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Property Accounting Season – It’s An Accrual Time

Richard Bolton
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Property Accounting Season – It’s An Accrual Time

With tax returns due by 31ST January for self-assessment for property income, CGT, Class 2 and 4 NICs , income and interest, are you familiar with the declarations in 2018/19?

Rental income has been affected in recent years with the April 2017 reduction of the tax relief claimable on mortgage-interest payments, applying to overdraft and loan (including furnishings’ loans) interest, as well as incidental mortgage repayment and arrangement fees, costs and loans.

Rental income extends to payments by tenants for furniture use, communal cleaning, hot water, heating and repairs, alongside other services provided.

From this pre-tax income, you can deduct what you have paid for buildings insurance, contents insurance, repairs, utility costs (water bills and council tax), services to clean communal areas, ground rents and service charges, advertising costs, letting agents’ fees and accountants’ fees.

You can also deduct for part-expenses “If a definite part of a cost expense incurred wholly and exclusively for the property business”, according to Gov.uk. If a property is used for private purposes for 3 months and commercially let for 9 months, then only 9/12 months mortgage interest can be deducted from the rental income.

Landlords beware – file returns promptly & accurately to avoid HMRC fines

2017-18 tax year allows you to deduct 75% of financing costs from rental income, with the remaining 25% qualifying for basic-rate relief.

This falls to 50% 50% 2018-19, 25% 50% 2019-20 and 0% to 100% from 2020-21.

You cannot deduct capital expenses from your income. This includes home improvements like an extension built or a new bathroom – these can, however, be used to cutting the capital-gains tax bill when you come to sell.

Even though the 10% wear-and-tear allowance can no longer be claimed, you can claim the “replacement of domestic items relief” (RDI) if you replace moveable furniture, for example, beds, free-standing wardrobes; furnishings, such as curtains, carpets, linens, floor covers; household appliances like televisions, fridges, freezers and kitchenware, e.g. crockery and cutlery.

Replacements must be like-for-like, and you can also claim for disposal costs. Note that this is available in all properties, not just those that are fully furnished.

Only expenses incurred from 6TH April 2016 can RDI relief be applied for Income Tax purposes.

Unlike Wear and Tear allowance, RDI relief can apply to unfurnished, part or fully furnished dwellings. Expenses must be incurred on purchase on the replacements, not originals, and solely for use of tenants.

The new item must be like-for-like. For instance, changing the functionality from a sofa to sofa bed means the replacement isn’t substantially the same. If there is a difference in price, this is then not allowable.

Synthetic to woollen carpets is not substantially the same as the old item – it is an improvement and not deductible.

Old items can be sold or part-exchanged for the new; with the allowable deductions the cost of the new item, incidental disposal costs and amounts received on disposal of the old item.

Rent-a-Room-Relief

Rent-a-room-relief doesn’t require a record of expenses if you don’t intend to claim them under the scheme. From 6TH April 2016, if the rent you receive is more than £7500 (£3750 per joint owner) you can opt to pay tax on your profit in the normal way by deducting your expenses from the rent received.

Losses arise when allowable expenses exceed rental income. This can only offset profits arise in the same rental business in future years. Multiple property expenses and income are collectively assessed, with the exception overseas property or furnished holiday lettings.

Uncommercial lets to friends or relatives for reduced rents means expenses can only be deducted up to the amount of the rent received for that property. Relief for losses is only available if the loss arises from commercial letting. Profits or losses aren’t made, so excesses cannot be carried forward to later tax years.

HMRC can charge penalties if records are inaccurate, incomplete, illegible or missing and for inaccurate tax returns.

Rent books, receipts, invoices, bank statements and mileage logs (for journeys that are solely for your property business purposes).

For further information, head to Gov.uk  for Rent-A-Room-Relief for a room in your home.

For renting out properties as an individual follow this link.

Brexit D-DAY: May facing huge defeat and vote of no confidence in the government

Mike Omoniyi
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Brexit D-DAY: May facing huge defeat and vote of no confidence in the government

Theresa May is heading for a crushing defeat on Brexit vote in the Commons today. Despite a series of last-minute appeals to rebel Tory MPs to back her EU withdrawal agreement.

Senior MPs and a number of sources are predicting a defeat for the prime minister of between 100 and 200 votes, which is likely to be followed by Jeremy Corbyn calling a vote of no confidence in the government.

Mrs May’s allies insist that whatever the scale of the defeat, she has no intention of quitting or calling a general election, but she will come under enormous pressure to unveil a Brexit Plan B.

On the eve of the historic vote, the prime minister appealed to MPs during a Commons statement to take a “second look” at her agreement, despite admitting it was not perfect and was a compromise.

In the Commons, she said: “It is not perfect but when the history books are written, people will look at the decision of this House and ask, ‘Did we deliver on the country’s vote to leave the EU, did we safeguard our economy, security or union, or did we let the British people down?'”

Then, in an emotional speech to Conservative MPs that was described by her supporters as a “bravura performance”, she urged them to “keep Jeremy Corbyn as far away from No. 10 as possible”.

Theresa May, the Prime Minister CREDIT: LEON NEAL /GETTY IMAGES EUROPE 

Winding up day four of the five-day Commons debate on the withdrawal agreement in the early hours of the morning, the chancellor Philip Hammond told MPs: “We as a House now need to move swiftly and decisively to get behind the deal.

“To make the tough choices that are needed to simultaneously deliver the Brexit people voted for, to protect our economy and our national security and to give them the brighter future they were promised.”

Too little too late

Despite delays by the government, the Brexit deal faces a similar parliamentary arithmetic to the one it did before. The prime minister had promised she would secure additional “legal and political assurances” from Brussels when she delayed a vote on her deal and fought off a challenge to her leadership. However, weeks after and nothing changed. Her vote still faces stiff opposition from the labour party and Tory rebels are set to defy whips and vote against the deal today.

What happens next?

If the deal is rejected by MPs, Mrs May has three sitting days to return to Parliament with a “Plan B”.Some have suggested she would head to Brussels on Wednesday to try to get further concessions from the EU, before returning to the Commons to give a statement about her new proposal by Monday. This could then be put to a vote by MPs.

If this also fails, there is a proposal put forward by senior Conservative backbenchers Nick Boles, Sir Oliver Letwin and Nicky Morgan for a “European Union Withdrawal Number 2 Bill”. This would give ministers another three weeks to come up with another plan and get it through Parliament.

If this doesn’t work either, they propose giving the responsibility of coming up with a compromise deal to the Liaison Committee – which is made up of the chairmen and chairwomen of all the Commons select committees, drawn from opposition parties as well as the Conservatives.

This proposal in turn would have to be voted through by MPs.

STOP being afraid of Black Men: 56 Black Men

The Common Sense Network
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STOP being afraid of Black Men: 56 Black Men

Much of 2018 revealed and all too familiar pernicious relationship between the mainstream media and black men. Negative headlines dominated these papers with global reach and readership. 

