America's descent into Competitive Authoritarianism?

"As of July 9, 2025, the U.S. is entrenched in a trajectory toward competitive authoritarianism:

• Institutional guardrails are being systematically weakened or bypassed.

• Civil liberties and minority protections are under sustained attack.

• The rule of law is threatened by executive defiance of judicial authority.

• Public and expert consensus identifies the U.S. as a “weak democracy” at high risk of further backsliding.

While courts, civil society, and some state governments continue to resist, their capacity to check executive power is diminishing. The U.S. now closely mirrors the patterns of modern electoral autocracies, with only vestigial democratic procedures remaining robust." 

(Observations of an ongoing AI query with Perplexity AI on level of democracy in the US)

The world watches America's progress with mixed feelings, as do I. It would be remiss of the memory of my mother if I did not note the disturbing trends that we are seeing. Before she died, she was constantly reminded of her childhood and the dramatic changes she experienced from 1936 onwards, and fearful of the direction our world was taking, in terms of people's rights and attitudes to immigration. Current events globally would have distressed her even more.

I have tried to be more objective, and, with the introduction of AI intelligent searches, started  a regular question on Perplexity AI:

"Compare the actions of the current first 4 weeks of the Trump administration with those of 10 governments regarded historically as despotic and 10 regarded as democratic, and estimate which direction the Trump government is currently trending, in about 1000 words with a 100 word summary."

You can follow the progress here: 

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/compare-the-actions-of-the-cur-S8j2zkBuRhSGHZBUf2MRKw

Requesting regular updates on Perplexity, I thought I would share the most recent summary provided:

As of July 9, 2025, the U.S. is entrenched in a trajectory toward competitive authoritarianism:

• Institutional guardrails are being systematically weakened or bypassed.

• Civil liberties and minority protections are under sustained attack.

• The rule of law is threatened by executive defiance of judicial authority.

• Public and expert consensus identifies the U.S. as a “weak democracy” at high risk of further backsliding.

While courts, civil society, and some state governments continue to resist, their capacity to check executive power is diminishing. The U.S. now closely mirrors the patterns of modern electoral autocracies, with only vestigial democratic procedures remaining robust.

By July 9, 2025, the Trump administration has deepened its authoritarian trajectory, marked by sweeping executive orders, institutional purges, judicial defiance, and aggressive immigration enforcement. Civil liberties, minority rights, and the rule of law face unprecedented erosion. Public concern about democracy is at record highs, with most Americans believing the country is in constitutional crisis. International and scholarly assessments now classify the U.S. as a “weak democracy” trending toward electoral autocracy, closely resembling illiberal regimes like Hungary and Turkey. Institutional resistance endures but is increasingly fragile, and the risk of irreversible democratic backsliding remains acute.

Do check the references that Perplexity AI used.

PS. Simply by writing and making this post public probably precludes me from visiting the US in the near future, according to this search: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/is-there-substantive-exidence-bQcQ75IUReyFAbFSOt5Yvw

The March for Change July 2019, a personal view

Start at the March for Change. To see full album of 107 photos of London, banners and people, https://photos.app.goo.gl/R787imCrxBdXVbPs6

The March for Change on 20th July looked like the last chance to send a message, to rethink Brexit, to the new Prime Minister who was expected to take up his post next in the following week. In all conscience, I had to attend.

I hopped onto my bike with camera and enough spare batteries to see me through the day and took the 9:32 from Cambridge North to Kings Cross. For once the train was relatively empty and I was able to get a seat. Arriving an hour later in the big city of London, I captured my first fellow demonstrators on the platform.

Anticipating queues at the March for Change meeting point near Hyde Park, I took the tube to Embankment and then walked along to Parliament Square taking photos on the way. At 11:30 am the Parliament Square was relatively empty, with just the stage and the sound teams busy setting up ready for the incoming tide of protesters later in the day. I walked on to Horseguards Road and followed the path alongside St James' Lake in the Park till Buckingham Palace. Carefree tourists kept under the trees as the forecast thunderstorm turned instead into a mild shower, before returning to feeding the squirrels and geese or walk up to the gates of the Palace to begin the obligatory selfie sessions. I hurried through Green Park to arrive at Park Lane just after 12 noon, hoping I hadn't missed the start of the March.

