos as it caves to EU again

UK Government in chaos as it caves to EU again

​Author: Marcus Watney ​Source: The feasibility of using technology to avoid a hard Irish border has been confirmed by Lars Karlsson in his excellent study for the European Parliament Smart Border 2.0, published in November 2017. It is available here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/596828/IPOL_STU%282017%29596828_EN.pdf Reso...

  7209 Hits

Ways To Make European Travel Easier After Brexit

In the midst of Brexit uncertainty, booking a European holiday has become even more confusing for Brits. As if planning and booking a holiday wasn't stressful enough, UK residents now have to completely revise their usual holiday strategy in order to ensure it doesn't collide with new Brexit negotiations. While Brexit has already proved to affect m...

  5542 Hits
Brexit Compared: Estonia regains independence and USSR falls

Brexit Compared: Estonia regains independence and USSR falls

Tuesday 20th March 2018, from 1pm - 3pm How the Brexit negotiations should be handled.The man who delivered the Estonian Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1991 to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Head of the Soviet Union, advises the UK on Brexit.  Location: Committee Room 20The House of CommonsWestminster London SW1A 0AA(via the Cromwell Entran...

  7469 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