News

May 2nd 2012 Northampton Commentary

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:20:00 +0100

Northampton Commentary 2rd May 2012

A brief round-up of two Parliamentary sessions.

Strasbourg Plenary session 17 - 20 April

A strange session. Strasbourg Plenary is usually Monday to Thursday, this time it was Tuesday to Friday since Monday was the Greek Orthodox Easter. The organisers evidently knew this would be not too well attended for the agenda was very light on real EU business. There were debates on Human Rights, Mali, Syria, Burma, the Black Sea, World Security systems, Jordan, biometric passports, Women and Climate Change, biodiversity. There was no business at all on Friday afternoon when there is on a normal Thursday last day.

Employment Committee 23rd - 24^th April

Monday At least the Employment Commissioner, Lazlo Andor turned up. You would think that portfolio holders would be frequent visitors to their committees, but not so. This is only about the fourth time that Mr Andor has turned up since acquiring the brief in 2009, while the committee meets once a month. He came only to, "Exchange Views in the context of the Structured Dialogue". That was an hour and a half, then he was gone. This was followed by the,"European Social Fund", - more of your money, "Youth opportunities", but not removing the red tape that makes it so difficult for employers to take on youngsters. Then more money on "Pre-accession assistance", "Social Partnership Funds" and "Social Investment Pact".

Then the big one, "...Minimum training of seafarers", with contributions from MEPs of land-locked countries!

I hope you like the convoluted language of the titles, but if I have to cope with it I thought you might like to experience it.

Tuesday Finally, for me, "Exchange of views with the Commission on Free Movement of Workers from Bulgaria and Romania", without Commissioner Andor. Transition arrangements which have been used to reduce the inflow of workers from these countries will come to an end in Dec 2013. Following which, quote from the official text, page 1, para 1.3,-

"...a Member State must always give preference to Bulgarian and Romanian workers over workers who are nationals of non-EU countries as regards first access to the labour market".

Thus do they now intend to discriminate against people from the British Commonwealth who wish to come here. Discrimination is against the Lisbon Treaty! But see the video of my intervention in this debate, on my web site.

Also see my letter, on my website under News, which was published in several local papers. Interestingly my own local paper wanted proof of the quote before publishing, no doubt because they think this is really hot stuff and so it is. You read/ heard it here first.

Derek Clark MEP Northampton 2^nd May 2012

April 5th 2012 Northampton Commentary

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:20:00 +0100

Northampton Commentary 5th April 2012

My website shows a variety of Letters I've sent to the press over the last week or so, most of them via Nick many of them have already appeared in the Local Press. Please note the variety of topics, one of which is the 'FairFuel Campaign' .

Dear FairFuelUK Supporter

Petrol and diesel have dominated the news headlines over the last few days. This email update is to let you know our take on the situation and to ask you for a little help.

The real 'fuel crisis' is not the current particular dispute between the tanker drivers and their employers. Important as it is to see this dispute resolved fairly and quickly, the real 'fuel crisis' is the scandalously high price that families and businesses are having to pay for petrol & diesel. This will be made worse by the fact that the Government waived through in the Budget another 16p a gallon in fuel taxes to hit us all this summer.
The reaction to the possible disruption to fuel supplies has surely showed the Government one thing .... PETROL & DIESEL ARE ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND THE ENTIRE ECONOMY. Our argument is that forcing up prices by increasing fuel duty is hurting families, damaging business and holding back growth. All our polling shows that fuel tax is the nation's number 1 priority and recent figures have showed that Britain's economy is hardly growing at all. The Government is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in 'job creation' to fight unemployment. As well as truly understanding the suffering that high petrol & diesel prices are causing, they need to listen to our research which clearly shows that CUTTING FUEL DUTY is the most effective way of creating jobs and boosting growth. If you have not done so already, please see the evidence at http://fairfueluk.com/cebr.html

Some people have asked why FairFuelUK doesn't support the idea of hauliers and farmers 'blockading' refineries and stopping the flow of fuel to protest about high prices. Please go to this link for a review of the Campaign's position.