I needn't have worried, the start was delayed as streams of protesters were still arriving. It was a relaxed carnival like atmosphere. The police were cheerful and friendly and happy to chat and answer questions. A camera crew or two and several photographers hovered around in front of the line as the 3 m tall Farage figure manipulated two smaller almost life-size puppets of Boris and Hunt. Occasional chanting would begin, but the crowds were really waiting for the start before losing their voices.

At 1 pm, the line started to move forward (video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxSokAHTGhA&list=PLO_a6a_qHNAU-0V92R92L_KUbIvwipgfY&index=2&t=0s). Only to be held up by a crowd fifty meters down the road. This was the gathering of the March leaders, with the March for Change Banner. After a brief interlude, we set off again (second video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eblAp0NdTGY&list=PLO_a6a_qHNAU-0V92R92L_KUbIvwipgfY&index=3&t=0s.

I stayed with the march a short while and then left to take a shorter route to Parliament Square to meet the march as it arrived there. Anticipating this could take a while, and with nature calling after hours on my feet,  I settled in at the Wesley Cafe in the Methodist Great Hall just around the corner from the square and also had a quick snack and drink. Returning to the square just after 2 pm, a crowd had already gathered on the green and it looked as if the march was also just arriving. There was enough space to wander through to within a couple of meters of the front rows of protesters and we settled down until the speakers arrived.

There was a lot of cheering and booing at the right places as the speeches got underway. We had a wide range of representatives from the organisers and also different parts of the four nations. I particularly enjoyed the Billy Bragg session where he played a number of familiar tunes with very apt and up to date new lyrics.

It was during Billy's first song that a lone, quite boorish brexiteer joined the front rows and began to heckle and leer (yes I do mean leer) at the surrounding audience. We were all frightfully polite, pretending not to notice him, or those nearest him asking "Oh do shut up please" in a low voice - very British. One of the stewards came over and, with a smile on her face attempted to intervene, to no avail. Billy came to the end of his song and had obviously noticed the disruption and just shouted out, "The organisers aren't allowed to do much to get rid of persistent hecklers but as a performer I can, go on, get him off!" Security arrived within seconds and the unfortunate was bundled off, much to our relief.

Note - escorted off, not jeered at or subjected to violence or hate, or made to feel afraid for his life.

After an hour, I began to wander around and take more photographs of the banners and people (with their permission). By 4 pm, the event was coming to an end and the crowd began to disperse gradually.

I walked towards Trafalgar Square and took the wrong turning for Leicester Square tube station and headed for Covent Garden instead, feeling ever more thirsty after the long afternoon. I was finally tempted to have a sorbet ice-cream cone from a packed Amorino, prepared with ice-cream petals to look like a rose, and absolutely delicious.

Fortunately, the trip to Kings Cross Station on the baking-hot tube was short. I finally took the train home.

Will this event have made a difference? I don't know. It was certainly smaller than the March march. But we have to continue to try and influence a more balanced and rational future in whatever small way we can. At least we still have a democracy that allows us to express our dissent. Others are not so lucky and the trend here and across the pond is to ignore the facts and push to a baser, less tolerant populism with the worst lowest common denominators.

Mad Don and Kipper-waving Boris - Our future?

Mad Don "Oh! I fear it is stronger rooted than I expected but with the assistance of my friend and a little more Brandy I will bring it down." The Devil "Pull away, Pull away my son, don't fear, I'll give you all my assistance."

Substitute 'Hate' for 'Brandy', and this 19th century US cartoon suddenly represents the ignominious language and demagoguery we see coming across the Atlantic.

I've been discouraged from writing this blog because of the increasing insanity both here and across the pond. The blatantly racist attack by the President - THE PRESIDENT! - against congresswomen of colour and the enthusiastic chants of "Send her back" about a citizen of the US who dares to not only express different views to Trump but also criticise him. The future of a once great democracy looks bleak indeed.

Not that it is any better here in the UK where the future of our country is going to be determined by a kipper waving Boris with scant regard for any inconvenient truths, economically or otherwise. Friends abroad look on disbelievingly and aghast as we are cheerily led to a mad lemming rush over the cliff of a hard Brexit.

It's off to London on Saturday for the "March for change" against Brexit.

Mrs May writes a letter, MPs rage, Pound falls.

Mrs May writes a letter to Donald Tusk (The Love Letter, early 1770s by Jean Honore Fragonard)

Nine days to go till Brexit Day and Mrs May has written to Donald Tusk asking for an extension to the end of June at the latest, to be considered at a meeting of EU leaders tomorrow. His immediate response is , that it could be possible, if Britain votes for her deal. A difficult proposition with Parliament polarised.