A study in the book Research in Race and Ethnic Relations found that negative portrayals in the news media affect how police treat black men in the United States and beyond, according to a Rutgers School of Public Health study. The study found that public perceptions of male dangerousness are a factor in influencing police action and the public’s willingness to accept an officer’s deadly actions as legitimate. It also noted that black masculinity is often equated with hypermasculinity, criminality and hypersexuality.

“Unarmed black Americans are five times more likely to be shot and killed by police than unarmed white Americans. We believe that media may play a significant role in these disproportionate deaths,” said lead author Pamela Valera, an assistant professor. “The stereotypes held, consciously or unconsciously, about the criminality and ‘dangerousness’ of black men influence the rates at which they are stopped and engaged by the police.”

Police make an arrest during Ferguson protests in New York City. (Andrew Burton/Getty)

What about the UK? 

You’d be forgiven for thinking the UK might be different. With successive Firearms Acts through the 60s, 80s and 90s, black men are no longer frequently shot and killed by police. However, there still exists a disproportionately aggressive relationship between the police and black men. What’s worse is that the mainstream media press often exacerbates this. 

Consider that Metropolitan Police officers are four times more likely to use force against black people compared with the white population according to the MET Police

The Met used force 62,000 times in 2017-18 with more than a third of incidents involving black people. Techniques such as verbal instructions and using firearms were recorded. The Met Police said: “The proportionate use of force is essential in some circumstances to protect the public and often themselves from violence.” Facing this news, then Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the “disproportionate use of force was discriminatory”.

56 BLACK MEN

It is for this reason that 56 BLACK MEN is grabbing headlines. Against this backdrop, black men are taking control of their own narrative and documenting it. Cephas Williams, Project Founder explains this project;

“This is a visual campaign documenting 56 black men that are doing something other than what is widely plastered about black men across various forms of media. Championing the idea that “I am Not My Stereotype”, the campaign looks to challenge the general stereotype of ‘the black man’ and the negative connotations and stigma attached to the cliché image of a black man wearing a hoody. The campaign makes a visually bold statement by showing black men wearing a hoody, while it also features text on what these men currently do for work. It features men from the world of finance, the arts, law and business, right through to the medical field and more”.

This is generally the opposite of what society has been conditioned to expect of a black man and in some cases even influences how many black men view themselves and their ability. You see this reflected through representation within the work-place also.

“I Am Not My Stereotype”

The online campaign features individual pictures of 56 black men wearing a hood, an image that has been coloured by the mainstream press. These men aren’t dangerous or threatening, on the other hand, some own businesses, are artists, musicians, lawyers and more. Featuring in the campaign is our Founder and CEO, Mike Omoniyi, who talking about the project told us, “Its about time we start to show people what black men have been doing whilst negative headlines dominated headlines. We have been existing, working hard, excelling and we are not a trend or fad; we are here to stay’ 

“I want to inspire”

Cephas tells us: “I’m looking to inspire a generation of black men both young and old who can also identify with this image of a black man in a hoody but who also may not see these pathways as realistic or accessible to them. If young black boys continually see themselves represented in the media in a negative way this does not give them much else to look up to, neither does it help to change the trajectory of their life. The last strand of the project is the network we are creating, we look to feature new 56 black men on the campaign every year, but as a network we look to expand beyond this number internally in a bid to put black men at the forefront of the conversations that are being had about black men, while also creating a network of black men that help one another internally in various ways.”

Below are all the black men who featured in this project.

3/10 The Cost of Artistry | Samuel Cole

The Common Sense Network
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3/10 The Cost of Artistry | Samuel Cole

In a time where crime in our capital is at an all-time high, the narrative we often see in the mainstream media is that black men are using violence to channel their pain.

This is only part of the story. There is a growing group of BAME men and women, using their experiences to inform their art. 

In our 10 part feature, we meet some of these artists. These artists are swimming against the tide, creating a lane for themselves.  They talk to us about the Cost of Artistry

3/10 Meet Samuel Cole

I find it frustrating when reading profiles of artists how little attention is paid to discussion of their practice. I have found there to be a tendency to encourage artists to pontificate on current affairs, sensationalising their experiences of craft and work. I frequently cringe at lengthy descriptions of what an artist is wearing, or how they are sitting.

With this feature, I want to give our readers an insight into those whose work I greatly admire the opportunity to have a serious discussion about poetry/rap, free from the usual angling of “page vs stage” or “new young star brings poetry out of the dusty library”.

We sat down with Samuel Cole and asked him 

When did you discover you had a “talent”? 

7 years ago I signed up to take part in a filmed project to highlight the positive contribution of young people in my borough. It was meant to be a filmed project but for some reason or another, the filming dates kept getting cancelled. Anyway, the project ended up not happening but I said I’d contribute by sending in an audio copy of a poem. I ended up writing a poem called Young Monarch. I sent it in and the lady who received it was blown away – that’s where it all began.

What have you had to sacrifice to nurture your talent? 

Pride and ego. Just because I wrote a poem didn’t make me a poet. Neither did watching Def Jam Poetry regularly or reading Shakespeare. I had to move beyond treating it as a casual diary entry, humbling myself, developing a respect for the craft and sharpening my pen. That meant writing constantly, reading constantly and getting feedback on my work. 

In sacrificing pride I learned to be vulnerable. That didn’t necessarily mean exposing my pain, but it did mean being transparent. Prioritising clarity and the content of my message above all else. When I performed, I began to see the stage as a place where ego died and the message was in the limelight. I needed to forget about looking ‘cool’ or ‘impressive’, being loud and an entertainer or seeking finger clicks from the audience and instead say something true that might actually change someone’s life. 

Transparency meant talking about how I actually I saw the world. The things that actually bothered me or made me laugh. Ultimately I wrote not only to be understood but to understand – not to be admired. I learned that when I wrote about specific experiences, (rather than vague ideas that are detached from reality), my message resonated more deeply with those who listened. It’s a balance. On the one hand I needed to show more of ‘myself’ in order to be transparent, but not so much of myself such that I ended up blocking the message.

Who inspires your artistry?

Different people for different reasons. 

CS Lewis because of his command of the english language and his ability to use words to conjure up an entire world in your head. 

Lauryn Hill for her emotional rawness, and rhythm through her music. 

Jackie Hill Perry for her straight talking lyrical tenacity.

Banwo The Poet for his genius wordplay. 

Jolade, Caleb Femi, Theresa Lola for their ability to tell a story in such a way you feel as though you were in it experiencing it with them.

What is the biggest misconception people have about poets?

That we belong to a class of ‘elites’ in society out of touch with reality. Connected to that there is a misconception that all spoken word poets should recite their poems in a similar style – i.e. long pauses, stretched out words, change in tone for dramatic effect and so on. I think poets share a common desire to document in verse something they think is important, but there is no ‘one’ style. 

In an age where digital echo chambers are growing wider, what role do you think poetry can play in this? 

I think poetry is a useful channel to initiate a dialogue and invite fresh views on topics.  It lends itself well to expressing alternative views in a way that is interesting to read or listen to. My favourite poets identify universal themes and still communicate their truth. They can craft a phrase like ‘Treat your homes like you live in them, even if your minds have mansions in the cosmos’ (Jolade Olusanya, Poem: ‘97) striking a chord with many and yet still maintaining the integrity of their own unique story.