Over the next few weeks, we will be fighting in Parliament to see the 16p a gallon increase, waived through in the Budget speech, scrapped and to make the Government see that it should be cutting fuel duty, not raising it!

We need your help to give us the power to make the politicians listen. We are fortunate to be supported by the RAC, the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and The Fuelcard Company. On top of that, we have over 235,000 individual supporters like you. That figure of 235,000 is impressive - but it needs to be so much higher! This is where we need your help. There are 30 million motorists in the country. We need to spread the word to those millions of potential supporters that they don't need to go and 'blockade'. What they need to do is sign up to www.fairfueluk.com so that the Government realise they are facing a massive and growing movement of public opinion.

Please, as a matter of urgency do these three simple things:

1. Please ask everyone you know to sign up to www.fairfueluk.com - every extra signup (it's free and only takes a few seconds) really does make our argument more powerful. There's a simple copy and paste email below that you can send to your address book.

2. Help us spread word of the campaign by a powerful showing of our 'CUT FUEL DUTY NOW' sticker campaign. You can order them here http://fairfueluk.com/sticker___donations.html

3. Please post your experiences and comments on our blog at http://fairfueluk.com/quentins_blog.php so that we can see how the price of petrol & diesel are affecting you.

We had some success last year defeating over 9p per litre of rises in fuel duty. We were hugely disappointed that the chancellor ignored our calls in the recent Budget but with your help and support, the fight goes on!

Kind regards,

The FairFuelUK Team

You will also know that I am in a long running battle to try to save the livings of the Boston Fishermen. I've just picked this up from Nigel Farage's office, yet another self-appointed, big business orientated, body interfering in one of our traditional industries.

Marine Stewardship Council?

The pronouncements of the "Marine Stewardship-Council" (MSC) are frequently quoted by EU-agencies as "independent evidence" of the wisdom and benevolence of the EU's (utterly disastrous) fishing-policy; but what is the MSC?

The MSC was founded in 1997 by (a) the "World Wide Fund For Nature" (WWF) and (b) Unilever plc/nv - see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Stewardship_Council

(a) The founders of the WWF, included (1) Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who also founded the "Bilderberg-meeting" (a recruiting-ground for the Council on Foreign Relations of New York, which exerts political influence on behalf of several hundreds of the world's largest corporations) and (2) Godfrey A. Rockefeller, scion of the family, which owns several of the USA's Federal Reserve-Banks, and which founded and leads the Council on Foreign Relations of New York (CFR) The CFR was instrumental in setting up the United Nations Organisation and the European Economic Community (forerunner of the EU)

(b) Unilever is one of the world's largest corporations and a member of the CFR. It is also an "economic partner" of the EU-Commission and a leading proponent of the EU's legislation on replacing fossil-fuels with "bio-fuels", mainly palm-oil, whose consequent over-cultivation has led to widespread deforestation and food-shortages in poor countries. Unilever is also one of the world's largest producers of palm-oil.

It would appear, therefore, that MSC represents big business, at its most intrusive and exploitative, and political structures, at their most anti-democratic and presumptuous. The EU's quoting MSC as an authority is thus like quoting, as authorities, its own agencies and backers

Derek Clark MEP Northampton 5^th April 2012

March - 26th - 29th 2011 Brussels Commentary Employment Committee

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:20:00 +0100

Brussels Commentary 26th - 29th March 2012

Employment Committee 26th - 27th

Joined for the first time by Roger Helmer as a UKIP MEP who retains his place on this committee. He is very welcome as far as I am concerned.

A dire agenda, unless you think that, "Strengthening economic and budgetary surveillance of Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability in the Euro area", is exciting. Actually it is. This will bring in examination of Euro country budgets before they are announced, with punitive measures for breaches thereof. Does not affect UK but it does affect Ireland, especially if they vote "Yes" in their referendum on May 31st.

