A European Singapore, if such an entity were even possible, might be hard for the EU to stop
by Rashmee
Posted on February 7, 2020
How will the European Union (EU) stop Britain from diverging from its rules here on in? How can the EU do anything about British competitiveness, if indeed Brexit were to be managed in a way that prioritises the building of an agile regulatory system able to foster innovation and nurture efficiency? There’s not a hope … Continue reading “A European Singapore, if such an entity were even possible, might be hard for the EU to stop”
Read MoreAfter Brexit, British bolshie-ness will be up against the great powers
by Rashmee
Posted on January 30, 2020
Tom Cotton is a US senator from Arkansas, the state that Britain and much of the world would chiefly know as being the home state of president Bill Clinton. Mr Cotton is also a close ally of Donald Trump, someone that Britain and much of the world knows to be bullying, transactional and utterly uninterested … Continue reading “After Brexit, British bolshie-ness will be up against the great powers”
Read MoreAnyone for a ‘ravioli’ Brexit?
by Rashmee
Posted on January 25, 2020
First there was Brexit. Then there was Megxit. Brexit was variously described as likely to be “hard” or “soft”, “blind” or “Canada plus” or “Canada plus plus”. Megxit was nothing but hard. Brexit terms proliferated like hair on the ears of a gentleman in his sixties. There was “the Irish backstop”, the “flextension” granted by … Continue reading “Anyone for a ‘ravioli’ Brexit?”
Read MoreBalzac praised the local grocer as ‘the strongest of social links’. The West isn’t picking up on it
by Rashmee
Posted on January 24, 2020
When it comes to communal well being, never under-estimate the unique role of the local grocer, the butcher, the baker, and the greasy-spoon up the road. In 1840, Honoré de Balzac’s praised the local grocer as “the strongest of social links”. So, what happens when the grocer shuts shop, forced out of business by supermarkets? … Continue reading “Balzac praised the local grocer as ‘the strongest of social links’. The West isn’t picking up on it”
Read MoreBoris Johnson won. Now the Trump comparisons will be put to the test
by Rashmee
Posted on December 14, 2019 / Quartz
Boris Johnson has often been compared to Donald Trump, and for reasons that go beyond their distinctive blonde hairstyles. The UK’s shift to the right—starting with the Brexit referendum in 2016, a few months before Trump’s victory—is said to resemble America’s. Now that Johnson’s Conservative party won a massive parliamentary majority in a general election … Continue reading “Boris Johnson won. Now the Trump comparisons will be put to the test”
Read MoreToday, Britain’s ‘Love Actually’ election happens
by Rashmee
Posted on December 12, 2019
The only reason to describe this bad tempered and polarising contest as a ‘Love Actually’ election is because of Hugh Grant. The actor, who famously played a prime minister going door to door in ‘Love Actually’, has campaigned hard for Remain candidates in at least four different London-area constituencies. Mr Grant has been unusual in not campaigning … Continue reading “Today, Britain’s ‘Love Actually’ election happens”
Read MoreBrexit Britain probably won’t be a Singapore-on-Thames
by Rashmee
Posted on December 11, 2019
The UK general election is, by some accounts, a referendum on leaving the EU and I’ve been thinking a lot about Britain as a Singapore-on-Thames. The idea has been floating around for a while, with ardent Breiteers suggesting that it’s Europe that has held back Britain’s buccaneering boldness. Unsurprisingly, even Anglophile countries — Germany, the Netherlands and … Continue reading “Brexit Britain probably won’t be a Singapore-on-Thames”
Read MoreThe UK’s general election is the most unpredictable in a generation
by Rashmee
Posted on October 31, 2019 / Quartz
Britain will vote on December 12, the first election in that month since 1923, the third in four years, and a contest that is likely to be the most unpredictable in a generation. There are two main reasons for this: an increasingly fickle electorate, and someone election strategists are calling “Workington Man.” The term appears … Continue reading “The UK’s general election is the most unpredictable in a generation”
Read MoreBritain needs a Speaker in the mould of Betty Boothroyd
by Rashmee
Posted on October 22, 2019
Having interviewed Betty Boothroyd in her grand Speaker’s apartment in the British parliament, I read with interest The New York Times’ piece on the privileges and profound responsibility that goes with the job of presiding officer of the UK’s House of Commons. The article captured the pomp and circumstance of a post that formally began in … Continue reading “Britain needs a Speaker in the mould of Betty Boothroyd”
Read MoreBrexit has made the pound as volatile as bitcoin. But that’s better than enforced stability
by Rashmee
Posted on October 19, 2019
Someone had an interesting take on the effect of Brexit uncertainty on the pound. It’s been as volatile as cryptocurrency. Indeed, the yo-yoing on Brexit (will it be deal, no-deal?) has been giving bitcoin a bit of a run for their money on volatility. On the day a new withdrawal agreement was struck … Continue reading “Brexit has made the pound as volatile as bitcoin. But that’s better than enforced stability”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK