Richard Barfield
@richardbarfield
Adviser on governance, risk and regulation in financial services. Developing skills in semi-retired activities and caretaker of the new, redesigned and updated London-based.
Scam Proof your Life👇 If you are against ID cards, don’t read this!
[Catherine Barnard, prof of EU law at Cambridge, said she’s astonished: “This appears to be contrary to the WA on the basis of which his rights were granted. The HO cannot punish him by saying he has only second-class rights &… doesn’t have family rights so long as he retains settled status”
Just published! latest newsletter which looks at #Ceuta and the new UK-EU agreement for #Gibraltar (and, in passing, some alarmist posts from British populist politicians). brexitfactbase.com/news/july-ne...
Brexit FactBase July Newsletter - “territories and treaties”, which looks at #Ceuta and the new UK-EU agreement for #Gibraltar (and, in passing, alarmist posts from British populist politicians). brexitfactbase.com/news/july-ne...
By coincidence, we have just re-watched the hugely successful Our Friends in the North after three decades. Superb cast and a great production, set in period 1964-1995. Recommended! (It’s on BBC iPlayer.)
I don’t want to be a killjoy but I think this is a mistake. It would be much better to delay his appointment and the by-election until the Parliamentary Commissioner has completed the review.
Imagine a different future. Join the EU in order to gain £650 million a week from EU membership. How would you spend the transformative EU dividend? (*Assumes UK GDP of £3 trillion; GDP benefit of membership 4%; 38% GDP flows through to public finances; UK makes net contribution to EU of 0.4% GDP).
Based on this piece on Burnham’s Westminster track record, if Keir Starmer is the problem, Andy Burnham is not the answer. He seems unable to take and stick with difficult decisions, particularly economic ones.
Interesting survey - perhaps joining the EU will happen faster than you think
Uplifting day today at @europeanmovement.co.uk at the Westminster Chapel. Great speakers & stimulating panel debates delivered a strong sense of realistic, forward-looking optimism for UK&EU, including: @gavinesler.bsky.social @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social @carolinelucas.bsky.social @peterwilding.com
The new, first ever, metro in Bogotá should open in 2028. Construction began in 2020 and uses elevated tracks, often alongside existing roads. Slightly quicker than slow-mo UK. Perhaps, we should also use viaducts, wherever possible, to build faster.
The #Rejoin genie may be ‘out of the bottle’ but political consensus needs to be found. ‘João Vale de Almeida, former EU ambassador to the UK, said the bloc would be reluctant to start talks on Britain rejoining unless there was a political consensus in Britain’ @valedealmeidaeu.bsky.social
As #Brexit returns to the political agenda, you might be interested in visiting my website for up-to-date statistics on attitudes to rejoining the EU. brexitfactbase.com/17-opinions-...
‘UK borrowing costs surge as Starmer leadership crisis rattles bond markets 30-year gilt yield at highest this century as cabinet ministers pressure prime minister to consider his position’ @financialtimes.com
He should be acting within editorial policy. The editor in chief was Tim Davie - shortly to be replaced by Matt Brittin.
Banksy statue of a marching man blinded by a flag. Arthur Koestler would have approved. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Zuma Press/Shutterstock).
Not true. According to Julian Jessop, we are living through a temporary readjustment before the cumulative benefits of Brexit arrive.
EU fishing policy exceptions for Iceland [Costas Kadis, EU’s commissioner for fishing, told FT there’s “definitely room for flexibility” as bloc reviews its decades-old aquaculture policy. Asked if EU would be open to offering Iceland exemptions, [he] said: “Yes, yes. It’ll be part of discussions]’
Here’s chart from MAC of lifetime Net Fiscal Contribution of UK residents by Age Group. The net for a group is the dot. Given clarity of MAC analysis, it seems unlikely that Home Sec chose the wrong number in error. Adults contribute a lot during a working life. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...