Will this come to the UK, well, we signed the Lisbon Treaty which clearly says that the currency of the EU shall be the Euro!!

There was also a debate on the "Training of seafarers". I can think of a certain Italian Captain of cruise liners who could do with a pointer or two, but otherwise........

Plenary Session 28th - 29th

Agenda is full of Enlargement reports. You know Turkey is an applicant country, but Serbia, Kosovo & Montenegro have all got their names down to join, or are thinking about it. Just think how deep the UK taxpayer will have to dig to find our over-large share of support for that lot.

Thursday Votes on all the above, all approved, of course, by huge majorities. William Dartmouth put down an Oral Question in the vote on Turkey, having spoken about it the previous evening, see the UKIP MEP's website. Oral Questions are listed on the voting list and the proposer speaks to it, but whether or not it goes to a vote is down to members. MEPs can oppose this by rising in their places and when 40 or more do so the Oral Q is defeated.

William's Q was, "Notwithstanding the above, all negotiations of Turkey's membership of the EU should be suspended until such time as the Turkish Government terminates its visa free arrangement with the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria".

Many more than 40 MEPs stood up, including the UK Lib-dems!

If that is not enough, know this. All candidate countries get pre-accession funding. Turkey is budgeted for 14 BILLION Euros over the period 2014 to 2020. Do I have to point out who will find a big lump of that?

************

The worst news this week, of course, is not from here, but from our own Parliament, in particular George Osborne. The National Planning Policy Framework is to simplify planning applications. Among the general loss of countryside as it disappears under concrete there is a real nasty. There is a built-in presumption of sustainable development. That means supporting a low carbon future. In turn that comes round to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, our old friend carbon dioxide.

To achieve those reductions the claim is for more windmills and the electricity companies will now have all this weight of entrenched "sustainability" in their armoury. Planning permissions will now be even easier to award as local authorities are forced to cave in to this madness.

It's bad enough now. Having spoken at a few meetings protesting against windmills I was encouraged by the resulting rejections, not that I claim my contribution to have clinched it. Hearing that one planner was to appeal the decision I enquired of the relevant Government Office. I asked, "If a wind turbine planning application is turned down the planners can appeal the decision, so can the protesting group appeal against the decision if it goes the other way?" The answer,- an unequivocal "NO". And that was months ago, before the Government, our Government ?, brought in this, "build what you like, where you like policy.

Of course that brings me right back here, to Brussels. Where do you think all this nonsense about global warming, greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide (that's a chemical!,ugh, nasty stuff) came from. Yes, I know about Al Gore and his rotten unscientific video but it's the EU which really took it up. The 202020 strategy, 20% reduction of C02 by 2020, is straight EU, desperate to be seen as the standard bearer in fighting global warming. We lead the world!! And who has pushed it in the UK; Nick Clegg and Huhne, former MEPs the pair of them!

In which respect please see the article below, we need a presence there.

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 29th March 2012

FREE Onshore Wind Energy Seminar Register now

Dear Cllr Richard Dewick,

- Learn about Wind Energy
- Visit a modern operational Wind Farm

You're invited to a free event designed exclusively for local authority planners, Councillors and representatives from statutory agencies and local interest groups.

Organised by RenewableUK, the UK's leading renewable energy association, the seminars will enhance your knowledge of the considerations involved in planning and developing wind energy projects and the drivers for renewable energy. Past participants have come away with a greater awareness of wind energy technology, and the facts associated with its development. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

For full information and to register for an event, click here.

If you have a colleague who is interested but did not receive this email, they can register their interest to attend by contacting RenewableUK on 0207 901 3000.

Programme

These events are designed to inform participants about the key drivers and benefits of onshore wind development.

A series of presentations and workshops will cover:

Economic and social drivers for wind energy
Local benefits of wind energy
Case studies looking at the life cycle of two projects of different scales
How to balance various economic, social and environmental issues facing developers, decision makers, consultees and other stakeholders in developing wind projects
A visit to a modern operational wind farm
Learn from site managers about the operational aspects of the turbine technology.

