Positive thinking

Nicholas Allen, Royal Holloway ; Erica Consterdine, University of Sussex ; Feargal Cochrane, University of Kent ; John-Paul Salter, King's College London , and Maria Garcia, University of Bath   After a summit with her cabinet that sparked several ministerial resignations, British prime minister Theresa May has published a controversial white paper setting out her government’s vision for Brexit. This will now be sent to the European Union for further negotiations. Experts assess the proposals in key areas. An appeal to party unity Nicholas Allen, Reader in Politics, Royal Holloway, University of London The publication of the Brexit white paper is the latest step in Theresa May’s effort to broker a common position for negotiating future UK-EU relations. It is also the latest step in what might be called the Cabinet “peace process”. Senior ministers have been sniping at each other for months and two cabinet ministers – David Davis and Boris Johnson – have res...

   Nando Sigona, University of Birmingham Theresa May , the UK prime minister, and Amber Rudd , home secretary, have both apologised for the distress caused by the treatment of the so-called “Windrush generation”, in the face of mounting pressure from MPs and the wider public. Having been accused by the Home Office of residing in the UK without authorisation, these Commonwealth-born, long-term British residents have been denied access to services and threatened with deportation. Now, the unfolding scandal is stoking concerns among EU nationals in the UK, who also exercised freedom of movement to come to the UK, and are being asked to produce retroactive proof of their right to remain in the emerging post-Brexit scenario. The Windrush generation arrived in the UK, not as migrants, but as British subjects exercising a form of “freedom of movement” within the borders of the British territories. The British Nationality Act 1948 imparted the status of citizensh...