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Chris Grey

@chrisgrey.bsky.social

35K followers 730 following 1.3K posts

Emeritus Prof of Organization Studies, Royal Holloway University of London, ex-Prof Warwick & Cambridge. FAcSS, FRHistS. Now mainly analysis of Brexit including Brexit & Beyond Blog. Author Brexit Unfolded (Biteback, 2021, 2023). Elsewhere @chrisgreybrexit

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · Jun 23

So it's now 7 years since the vote to leave the EU. For a detailed account & analysis of what happened from the day after that, see my book, "Brexit Unfolded: How no one got what they wanted (and why they were never going to)" (2nd, updated, edition 2023): www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/brexit...

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1h

The point of the RC idea is to begin to create a process whereby the possibility of that 'hissy fit' is eventually taken away. That's way it has to be, in the first instance, a domestic process.

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 2h

It's not "exceptionalism" (an over-used & often lazily applied term) for the UK to have a much-needed internal review of what it did to itself with Brexit, and in fact would be a necessary prelude for any serious discussion with the EU about the future.

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 3h

Very interesting suggestion

Andrew Duff @andrewduffeu.bsky.social · 4h

That’s why I’ve suggested a Royal Commission. Establish some facts. Prepare the ground. verfassungsblog.de/the-case-for...

The Case for a Royal Commission on Britain and Europe

verfassungsblog.de

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 22h

And then leave again if the GE after that is won on a manifesto commitment to leave? Sorry, but that's totally unrealistic.

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 1d

After a long pause, I've just done another England Covid & NHS update as we head into the autumn/winter season.

TLDR: we're in a significant Covid wave now, the NHS is stretched, get boosted if you're eligible.

christinapagel.substack.com/p/england-is...

England is now experiencing a significant Covid wave, after 10 months of relative quiet

The latest Covid situation in England and a look at where NHS services are as we head into winter

christinapagel.substack.com

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

That wouldn't be politically possible now. The circumstances are completely different.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

a) because the political meaning in the UK of joining SM is *totally* different to CPTPP b) because w/out Ref it becomes perfect plausible for a future HMG just to leave without one, making it untenable for EU to accept but also foolish for 'rejoiners' to suggest

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Centre for European Reform @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social · 2d

@antonspisak.bsky.social of the @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social, a think-tank, observes that, after Brexit took effect at the end of 2020, Britain’s goods exports have grown less than those of any other economy in the G7 club of rich countries.

A dangerous post-Brexit world

Britain risks being an unwitting victim of EU-US trade wars

buff.ly

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

There's literally zero possibility of doing that without a referendum (even leaving aside whether it could be agreed externally). And please don't say 'but the 2016 Ref didn't specify what Brexit meant'. I know. But that ship has long sailed.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

It wouldn't need a Ref, perhaps, but it would break such a cast iron manifesto commitment as to need far more than "political backbone", and, on the other side of the coin, would anyway be questionable as a credible response to the economic damage of Brexit. There really isn't an easy fix.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

Which, to date, has been their approach. But it doesn't enable them to make the attack on Farage that's under discussion here.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

And, to spell it out, the only credible answer to that would mean turning British politics upside down again with another Referendum, which isn't, politically, an option. So there's an impasse.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe. But, if so, the issue for Labour will be what it always has been on this: they can't (credibly) say that leaving the EU was damaging without having a (credible) answer to the question: what is the solution?

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 1d

Simon Calder's reporting on the travel impact of Brexit has been good, but the strangely-worded final line of this ("under the Brexit deal, Boris Johnson’s government negotiated for UK passport holders to become third-country nationals") suggests that, even now, Brexit isn't really understood.

LittleGravitas, →EU immigrant, UK→ emigrant, anti-Brexit @catanonim.me · 2d

~ New EU entry-exit warning: ‘Leave extra four hours’ for passing through new system | The Independent ~

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eu-entry-exit-system-delay-arrival-flight-b2843028.html

New EU entry-exit warning: ‘Leave extra four hours’ for passing through new system | The Independent

A top travel industry figure has warned of bottlenecks at European airport from October 12

www.independent.co.uk

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 1d

This is a timely, excellent and important report on how "arms length" bodies in UK are vulnerable to political manipulation.