Dates and Locations

Don't miss the seminar and wind farm visit closest to your location.

North East, Durham, Tues 19th June, Visit to Langley Wind Farm
East Midlands, Leicestershire, Thurs 21st June, Visit to Low Spinney Wind Farm (supported by the RTPI)
Scotland, Ayreshire, Tues 26th June, Visit to Millour Hill Community Wind Farm
(in conjunction with Scottish Renewables)
Scotland, Glasgow, Thurs 28th June, Visit to Hill of Fiddes Wind Farm
(in conjunction with Scottish Renewables)
South West, Cornwall, Fri 27th July, Visit to Delabole Wind Farm
(supported by the RTPI)
Northern Ireland, Tues 4th Sept, Wind Farm visit to be confirmed
(in conjunction with NIRIG)
North West, Lancaster, Tues 11th Sept, Visit to Caton Moor Wind Farm
(supported by the RTPI)
Yorkshire & Humber, East Riding of Yorkshire, Thurs 13th Sept, Visit to Sancton Hill Wind Farm (supported by the RTPI)
Seminars in Wales and Kent will also be available - dates to be confirmed.

We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues there! Register here.

March 12th - 15th 2012 - Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session March 12- 15 2012

I can do no better than start with Nigel's speech in the style of "Carry on up the Khyber". It does in fact mirror the atmosphere here.

Tuesday We voted on two Gender Equality reports, all 70 amendments in one, 30 in the other. Basic idea worthy enough you may think but really, paragraph 7, " Political Parties across Europe to introduce a quota system for Candidate lists- women candidates alternate with men at the top of the list". Adopted by 573 - 101, and the whole report passed by 508 - 124.

Wednesday Vote on the Fisheries Fund, to which I spoke on Tuesday night, text and video on web site. This passed with a huge majority. If you burrow into the EU web site you can find the result of recorded votes, this being one of them. It lists who voted Yes, or No, or Abstained, by Political group. Activists look these up to find out how we, and others, voted on their particular interest. Quite right too but there are errors. In this case you would find that I did not vote at all on the Fisheries Fund report; you are entitled to know why.

We hold our voting meeting immediately prior to each voting session and bells sound to call us down, 10 minutes before, and again at the start. Problem, the lifts are heavily in use then, often with assistants going some where else, so it's slow. I got into the chamber, with quite a few other MEPs just in time, but not quite. There was a minute's silence being held for the Belgian children killed in the bus crash in Switzerland, so I stood still in the approach to my row. The president did not wait but got straight on with voting before several of us could get to our seats and put our vote cards into the machine. The Fisheries vote was first, so I missed it. All an alert president had to do was to realise members were observing due respect and wait a minute, but that's too much for any one in charge in this place.

I give you this account to show how completely hopeless this place is, common sense is at a premium. And yes, you can do something about a voting error. We can go to the web site and enter a "Vote Correction", specifying the exact vote and the way one wished to vote. This is noted but the vote as first recorded is not altered.

Thursday Votes are of little interest to any of us and business generally is of limited value.

I will therefore close at this point, Weds evening, especially as my flight is soon after voting ends, leaving me no time to write anything further. I look forward (!) to my lunch with the assembled lawyers of Northampton on Friday.

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg March 14th 2012

Feb 15th 2012 - Unemployment figures 'self fulfilling prophesy' say UKIP

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Unemployment figures 'self fulfilling prophesy' say UKIP

Unemployment figures today highlight the fact that migrant employment has risen by 5% whilst British born employment has fallen by 0.8%. This is no surprise say UKIP.

Derek Clark MEP, the UKIP employment spokesman responded,

"The fact employment for migrants has increased whilst British born unemployment soars can be no surprise. For years now those who wish to convince us that uncontrolled mass migration is a good thing have been saying that British workers are lazy, feckless layabouts. This is neither true nor fair."

