by John Bruton The underlying organising principle of the UK constitutional system has been that Parliament, not the monarch, and not people by referendum, is sovereign. This principle may not be contained in a written constitution, but it is longstanding. It was established in the seventeenth century by the outcome of the Civil War 1646/9, where Parliament defeated the monarch (Charles I) and his ministers, and by the Revolution of 1688 whereby Parliament deposed the legitimate monarch (James II). In contrast, in Ireland,...

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As you know, we devoted today's European Council meeting to Brexit. Prime Minister May repeated her requests, to extend the Article 50 period until the 30th of June, and to approve the so-called Strasbourg agreement. During the discussion among the EU27, the leaders approached these requests in a positive spirit. The European Council decided to approve the Strasbourg agreement. As regards the extension, our decisions envisage two scenarios: In the first scenario, that is, if the Withdrawal Agreement is passed by...

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If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the effects will be felt by people and companies across Europe. The EU has adopted measures to mitigate the impact of a disorderly withdrawal. The EU has repeatedly stressed that it favours an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the Union. It concluded a withdrawal agreement with the UK to ensure the two parties can continue to collaborate on various issues to their mutual benefit, nevertheless the EU has adopted measures...

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It was another dramatic day for British politics, and the big EU decision on whether to delay Brexit hasn't even happened. UK Prime Minister Theresa May gave a televised address pinning the Brexit-delay blame on members of Parliament and doubling down on her controversial, oft-maligned exit deal. She also ruled out a second referendum and said she wouldn't delay Brexit beyond June 30, the deadline she's pitching today in Brussels. Needless to say, British lawmakers were outraged and took to social media to...

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