Another obstacle, John Bercow, the Speaker, has stated that a centuries old parliamentary precedent means she cannot bring back the same deal, unaltered, for a third vote after the past two defeats.

The opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, after repeatedly asking for the Prime Minister to open her door to him for talks because Britain is in crisis, walks into a meeting with her and straight out again, because the centrist Chukka Ummuna had also been invited. Very statesmanlike!

And the pound, which had been rising, begins to fall again.

Tick tock, tick tock.

No real progress in a stormy Brexit

Under The Wave off Kanagawa, Katzushika Hokusai, Art Institute Chigago

Just over a fortnight to Brexit Day and we have been treated to a turbulent theatre of Westminster posturing. Nothing has really changed, chaos remains. The ship of government has made no progress and is still in peril of sinking, though the captain May be thrown overboard (or not).

To future readers - this is what actually happened (you couldn't make it up!)

1. Tuesday: Theresa May's Deal with the EU was resoundingly defeated for a second time in the Commons. 
2. Wednesday: The Commons voted to avoid leaving the EU without a Deal.
3. Thursday, the votes were:
1. Against a second referendum.
2. Against handing control of Brexit to Parliament.
3. For delaying Brexit for an (unspecified) time

What we expect to see in the future is therefore:

1. The Prime Minister will ask the EU for a delay in Brexit.
2. The Prime minister will submit her deal to Parliament AGAIN.
3. Parliament may wrest back control later.
4. A referendum could still happen after all.
5. A Hard Brexit could still happen.

That's not another fine mess we're in, it's still the same one.

The Brexit Hydra grows more heads

Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna, by Antonio Tempesta (1608). The MET

If you have wondered why this blog has been silent since December, despite all the shenanigans with Brexit, it is because the basic situation has not changed. Parliament is gridlocked over the withdrawal agreement and refuses to approve it, the EU says that it it is up to the UK to come up with an alternative realistic proposal for changes to what already agreed and signed with the rest of the EU. The Prime Minister must feel that she is fighting the proverbial many headed Hydra. No matter what she proposes, another ugly head raises itself and blocks her move, whether in the right or wrong direction.

Meanwhile business is getting increasingly worried about the possibility of the UK crashing out without an agreement, with supermarkets and other suppliers considering stockpiling products that normally arrive from the EU within a day or two. Major car manufacturers are intending to have a break over the Brexit period in March and are reconsidering or even withdrawing their investment in the UK.

The one possible new light on the horizon is the resignation of 8 Labour MPs and three Conservative MPs and their setting up a group (not a party) that aims to be in the centre. They claim they are escaping from parties pulled radically to their respective political left or right wings. Is this the birth of a middle ground common sense, trying to rise from the mire of navel gazing Westminster politics.

Or is it just a new head on the Hydra?

May Two Thirds Vote Confidence Win but Internecine Conservative War Continues in Westminster Bubble

As I awoke in Germany, the news that there would be a conservative vote on confidence in the Prime Minister was just hitting the news. Back in the UK by the evening, the conservative MPs had voted with an almost two thirds majority that they had confidence in her.

Yet, rather than accept the decision and unite to find a solution best for the country, Westminster conservatives have resorted to its navel gazing in their political bubble. The hard line brexiteers still think she should resign and the continuing internecine war will weaken the ability of the government to function

So, in effect, this has all just been a distraction and the actual problem, the concern at all sides about the Backstop if negotiations fail, is still unresolved. With hardly a rest, the Prime Minister is going off to talk to the EU colleagues tomorrow. A hard brexit on WTO rules seems increasingly likely..

And the reaction in the EU when asked whether the UK had the most unstable government in Europe, one source according to the Guardian replied: “Is there a government in London actually?”

May´s Doomed Pilgrimage to Europe and WWII POW Memories of Kindness

The vote on the Withdrawal Agreement was called off until an unspecified later date - and hit even the headlines of the local paper here in Krefeld Germany this morning. During the day local and international media reported on The Stations of May´, as she travelled around Europe looking for some crumbs that might keep the sniping UK politicians at bay and give her deal a chance. Here in Germany, there was incomprehension as to why the Prime Minister thought she could get any changes on a done deal. Indeed the answers from national EU leaders and the EU negotiators themselves came in various shades of Non, Nein, and No.