"It must be should destroying to be a school leaver today, when all you hear from those who should know better is how foreigners are better than you. If you are constantly told that you aren't good enough, then you will begin to believe it," he went on.

"It is about time that politicians stopped talking down our young people. Why would an employer employ a young Briton, when they are so often told how useless our youngsters are?"

"Yes," he said, "Our education system is systematically letting down our young people. Yes, many migrants are bright, keen and hard working, of that there is no doubt, but people must stop running our young people down".

Feb 1st - 2nd 2012 - Brussels Commentary Plenary session

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

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. But MEPs 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

Jan 25th 2012 - Brussels Commentary Employment Committee

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee 25th Jan 2012

Short visit but spoke this afternoon on MRI scanning again, on website soonest. Meanwhile an account on how Croatia voted their independence away last Sunday

Croats victims of EU Referendum swindle - Only Croatia Party.

Contrary to official claims, the Croatian people did not overwhelmingly support Croatia's membership of the European Union.

In fact, most Croats abstained from the EU referendum resulting in a record low participation level of only 43%, which means that even if all those who turned out, voted in favour of EU membership, they would still constitute a minority not only of voters, but of the Croatian people.

At the first-ever referendum held in Croatia in 1991, the turnout was 83.5%, of which 94% voted in favour of independence.

Fully aware that the Croatian People do not want to give up their hard earned independence, the ruling elites changed the Croatian Constitution prior to the EU referendum to eliminate the rule which invalidated any referendum unless 50 percent participation was achieved.

Prior to the EU referendum, the Croatian people were subjected to a massive North Korea-style pro-EU propaganda campaign, which relentlessly extolled the benefits and virtues of

membership, and denigrated any attempts to say otherwise.

The Government spent huge amounts of public funds to pay for a massive YES campaign, whilst denying any funding to the NO case. In addition, the European Commision ran its own very expensive YES campaign. State enterprises and corporations were also enlisted. State Television aired pro-EU adverts for free or at discounted rates, Croatia Post home delivered more than 2 million government leaflets for free, and the City of Zagreb provided free EU advertising on its trams.

The official referendum campaign was restricted to a four week period at the height of winter and favoured the official YES case which had almost exclusive access to the electronic media. It also exploited seasonal distractions provided by Christmas and New Year celebrations as well as winter school holidays.

The real referendum campaign had actually started much much earlier and involved, not thousands, but tens of thousands, pro-EU advertisements on radio and Television.

The 'Vecernji List' daily reported on 10.8.2011 that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU Integrations had in the two preceeding months (June and July 2011) paid the broadcasting of more than 13 thousand radio adverts and more than 2300 TV adverts on 80 radio stations, 6 national and 15 local TV stations. This massive propaganda campaign continued and even increased in scope and intensity over the next six months leading up to the referendum.

The Austrian, German and Government-owned electronic and print media ( ie all the media in Croatia) blatantly supported the YES case and made sure that the YES campaign was the only campaign. Hundreds of sponsored 'information programs' were aired over many months and even more 'informative' newspaper articles were printed.

The Catholic Church hierarchy, lavishly funded by the State, also openly supported the YES case and seemed unconcerned that there was no democratic public debate and no visible NO case.

In the last few weeks, the population was carpet-bombed by advertisements and appeals on TV, radio and the print media from the President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, Ministers, Actors, Singers and Sportsmen to choose EU prosperity and happiness over isolation and poverty.

Just days before the referendum, Foreign minister Vesna Pusić shamelessly threatened Croatia's 1.2 million pensioners that they would lose their pensions if they voted against EU membership. The Zvijezda voting station in Zagreb, which covers several retirement homes with about 1100 pensioners, reported an 80 percent vote in favour of EU membership.

And the result of this massive propaganda campaign ? -A referendum turnout of only 43% of all voters and a vote of 66% in favour of EU membership and 33% against.

