I wonder if a Le Pen presidency would make the idea of rejoining rather toxic for the sort of Remainers who haven’t noticed some of the changes in the bloc since 2016? Also, factor in the rise of China and increasing EU protectionism. The economic draw may not be what it was either?

ICYMI yesterday, I wrote a rather personal piece which was provoked by the Green Party’s recent motion on Zionism and Restore Britain’s position on Britishness. To my mind, each is problematic and it led me to ponder on history and belonging.

It is telling that the Irish Government (which intervened in the ICJ case) wants the court to interpret the Genocide Convention more flexibly. But that was never the intention of the drafters.

As a war. Genocide has a specific legal definition. The deaths of civilians can be tragic without amounting to genocide. Have a look at the number of civilians thought to have died following the US/UK coalition wars in the Middle East post-9/11.

My point was not advocating for some mythical invocation of ‘Britishness’, but rather to say that Restore Britain’s Ethnonationalist approach is ridiculous. To be honest, if someone asks me where I come from, I’d say London.

If Scotland were to become independent, or Northern Ireland were to become united with the Republic, I hope that we wouldn’t see citizenship granted on the basis that Restore Britain are suggesting! (2/2).

I can’t agree with this I’m afraid. It may well be that some people in the component nation states that make up the U.K. have aspirations for independence. That’s a very different point from the sort of issues that I discuss in my essay. (1/2).

Depressing to see that, despite all the press coverage, 8,928 people went out to vote for a racist party in Holborn and St Pancras that is calling for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state. I guess Jews still don’t count.

I don’t see how membership of EFTA would be incompatible with anything the U.K. currently wishes to do?

What exactly stopped the SNP holding its conference in Aberdeen during the actual conference recess, rather than skipping school during term time? I can only guess that it’s because they don’t have much time for the Westminster Parliament?

I mean I’m not sure that all the EU member states will be super keen to have the U.K. back either!

Yes, but the Westminster Parliament is back from recess next week. So conference season is over. If the SNP prefers to gather in Aberdeen, that’s fair enough. But political life will go on without them.

The article discusses some of these points in detail. The concept (if I can put it that way) is of a European neighbourhood with an outer layer (including the U.K. and Switzerland as well as the EEA countries) in the Single Market, but not in ‘the project’.

I am not the comedian I’m afraid (as much as it might seem that way sometimes)!

I am a secular Jew, a dual national of the UK 🇬🇧 and Israel 🇮🇱 and now live part-time in Belgium🇧🇪 . I am a Zionist. If you think that makes me a racist, then please feel free to unfollow me. Am Yisrael Chai. Thanks for reading.

I tend to agree. Although I guess it’s better than some of the modern ‘omakase’ options and set menus where the chef doesn’t even seem to care what you like or don’t like! Ideally, I prefer a good varied à la carte menu.