Opinion

BONNIE GREER says we need to move on from blaming Corbyn for Brexit, and move on to closely scrutinising the Tories. I hesitated about beginning this article reflecting on what will now happen to the ‘Remain movement’ by mentioning an argument I had on the subject, and the outcome of last month’s election, while in […]

It could be too late to stop Brexit, but it’s not too late to build a better world. JAMES BALL says there’s plenty for Remain to get started on. Welcome to a new decade, one in which the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union before we end its first month. […]

Readers argue that there needs to be political reform to bring about a fairer society. There is really no point in talking about regrouping, rebuilding, or mending our broken politics and country until we get rid of one of the main causes of it: the first past the post system. It effectively amplifies the front-running […]

Readers respond to Andrew Adonis’ call for the Lib Dems to disband and to join the Labour Party. Andrew Adonis asks whether the Liberal Democrats now have a reason to exist. The answer is plain: now more than ever. It may pain him to acknowledge the fact, but the Lib Dems (and Liberal Party before […]

With Zac Goldsmith, Nicky Morgan and Iain Duncan-Smith all receiving awards in the last month one reader believes there was an oversight in the list. Despite having read every name on the New Year honours list twice, I was amazed not to see the words “Chris Grayling” amongst the luminaries. Surely, being the worst transport […]

BONNIE GREER says centrists can be radical too – and points to Symone Sanders as an example of someone who is just that. I was recently called a “centrist” by a Millennial friend of mine. I can only assume by his tone of voice and facial expression that being called this is A Bad Thing. […]

If Russia interfered in the general election we should expect more of the same during Brexit trade talks in the coming months, writes JAMES BALL. Russia very likely interfered in the UK’s 2019 general election, and virtually no-one cares. The documents which Labour used to suggest the Conservatives had a secret plan to put the […]

Labour peer ANDREW ADONIS believes that Sir Keir Starmer is the one electable leader in the race. At last I have discovered an index on which Jeremy Corbyn is mainstream: He survived nearly five years as leader of the Labour Party, which is the average for its leaders since Ramsay MacDonald. The only Labour leaders […]

As Boris Johnson’s senior political adviser, Dominic Cummings is often criticized for wielding the kind of power mocked by TV shows like The Thick of It. Today’s recruitment drive, however, might be too close to the bone. The avant-garde nature of the ad – posted directly to his personal blog – probably impressed some. It […]

MITCH BENN will continue to be a ‘sore loser’ in 2020 because his views on Brexit have not changed – regardless of the general election result. Okay, so that sucked. Not Christmas; I should point that out. I can’t speak for anyone else but I had a good Christmas, indeed, judging by the fact I […]

A reader has called for Remainers to march again to show they have not given up the fight to stop Brexit. I seriously hope that some sort of pro-EU march will take place (in London and/or elsewhere) on Saturday, February 1. It might now seem pointless to march for a People’s Vote or to stop […]

The nation is reeling from this month’s election result. Whilst for some it’s a resounding success, for others it’s the confirmation that something we desperately wanted to avoid is hurtling at full speed towards us. For me, Brexit is not just something which I wish hadn’t happened. It’s deeper than that – it will affect […]

Boris Johnson wants to ‘reunite the country’ as he inflicts Brexit on us all – but what could it entail? Boris Johnson says that he wishes to reunite the country. I for one have a number of conditions before I would even consider the possibility. Here is a selection: – Legislation in 2020 to make […]

Remainers will need to do more than just campaign to rejoin the EU if we Brexit – they will need to help bring about democratic change. Since 2016, we have persisted with a major strategic blunder – to fail to explain and campaign that the referendum was a fakerendum. Instead, we campaigned against a hard […]

Reminiscing on her childhood, BONNIE GREER explains how the baby boomer generation were allowed to dream at Christmas. Childhood – the one we have now – was invented for us baby boomers. Edwardians and Victorians had childhoods too. But the boys back then were dressed as girls and the girls were dressed like little fairies. […]

Readers discuss who or what was to blame for Labour’s defeat at the general election – and who can take the party forwards. Part of Labour’s failure is that no one (with a few exceptions) attempted to actually explain to the Labour-voting Leave supporters the consequences to them – to their jobs, livelihoods, economy, workers […]