And even this vote is somewhat suspect because Croatia has more voters than citizens. According to the latest 2011 Population Census, Croatia has a total population of only 4.29 million, yet according to the Electoral Commission it has 4,504,765 voters over 18 years of age eligible to vote.

In such blatantly undemocratic circumstances, it was impossible for the Croatian People to make an informed decision and the EU referendum therefore has no democratic legitimacy. It has all the hallmarks of a sham.

It is clear that the EU referendum in Croatia was a swindle which did not meet even the most basic democratic criteria, and whose sole purpose was to elicit an affirmative vote.

We call on the Croatian Government and the political elites to recognise the reality that the Croatian People have not freely and democratically given their consent to the loss of their independence.

We call on the Croatian Government to do the right thing, to annul this sham referendum, to organise a new, fair and democratic referendum, and to give the Croatian People the opportunity to make a free and informed decision about their future.

Should this not happen, we ask all the democratically minded Peoples of existing EU members not to participate in this undemocratic swindle of the Croatian People. We ask them and their National Parliaments to block the ratification of Croatia's membership of the EU, until such time as the Croatian People are given the right to decide freely at a fair, democratic and legitimate referendum.

Marjan Bošnjak

Secretary - Only Croatia

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 25th Jan 2012

Jan 16th-19th 2012 Brussels Commentary Pleanary Session

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Brussels Commentary Pleanary Session 16th - 19th Jan 2012

A strange week with Monday and Tuesday taken up with voting for the next President of Parliament, vice Presidents and ....

As expected, or rather ordained, Martin Schultz the German leader of the S & D group won with 387 votes to 142 for Nirj Deva, Tory South East and 141 for Diana Wallis, Lib Dem Yorkshire. This is a much smaller majority than for previous incumbents.

In his acceptance speech Schultz said he was a President for all the MEPs..... wants the community method to become the norm.... but actually commented that failure of the EU was possibility. To most that was a warning, to us a happy new year.

The outstanding issue this week was the appearance of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. This was by special request of the Parliament in order to query him over alleged malpractice under his government. You will get a flavour of his reception from this press extract,-

"Orban in EP: Desperate for a European rescue, Hungary offers an olive branch (The Times, p.35): "Hungary's conservative Prime Minister bowed yesterday to European pressure and promised to revise laws deemed to breach EU rules on democratic governance. But Viktor Orbán remained defiant over his mission to reshape his nation. In a stormy session of the European Parliament, Mr Orbán backed down on parts of his new constitution that became the subject of infringement litigation by the European Commission this week. These cover curbs on the independence of the Hungarian National Bank, the early retirement of judges and supervision of the country's data protection authority. (...) Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the Franco-German leader of the big Green group, told Mr Orbán that he was taking the path of "all the totalitarian regimes" and compared him with Venezuela's President Chávez and Cuba's Fidel Castro. To widespread applause, he proposed sending a parliamentary mission to "find out why the homeless in Hungary, the intellectuals, people from my family ... Jews in Hungary, are afraid today." Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberal group and a former Belgian Prime Minister, said that the Commission had "missed the broader picture" by focusing on legal issues."

President Orban did not seem desperate to be rescued by the EU and he did not back down in the way suggested. He maintained impassive throughout a 2/3 hour grilling, with many MEPs putting an oar in. He gave no ground and refused to answer the many individual points raised, good job too, we'd still be there.

This extract does not indicate the hostile and vindictive attitude of so many of the leading MEPs; especially Verhofstadt, they were just plain nasty. I do not know how many of their allegations are justified but I do know this; these MEPs are not qualified to assault him in the way they did. To clarify, he is a conservative, so no prizes for guessing whence came the worst attacks. Parliament should be above party politics when receiving a democratically elected Head of State. Consider;-

A month ago an MEP of the NGL (Nordic Green Left) complained that Parliament was becoming more and more anti- communist.

Cohn-Bendit's contribution noted above is typical of one who, two years ago, insulted the Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, who had spoken out against the EU in Parliament. The resulting delegation to the Czech Republic included Cohn-Bendit and met in Prague castle, the official residence of the Czech President. Cohn-Bendit actually told Klaus that he should take down the Czech flag above the Castle and replace it with the Euro flag!