Kudos @chrischirp.bsky.social and @martinmckee.bsky.social for putting this together.

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 2d

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 2d

I see Robert Jenrick is supporting Hamit Coskun who is appealing his conviction by reference to the ECHR (which Jenrick wants to withdraw from).

Who knew that the ECHR could be useful, even to the anti-ECHR Hard Right?

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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 2d

Really interesting- and, I think, welcome- to see MPs sharing this kind of data about casework.

Casework is largely invisible (other than to the constituents it helps!) compared to what MPs do in the Commons chamber but is a huge part of MPs’ workload, and it’s really hard to get robust data on it

Dr Beccy Cooper MP @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social · 2d

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 3d

1. This does not target the UK

2. This is clear evidence of being inside a customs union rather than floating alone

3. It was inevitable that Trump's actions at the head of such a large economy would result in dumping elsewhere.. Europe has to be able to take action to counter that.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 2d

Aside from the obvious nonsense of this, it's striking that Farage is now talking as if it's a done deal that he is going to be the next PM. That might play badly with voters, even those minded to vote for Reform.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Nigel Farage says UK teachers are ‘poisoning our kids’ and predicts strikes as PM

Exclusive: Reform UK leader, speaking at event for private US college, also claimed the ‘Marxist left’ controls education Nigel Farage has predicted teachers would go on strike within weeks of a Reform UK government, and accused them of “poisoning our kids” by telling them that black children are victims and white children oppressors. The Reform UK leader set out his view on British schools in an event for a private US Christian college in Michigan, claiming the “Marxist left” was “now in control of our education system”. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 2d

The rules apply to any non-EU citizens not covered by free movement law, not just British citizens. All these possible penalties for overstay already exist.

Brexity folks are allowed to worship British border controls; but the EU is not supposed to enforce theirs against Brits.

Frédéric Moreau @goodclimate.bsky.social · 4d

People breaking immigration law can be deported. EVEN IF THEY'RE BRITISH.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 4d

I hope and believe that most of my fellow Jews will join me in saying that it is sickening that anyone should justify this outpouring of execrable racist bile by claiming that it's for our sake.

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 4d

Outstanding piece by Stephen Daisley.

Ethnicity is no barrier to Britishness - it's culture and integration.

That means 'smaller cohorts and aggressive integration policies' - and tackling the institutions that 'have amplified grievance narratives and radical anti-Western ideologies'.

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 4d

Surely we need more not fewer anthropologists if we're going to have a proper culture war? And if it is to be a performative one about social integration into English language and culture, then the other disciplines she mentions will have their uses in the future she envisages, too.

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 4d

Badenoch and Co see education only as a means to a massive income in some soul destroying career.

Devoid of imagination and the power of knowledge they view life entirely through the prism of the CV.

My advice always is to study what interests you and the rest will follow

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 4d

There's also something disgusting about a qualified solicitor, so it can't have been said from ignorance, suggesting, as Jenrick did today, that barristers' beliefs and values can be deduced from those of their clients.

Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 4d

It's dangerous and it's also incoherent: I heard Jenrick saying today that when judges don the wig it symbolizes the point they leave personal views & identifications aside. Fine, but this makes his claim (if even true) that some judges have 'links' with immigrants' charities utterly irrelevant.

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5d

If you can't see how this will end, then you're not paying attention (not least to what's going on on the other side of the Atlantic).

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 4d

Dubai seems to have become the new Singapore for Brexiters, even as they flog the rest of us to show obeisance to 'British values'.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 4d

Party donor Nick Candy says "I cherish the values we grew up with here in the West. But today you are more likely to find the values we grew up with in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.’

Via Sam Leith in the Spectator
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 4d

Just listened to report on today's debates about 'integration' on R4 news. Fair enough as a report, but a depressing illustration of how those debates conflate & confuse issues of (undefined) values, culture, colour, religion, nationality, locality & birthplace. So the 'debate' never goes anywhere.

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