As the day comes to a close, the conservative sharks were massing close to the critical 40 to instigate a leadership challenge and tomorrow may be another chaotic day.

The pound continues to gradually slide lower against the Euro and the Dollar.

It was therefore a relief and a pleasure to find myself listening to a former German prisoner of war earlier this afternoon, who, wounded at 18 shortly after being drafted in the dying stages of WWII, found himself in a POW camp near Ross on Wye in 1944.

His memories were of the kindness of local English strangers,  who politely stopped him and another POW and invited them to spend Christmas with their family; Who, after the war helped send parcels to his parents, refugees displaced from the East to what was to become West Germany; an English family that arranged for a taxi to collect him from the POW camp for a farewell visit before he finally returned to Germany after 4 years as a POW in the UK.

The heart warming thing is that these were not isolated incidents, but part of a greater humanity, shown in Britain to former enemies,  reported by many POWs of different nationalities, so immediately after a terrible war that showed the true and dark hazard of rampant nationalism.

Eve of the Brexit Vote Storm

It is strange being here in Germnay, where Brexit is relegated to only the occasional byline inside the local newspaper and has been totally absent until late last night from the TV news.  As I write, the Prime Minster, as far as I can glean from UK news sources, is still planning to put the vote on the Withdrawal agreement before parliament on tomorrow, with still currentl an almst certain defeat. Perhaps pigs can be taught to fly within the next 24 hours - I am watching with morbid interest as, in parallel, the pound continues it´s steady decline, at this moment at 1.115 Euros.

What did gain a mention on the local news today was the decision by the European Court that the UK could unilaterally withdraw from Brexit and stay within the EU. The most recent UK poll result on how people might vote in another referendum is still split 52%:48% remain:leave, but that was on the 6th December https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-a-second-eu-referendum-were-held-today-how-would-you-vote/?.

President Trump is also experiencing difficulties. Having decided to remove General Kelly as his Chief of Staff for trying to instill some level of sanity into the White House, the planned replacement, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, has decided not to take the post after talking to Trump. A worrying aside on the BBC Today program was the comment that apparently retired Generals Kelly and Mattis (Secretary of State for Defence) decided as far back as 2017 that one of them should always be in the country to monitor the president. So what happens now?

Here in Germany, the news is still full of the repercussions of the election of the new head of the CDU, Annagret Kramp-Karrenbauer, already nicknamed AKK in Germany and abroad. Whilst she and Merkel take a more considered, consultative and pragmatic aproach to reaching consensus, the CDU is still worried about regaining a distinct identity in a climate where the main political parties are losing the confidence - and votes - of the electorate.

Mays Lonely Path against the Economic Forecasts. Trump, GM and Cohen

What a surprise earlier this week when the Government issued its forecasts for the economy, assuming either that the withdrawal agreement is approved or that we actually go to the backstop. the best case scenario is that the economy in 15 years will be 3.9% worse off than if it stayed in the EU. The worst case - the reduction will be 9.3%. Yes our economy will still grow but definitely not as well as if we stay in the EU.

The Prime Minister of course uses this as the dire warning that parliament should vote for her withdrawal agreement to have the lesser of the two evils. Naturally, some of think that perhaps this is a strong hint that we should stay. Came across an interesting chart on the impact on other EU countries - see http://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The-economic-consequences-of-Brexit.pdf. Ireland is most impacted, affected almost as much as the UKin both instances. The Netherlands and Belgium are the next two most affected countries, but the effect is less than a quarter that experienced by the UK. But countries like Germany feel an impact that is a tenth of what we will experience.

Remarkably, with currently most of Parliament is against the Withdrawal Bill, whether Remainers or Brexiteers. The critical day will be 11th December when Parliament votes on the current agreement. But comeback May obviously hopes to turn Parliament around by then.

President Trump is also having a more challenging time too at the moment. General Motors is laying off 14,000 workers as they restructure as part of their long term planning for an electric and self driving future. His first response was to threaten to cut GM's subsidies, and then followed with the prospect of increasing tariffs on car imports.

And then President Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen admits in court that he had been lying out of misplaced  loyalty. Rather than ceasing to represent Trump in Russia in property negotiations to build a skyscraper there in January 2016, negotiations continued to June 2016, well into the Presidential campaign.

Trump remains bullish about not having done anything wrong - and currently there is no evidence of collusion with Russia to influence the Presidential elections.

