Daniel Hannan

Nota: Este archivo abarca los artículos publicados por el autor desde el 1 de diciembre de 2008. Para fechas anteriores realice una búsqueda entrecomillando su nombre.

Europa,

On July 24, trade talks began between Britain and America. All right, they weren’t formally called trade talks: As long as Britain is still in the European Union, it is supposed to contract out all its commercial decisions to Brussels. Officially, the United States trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, and the British trade secretary, Liam Fox, met for broad discussions about what might happen when Brexit takes effect in 2019.

Still, both sides can see the prize. For decades, there have been fitful negotiations between Washington and Brussels on trade liberalization, but they have always run up against the protectionism of France and some southern European states.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa,

Six months ago, Britain voted to leave the EU. How is it working out?

Well, the United Kingdom ends 2016 as the fastest-growing G7 economy, according to the IMF. British stocks are the best-performing in Europe. Unemployment keeps falling. Major firms — GSK, AstraZeneca, Lidl,

McDonald’s, Google, Wells Fargo — have announced huge investments.

«Ah,» say the pessimists, «but Britain hasn’t left the EU yet. Just wait until Brexit takes effect.»

Sorry, chaps, but that’s not what you said at the time. The line taken by the Treasury, the Bank of England, the IMF and virtually every international agency was that the act of voting to leave the EU would cause an immediate economic shock.…  Seguir leyendo »

EuropaEuropa a debate

It’s not often that the front pages of the Daily Mail and the Guardian have identical headlines. Still, both newspapers are right: it is a great EU stitch-up, this back-room installation of favoured placemen. Saying so doesn’t make you rightwing or leftwing; it makes you a democrat.

You might expect me, as a Conservative, to object to the appointment of Labour’s Baroness Ashton. And, while Herman Van Rompuy is frequently described as «centre-right», he is a Belgian Christian Democrat which, other than on some moral issues, puts him to the left of Labour.

But my objection isn’t to these particular candidates.…  Seguir leyendo »