UK

Britain and Europe have always been an uneasy match, but without Britain the EU would be a very different organisation.

The coming months until the June referendum will be a crucial time for Britain and Europe. Neither of which will be the same any more irrespective of the result.

It is high time we brought policy-making closer to local communities. Let’s follow the British example and end the love affair with centralised control. Let’s allow local councils to take charge of their own matters.

George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered nothing short of a revolution to the way that Britain is governed. A radical devolution of power and money from central government in London to the cities of the UK has begun.

Good ideas are more powerful than political posturing. I presume David Cameron would not call his Chancellor’s views insane now.

The centre left is in desperate need of a new narrative if it wants to win elections once again. The old, socialist narratives may make traditionalists feel nostalgic but will not win votes.

David Cameron faces some of the most difficult problems any peace-time UK government ever had to tackle. And neither his party’s mediocre share of the popular vote nor his thin parliamentary majority will help.

Eventually, once all the political dust has settled and Britain gets a stable government, we could talk about some more interesting questions. Such as Britain’s budget deficit.