Ms Harms, Greens, told the House a year ago that Vaclav Klaus was a trouble maker!

Orban was defended by several Hungarian MEPs and, especially, by Zbigniev Ziobro, one of four Polish MEPs to have joined us in EFD this week.

*************************

Croatia Progress Report 17th .Jan 2011.

You will know that Croatia is applying to join the EU. We have spent some of our EFD group money on a "No" pamphlet, as we did for the Irish referendum and which was very effective. That went to all Irish homes through the mail but we could not do that here. The Croatian government, and all its agencies are corrupt, they are deliberately stifling the No vote and the Croatian postal service would simply have destroyed our pamphlets. So we produced 1,000,000 of them for activist delivery. Hence the progress report below, sent by a Croatian leader of the "No" campaign.

1) There are 5 days left before the Referendum on Sunday. We have so far taken delivery of 900 thousand brochures, the last one hundred thousand tomorrow.

All of the received brochures have been transported to regional distribution centres, and are being distributed.

2) The brochures have already received significant media attention. We had a rally in Zagreb last Saturday at which I spoke and held up the brochure for all to see, and pointed out that MEP's are telling us not to give up our independence, etc...etc... This was shown on State TV (briefly), Nova TV and others...

We have started to receive pictures of people reading the brochure, published by some of the dailies. (Some pictures attached)

I had an Interview last night on local Zagreb TV (Z1), and I upheld the brochure and spoke of the message, etc...

3) I am also attaching a picture of one of our younger activists from the coastal town of Split, Kristina Ćurković, who had just been fined about 100 euro, by the local court in Split for taking down an EU flag some months earlier from a public building. After coming out of Court young Kristina, a theology student, held a short speech to the assembled and then proceeded to tear up an improvised EU flag. Her gesture got a lot of coverage, because she is defiant, young and pretty.

4) The Government Propaganda is absolutely awesome and relentless. The population is bombarded by pro-EU TV ads, radio spots, media articles, and messages from all sorts of politicians from the President, Prime-Minister to Ministers and local politicians, anyone who is prepared to say the EU is good.

And of Course the EU Commission is funding its own campaign.....

My hope is that people might adversely react to their overkill, and switch off.

The proportion is about 95% to about 5% in their favour. And even that is probably a generous estimate.

Our campaign is largely the brochures, and the internet, facebook...etc...

5) The printer is keen to send out his invoice, and wants to know to whom.

6) I will send you, in coming days, a list of all the destinations, and quantities of brochures sent. The number of regional distribution spots was increased to include some smaller towns. We had to incur some unexpected distribution costs of about 9500 Kuna (about 1250 euro). Would you be able to absorb this extra cost if we send the invoice?

7) I am told that more than 1400 activists are involved in the distribution of the brochures.

8) Do you guys have a list of British and European media email addresses to which you send your media releases? It would come in handy...

They say a week is a long time in politics. We have only five days.

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If you query our efforts to help a small group in a far off country remember its potential effect here. People still vote for the 3 EU surrender parties and not us, in spite of the polls showing our increased standing. Our vote is increasing but it lags behind the polls. I think that people look at Europe and see country after country joining the EU and tend to think, "all of Europe is in favour of the EU, we should not be the odd man out". Wrong. All over the EU small parties, opposed to their EU membership, are arising, but neither their media, nor ours, is telling you that. The truth is being suppressed.

So every little success over there, or even part success, will help our people see that all of Europe is not in favour of the EU. Once that penny drops.............

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg 19th Jan 2012.

P.S. Failed EP President candidate LibDem Diane Wallis resigns in Yorkshire - wants husband to take her job, number two on LibDem regional list.

UKIP Press Release

Thursday 19th January 2012 Immediate

Responding to events fellow Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom (UKIP) comments:

"This really is what you call taking a huff.

