Keep up with the latest from Bremain in Spain
My personal journey through Covid
Sue Wilson MBE, Bremain Chair, reflects on lessons from her own experience of Covid for West England Bylines. Are we now failing to treat it seriously enough?I’m recovering from Covid. I had always expected to catch Covid at some point. After all, an increasing number...
Like Johnson, Truss and Sunak commit to treating the devolved nations with disdain
Sunak and Truss have consistently voted against giving further powers to the devolved nations - and their recent comments do not bode well by Lisa Burton Recently, we’ve all witnessed a true ‘blue on blue’ war of words as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak battle to become the...
Uncovering the truth: did Johnson mislead parliament?
Privileges committee inquiry aims to uncover the truth of whether Johnson misled parliament – and is being met with considerable pushback by Sue Wilson MBE Ever since the partygate scandal first reared its ugly head, Boris Johnson has been dismissing any suggestions...
Johnson taught Truss everything she doesn’t know
Break the rules, lie about it, get caught lying, change your story, double down – as PM, Truss looks likely to follow in Johnson’s footsteps, writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. It’ll be no surprise to anyone following the trajectory of Liz...
Bremainers Ask – Jane Morrice
Born in Belfast, and a teenager during the “troubles”, Jane Morrice built a career on peace building, journalism, Europe and equality. A founder member of the NI Women’s Coalition, she authored the line on integrated education in the Good Friday Agreement. She was...
Boris Johnson clings on to power: a long and expensive six weeks
The prime minister is approaching his final six weeks in much the same way as he’s approached his entire term of office, writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines.On 7July 2022, less than three years after winning a landslide election, Boris Johnson...
The race to be prime minister
Each leadership candidate has been part of a governing party that has presided over – and in most cases caused – the problems we now face, writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines.Despite what you might have read or heard, for the foreseeable future...
Johnson’s ‘resignation’ exposes a wider lack of integrity in his party
Those attempting to distance themselves from Johnson's lack of integrity should take a closer look in the mirror and examine their own, writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. When Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned from Cabinet on Tuesday...
A Cabinet Devoid of Skills
It should surprise no-one that Brexit is not going according to plan. Assuming there ever was a plan to begin with. That’s despite the fact that the Cabinet is packed full with Brexit supporters who repeatedly assure us Brexit is “done”. This is a Cabinet devoid of...
Bremainers Ask Revisited
This month we asked three former contributors to Bremainers Ask to comment on the current state of play of British politics and Brexit. This is what they had to say: Anna Bird, CEO European Movement Summer 2022 will be seen as the time the tide began to turn against...
Hypocrisy, desperation and excuses: Conservative Party clutch at straws over by-election losses
The public has had enough and the Conservative Party's days in government are numbered. They seem to be the only ones not to know it, writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines.Following the loss of two Conservative seats in last week’s by-elections, it...
Woke and proud: Compassion must never be allowed to go out of fashion
The weaponisation of right-wing insults has been going on for some time as part of a push to create a divisive and distracting culture war writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. Let me be clear from the start – I am ‘woke’ and I am proud of it. But...
EU Court of Justice rules – Brits have lost EU citizenship rights thanks to Brexit
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that UK citizens have lost their EU citizenship rights as a result of Brexit. This follows an earlier ruling by the EU Advocate General, back in February, that only citizens of an EU country may hold EU citizenship and...
Lord Frost gives evidence to public administration and constitutional affairs committee
This week Lord Frost came up with a series of explanations for why the Brexit deal isn't working, none of them being his fault writes Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. Whatever’s wrong with the Brexit deal – and according to Lord David Frost that’s...
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood calls for UK to join the single market
Ellwood says the government's choice of Brexit is damaging and could be softened by the UK joining the single market - the Norway option, writes Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines.Brexit has not turned out how “most people imagined”. That’s according to senior...
Bremainers Ask ….. Alexandra Hall Hall
Alexandra Hall Hall is a former British diplomat with over 30 years’ service, including postings to Bangkok, Washington, New Delhi, Bogota and Tbilisi, where she was the British Ambassador from 2013 – 2016. Her most recent assignment was as Brexit Counsellor and...
UK unilateral action over protocol
This was not the first time we have heard from the UK government that the negotiated Brexit deal - and the protocol - is not fit for purpose, writes Bremain Chair Sue WILSON MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. When Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, gave evidence...
Working from home under attack by out-of-touch and out-of-date government
With their attack on WFH, Johnson and Rees-Mogg have proved just how far the Conservatives have strayed from being the ‘party of business’. by Sue Wilson MBEWhen the pandemic forced employees all over the world to work from home (WFH) – many for the first time ever –...
EU-UK Relations Deteriorating Rapidly
by Sue Wilson MBE Liz Truss on Twitter 12 May – https://twitter.com/trussliz/status/1524681502537265152?s=20&t=l3kBvGC-hHUQs00w8YMmYQ In the run up to the Stormont elections in Northern Ireland, UK/EU negotiations were put on hold, so as not to interfere with the...
A government that’s out of touch and out of ideas
Unless the government recognises the suffering its causing, it will remain out of touch and out of ideas, and the public will be the losers by Sue Wilson MBE When Prime Minister Boris Johnson was interviewed recently on Good Morning Britain, Susanna Reid did not pull...
‘Bittersweet’: Brits living abroad for over 15 years finally win right to vote in UK Elections
By George Mathias - Originally posted in The Olive Press CAMPAIGNERS were celebrating their victory after years of battling for the right of those who have lived abroad for more than 15years to maintain the right to vote in UK elections. On Thursday, April 28, the...
‘Mixed feelings’: British citizens in Europe finally get right to vote for life
By Hayley Maguire - Originally published in The Local Es British citizens living abroad will no longer lose their right to vote in UK elections if they have been abroad for over 15 years, after a long-term government pledge finally became law. Here's what we...
Votes for life in UK general elections for British expats finally becomes law
NEIL HESKETH / JENNIE RHODES - Originally posted in SUR After a fight over several years, campaigners are celebrating the change which gives UK citizens in Spain more say in decisions 'back home' British citizens living in Spain are celebrating today after the law...
Bitter sweet feelings as elections bill passes through parliament
by Sue Wilson MBE The passing of the elections bill through parliament comes at a price as Johnson now takes control of the Electoral Commission. When I heard that the elections bill had been passed by parliament, the song It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to came...