European Union
Europe’s biggest Brexit fear? That we’ll flourish outside the EU
What do Europeans really think about Brexit? Do they secretly admire our unexpected decision to walk away from all those…
The Brexit Breakdown
Theresa May’s Brexit challenge is truly Herculean. Every time she believes she has done enough to finally move the Brexit…
Does Brexit mean anything anymore?
Emma Bridgewater has, since 1985, produced pottery acceptable in tasteful middle-class kitchens. Some jars had Coffee on and some Biscuits.…
A £50 billion Brexit ‘divorce bill’ is a price worth paying
There will be howls of outrage in some quarters if it is confirmed that the government has offered the EU…
The Irish stance against Brexit is a dangerous gamble
Never has a European Council been so important to a British prime minister as this December’s is to Theresa May.…
Norway is hard on migrants – but tough love works
When Angela Merkel invited refugees to Germany in 2015, tearing up the rules obliging migrants to seek asylum in the…
No deal is a good deal
So Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker enjoyed a ‘broad and constructive exchange’ during their working dinner in Brussels. Last time…
The Spectator’s Notes
You can see why Theresa May said in Florence that the British wished the European Union well in its plans…
Seeing the light
‘You can’t lie… on radio,’ says Liza Tarbuck. The Radio 2 DJ was being interviewed for the network’s birthday portrait,…
Call Barnier’s bluff
There is a growing perception that Britain is floundering in its EU negotiations, with a professional team from Brussels running…
Playing chicken
Besides being important in themselves, the trade talks between Britain and the United States which began this week are symbolic…
The dark clouds threatening Brexit
It’s summertime and the living is easy… unless you’re a civil servant working on Brexit. Whitehall has recognised that the…
Poor conduct
Last weekend Daniel Barenboim brought the Staatskapelle Berlin to perform at the BBC Proms for a cycle of Elgar’s symphonies.…
Britain’s winning hand
On the morning after the European Union referendum, Britain looked like a country in crisis. The Prime Minister had resigned,…
The right question at the wrong time
Complaining about the EU referendum campaign has become an integral part of the referendum; even Delia Smith has got in…
If I were in charge of Leave, here’s what I’d say…
It may be too late. But with only about three weeks before our referendum on EU membership I am itching…
Lies, damned lies and…
A Ryanair plane in a Stansted hangar was not the best backdrop for George Osborne’s claim that the economic argument…
Don’t rule out a second referendum
As the Queen read out her government’s agenda on Wednesday morning, David Cameron could have been forgiven for thinking about…
Cameron’s heading for a hollow victory
‘Nothing except a battle lost can be half as melancholy as a battle won,’ wrote the Duke of Wellington after…
Portrait of the week
Home David Cameron, having continued talks through the night in Brussels, announced that he had achieved a ‘special status’ for…
Vote ‘leave’ and stop the blurring of Britain
I don’t remember the last European referendum being nearly as dramatic as the current one. In 1975, we were being…
Lies, damned lies and the EU
It is normally in the final, frantic days of a campaign that a multitude of dubious claims are made. But…
Cameron’s “deal” has backfired – badly. So what will he do now?
Throughout his negotiations with the European Union, David Cameron was fatally undermined by his own lack of resolve. He was…
‘In’ trouble
David Cameron wants to get the European Union referendum over with quickly — and understandably so. Things are still going…
What Brexit looks like
Life outside the EU would be good for Britain
