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..working towards the divorce of the UK and the EU...

Thursday 16 February 2012

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session 13th - 16th Feb 2012

Strasbourg Commentary             Plenary Session          13th - 16th Feb 2012

There is only one topic of note this week, the Euro, but before that just two votes of note, illustrating the continued arrogance of these people.

On Tuesday a vote showing that it is not only Boston Fishermen who are at the mercy of the CFP, in its wider sense. The Haglund report was voted in by 628 - 22 which is about renewal of fishing agreements with yet another third world country, Guinea-Bissau. This will allow European fishing fleets to go on plundering the waters of this West African country. The fleets in question are those of Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and France. As always they will out-fish the locals andreduce fish stocks to dangerously low levels. By the way, on one of my recent visits to the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Agency to try to help Boston Fishermen I remarked that the shortage of fish in UK waters was due to over fishing, primarily by fleets from Spain and France. That went down very badly with the officials of EIFCA!

On Wednesday a vote on a report on Constitutional Affairs. This was to restrict the number of RCV votes on "Own Initiative" reports; the equivalent of a private members bill in the Commons. Little notice is taken of them. An RCV vote is one where we vote electronically. The point is that all RCVs are then on record and can be accessed from the Parliament website. Special interest groups do exactly that and can come on to us querying why we voted the way we did. Perfectly proper. But, this is probably the thin end of a wedge, where restricting the number of RCVs on own initiative reports could well extend to reports of much more importance; and a lack of transparency. I think British people have the right to know how I voted, especially on important issues.

But, already this week, we have seen the attitude of the new president, Martin Schultz, spreading down to Vice- Presidents. In his speech Stuart Agnew remarked that thepolicy in question was illegal and incoherent while the Commissioner was stupid, only to be corrected, can't call a Commissioner stupid, apparently.

On Wednesday afternoon we were treated to an address by Mario Monti the new, unelected, Premier of Italy, all 28 minutes of it. Totally boring, all the usual phrases, promises, but no real indication of actual action, except that we need discipline. Interestingly several lead speakers of the left were opposed to the "Troika" now running Greece and Italy and one actually said that ideology will destroy the EU! The EFD speaker was the co-chairman, Francisco Speroni. Be not surprised to hear that he was cut off when going beyond his allocated 2 minutes by a few seconds but that earlier speakers, who had more time in the first place, ran over by a minute or more. Schultz was in the chair.      

Monti illustrated the EU leadership's arrogant attitude. Its more than arrogance of course, they are in denial, they just do not believe that they are unable to mend the economies of the poorer southern countries and preserve the Euro. Just keep throwing money at it and install dictators if the elected Premiers and Governments do not toe the line. Meanwhile you will all have seen some of the action from Athens last Sunday and will have been looking for Nigel to comment.

A while ago I received an email from one of our members complaining that he had seen a video clip by Dan Hannan, which was very good, but why did we not get something from Nigel?  We have all done clips for TV, including me, and you may have seen them on U Tube, but they receive no coverage on national TV. This complainant does not seem to understand that we do not control the airwaves in this country. Foreign broadcasting is a different story. I did 5 minutes for an American radio show which was well received. I once made the front page of the leading Amsterdam newspaper. Even national leaders often go abroad to speak on Britain.

So please see below the links for Nigel's contribution to the debate on the Euro crisis. You will notice that these do not come from UK broadcasters but I hope you appreciate the stand that Nigel takes.



Derek Clark  MEP                                                Strasbourg 16 Feb 2012

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Speech to Parliament Feb 15

Speech to Parliament             15th Feb 2012
 
 
 
With the Greek and Italian Debt crisis under the burden of the Euro of course unemployment is rising. Spain has over 40% youth unemployment, and you want more Europe!
 
Employment policies should be to cut regulations, by half at least, as the target for 2020, instead of which you propose more legislation.
 
If you want growth and jobs stop promoting the failed Euro. look, what is has done to Greece. Set them, and others free, free to reorganise their own currency and to set their own interest rates.
 
Remember Euro forerunner, the ERM? My country was in that project, interest rates rose and so did unemployment. Finally interest rates went up to 15%, totally unsustainable, but at least the government came to its senses and withdrew from the ERM. That was on "BlackWednesday" in 1992, but it should be remembered as Freedom Wednesday, for interest rates fell, employment gradually recovered and we entered a period of increasing economic growth.
 
That' the model you want.
 
 
 
Derek Clark    MEP                                       Brussels 15th Feb 2012

Friday 3 February 2012

Brussels Commentary Plenary session 1st -2nd Feb 2012

Brussels Commentary               Plenary session     1st -2nd Feb 2012

The major debate this week was on the new so-called Treaty to resolve the financial crisis. According to Von Rompuy and Barroso its just one element in EU Government reforms, everyone needs more discipline, more responsibility and the system must have compliance regulations. It will be a compact treaty and will be irrevocable!

Only came about because there was no unanimity first time round (but Czech republic seem to have joined us)  so it is as close as possible to existing treaties. Again the Community method was endorsed but at least the call for less red tape to help SMEs to survive was heard again (but will have as much effect as the first time this was mentioned).

All the usual comments about stability, youth employment....

By now you may have caught the two videos featuring Nigel. The first is his speech the second is of a blue card question to him and includes the entirely improper comments by Schultz. The rules clearly state that the President may sum up but not offer an opinion. Should he/ she wish to do so they must vacate the chair.

We had another taste of the Schultz method in voting today. The report on Sport in the EU (which includes the issue of EU logos on national team shirts!) had 22 RCV (Roll call votes). Schultz took 8 of these then said that all the others should be taken together. Uproar. The point is that anyone can look up the result of these RCVs on the Parliament web site and see how any MEP voted. ButMEPs would very likely want to vote yes to some no to others, so how do they explain to constituents why they voted the wrong way on certain amendments?  

All to no purpose, it went ahead under the Schultz steamroller. Taking the hint Gerard asked if all the votes on the next report could  be blocked together also,- there were no RCVs in it. Got no response at all!

I'll finish on a more cheerful note. The vote on the Duff report was taken in Constitutional Affairs last week This is the proposition to elect 25 MEPs on the proposed European Political Parties, which was debated, and voted on, in UKIP recently. It fell!! That is, it was 11 - 11 which means it was not adopted, it falls. Do not bother to put out the flags just yet. It will go on the shelf, ready to be taken down, dusted off and re-presented one day, under a new name, of course!


Derek Clark   MEP                                Brussels Feb 2nd 2012