Readers continue to have their say on the general election result and what the future holds for the Remain movement. I am an EU citizen living in the UK, having done so since 1998. I have no right to vote. I have a British/Italian child but had no say over the future of the country […]

The election result was devastating for the Remain movement, but there is a way to salvage something from it, says JAMES BALL. The first stage of dealing with a blow like this one is acceptance. There will be virtually nothing any politician can do during this parliament to challenge the commanding majority the Conservatives have […]

A reader calls for the Remain movement to focus on rejoining instead. So Brexit, together with all of us, will now get done. We must not lose heart. For the first time we have a strong pro-EU movement in our country. Once the squabbling has stopped, we have infrastructure. Unlike Labour, we know what we […]

Despite more people voting against pro-Brexit parties than supporting them our voices have been ignored again, says ROGER HINDS. Tactical voting in the general election was so widespread, mostly over the issue of Brexit, that no political party can claim a mandate for its entire manifesto. That’s why proportional representation must be brought in so […]

While there was plenty of doom and gloom in this week’s mailbag, some said it wasn’t all bad for Remainers on election night. Silver linings time: ? The DUP are irrelevant again. ? The ERG have been neutered (unfortunately not literally) by the size of the Tory majority. ? Rees-Mogg is back in his box. […]

Former Lib Dem candidate TIM WALKER reflects with sadness, but also frankness, on what went wrong for his party. If Boris Johnson made me look not to the stars but to the gutter throughout the election, Jeremy Corbyn made me glaze over… and Jo Swinson made me sigh and think of what might have been. […]

JOHNNY LUCAS on the importance of voting tactically in the general election – even if it means holding your nose to do it. I have voted for the Liberal Democrats in every election that I could – or rather, every election that I had to. Because for the first two elections of my adult life, […]

Readers are still waiting for a real letter to step forward to transform the UK and to undo the mistakes of past political leaders. Dear politicians: You have spoken so loudly I can’t hear you. You have created untrue narratives that cloud reality. You have bent words and tried to convince us that they have […]

With the general election campaign feeling a lot like the 1987 general election this reader has a message to voters. It feels quite like 1987 at the moment, so with apologies to Neil Kinnock… if Boris Johnson wins on December 12: I warn you not to work in the NHS. I warn you not to […]

Lib Dem voters are being urged to hold their nose to back Labour to stop Boris Johnson in a number of seats. But BEN DUNCAN-DUGGAL argues in some ways the party’s election pitch offers a better answer to liberalism than Jo Swinson’s own manifesto. I know that many Lib Dem supporters aren’t feeling particularly enchanted […]

American playwright BONNIE GREER likens the general election to theatre – and says it could be a performance with a deeply unsatisfactory ending. One of the most satisfactory aspects of being a foreigner, and choosing to remain one as much as possible, is the stance that can be taken. It means it is possible to […]

The general election is a big important part of the battle for the Remain movement – but the war won’t be over on Friday morning. I know the home stretch going into an election is supposed to be all about clarity and unity of purpose, and the last thing you want to be presented with […]

Labour’s leadership appears to be preparing for defeat – and the party’s current battle appears more focused on ensuring the shift leftward continues under a future leader. There is something strange about the final days of Labour’s campaign – a series of frenetic announcements, policies, and documents from which it’s hard to glean a coherent […]

While young people have registered to vote in their millions, the demographic are often guilty of blind, ‘take no prisoners’ politics. LUCY HOLLAND writes how this has to go for tactical voting to win. Young people have registered in record-breaking numbers for this general election, which is the most significant rise in numbers we’ve seen […]

SIOBHAN BENITA, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for London and the party’s candidate for mayor, encourages people to back the Lib Dems in the capital. Siobhan Benita, the Lib Dems’ spokesperson for London. Photograph: Lib Dems. – Credit: Archant It’s crunch time. After more than three years of persuading, petitioning and protesting, of parliamentary proceedings, prorogations and […]

CALLUM TENNANT campaigned to Leave in 2016 – but now backs remaining in the EU. In this election he’s fighting for Labour, but recognises tactical voting might be needed in this election, because of the imperfection of the voting system. For some, voting is a duty, for others, a chore. Come December 12th, for many […]