Has a poem ever humbled or frightened you? What was it? When did it happen and what did you do afterwards?

I remember one of the first poems I performed publically called ‘How Long’. It was a message about not being lazy and seeking God. I was so eager to share it. I went to an open mic night and performed it. It lasted about 5 mins, and the crowd looked at me with stone cold faces from beginning to end. I was so confused. Afterwards I was told it was far too loud and far too preachy. I was crushed. In hindsight it probably would have worked better as a sermon than a poem! 

Some poets claim that a poem is like a living creature: once it’s out there is not much you can do to ‘correct’ or ‘improve’ it, while others edit meticulously, not leaving much from the original, draft form. What is your take on it?

I think as the poet it’s your work and you can do whatever you please with it. I generally don’t tinker with published poems because I like drawing a line under a piece and letting it speak for itself at the time of its release – whether it’s perfect, imperfect, warts and all. Have I had new ideas for a piece after I release it? Of course! But for me, ultimately each poem is a flag pushed into the ground marking a stage and time in my life. There’s always more that could be done to embellish or improve a piece – simply because as time progresses we develop. Ideas which were true and firm for us before become amorphous and ambiguous, feelings that were intense and heartfelt become less impassioned. We change. It’s unfair then to force our current ideas and values to fit our older works. Almost as odd pouring new wine into old wineskins!

I do recognise that what gets posted online, stays online. I’m sharing my work with the world and let’s face it – not everyone has the energy to consume edit 1, edit 2, edit infinity of a piece. That would be exhausting! Imagine if Michael Jackson had 5 versions of Billie Jean or Lauryn Hill rewrote The Miseducation. There’s a misconception I think, that you must keep updating the poem to keep it alive. A piece is alive as long as someone can pick it up and feel something. 

The question does feed into a wider conversation about art though. When is a piece of work really ‘finished’? When you publish it? When you think it’s ‘perfect’? For me it’s when you publish it, because I won’t publish something that I don’t think is finished. If it’s a great piece then why change it! If it sucks, then let it be! It’s a starting point which you progress from.

With all this being said I do adjust my pieces for live performances. The poem at its core doesn’t change, but the way I express it might. I may add a verse relevant to theme of the event, or switch a word that I feel is more potent at the time. I gauge the atmosphere in the room and ‘remix’ the words to suit. Through the remix of poems I’ve sometimes ended up creating a completely separate new piece entirely. 

How do you define success?

When my message in my poem is clear and it resonates with the person listening.

Do you ever regret sharing your work publicly? Do you trust the reader in a world of instant gratification and instant communication?

No regrets here. By calling myself a poet I have accepted the mantle not just to be a spokesperson but to die to my ego in order that my message is unobstructed and connects with the audience. In stepping up to the mic or writing a piece I am not necessariIy seeking to put my trust in the audience. The real question is does the reader trust me? Do they believe what I am saying? Does what I am saying connect with them and can they find something of themselves in my message?

@OnlySamuelCole


The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act is signed into law. Band-aid on a broken wall?

Fleur Boya
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The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act is signed into law. Band-aid on a broken wall?

Some pleasant news arises from the American political sphere amidst all the Trump-related drama that dominates the mainstream media,

Headlines about a partial government shutdown are eclipsing this good news, but late Friday the president signed an important piece of legislation, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017.

Congress has passed a bill that helps to reduce maternal deaths, titled the “Preventing Maternal Deaths Act 2017, which was led by the Preeclampsia Foundation. The bill was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday 11th December 2018, before going on to be unanimously approved in the Senate on Thursday following. 

According to a report published by National Public Radio, “more women in the U.S. die from complications related to pregnancy than in any other developed country” – this is the overall aim of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act is to enable states to build up or enhance their maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) – interdisciplinary factions of specialists in maternal, child, and general wellbeing – to inspect maternal death instances and distinguish locally-significant approaches to forestall future deaths.

“The bill authorizes an unprecedented $12 million a year for five years to prevent mothers’ deaths during and after childbirth, which happen at alarming rates in America.”

In addition, the bill “authorises $12 million in federal funds a year for states to create committees to investigate and track the deaths of expectant and new mothers, then come up with policy changes to prevent such trends from continuing”, according to preeclampsia.org.

Kira Johnson, 39, died hours after giving birth to her son, Langston, in what her husband, Charles Johnson IV, describes as a death that hospital staff could have prevented. “This was not just a medical tragedy” he said. “This was a medical catastrophe.”Courtesy of Charles Johnson IV

“A tiny band-aid on a broken wall”

Though the bill has received overwhelming support by many congress members, including Republican Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who stated that “preventing maternal mortality is not a partisan issue”, the bill is still not enough to solve the bigger issue at hand – the overall structure of the American healthcare system, as it fails to obligate states to examine whether flawed medical care plays a role in maternal deaths. 

In 2015, Yolanda Mention died after giving birth despite several warning signs showing that she was at high risk of a stroke from high blood pressure. Yolanda waited for hours in the emergency room of the hospital where she delivered her child without having received any treatment at all. This case was one of many instances used in an investigation into maternal deaths by USA TODAY.

In a 2007 pregnancy, YoLanda Mention’s
preeclampsia was treated without incident

The investigation also uncovered that state maternal death review committees across the nation regularly abstain from investigating medical care days and hours prior to the mothers’ death. Instead, many state reports have concentrated on moms’ way of life decisions or bigger societal issues, for example, smoking and weight.

According to a special report by ProPublica, more than 700 women have died annually from child-birth related issues, “with black women 3-4 times more likely to suffer maternal mortality than white women”, 60% of these deaths being avoidable. It’s facts like these that reveal that the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act 2017, alongside other bills that focus on a small section of the American healthcare system, is merely a tiny band-aid on a broken wall.

Stephen H. Hanson stated: “there is no other nation that relies so heavily on ‘fee-for-service’ payments as the US”, before going on further state that the medical system is more focussed on maximising revenue than maximising outcomes.How effective can these bills truly be in an overall broken healthcare system? It safe to say that as long as American medical care system remains to be faulty, these bills will only be a step in the right direction without getting to the destination. 

A Brief Review: Trump’s Political and Personal Spending

Common Sense Contributors
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A Brief Review: Trump’s Political and Personal Spending

By Charlotte Davis

With only weeks before they control of the House of Representatives, the Democrats planned to launch a multifaceted investigation into Trump’s finances and spending.

The wide raging investigation would focus his tax returns and properties, as well as violations of a constitutional clause stating that president cannot accept gifts from any foreign government unless consented to by Congress.

This investigation of financial corruption and misuse of funds has already resulted in the dissolution of the Trump Foundation. The money is to be distributed to approved New York attorney general’s approved charities.

Trump did not take too kindly to his foundation being shut down, he responded to the dissolution, claiming that he has “done great work and given away lots of money,” calling it a “total double standard of ‘justice.’”

