Bitesized Blighty: September 23, 2016
- Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, dramatically stated that Britain will under no circumstances be able to secure a deal that allows the country to retain access to the single market without accepting free movement, calling the two fundamental freedoms inseparable. He said he refuses to contemplate a European future where "lorries and hedge funds are free to cross borders but citizens cannot." Chancellor Philip Hammond, along with other UK figures, previously had assured business leaders that Theresa May will ensure they can trade with the single market after Brexit. After much speculation and anticipation of the negotiations ahead, Mr Schulz’s comments that there will be "no à la carte menu" when it comes to the negotiations are a strong and telling statement of what is to come.
- You may have seen plenty of coverage of Bernie Sanders over the past year, but what have you heard about his brother? Larry Sanders is Bernie’s sibling waging his own progressive battle on this side of the pond. Larry is the Green Party’s health spokesperson and has just been selected by the party as their candidate to run in David Cameron’s old seat in the forthcoming Witney and West Oxfordshire by-election. Sanders faces a tough struggle against the Conservatives who currently boast a majority of 25,000 in the seat and Sanders admits he will have to work hard to even keep his party’s deposit. “The Conservatives are good at fielding glossy men in suits in Witney and he [Robert Courts] can lose a lot of votes without having to work very much, but I will do my best to land a few punches.”
- You might have heard of The Great British Bake Off, but you’d have to be in the London office to really know the cultural significance of the program. That being said, the big news this week was one of the two star hosts deciding to leave the show, following the show’s upcoming move from the BBC to Channel 4. Mary Berry is to leave the show, while fellow judge Paul Hollywood is to stay on the show for another three seasons. The 81-year old Berry joins presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins in refusing to swap channels. Naturally, Twitter had a heyday with the split, most notably from 2013 Bake Off contestant Ruby Tandoh. In the words of Marie Antoinette “let them eat cake!”
