United Kingdom

Saturday May 19, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 19, 2018

Why Prince Harry is giving the British press the cold shoulder

In many ways, Prince Harry’s raucous relationship with the media has been leading up to this.

August 23, 2012

His upcoming wedding to Meghan Markle signals the culmination of a lifelong tug of war over access to him and his family. And by allowing nearly no journalists into St. George’s Chapel on May 19, Harry may be indicating he finally has the upper hand.

“The Prince Harry that I know doesn’t like the press,” said Duncan Larcombe, a former tabloid reporter who wrote the book Prince Harry: The Inside Story.

While 28 reporters and 17 still photographers were allowed into Prince William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, only one reporter and two photographers will be welcome this time — a reflection, perhaps, of Harry’s antagonism.

“William allowed the press in,” Larcombe said. “Harry is basically shutting the door.”

Larcombe concedes the chapel in Windsor can only hold a fraction of the 1,900 guests invited to Westminster Abbey for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s nuptials.

But, he said, “hiding behind the excuse that this is a private wedding is pretty nonsensical.”

Longtime royal photographer Arthur Edwards describes Harry as genuine and warm in private. But he acknowledges the prince’s relationship with the press has “been a little bit difficult recently.” (Source: CBC News) 

 

Wednesday June 22, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday June 22, 2016 ÔBrexitÕ Vote Will Change Europe, No Matter the Outcome If the U.K. decides in ThursdayÕs referendum to leave the European Union, it would shake the continent to its political foundations. Even if it stays, the bloc may never be the same. A decision to leave, which would be a first by a member nation, would deepen the crisis facing a continent already struggling with economic weakness, debt problems, large-scale migration and growing geopolitical instability to its south and east. At a minimum, politicians and officials say, a British exit would transform the blocÕs balance of power. Negotiations over a new relationship would consume the EUÕs energy at a time when European institutions are struggling to respond to the other problems. A U.K. exit also could disrupt financial markets and fire up anti-EU forces in other countries. Whether or not the U.K. leaves, change is coming. In February, U.K. Prime Minister David CameronÊstruck a deal with the rest of the EU to restrict migrant benefits and detach Britain from the blocÕs push for an Òever closer union.Ó Mr. CameronÕs effort to claw back power from Brussels, coupled with the referendum at home, is an approach that other European politicians are promising to follow, potentially fragmenting the bloc further. The referendum, at a minimum, has delivered a shock to EuropeÕs political classes, calling into question what some had once regarded as an inevitable march toward a federal EU. ÒObsessed with the idea of instant and total integration, we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe, do not share our Euro-enthusiasm,Ó European Council President Donald Tusk observed in a speech in late May. ÒThe specter of a breakup is haunting Europe, and a vision of a federation doesnÕt seem to me like the best answer to it.Ó (Continued: Wall Street Journal)Êhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/brexit-vote-will-change-europe-no-mat

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 22, 2016

‘Brexit’ Vote Will Change Europe, No Matter the Outcome

If the U.K. decides in Thursday’s referendum to leave the European Union, it would shake the continent to its political foundations. Even if it stays, the bloc may never be the same.

A decision to leave, which would be a first by a member nation, would deepen the crisis facing a continent already struggling with economic weakness, debt problems, large-scale migration and growing geopolitical instability to its south and east.

At a minimum, politicians and officials say, a British exit would transform the bloc’s balance of power. Negotiations over a new relationship would consume the EU’s energy at a time when European institutions are struggling to respond to the other problems. A U.K. exit also could disrupt financial markets and fire up anti-EU forces in other countries.

Whether or not the U.K. leaves, change is coming. In February, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron struck a deal with the rest of the EU to restrict migrant benefits and detach Britain from the bloc’s push for an “ever closer union.” Mr. Cameron’s effort to claw back power from Brussels, coupled with the referendum at home, is an approach that other European politicians are promising to follow, potentially fragmenting the bloc further.

The referendum, at a minimum, has delivered a shock to Europe’s political classes, calling into question what some had once regarded as an inevitable march toward a federal EU.

“Obsessed with the idea of instant and total integration, we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe, do not share our Euro-enthusiasm,” European Council President Donald Tusk observed in a speech in late May. “The specter of a breakup is haunting Europe, and a vision of a federation doesn’t seem to me like the best answer to it.” (Continued: Wall Street Journal)

 

Tuesday September 9, 2014

Tuesday September 9, 2014Tuesday September 9, 2014

Scotland – Vote No and get something better?