However, it appears that this is not an isolated incident, as Trump has effectively leveraged his political power and publicity to embellish his personal business since announcing his presidential candidacy. Here is a brief overview of some of the interaction between Trump’s political and business finances since 2015.

Spending at Trump-owned Businesses

A report of Federal Election Commission data states that Trump-owned businesses have gained over $15 million in revenue from politics-related spending, including political groups, federal agencies and taxpayer spending. Out of this $15.1 million, $13.2 Million (90%) was sourced from Trump’s presidential campaign, which was unsurprisingly launched in the Trump Tower in New York. The second largest contributor was the Republican National Committee at $717,000, followed by $595,000 from Trump Victory and $160,000 from conservative political groups and Republican candidates.

Trump has also used taxpayer revenue to fund travel and dining at his own resorts and restaurants. He has been reported to have stayed in or visited a Trump-owned property nearly once every three days since being president. There was also considerable spending at Trump-owned properties by other political members; the Secret Service was estimated to spend around $63,000 at Trump’s Mar a Lago Golf Club and over $137,000 at Trump-owned clubs in other locations. American business officials have also been encouraged to spend money at Trump companies.

Overseas Ties

Trump’s financial ties with Saudi Arabia have also been held in question. Rachel Maddow reported in 2015 that, before becoming president and after announcing his candidacy, “Donald Trump registered eight shell companies that all included the word ‘Jeddah’ in the company name…Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia.” Maddow then went on to say that it “seem[s] to indicate that the president was planning to build a hotel in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.”

The hotel was never built. However, eyebrows were raised again when, three days after Trump’s inauguration, Saudi Arabian lobbyists made sure that it was reported in the American press that they had spent $300,000 to establish a Saudi entourage in Trump’s Washington hotel. This begs to question whether or not the Trump administration’s foreign policy has been affected by financial ties with certain countries.

Charlotte Davis is an American who currently lives in London. She has recently graduated with an MA in the Reception of the Classical World. She also writes for an art history website and her interests are in art, art history, culture and politics.

Brexit: EU Prepares for no-deal

Mike Omoniyi
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Brexit: EU Prepares for no-deal

A no-deal Brexit would mean disruption for the economy and citizens, said Commission vice president. The European Commission says it has started to implement its preparations for a no-deal Brexit – in case the UK leaves the EU without a plan.

It has announced minimal temporary measures to try to reduce the impact, but also says it cannot counter all the problems it expects. As May’s proposed exit plan struggled to garner support in Parliament, both sides are preparing for the worst-case situation.

The UK has allocated £2bn ($2.5bn) in funding to government departments.

A no-deal Brexit will be no picnic — especially for Britain’s lucrative financial services industry.

That was the warning from the European Commission Wednesday, laid out in its emergency contingency plans for a no-deal scenario, 100 days before the U.K. is due to leave the EU.

epa07194741 Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president of the European commission for the Euro and Social Dialogue gives a press conference on the progress in risk reduction in the Banking Union and on the Capital Markets Union at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 28 November 2018. The commission calls for faster progress on Capital Markets Union ahead of EU Leaders’ meetings. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

The European Commission’s measures are designed to limit disruption in certain key areas, such as finance and transport, if Brexit goes ahead in March without a deal.

“These measures will not – and cannot – mitigate the overall impact of a ‘no-deal’ scenario,” it said in a statement.

“This is an exercise in damage limitation,” added commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in a news conference, saying a contingency plan was necessary “given the continued uncertainty in the UK”.

What is the plan?

The EU’s contingency measures, covering 14 policy areas, illustrate that there are indeed ways to mitigate some of the potentially disastrous effects of the U.K. crashing out without a Withdrawal Treaty on March 29. But Commission officials stressed that they could not prevent all of the negative fallout and they warned against any suggestions — already circulating among some hardline Brexiters — that simply walking away would be better than the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May.

“We are mitigating against no deal,” Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said at a news conference. “But in terms of disruption to the economy, disruption to the citizens, I think it’s clear what the order of preference is — and clearly remain is better than leave and deal is better than no-deal.”

Dombrovskis also warned that a no-deal scenario could present obstacles to the U.K. achieving the optimum future economic relationship with the EU. “Should it come to no deal, yes there are certain mitigating measures,” he said. “But they are still not allowing the advantages of a proper Brexit with a deal and then, of course, moving to the proper work on our future economic relations.”

Latvian EU Commission vice-president in charge the Euro, Social Dialogue, Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Valdis Dombrovskis speaks during a press conference at The European Commission headquarters in Brussels, on December 19, 2018. – Latvian EU Commission vice-president in charge the Euro, Social Dialogue, Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Valdis Dombrovskis (Photo by Aris OIKONOMOU / AFP) (Photo credit should read ARIS OIKONOMOU/AFP/Getty Images)

However, officials who described the no-deal package notably declined to address the politically sensitive question of what would happen along the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Commission punted that question to Dublin, warning that all EU countries would be obligated to reinstate customs regimes with the U.K. in the event of a no-deal departure.

“Ensuring Continuity” 

The commission’s 14 measures cover legislation that will aim to ensure some continuity. They address eight sectors, taking in issues such as transport and customs, data protection, animal health and plants, climate policy and key financial products.

  • Flights from the UK into and overflying the EU to be allowed for 12 months to ensure “basic connectivity”
  • Hauliers to carry freight by road into the EU for a nine-month period without having to apply for permits
  • UK financial services regulations – in a limited number of areas such as derivatives trading – to be recognised as equivalent to the EU’s for one or two years.

The commission has also urged its 27 remaining member states to take a “generous” approach to the residency rights of UK citizens in the EU following a no-deal Brexit, “provided that this approach is reciprocated by the UK”. Brussels says the arrangements will be strictly time-limited, and will be ended without any consultation with the UK.

  • Transport of goods delays because of the need for checks on all UK livestock exports, and the application of customs duties and taxes on goods moving between the UK and EU;
  • End of the guarantee of the continuation of all existing air transport links under the same terms as they are supplied today;
  • Financial services operators in the UK lose the right to provide their services in the 27 EU member states under the EU financial services passports scheme;
  • EU pet passports issued to owners in the UK will no longer be valid

Why could this mean for you?

Visas will not be required for UK citizens to spend short periods in EU countries, the commission said. For stays of over 90 days, a residence permit or a long-stay visa will be required.

Member states have been told to take all necessary legislative and administrative measures so that temporary residence documents can be issued by the withdrawal date. UK citizens who have lived in an EU state for a period of more than five years must be granted, subject to certain conditions, long-term resident status, the commission said.

Stay connected to @tcsnetwork_ on twitter for Brexit Updates

2/10 The Cost of Artistry | Michael Personne

Mike Omoniyi
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2/10 The Cost of Artistry | Michael Personne

In a time where crime in our capital is at an all-time high, the narrative we often see in the mainstream media is that black men are using violence to channel their pain.

This is only part of the story. There is a growing group of BAME men and women, using their experiences to inform their art. 

