Wednesday
Just to add to the shambles the President, not for the first time,
altered the printed agenda, shuffling items round into different
sequence. Got a warning about this the previous day but she altered
it again as the meeting started. Very annoying when I had decided to
speak to an early item and had to wait until the afternoon! However,
the video will be on my web site but whether you will like me in a
supportive role I don't know. Actually this can be for the good,
might encourage them to listen when, as usual, I criticise. I did
say, might!
One of the items
which took longer than you might think was on "European
Statistics on Demography". They could not agree whose stats were
the most reliable! I said nothing and let them get on with it,
wondering how on earth they had several lots of statistics on the
same issue. Don't worry, its only your money!
Another item was
on "Ground handling Services at Union Airports". Note the
"Union" reference. It goes into all sorts of airport
activity which is catered for by International agreements anyway. I
wonder if this debate caused the strike here by the transport unions?
Whether or not, will I be able to get home tomorrow?
Thursday
Massive voting session for hour and a half, most of it on the
stuff debated yesterday. Plus, "Humanitarian Aid Corps"
(never heard of the Red Cross apparently). "Social Housing"
in the UK that's where people continuing to live on their family home
after their flock have departed are now going to be hit with a 24%
reduction in the housing benefit, unless they move to smaller house.
Just like the Soviets moving several families into bigger houses and
never mind the owners, all introduced by our own Government with no
help from the EU.
They also want to
control Take Over Bids and to have a Competition Policy.
All that plus
votes on 8 "Discharges", that's approving the spending of
millions of Euros, but only after they've spent your money.
Then the vote on
"Ground Handling Services" debated yesterday. Only one
vote, because there's a dispute. Parliament sent it back to Committee
to look at again. Just a matter of did we want to reject the
Parliament decision and force the issue. The actual vote was one of
those wretched double negative affairs. A "Yes" meant, send
it to Parliament again so there were deliberately no amendments. I
voted "No", of course, but it was 36 in favour and 7
against, thus rejecting Parliament's decision.
Finally, 3
pieces to cheer you up. Late on
Tuesday a Commission representative commented on the Euro crisis. It
appears that Spain is becoming Euro-sceptic and that Germany is
afraid of a Euro implosion!
That's together
with the news that a former Lib-Dem Mayor of Eastleigh has come out
in support of UKIP and Diane James for the by-election. He's right. I
have been down and met her, will be going again next week, wondering
if the Lib-Dems will be as invisible as they were last Monday.
And this
website,- theyletyoudown.com
will reveal how some of our UK MEPs vote on important issues as
compared to their public statements.
Derek Clark MEP
Brussels 21st Feb 2013
