You will know that
the ceiling of the Brussels St Paul Brussels is transferred to Strasbourg
Tuesday.
Voting included the ridiculous intrusions into motor bikes. They want to
prohibit owners from making modifications and adding parts; all will have to go
to registered bike repair shop. In vain do I tell them that these bikers are
responsible people and it's their necks at risk. No use, regs are regs. As a
non-biker I have done my best to support them, attending rallies and their
evening meeting in Buxton. The report on this issue was carried by 636 -16. The
Tories, Labour & Lib-Dems all voted in favour, the 16 against were
ourselves and some of the EFD group.
Then parliament
voted for the right of EU citizens to vote and stand in Euro elections in other
than their own country. How do you like that? Well, the Tories did, and the
Lib-dems, and Labour, 618 altogether for, 23 against, including UKIP, of
course.
Then, by 482 to
160 they voted against democracy on economic & Monetary affairs. National
sovereignty, democratic legitimacy, were all voted down but they supported
collective action, disclosure of commercially sensitive information and a
Federal Europe.
Wednesday More
money voted away but at least they supported the exploration for shale gas,
with reservations, which is transforming the US economy.
Thursday We
agreed on the need to stop the obscene business of cutting off shark fins
before throwing the shark back into the sea to die in agony. You would have
thought this was illegal everywhere but the Commission has, in its wisdom,
previously ruled that governments who wished to allow their fishermen to do
this would be allowed to continue. Hopefully 506 votes to 47 will put a stop to
that but the UK government banned this years ago and we have replied
accordingly to the dozens of emails in protest we have all received. It just
goes to show the kind of people we are sharing the EU with.
You may have seen
the extraordinary outburst of Guy Verhofstadt, the Lib-Dems leader; it’s on You
Tube and the UKIP MEP's website. He
ranted at Nigel for not having appeared in the Fishing Committee, where he is a
member, at all this year. If you have seen the video you will know that we are
up against a madman. I can give you an up-date. Verhofstadt is a member of the
Constitutional Committee which has met 12 times this year so far.
Verhofstadt appeared in the January
& February meetings, but never since on any occasion. Moreover, unlike a
lot of MEPs he is not a full member of any other committee. I leave you to
ponder.
Never mind Strasbourg Corby last Thursday Margot Parker recorded the
biggest vote ever for UKIP in any by-election. That's a staggering achievement on
its own but to have forced the Lib-dem candidate into 4th place, and a lost
deposit, is wonderful. Remember, the Lib-dems are past masters at by-elections,
flooding in bus loads of canvassers from all over. This time no, not many to be
seen. They are temporarily out of it, demoralised by their abject performance
at Westminster
Margot's
performance in Corby was a lesson in
endurance: she just did not stop. Helpers from many places played their part.
Do you remember David Lott? Once of Hexham he was the Party's national
Organiser for the 1997 (I think) elections but retired to live in France Corby
the week prior to election!! London
No less impressive
was our performance in the two PCC Elections we contested. In Derbyshire, David Gale worked hard to get
16.2%, which is the fourth best UKIP result of 24 contests. He was not helped by Derby University whose
Student body ran a Hustings but banned him from appearing. The Students Union have a ‘no floor’ policy
and they reckon that ‘David/UKIP’ are extremists, not to say worse. At least the Derby Telegraph printed an
account of that, including David’s protest.
Meanwhile in
Northamptonshire, Jim Macarthur worked equally hard with his campaign partly
doubling up with the Corby By-election.
He was so effective that his 18.75% was the best result of all UKIP
Candidates (the percentages quoted here are of the first preference votes cast,
counting the second preference votes became very messy and to my mind
undemocratic).
To both of those,
Congratulations for their efforts, they are part of our national result which
saw us beat the Lib Dems in many other PCC elections.
Last Saturday I
lent a hand with Lee Water's stall in Gedling. By the time I got there at 11.00
they had got rid of 100 videos and most of the literature. I stood out in the
road with our plastic bags, not much in them due to the earlier rush, but still
had people taking them from the hand without being approached.
All of which means
that we are really on the up, but you knew that from the increased press/ TV
coverage. Now, the Lib-dems, and the
Scots Nats, came to prominence partly via local elections,- and we have local
elections next May.
Please make sure
we have the Party name and logo on all the ballot papers. People will vote for
us in elections where it really matters, Westminster
If you do a
leaflet that does need money but you do not have to do that, paper candidates
will do. I know that a lot of members do not like that idea but it gets the
name and logo on the ballot paper. Which message would you like to hear? -
"I wanted to vote UKIP but could not find
your candidate on the ballot paper".
or,
"Didn't know
much about him/ her, but at least I saw UKIP on the ballot paper".
NEXT
MAY WILL COME ALL TOO SOON.
Derek Clark MEP
Strasbourg 22nd Nov 2012