In our 10 part feature, we meet some of these artists. These artists are swimming against the tide, creating a lane for themselves.  They talk to us about the Cost of Artistry

2/10 Meet Michael Personne

I find it frustrating when reading profiles of artists how little attention is paid to discussion of their practice. I have found there is a tendency to encourage artists to pontificate on current affairs, sensationalising their experiences of craft and work. I frequently cringe at lengthy descriptions of what an artist is wearing, or how they are sitting.

With this feature, I want to give our readers an insight into those whose work I greatly admire the opportunity to have a serious discussion about poetry/rap, free from the usual angling of “page vs stage” or “new young star brings poetry out of the dusty library”.

We sat down with Michael Personne and asked him 

When did you discover you had a “talent” for music and creativity?

I’d say around the age of 15. I’d been writing bits and pieces for a while but it wasn’t until I heard a mixtape by an artist called Franklyn that I was inspired to put my lyrics to beats. I listened to the way he structured his lyrics, tried it myself and realised ‘hey I can actually do this!’ Thinking back to the stuff I wrote around that time, I now realise that I wasn’t very good haha! But, at the time I believed I was. And that belief pushed me to practice more until the point that I actually did become good. The fact that I wasn’t good at first doesn’t mean that the talent wasn’t there, it just needed to be nurtured over time.

What have you had to sacrifice to nurture your talent?

Although time, money and people pleasing are major ones, I’d say the biggest sacrifice has been my comfort zone. In order to grow as an artist, I’ve often had to write when I don’t feel like it, practice when I don’t feel like it, perform when I don’t feel like it etc. As enjoyable as (some of) these things are, there’s a point where they become inconveniences. But in order to nurture my talent, I’ve had to sacrifice the comfort that comes from doing things based of my feelings or mood. In practice, it’s challenging but the growth produced from it is more than worth it!

Who inspires your artistry?

My relationship with God is the first and foremost inspiration behind my artistry. This is because as much as I’m inspired by people, I’m also inspired by ‘things’ as in objects, sights, experiences etc. My relationship with God  forms the lens by which I view and interpret the world and therefore acts as the ultimate source of my inspiration. If we’re talking specifically about people, then I’d say Timothy Brindle for his lyrical content, JGivens for his quirkiness and Sean C Johnson for his relatability.

What is the biggest misconception people have about rappers?

I think the biggest misconception is that our entire artistry is driven and defined by an agenda to ‘blow up’. I think this misconception is related to the ‘Hey listen to my mixtape!’ stereotype that used to be prevalent. Don’t get me wrong, everyone wants their music to be heard by the masses. However, overnight success through a ‘banger’ is not the route that every rapper necessarily takes. For me, there’s something beautiful about an organic emergence that doesn’t necessarily come from one track that blew, but is built on a foundation of a whole catalogue of good music. In the words of one of my favourite rappers, ‘I wanna leave a legacy of classics, not a bunch of wack hits’ – Stephen The Levite

In an age where digital echo chambers are growing wider, what role do you think poetry can play in this?

The beautiful thing about the arts is that there are no rules. In a world where political correctness is restricting the diversity of viewpoints, the arts presents a place where you’re a bit more free to express your beliefs. Although you’re still not 100% free to express your views without the risk of backlash, the fact that art is open to interpretation means it’s easier to spread potentially controversial messages in a more covert fashion than it would be in a non-creative context. In addition to this, the admiration produced by good art can cause those who would otherwise be dismissive of your message to acknowledge and consider your viewpoint even if they disagree with it. In this way, poetry and the arts exist as a ‘safe space’ remaining somewhat un-colonized by the invading forces of political correctness.

Has a song ever humbled or frightened you?

Yes, a song entitled ‘Hell’ by Timothy Brindle had me rethinking my whole life haha! Here’s an excerpt from it:

You’ll experience permanent suffocation, Your eyes will melt and your lungs will suck your face in, It’s breathtaking, cause you’ll never breathe again, But bleed your phlegm and hear screams of evil men

Need I say more?

I was around 16 at the time of first hearing the track and started praying for forgiveness (for the 1000th time) immediately after I listened

Some rappers claim that a song is like a living creature: once it’s out there is not much you can do to ‘correct’ or ‘improve’ it, while others edit meticulously, not leaving much from the original, draft form. What’s your take on it?

Well, once it’s out in the public, there is nothing you can do. But prior to release, I’d say editing is one of the most important aspects of the writing process. Editing is the difference between an average song and a masterpiece. Not all songs/genres require a massive deal of editing but if the main focus of your artistry is on lyricism, as mine is, then editing is a must. It takes up a lot of time but is well worth it in my opinion.

How do you define success?

For me, success looks like completing that which I’ve been sent to do. It sounds cliché but to be more specific, I’ve been sent to pour out every talent that God has put inside of me, executing with excellence with the effect being that people are encouraged, inspired and edified.

Do you ever regret sharing your work publicly?

There’s an old song (I won’t reveal which one haha) that I regretted releasing due to doubts regarding its quality. Nowadays it doesn’t bother me too much.

And no I generally don’t trust the consumer. Many (including myself at times) don’t exercise the patience and analysis that is required to appreciate art in its entirety. In this world of instant communication, we’re constantly being bombarded with new things which makes it difficult to focus on digesting one thing at a time.

As an artist, you have to accept that nobody cares about your music as much as you do. It’s a humbling pill to swallow. The only thing we as artists can do is make good content and do our best to promote it with the hope that someone out there will take the time to listen and appreciate it.

1/10 The Cost of Artistry | davecreates

The Common Sense Network
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1/10 The Cost of Artistry | davecreates

In a time where crime in our capital is at an all-time high, the narrative we often see in the mainstream media is that black men are using violence to channel their pain.

This is only part of the story. There is a growing group of BAME men and women, using their experiences to inform their art. 

In our 10 part feature, we meet some of these artists. These artists are swimming against the tide, creating a lane for themselves.  They talk to us about the Cost of Artistry

1/10 Meet davecreates 


I find it frustrating when reading profiles of artists how little attention is paid to discussion of their practice. I have found there is a tendency to encourage artists to pontificate on current affairs, sensationalising their experiences of craft and work. I frequently cringe at lengthy descriptions of what an artist is wearing, or how they are sitting.

With this feature, I want to give our readers an insight into those whose work I greatly admire the opportunity to have a serious discussion about poetry/rap, free from the usual angling of “page vs stage” or “new young star brings poetry out of the dusty library”.

We sat down with davecreates and asked him 

When did you discover you had a “talent” for music and creativity?

I was introduced to music at an early age. I started playing drums before I hit the age of 10, and then picked up the keys in my teens. I also started writing around then too. It was probably around the year that I started university when I realised I had “talent”. My writing was improving and people around me were taking notice. That’s when I started to take creating music more seriously.

What have you had to sacrifice to nurture your talent?

I’ve had to sacrifice many things, but mainly my fear of what I feel others may think of me. And this is a daily sacrifice! Choosing the creative path hasn’t always been the norm, so in that regard, my comfort zone has been challenged and stretched.
To grow requires stepping out. Often that means stepping out of the idea people may hold of you. This can be tough and cause friction, but it’s a necessary part of change and must be handled wisely.
I always try to honestly expresses myself as best as I can. So, letting go of ego has been an ongoing learning curve.