Sad Day as EU Leaders sign off the UK Withdrawal Agreement

A momentous and truly sad day for anyone who believes in the benefits of the UK within the EU.

The EU Leaders and Prime Minister Theresa May signed off the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement in Brussels today. The message being a mixed one of sadness that it has come to this and pointed comments that this is the one and only withdrawal deal.

The Prime Minister now has a fortnight to persuade Parliament and the British Public to back her deal at a crucial parliamentary vote.

The view from der Spiegel is that the EU has achieved it's objectives, unity among its members for the negotiation process and avoiding letting the UK cherry pick.

The Prime minister, in contrast, is having to battle against opposition not only from the Opposition, but brexiteers AND remainers in her party.

Seeing the chaos that simply trying to agree a withdrawal agreement created, it does not bode well for any future trade negotiations with the EU after the first phase of withdrawal by the UK in March.

May, Brexit and Gibraltar. Whitehouse dismisses own climate change report

Internal politics in Spain meant that it raised concerns about Gibraltar ebing tied in to the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU, to be signed off by the Eu tomorrow, Sunday. In the past (as far back as Dec 2017) the EU had agreed that Gibraltars future was to be decided in negotiations between the UK and Spain. There was therefore frustration that the point had been raised as a potential for Spain to not agree to the EU part of the deal tomorrow.

Last minute talks between Theresa May, Juncker and  officials on both sides led to a confirmation from the UK that Gibraltar would not necessarily be covered by a future trade deal with the EU.

Politically, however, voices in the UK are arguing that the Prime Minister has caved in to demands from the EU again, putting her under pressure She continues to face considerable opposition to her withdrawal deal with the EU from all UK political corners.

So there is already talk that, whilst the EU 27 will agree to the Withdrawal agreement tomorrow, they are also preparing a plan B in case the UK parliament votes against the agreement in a fortnight. The Prime Minister is taking her call for support for the agreement directly to the public.

President Trump pardoned the traditional Turkey on thanksgiving and also comes to an agreement with the Mexicans about the caravan of thousands of refugees that are at teh Mexico-US border. They will be kept in Mexico, whist their asylum/immigration applications are processed.

All this has taken the focus away from the major part 2 of a significant federal multi-departmental report on climate change that concluded that the US would suffer significantly (shrinking the economy and costing hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century) because of climate change. Reality avoiding President Trump and the Whitehouse downplayed the report. Their strategy of burying the item appears to have worked.

Fungal Brexit - Eruption, Deliquescence, Regeneration?

Barely born and already falling apart? Missing the bus? This morning the media were waiting for more cabinet resignations, notably Michael Gove. In a radio phone in with the Prime Minister, once caller exhorts her to admit failure, give up and resign.

By this afternoon, we have new cabinet ministers, including a brexiteer and an May supporters (always trying to maintain the balance to reflect the wider divisions in the Tory party).

So far, Theresa May not only survives but appears to be regaining ground. The Withdrawal agreement is still an anathema to nearly all of parliament, but, with the EU saying there will be no new renegotiations, only minor adjustments, could it slowly inveigle itself as the only solution? It might be better than a hard brexit, but I'd still prefer to remain in the EU and have a say.

President Trump suffers a minor setback as a judge orders the reinstatement of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House press pass which the President had revoked. Hilariously, The President says he is looking to create "rules and regulations" for how White House reporters act. He says "you have to practice decorum" at the White House. Let's hope he follows his own advice.

I was following the situation in the morning and afternoon cycle rides to and from St Ives, but only with half an ear. My main attention was gripped by the eruption of hundreds of Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms. This is the first time for years that an opportunity for fungal foraging came my way. While very satisfying in terms of the harvest of young fresh white caps, the reality is that Shaggy Ink Caps have a delicate flavour - that is do not taste very much alone but are used as a flavour enhancer, for example with eggs. Have created some reduced frozen boullions for future use.

UK at the Crumbling Brexit Cliff Edge

Two major cabinet ministers and several junior ministers resign. MPs in Parliament almost united in condemnation of the Prime Minister for over two hours. Jacob Rees-Mogg attempts to accelerate the cascade of letters to the chair of the Tory 1922 Committee, to reach the 48 letters to trigger a Tory leadership election.

Whatever you might think of her politics, hats off to Theresa May for remaining calm and collected on the outside as she patiently attempts to push through the withdrawal agreement with the EU.