On the morning after the poll before, “Vote No and get something better” summed up George Osborne’s message. It’s a tried and trusted message which worked in the independence referendum in Quebec when a last minute poll lead for Yes was transformed into a narrow No. It is, though, a message with a difficult history in Scotland.

Angus MacScotland stickerThirty five years ago it was precisely what Scots were told when they were voting in a referendum on a much more modest proposal – to create a Scottish Parliament with some devolved powers.
A former prime minister, a Scot and, as it happens, a Tory, Sir Alec Douglas Home urged his countrymen to vote No and get “something better”. The referendum rejected devolution and what they got soon afterwards was 18 years of Margaret Thatcher’s government and no devolution at all (until, that is, Labour were re-elected in 1997).

That is just one reason why Osborne’s promise of a plan to transfer new powers to Holyrood – covering tax raising, spending and benefits – caused such confusion yesterday. It is why Alex Salmond felt able to attack it as a sign of “panic” on the No side.

The other reason is that the three rival Westminster parties – the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats – have not agreed a plan for which precise powers to devolve. Each party has published its own set of proposals which overlap in the areas Osborne listed.

The plan he was talking about – but which is still being argued about behind the scenes – is to give Scottish voters certainty that this time – unlike last time – they are guaranteed to get “something better” whoever forms the next government in Westminster.

The Lib Dem Scottish secretary Alastair Carmichael has long talked about the idea of setting up a Scottish Constitutional Convention bringing together representatives of all parties – including the SNP – and none (trade unionists, business groups, the churches etc). This would hammer out a new settlement which all the Westminster parties would then promise to implement whoever is elected in the 2015 general election.

Who should announce this, where and how poses its own problems since Scottish voters – like voters right across the world – are deeply mistrustful of what politicians say. If all three party leaders stood together it would simply allow Alex Salmond to say “I told you they were all the same and that Labour were in bed with the Tories.”

A striking finding of this weekend’s YouGov poll is that the leader of the Labour Party – for so long the natural party of government in Scotland – is trusted by under a quarter of Scottish voters, the same number as it happens as trust David Cameron. (Continued: BBC News)

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Thursday, May 22, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, May 22, 2014

Prince Charles likens Vladimir Putin to Hitler, woman says

The royal visit to Canada has made headlines in Britain’s Daily Mail and other British media for what has been reported as a remark in which Prince Charles likened Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler when talking to a woman who lost relatives in the Holocaust.Tuesday April 29, 2014

The Daily Mail says Charles made the comment during a visit Monday to the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax.

The newspaper reports museum volunteer Marienne Ferguson as saying her Jewish family fled to Canada from Poland when she was young, but that other relatives failed to flee before the German army arrived in Gdansk in 1939.

It quotes Ferguson as saying she told Charles about her family background and how she came to Canada, and that Charles then said to her: “‘And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler,'” referring to the annexation of Crimea in Ukraine.

The BBC reached Ferguson in Halifax. She told the British media outlet that it was “just a little remark. I didn’t think it was going to make such a big uproar.”

Headlines in the United Kingdom have accused the unelected heir to the throne of inappropriately wading in to international politics.

Speaking to the BBC, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defended the prince over his comments, saying it was “clearly a private conversation.”

A spokesperson from Clarence House, the press office for the Royal Family, told CBC News it does not comment on private conversations.

“But we would like to stress that The Prince of Wales would not seek to make a public political statement during a private conversation,” read a statement from Clarence House.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Prime Minister’s Office won’t comment on remarks made during a private conversation.

“That said, we have been clear that the Putin regime’s illegal occupation of Ukraine and its persistent military aggression are a return to Soviet-style tactics and cannot be tolerated,” spokesman Jason MacDonald said in an email.

“We will continue to work with our allies to apply pressure on Russia until they de-escalate.”

Tensions have grown between Putin and the West since Russia’s annexation of Crimea earlier this year.

Prince Charles is due to meet the Russian president for D-Day anniversary commemorations next month.

Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall leave Canada from 17 Wing Canadian Forces Base in Winnipeg on Wednesday night. (Source: CBC News)