Who inspires your artistry?

There are many people! Artists such as Hawk House and Kendrick Lamar because of their high artistic IQ and musicality, but even masters of other crafts such as Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi. Their ability to mesmerise, perform and deliver at the highest level is hugely inspiring for me.

What is the biggest misconception people have about rappers?

That I’ve come across? Probably that you have to have blown up or be famous to be able to have a sustained music career. This is certainly a misconception I myself have believed before. I’m learning that there are many ways to have a successful music career, such as building a strong fan base and having multiple streams of income. Having a hit song is one way but it’s not the only path.

As a Christian who creates, sometimes I also feel there’s a misconception towards honesty and truly expressing what you’re going through. I’ve seen Christian artists receive criticism for things like this, for being open about certain struggles they’re facing. And while wisdom is certainly needed in these situations, I often feel that listeners should show more grace.

In an age where digital echo chambers are getting bigger, what role do you think poetry and music can play in this?

In an interview with NPR, musician Philip Glass was asked about the role of art in society and he replied saying that “when things get out of balance, the arts come in and bring the human side back.” I agree with this in that no matter how much the digital realm evolves, the arts, poetry, music etc, will grow with it, and express what it means to be human in the midst of it all.

Has a song ever humbled or frightened you?

Listening back to my song “Breaking News” recently (several months after I released it) humbled me! I was going through a time of doubt, telling myself I wasn’t really talented and comparing myself to others. I needed to listen back to my work and when I heard the song, it lifted my confidence. It helped me to remember that I’ve come a long way, and more importantly how God is working through me, equipping me with the bars, flow, ideas and cadence to create excellent art. With this mindset I pressed on and continued to create.

Some rappers claim that a song is like a living creature: once it’s out there is not much you can do to ‘correct’ or ‘improve’ it, while others edit meticulously, not leaving much from the original, draft form. What’s your take on it?

We are ever changing beings therefore any piece of art that we create, at times, will also grow and change. Overall it comes down to what the artists’ original purpose for a particular piece was. Live arrangements of songs are typically evolved versions of the recorded track, so in that case, the growth is there. While the essence of the piece may not have changed greatly, it’s expression might.

How do you define success?

Living the life you were called to live, enjoying your journey and becoming someone who emulates the character of Jesus Christ.

Do you ever regret sharing your work publicly?

I haven’t really regretted sharing anything to be honest. I believe that anything I’ve shared in the past was for a reason, and that I shared it with good intentions at the time.

With regards to trusting the listener, over the years I’ve learnt to create and let go, understanding that the listener will experience my art from their own perspective, opinions and preconceptions. The beauty of art is that even with these factors, the artist and listener can still connect to something in a song. And if they don’t connect, perhaps it wasn’t for them at that particular time.

Attention spans do seem to be lessening though, and with this brings temptation to be less of who I am as a lyrical artist and water down my content, but I know that my art is for a specific group of people, so it’s in my best interests, and theirs, to be 100% me. This isn’t easy, but it’s part of the journey.

FIND OUT MORE

instagram: @iamdavecreates instagram.com/iamdavecreates
twitter: @iamdavecreates twitter.com/iamdavecreates
facebook: davecreates facebook.com/iamdavecreates
spotify: davecreates https://open.spotify.com/artist/2KuPNZuwsvJTX9yTDqNeNk?si=PG7GD9TQQt-c8WrCIDUA4g
applemusic: davecreates https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/davecreates/1343773950

Donald Trump’s foundation to be shut down

Mike Omoniyi
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Donald Trump’s foundation to be shut down

Today, many Democrats celebrate as it seems the walls may finally be caving in on President of the United States, Donald Trump. An anonymous source told The Common Sense Network “a major chess piece has fallen”

US President Donald Trump’s troubled charity foundation has agreed to close down amid allegations that he and others illegally misused its funds. All of the Foundation’s money will be distributed to charities approved by the New York attorney general’s office after an agreement was made amid corruption claims levied against the president’s personal foundation.

A statement issued by New York attorney general Barbara Underwood said the Trump Foundation had signed a “stipulation agreeing to dissolve under judicial supervision” after a judge ruled in favour of Ms Underwood’s office as a part of an ongoing lawsuit alleging the charity was used by Mr Trump and his three adult children for personal and political gain.

New York on September 26, 2016. / AFP / Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

“Chequebook for business and political interests”

“Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more,” Ms Underwood said in a statement. “This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a chequebook to serve Mr Trump’s business and political interests.”

In the agreement, it was agreed that the Trump Foundation will be dissolved with oversight from the judiciary, and that all of the remaining assets will be redistributed to “reputable organisations” approved by Ms Underwood’s office.

The lawsuit against the charity was filed in June, and Ms Underwood’s office is seeking to bar Mr Trump and his three eldest children – Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Eric Trump – from serving on the boards of other New York charities. The attorney general is also seeking $2.8m (£2.2m) in restitution.

Fighting Back

An attorney for the Trump Foundation said in a statement that the attorney general’s characterisation of the agreement, and that it is an attempt to “further politicise this matter”.

Alan Futerfas, an attorney, said that the agreement came two years after the Trump Foundation initially attempted to dissolve and disburse the remaining funds to other charities.
The attorney general investigation followed after The Washington Post reported on apparent discrepancies at the charity, including documents that indicated Trump had used charity money to pay bills from his private businesses, buy art for Trump properties, and to make illegal campaign donations.

Trump has repeatedly denied using his foundation for personal or political gains and had indicated in late 2016 that he would like to shut down the entire operation. That attempt to shut down the charity was blocked by the New York attorney general citing the investigation, and the Tuesday agreement represents a rare concession of culpability amid the fervent claims that nothing untoward had been done.

Donald Trump, right, sits with, from left, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump during a ground breaking ceremony for the Trump International Hotel on the site of the Old Post Office, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, in Washington. (AP Photo)

Investigations into the charity uncovered frequent use of the foundation – which was set up as an independent entity – by Mr Trump for the benefit of his family. Among those benefits included a $264,231 (£208,000) gift to the Central Park Conservancy in 1989 that went to refurbish a fountain just outside of the Trump Plaza Hotel, and a $7 payment to the Boy Scouts of America that would amount to the enrolment fee to join the group when his son Eric was 11-years-old.

The attorney general’s investigation discovered further that the three adult children Trump had tasked with running the foundation had never held a board meeting, and that the most recent board meeting for the charity occurred in 1999.

Women Who Are Blamed For What Happens To Them While Travelling The World Alone

Common Sense Contributors
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Women Who Are Blamed For What Happens To Them While Travelling The World Alone

Dolline Mukui

The heartbreaking news of Grace Millane being murdered while she was travelling in New Zealand has affected all of us. Those of us who travel alone, particularly so. All she wanted was to travel because she wanted to travel the world by herself, anyone should be entitled to do so.