There seems to be a lot of hot air being emitted on wanting to renegotiate a better deal. The EU sees this as the completed agreement, which they will agree to, if the UK can get its house in order. Renegotiation is not an option.

The Prime Minister sees the available choices as a trinary option, the proposed withdrawal agreement, a hard Brexit or not leaving the EU, with the emphasis on the first two. Sadly remaining is still not a major option in Parliament. So the gamble by her is - take my agreement or leap of the cliff into a hard Brexit.

We are at the edge of the crumbling Brexit cliff. Current voices seem to argue for 'Jump'.

Speculation Before the Storm? Cabinet Agrees to Draft Withdrawal Agreement -

It took five hours for the UK Cabinet to come to an agreement on accepting the Draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. Of the 23 ministers in the Cabinet, 11 spoke against it.

Even EU officials kept quiet, unwilling to inadvertently send the wrong signals till the cabinet reached its decision.

The withdrawal agreement includes a backstop where Northern Ireland would be treated as closer to the EU to prevent a border on the island and the UK would have to maintain custom arrangements on behalf of the EU.

There is now the speculation before the storm with three key questions:

• Can Theresa May get the Withdrawal agreement successfully through parliament?
• Will the Representatives of the other EU countries agree to the agreement  at an emergency meeting on the 25th November?
• Will the conservatives issue challenge to the Prime Minister's leadership?

More detailed evaluation of the Draft agreement will surface over the coming days as politicians and reporters work their way through the 583 page document and translate some of the issues into understandable language and concepts.

The Draft Brexit Agreement - Make or Break?

Tonight comes the news that the British Cabinet has been called in to hear the news and read the 500 page Draft Brexit Agreement, negotiated between the UK and the EU, on the transition arrangements due to come into force next March.

It engendered immediate:

• speculation from the Press
• cries of potential betrayal from the DUP of Northern Ireland who fear being the sacrificial lamb for a borderless Ireland
• reaction from hardline Brexiteers who deem it to be suffering vassalage (is that a word?) to the EU in all but name
• meeting by Remainers who see it a potential justification for a new people's vote as the promises of Brexit are shown to be tawdry lies
• Rejection from the Labour opposition - unless it meets all their demands

Both the UK Cabinet and the EU will be holding special separate meetings tomorrow at 14:00 h to seek backing from their respective cabinet members and country representatives.

The timing is particularly poignant as it is within a week of the WWI armistice centenary, which surely highlighted both the dangers of potential conflict, and the benefit of a Europe working together striving for peace.

At the same time, President Trump, who had seemed to be a more distant partner during the Armistice Centenary meeting of world leaders, and showed a luke-warm attitude to committing to commemorate the war dead of his own country, fell back to negative tweets on the host country France and it's President after he left. Perhaps the most tasteless one was:

Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!

Tory conference infighting diminishes trust in Brext negotiation ability

The Tory party conference simply demonstrates the inability of the party to see the brexit wood for the trees as it continues with infighting rather than dealing with serious negotiations on Brexit. Hard Brexiteers like Rees-Mogg and Boris point out the problems with the Chequers proposal yet ignore the business concerns and real actions by the car industry fearing a no deal exit.

The prime Minister sticks to the Chequers proposal, despite the EU and most of parliament regarding it as a dead duck. In addition, we have hard language and idiotic statements like that by Jeremy Hunt. Claiming that the EU was behaving like the Old Soviet Union, he managed not only to anger fellow conservatives in Germany, he alienated those former Eastern Bloc countries that were most sympathetic to the UK.

A great response by Vytenis Andriukaitis,
Dear @Jeremy_Hunt I was born in Soviet gulag and been imprisoned by KGB a few times in my life.
Happy to brief you on the main differences between #EU and Soviet Union. And also why we escaped the #USSR
Anytime. Whatever helps

The final proposals in negotiations are supposed to be completed mid October and presented to the EU in November. The risks of a hard Brexit continue to rise.

Labour rallies on snap election push and referendum. Hard Brexit more likely. Trump promotes isolationism.

The red rose of Labour was ascendant in the Arena in Liverpool (yes I know the picture is not of a rose), finishing with a rousing speech by his godliness Jeremy Corbyn. The key elements re Brexit from the Conference are that  a)  Labour will magnanimously support the government brexit plan if it meets the six Labour requirements. Otherwise b) it will be pushing for a snap election. And c) The party voted overwhelmingly to support a second referendum on any decision on Brexit, including the option of remaining in the EU.

