Migration The seeming surge of asylum seekers in Calais, brings to the fore the issue of migration. It is in this vein that the Politics of the right has most traction. While much of the reaction might seem xenophobic this is fairly natural as whether we like to admit it, or not, we are …
Very little that happens in life is purely serendipitous, totally without cause or effect. Sometimes we might have to rely on chaos theory and blame the storm on a butterfly flapping it's wings in another part of the world. What has always surprised me, however, is our singular inability to learn from history. I would …
While Nicola Sturgeon does pose a threat … it is a threat to maintaining the status quo … politics as usual … it is a threat to the cozy Westminster club. It will bring about a new kind of politics, the politics of negotiation and consensus. The SNP have the potential to change Westminster for …
Listening to Labour's call for a reduction in level of tuition fees chargeable by Universities, one must question the philosophy that lies behind tuition fees. It would seem rational that if the graduate is going to gain a benefit in terms of earning power that he should ultimately bear the cost of his training, but …
While balanced budgets ("Austerity" in current terminology) are the cornerstone of our monetary system and financial stability, there comes a time when one must take the bull by the horns. The Euro-Zone needs to create employment for eight million people, It cannot simply stumble along. It is generating the current account surplus that underpins more …
While commentators throughout this year have generally pointed a finger at the Euro Zone, it's trading statistics in spite of all it's problems are impressive. For calendar year 2014 it will have a current account surplus of €280 billion, this is slightly distorted by a certain amount of aid money from the IMF flowing into …
I have always tended to analyze National Statistics in my own particular way. My interest or purpose is somewhat different, I am not so much interested in the absolute figure for GDP, or the growth inferred, but, the money flows and how well the economy is doing in terms of generating wealth. The 2014 UK …
I like to think I look at everything in the round, trying to see both the good and the bad. I have always been anti-war. I have always believed that disputes can be resolved by reasonable people sitting down and negotiating, or discussing their differences. I have always believed that most actions have both a …
The political history of Ukraine has been turbulent ever since they voted for independence in December 1991. In any country where there is a clear divide, culturally or linguistically, it is always going to be difficult for Western style democracy to be adequate. The concept of a winner of an election being in total control …
Ukraine was arguably the most likely of the former Soviet Republics to succeed following independence, however, it's economic history has been particularly poor, GDP falling by 60% between 1991 and 1999. Rapid growth subsequent to 2000 coming to a virtual stop in 2008 with the Global economic crisis. The period from 1994 to 1996 was …