Grace Millane, from Essex, went missing a day before her 22nd birthday and was last spotted at 9.41pm on December 1st, at the Citylife Hotel, where she was seen with a “male companion”.

A week later, on December 8, police said they were treating the case as a homicide investigation and a day later a body was found in the Waitakere Ranges. After the CCTV footage was reviewed by the police, l a shovel was found “in the central West Auckland area”. A 26-year-old man, who’s identity cannot be revealed has been charged with Miss Millane’s murder. He will appear in court next month.

Should Grace have been travelling alone?

https://twitter.com/actualhope/status/1071662684037275649

This case has probed people to talk about their experiences of travelling alone and how they’ve managed to not let negative situations stop them from pursuing their passion of travel.

Winnie M Li has been exploring the world and when she was 19 she backpacked around Germany and wrote about it for a travel guide series. Ten years later at the age of 29 she was hiking in a park near Belfast, she was later approach by a teenage boy and had a brief chat with him. She later found herself in a remote area and the 15-year-old boy had followed her and approached more aggressively. Winnie was completely helpless, she was choked, beaten and raped. She suffered 39 separate injuries.

Her perpetrator was sentenced to eight years in jail but only served four.

She said “Yes of course there are dangers if you are a woman travelling alone. But there are also dangers to men travelling alone, and probably just as many dangers to women when they’re in their hometowns, going about their everyday lives.
I could have encounters a perpetrator at any given point in my life – in my workplace, at a bar, at university, on my street. In my case I just happened to meet a perpetrator when I was out hiking.”

Winnie suffered from PTSD from the attack and while she is now perfectly comfortable with travelling on her own, she takes more precautions.

In the US quite recently a woman from South Florida, who visited Costa Rica never boarded her flight back to the US. Soon after her family notified the Police that she was missing. Carla Stefaniak went to Costa Rica to celebrate her 36th birthday with her sister-in-law.
Carla spent an extra night in Costa Rica before catching her flight the next day, she left messages to her friends saying that the resort she was staying it was “sketchy”. Her body was found half naked and covered in plastic bags near the Airbnb rental she checked into. It’s alleged that she was murdered fending off a sexual assault.

The point is every person who wants to travel should have the freedom to do so without question. However, being extra careful of your surrounding when travelling alone and doing your research goes without saying.

But it seems that women are the subject of abuse and more likely to go missing wherever they are, not just abroad. Is it because women are more vulnerable alone?

We shouldn’t be questioning a woman’s choice when we look at these cases, we shouldn’t be asking ‘should women travel alone’, rather ‘why is it so difficult for women to travel alone’. We should question the people that act heinously against women.

She is never asking for it.

As much as we emphasise that young girls should be safe by learning how to protect themselves, we should also teach young men to not just be aware of themselves, but also what the circumstances around sexual assault are and how to make sure never to coerce or force a woman.

Ms Millane didn’t do anything wrong except have a desire to see the world and travel. Women don’t go looking to be harassed or put themselves in dangerous situations.

https://twitter.com/gemlewis16/status/1072139216694493184

Carla, Winnie and Grace aren’t the first and unfortunately won’t be the last. Unfortunately, this is becoming a narrative that’s becoming more common.

Dolline Mukui is a traveller, journalist and blogger who has palate to try new things. She is a very spontaneous person; you might find her skydiving over the Kenyan coast to kayaking in the Lake District. She can be an over thinker who thinks of every outcome but if she doesn’t she welcomes the change that wasn’t planned. However, she is a very simple person who is up for a good laugh or a book and enjoys living the moment. Dolline also writes for her small personal blog called ‘Swatches of Beauty’ and is currently a production journalist trainee at ITV Border.

Why won’t Fortnite pay Black creatives?

Mike Omoniyi
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Why won’t Fortnite pay Black creatives?

As Fortnite continues its reign as a pop culture juggernaut, hip-hop artists like 2 Milly and Chance the Rapper are wondering why creators haven’t been credited or compensated for the signature dance moves used in the game.

2018 has been a big one for video games. Major releases included God of War, Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2. Smaller, indie games like Florence, Dead Cells and Celeste also came to the forefront. All good video games which garnered large audiences and critical acclaim. However, it was a video game released last year that dominated in terms of revenue and cultural impact. 2018 was about one game and one game only, and that game is, of course, Fortnite.

2018 was the year Fortnite went stratospheric, and it’s difficult to pinpoint precisely when this happened. Was it the time Drake played live and online alongside Twitch superstar Ninja and broke all sorts of online viewing records, or was it the moment Antoine Griezmann, with 900 million people watching worldwide, scored a penalty in the World Cup final and celebrated with Fortnite’s “Do The L” emote dance? Whichever one it was, Fortnite owes much of its success to staying cultural relevant by adding dance moves which the players can purchase for their online avatars. 

These are called emotes.

Several of Fortnite’s emotes are based on moves created by hip-hop artists – ‘Tidy’ is a move Snoop Dogg used in his 2004 number one hit “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and ‘Swipe It’ is pretty clearly 2 Milly’s ‘Milly Rock.’

The dance moves in question have all become viral sensations in their own right, and they’ve spread among hip-hop artists and through pop culture writ large. Fellow hip-hop artists have used them in their own videos or even during Super Bowl performances.

Since its launch a year ago, Fortnite has made an estimated $1.2 billion USD in profits.  In August, Fortnite broke its own record. 8.3 million people were playing Fortnite concurrently. At the exact same time. For perspective, that was more than the number of people playing every other video game on Steam at that time.

The scale is unprecedented and, quite frankly, mind-boggling. Over the course of August 2018, almost 80 million people played Fortnite. In its first 200 days on iOS as a mobile app, analysts estimated Fortnite was making $1.5 million per day. Across all its platforms Fortnite made over $300 million in April 2018, a single calendar month.

Who gets the credit?

Such high recorded profits have led people to ask whether Fortnite is crediting those responsible for the popular dance moves that have added greatly to its success.

Within the community, the dances’ viral spread is usually understood as fandom or, in the case of fellow artists, as nods to the moves’ creators. Fortnite’s use of the dance moves is a bit different because the game is making money by selling them to players. This move has also recorded because of the racial element at play. Some have labelled Fortnite’s action as cultural appropriation because it features a large, white organisation profiting on the hard work of black creatives, without giving due credit. 

Popular rapper Chance The Rapper weighed in saying

Can dancers copyright their dance moves?

According to American intellectual property law, the U.S. Copyright Office doesn’t grant copyright for individual dance moves. They are treated more like words or phrases, and copyrighting them could infringe on other choreographers’ creative expression.

That means it’s probably a tough proposition if 2 Milly or other hip-hop artists try to sue Epic Games for using their dances in Fortnite.

However, the ethical question remains: is it right for Epic to re-appropriate and monetize popular hip-hop steps, using them for profit and to gain cultural relevance?

Theresa May: Brexit Referendum Would Do ‘Irreparable Damage’ To British Politics

Mike Omoniyi
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Theresa May: Brexit Referendum Would Do ‘Irreparable Damage’ To British Politics

Holding another referendum on the EU would “break faith with the British people”, Theresa May will warn MPs.