Labours six tests are:

1. Fair migration system for UK business and communities
2. Retaining strong, collaborative relationship with EU
3. Protecting national security and tackling cross-border crime
4. Delivering for all nations and regions of the UK
5. Protecting workers' rights and employment protections
6. Ensuring same benefits currently enjoyed within single market

These are unlikley to all be met by a conservative Brexit at present as they can only seriously be met by staying within the EU. Even the promise of a customs union would still result in a border between the EU and the UK in Ireland as border checks would still have to be made.

A snap election would require around 6 weeks from announcement to voting, judging by the last one. Vince Cable had suggested a 12 week plan for a December 2018 Referendum when proposing it last year. Presumably this would put all negotiations with the EU on hold.

Meanwhile, the EU is looking for a final decision on the present negotiations by mid October, or November at the latest.

Since elections and/or referendum would delay negotiations, all this would suggest that the chances of a hard Brexit are dramatically increased unless the Brexit decisions can be pushed down the line.

How is it that rather than uniting to find a common solution to Brexit negotiations, the main UK political parties are more interested in their infighting and political power battles?!?

President Trump visited the UN today to chair a session. He raised an audible giggle from the audience when he repeated his mantra that he has achieved more to date than nearly any other President. He announced his opposition to globalism, a fundamental element of the UN, in favour of 'patriotism'. POTUS attacked China during a debate on Iran, accusing China of attempting to interfere with the 2018 US elections. Yet nowhere did he criticise Russia, despite that country's past record.

I only took all this in through a nebulous haze of a cold that is now receding. I look forward to a day where I don't spend most of my time in bed.

Rot sets in on Theresa's Chequers proposal at EU meeting.

Rot sets in on Chequers proposal

Prime Minister Theresa May's hopes were dashed today on the second day of the Salzburg EU conference. Her Chequers proposal was branded as unacceptable by the EU 27, despite warm noises made prior to the conference. She calls for the EU to compromise, the EU looks to her to provide a compromise. The Irish border is still the sticking issue, though on the bright side, both sides seem to think that 90% of all other points have been agreed.

Rejected by the EU and rejected by many in the Conservative party, the unrealistic Chequers proposal looks dead in the water. And with it, the Prime Minister is again in the crosshairs of those who seek to topple her.

With a positive agreement on the outlines of the UKs future relationship with the EU post Brexit  needed by mid October, or the very latest November, time is short, very short. The likelihood of a hard brexit has been raised again.

In-between work, I washed and sliced the tart President plums bought yesterday at Ely. They baked nicely on a yeast dough base and provided a tasty afternoon tea.

Six months to brexit without consensus. A sweet homemade distraction

St Apollonia

Six months to go to Brexit this week and Britain continues to subject itself to the indignities of the Conservative and Labour in-fighting. The Prime Minister Theresa May continues her attempt to persuade both the EU, her own party and the general public of the one true path - her Chequers proposal. The EU has already politely pointed out difficulties with it and the hard Brexiteers shout betrayal of the one true brexit.

Helpfully, the government has issued further publications on preparing for Brexit and the dangers of a hard brexit, bringing the total number up to 133. They are listed under the following headings:

• 30 are EU exit regulations
• 103 are Guidance
• 0 are Business advice

Thus clearly emphasizing that whilst we are all ultimately dependent on the UK economy and businesses are crying out for advice re Brexit, their concerns are at the bottom of the list. 

Quite frankly, despite the boyish enthusiasm of our new Brexit Minister and chief negotiator Dominic Raab, we seem to be heading inexorably towards a hard brexit and the application of WTO rules. A painful process to watch, looming ever closer like a dentists appointment for a root canal drilling.

The President across the Pond has shown himself to be a solemn representative of the people when commemorating the anniversary of 9/11, and then deluded when arguing that the release of the final death toll of the Puerto Rican hurricane disaster (3000+) was fake news. The US economy continues to grow despite the heightened trade sanctions of ever more goods from China.

We spent the last weekend first on a trip to London, visiting the Welcome collection and then the British Museum  before celebrating a family birthday. Then on Sunday, we took a walk along the guided busway between Oakington and Longstanton. I'd remembered good blackberrying along part of the route when cycling past on Friday. We picked blackberries and rose-hips and a few crab-apples on the way home, and I prepared crab-apple and bramble jam/cheese and rose-hip jelly.