Latest Posts

• Parliament is stuck in a state of limbo. Only Norway Plus can dig us out of this crisis

  December 14, 2018

  House Magazine Theresa May limped through her no confidence vote, but her dog’s dinner of a Brexit deal is still dead in the water. May’s decision to defer the Meaningful Vote was not only the most anti-democratic act by a British Prime Minister in living memory, it was also utterly self-defeating. Had May held the vote she would also have gained leverage in negotiations with the EU – proof that they need to budge. But perhaps most importantly she would have moved the debate along. She would have learnt much about the will of the House, and what deal she can do with Brussels. But with May’s head still buried in the sand, and with Labour reluctant to table a No Confidence motion, we remain stuck in a state of limbo.

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• Remember The Golden Days Of Our EU Affair? A Norway Deal Could Return Us There

  December 10, 2018

  The Times On Tuesday evening one of us will vote against Theresa May’s deal. The other will vote in favour. One of us will vote for Jeremy Corbyn’s amendment — and for any motion of no confidence in the government. The other will vote against. One of us is Welsh through and through — the representative of the Port Talbot steel-making community and proud scion of a tribe of passionate Labour politicians and trade unionists. The other is as English as hot buttered toast, the representative of Grantham in Lincolnshire, where Margaret Thatcher was born and raised, and a Tory moderniser with a career in business behind him.

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• Cwmavon Christmas Lights Switch On

  December 08, 2018

  There was fantastic community spirit in Cwmafan for their first ever Christmas tree switch on. Well done to Councillors Charlotte Galsworthy, Rhydian Mizen and David Whitelock, and the whole community for coming together and pulling together such a great event.

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• A Norway plus-Based Brexit Would Be A Strong Compromise In The National Interest

  December 07, 2018

  As Parliament debated the Prime Minister's Brexit deal I spoke about respecting the referendum result and how Norway Plus is the best way to do that. The instruction given by 52:48 referendum vote is clear: move house, but stay in same neighbourhood. To leave EU's political project, but to retain full access to a market of 500 million consumers. Norway Plus meets those aims, introduces a safeguard on Freedom of Movement & solves the Irish border issue

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• Theresa May’s Dog's Dinner Of A Brexit Deal Looks Almost Certain To Fall

  December 05, 2018

  The Mirror Theresa May’s dog's dinner of a Brexit deal looks almost certain to fall on Tuesday, not least because MPs know that it hands far too much power to the EU after 29 March. With no appetite for an economy-shattering No Deal, her own cabinet ministers must now persuade her to pivot to the only other feasible Brexit option; Norway Plus. Let’s be clear. The Norway option is a strong compromise.

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• Attorney General And Norway Plus Option

  December 04, 2018

  During questions to the Attorney General over the legal advice given on the Withdrawal Agreement I asked him about the Norway-plus option and the backstop.

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• Brexit Secretary Appears Before Committee For Exiting The European Union

  December 04, 2018

  Before five days of debate on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the Framework for the Future Relationship, the Brexit Secretary and Prime Minister's Europe Adviser appeared in front of the Committee For Exiting The European Union. I asked him about turning the political declaration into a binding international treaty, the Norway plus option and the need for the Prime Minister to have a plan b.

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• Norway Is The Only Way To Avoid The Cliff

  November 29, 2018

  New European Let’s be clear: Theresa May’s Brexit deal is a thumping victory for the EU, whichever way you slice it. On March 29, 2019 our country will effectively become a vassal state for the 21 months of the transition period – complying with all EU rules but without any seat at the table. The EU will have us over a barrel as we scramble to turn the vague, open-ended Political Declaration into a legally-binding, long-term future relationship, while the cliff edge of December 2020 looms ever-larger.

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• Ukrainian Economy Is Being Strangled By The Economic Blockade

  November 28, 2018

  During Foreign and Commonwealth Office questions I asked about the situation in Crimea, the Ukrainian economy and the Magnitsky amendment. 

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• We Need A Chief Government Linguist To Promote Modern Languages

  November 28, 2018

  House Magazine Languages are a vital part of our society and economy and yet their importance is neglected and overlooked. Being able to speak directly to those we deal with is an essential part of being a global citizen. But in the United Kingdom, the number studying a language is declining year after year. The highly developed intercultural skills that come with learning another language are absolutely vital for successful trade and diplomacy, peace-making and peacekeeping. But the subject has no dedicated advocate in government.

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