Theresa May will move to dampen calls for a new Brexit referendum by warning a fresh vote would do “irreparable damage” to the integrity of British politics.

After reports at the weekend that Downing Street was preparing for another poll to break the deadlock over her deal with Brussels, the Prime Minister will tell MPs on today that the move would send a message to millions of voters that “democracy does not deliver”.

Last week she called off a Commons vote on her Brexit deal, admitting it was likely to be heavily rejected.

Mr Blair said last week that while he admired Mrs May’s determination to get her deal through, with so many MPs opposed to it there was “literally no point in carrying on digging”.

He said after 30 months of negotiation, and with the government in “a mess”, giving the final say to the people would become the “logical” outcome if every other option were to be exhausted.

Nigel Farage at a Leave Means Leave rally on Friday – PA READY NEWS UK


But Mrs May will tell MPs on Monday: “Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum.

“Another vote which would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics, because it would say to millions who trusted in democracy, that our democracy does not deliver.

“Another vote which would likely leave us no further forward than the last.

“And another vote which would further divide our country at the very moment we should be working to unite it.”

May is set to address MPs after a bruising EU summit in Brussels last week during which European leaders largely rebuffed the PM’s calls for reassurances on her Withdrawal Agreement.

The statement to Parliament will follow days of speculation that some Cabinet Ministers and key aides to the PM are manoeuvring for a fresh Brexit poll.

May’s de facto deputy, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, and the PM’s chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, both dismissed reports they are planning for a new referendum.

The Prime Minister also became embroiled in a highly personalised war of words with one of her predecessors, Tony Blair, over his calls for a fresh Brexit vote.

May accused the ex-Labour PM of insulting the British people, and undermining Brexit negotiations, with calls for a new referendum. Blair then called May’s stance was “irresponsible.

Labour former foreign secretary, and prominent People’s Vote campaign supporter, Dame Margaret Beckett, said the case for a new Brexit poll was “becoming overwhelming”.

Dame Margaret said: “It is highly significant that Downing Street felt it had to issue these advance extracts of her statement to the House of Commons on Sunday night because officials know the prospect of a People’s Vote is being discussed not just in Westminster but in the corridors of Whitehall too.

“The case for the public being given the final say is becoming so overwhelming that people from all parties and of none now recognise that this is the best way forward for our country. A new public vote would be different from the referendum in 2016 because we now know more about what Brexit means.”

It’s finished.

Mrs May said on Friday that her talks with EU leaders had shown that “further clarification and discussion” was possible and that the UK would be “working expeditiously over the coming days to seek those further assurances I believe MPs will need”.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said her deal was now “dead in the water” and the prime minister had “utterly failed in her attempts to deliver any meaningful changes”.

Labour says it will put pressure on her to hold the vote on it this week. The government says the vote will now be held before 21 January.

Brexit: May Soldiers On Whilst The Battle Rages

Common Sense Contributors
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Brexit: May Soldiers On Whilst The Battle Rages

Lucy Kenningham

The last few months of UK politics have been objectively and absolutely s shit-storm. 

NOW IT’S WAR! screams the web front-page of the Daily Mail this morning – although they’re a bit late to catch on, aren’t they? 

So what’s really changed in the last few days? Despite all the noise, precious little, perhaps. May won’t be leaving (yet), today has seen consecutive EU leaders state that the deal May made will not be re-opened or changed, Labour continue to flail along producing absolutely nothing of significance – and the Lib Dems cannot be heard unless you happen to be following them on Twitter. 

May won her vote of no confidence last night 200 votes to 117. Over a third of her party voted for her to leave. Why would she even want to stay?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucJ6RPez06s

To get her grubby hands on ‘my-y-y-y-y Brexit’, as this grim Gollumy-May suggests? 

Originally a vicar’s daughter, with a renowned reputation for stubbornness, perhaps May really does feel a sense of duty compelling her to get her deal through.

If Brexiters who no-confidenced her were to claim that 33% ‘no’ vote should bring their opinion into consideration, provoke an intense disparity in their willingness to discard the 48% of Remain votes from June 2016 ! Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested May had lost her ‘moral and political authority’ after gaining just 60% of the vote. 

He seems to be on a personal mission to prove the Austrian chancellor, Kurz, accurate in stating ‘it is hard to know what will satisfy Brexiters because their arguments aren’t rational’. 

A War Betwixt Whom, Anyway? 

‘War is a state of armed conflict between states, governments, societies and informal paramilitary groups, such as mercenaries, insurgents and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, aggression, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces’ says Wikipedia. 

This Brexit mess i.e. May’s deal, no deal, a people’s vote – involves everyone and is clear-cut for no-one, except possibly the Lib Dems (they’re anti-Brexit, pro second referendum) but (tear-jerkingly) no-one really cares about them. 

There is no obvious policy that parliament would support. The Labour party frankly lack a clear position. Remoaners don’t all back a people’s vote. And what do the ‘general public’ want? What would a second referendum ballot paper ask the public? Would the people turn out to vote? 

Would people really just like to stumble backwards out of this mess?

A Dancing Queen?

Yougov told us May would have been backed by the public 40% to 34%. There is, according to the well-informed and British public, no better alternative leader. This isn’t that surprising considering the crew May resides amongst – Rees-Mogg, BoJo, Dominic Raab, Michael Gove… 

Even the unreliable British public can recognise May’s advantages in amongst a crowd such as that.

Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Todayprogramme that, ‘nobody was tougher than Mrs Thatcher and the next day she resigned. So, it’s not impossible’. As it was radio, the listener wasn’t able to see him rubbing his hands together with glee whilst anticipating his party’s potential to dismantle the leadership of their second female leader.

There is something to lament in the treatment of Theresa May throughout this Brexit shambles. I think the public generally feel a certain amount of empathy for her. It’s been uncomfortable to watch her struggle through the toxic oils of legislation, ‘ready to compromise’, self-promoting as a ‘bloody difficult woman’ in the lengthy and painful compromises that yielded in a deal she couldn’t bear to even pose to parliament in the end. 

Most of this sympathy lies in the fact that May appears very alone, and surrounded by a pack of wolves – sorry, men – trying to undo her. 

How long she survives is the question many are asking – but for now she rages on whilst Britain slowly burns in the backdrop. 

An eerie calm hangs over today’s unfruitful conversations with the EU after yesterday’s high-drama. She’s trying though, that much is certain

A model of the new Emmeline Pankhurt Statue in Manchester

Incidentally, the Emmeline Pankhurst statue is finally being unveiled tomorrow in Manchester – a chance to increase public recognition of women’s pursuit of suffrage. If you’re in the area, you can join the march at 10:30am outside the Whitworth Art Gallery.

Lucy Kenningham is a recent graduate of the University of Manchester with a BA degree in English Literature. Originally from South London, she now lives and works in (South) Manchester. Her interests include philosophy, gender and international affairs. She co-founded and -edited the young person’s political and cultural magazine, Scuffle, from 2014-16.

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