3 April update: what happened in Brexit this week?

The Covid-19 pandemic is at the forefront of everyone's minds, but although Brexit negotiations have been suspended there is no official signal that Britain plans to ask for an extension. Ros Taylor (LSE) looks at the week's developments. Perhaps the most salient Brexit-related story of the week was the contradictory accounts of Britain's liaison with the EU over medical supplies – or lack of it. At first the UK government claimed it had accidentally missed the deadline to source ventilators from the EU. Then it emerged that Britain had taken part in four meetings, but decided not to take part in the joint procurement scheme, presumably because it would undermine the country’s commitment to ‘going it alone’ outside the EU

Married just in time: Deathbed weddings, meaning and magic

Background :Brave conversations in hospital, often facilitated by the palliative care team, lead to a discovery of what really matters if time is short.Getting married turned out to be high on the agenda for many couples where one partner is facing mortality.There has been little exploration of romance and marriage in the context of advanced illness. Method:7 deathbed weddings in a tertiary cancer centre were analysed. These had taken place over a period of 2 years. Initial conversations, subsequent arrangements, the impact on the couple, and the subsequent reactions in bereavement were explored. Demographics, illness details, reasons for the marriage and logistics of the wedding were recorded Bereaved spouses were subsequently interviewed about the meaning of the wedding. Results:6/7 weddings were identified as ‘goals’ by the palliative care team On average the time from conversation to wedding was 10 days 3/7weddings took place within 1 day of the conversation Wedding outfits ranged from pyjamas to full white wedding on a hospital ward.5/7 brides/grooms died in hospital, on average 16 days after the wedding, In terms of meaning, this ranged from legal and financial reasons, to a statement of love and connection Discussion:Momentous celebrations distracted patients, relatives and healthcare team from the daily tragedy they were immersed in. The focus became one of healing not curing. Teams were uplifted, symptoms improved.The stories reinforced the idea that self-esteem and need for connection are dominant forces even in the face of death.

Hard, soft or none at all: what the election result will mean for Brexit

The General Election will set Britain on the path to a hard or softer Brexit - or perhaps no Brexit at all. Ros Taylor (LSE) explains what each possible outcome means for the next stage of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Conservative majority Supposedly, a vote for the Conservatives is a vote to 'get Brexit done’ – but the reality is more complicated

Lend us your ears: fixing the crisis of legitimacy in politics

A crisis in legitimacy afflicts British and American politics. Voters complain their voices go unheard. Democratic Audit editor Ros Taylor asks Harvard democracy professor Jane Mansbridge how politicians about why, in a society where new channels of communication are opening up, politicians are increasingly distanced from the electorate. How does it help to explain Donald Trump’s success – and what are the lessons for the Democratic Party

‘The public mood could change’: Q&A with Roland Rudd, chair of Open Britain

Among the groups campaigning against a hard Brexit, Open Britain is among the best-resourced. But their impact on public opinion and the government’s negotiating stance has so far been minimal. LSE Brexit co-editor Ros Taylor asked the chair of Open Britain, Roland Rudd, about the campaign’s strategy

‘If something isn’t done we’ve hit democracy’s high water mark. That’s billions of people and their life chances’ – Brian Klaas

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the world is becoming less democratic. In The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, the LSE’s Brian Klaas argues the West is helping to prop up dictators and hybrid regimes. He talks to Democratic Audit editor Ros Taylor about populism, Donald Trump, Theresa May and Russia, and argues that a trade bloc open only to democracies and democratising regimes would offer an incentive for change

Five minutes with Alan Johnson of Labour In for Britain: “There’s a battle here”

Alan Johnson MP is chair of Labour In for Britain, the campaign to keep Britain in the EU. Ros Taylor talked to him just before David Cameron’s renegotiation at the European Council summit

Why do voters back corrupt and dishonest politicians? Interview with Milan Vaishnav

A candidate with criminal allegations hanging over them will repel voters – or will they? Not necessarily. In India, a third of the MPs elected in 2014 faced an ongoing criminal case. Milan Vaishnav, the author of a new book about the nexus of crime and democracy in India, talks to Ros Taylor about the appeal of a strongman who can ‘get things done’, even if it means breaking the law – and considers whether some US voters share the same instincts

Italian ex-PM Enrico Letta: ‘We have to move towards a two-circle Europe’

Enrico Letta was prime minister of Italy from 2013 to 2014, leading a grand coalition of parties from the left and right. He is now Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po in Paris. Ros Taylor spoke to him just before he delivered a lecture at the LSE on 12 February 2016, shortly after the draft renegotiation deal was published