One minute Wallis wants to be President of the European Parliament, comes last and immediately decides she wants to feed sheep in Yorkshire instead. Really pathetic.

But trying to shoehorn her husband into her old salary as she resigns really is a working definition of nepotism in my opinion. One Wallis is as bad as another.

The LibDems are always screaming in favour of Gender Quotas but Diane Wallis has gone all quiet about that now. Jobs for the boys now - you could hardly make this story up

Dec 12th - 15th 2011 Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session 12th - 15th Dec 2011

Votes of note this week,-

Lopez report on the European Protection Order which now includes an extension of the terrible European Arrest Warrant. Up to now the EAW was limited, as far as we are concerned, to the arrest of British citizens and residents. Not any more. Under the banner of protection of women from violence an EU judge can order the arrest of foreigners in the UK and have them deported elsewhere. So a foreign judge will now have jurisdiction in the UK.

At least the parliament defeated an EU- Morocco fisheries agreement which would have severe consequences for Western Sahara which is virtually under Moroccon rule.

William Dartmouth's Oral amendment in the report on detention conditions was defeated. He wanted to ensure that, under the EAW, anyone taken to another EU country would be in a jail which came up to standards laid down by the Council of Europe. Being an oral amendment he delivered it at the appropriate point whereupon the President asks if any member objects. A minimum of 40 then standing deletes the amendment from the list and that is what happened. So at least 40 MEPs don't care about the state of jails in the EU.

*************

Of course this week was over shadowed by the events of last week. While it would not be true to say that we Brits were reviled generally it is true that there was a great deal of unpleasantness in the house when this was debated on Tuesday morning. Barosso and Von Rompuy were as you would expect, the one arrogant and overbearing, the other menacing, both stating their determination to force measures through. Did you catch Verhofstadt on TV this week? He was on best behaviour then, you should see him in the House, see below. Actually, they had nothing new to offer to resolve the financial crisis, and anyway, its all our fault, our Banks and so on. So they concentrated on Cameron's veto.

To me Cameron's rejection was a perfect illustration of the EU. Under Lisbon any new Treaty must be agreed by way of unanimity, all 27 heads of state to agree. EU attitudes are clear now if not before. Am I right in saying that, to us, unanimity means that all 27 need to agree for a plan to go ahead, so it is open to anyone not to agree, in which case a re-think is called for. But to them unanimity means that all 27 will agree, whether or not they are in favour; you must do what the others want and no re-think about it, or else.

This is right in line with EU history. France and The Netherlands voted against the European Constitution. So the EU re-wrote it as the Lisbon Treaty, claiming that it was quite different, when it was not. They then took the precaution of 'persuading' France and The Netherlands not to put it to a referendum this time. Then, of course, came the Irish referendum on Lisbon, as required by their constitution, and their rejection, followed by a re-run to get the right result. And remember, exactly the same happened in Ireland with the Treaty of Nice several years ago, and earlier in Denmark over the Treaty of Maastricht.

So last Friday was just another day in the life of the EU. If Cameron still thinks he can speak to these people in a reasonable way, trying to get a plan together for the common good then he's a lot less bright than people thought. I never have had illusions about the attitude of the EU leadership. We go there partly trying to work for the UK but without sacrificing our objective in seeking our Independence. Our main object is to get in the media and put our case, your case, over to the public. About a month ago I got a call from the senior reporter on local Northampton newspaper over an EU issue (can't remember what). He was asking me,- "because you've got a good attendance record". Its all a question of credibility.

Some quotes from recent newspapers.

EURO MPs yesterday gave the go-ahead to spend £131million on offices - for themselves......

Despite the harsh austerity cuts being endured by citizens across Europe, the European Parliament's all-powerful Budget Committee voted the package through.

It includes spending £118million to demolish and build a new office block near to their Brussels headquarters and to buy another, - all while we cut spending.

Tell that to the people on short time, people now on the dole, to pensioners seeing their hard-won pension funds depleted.

......and so to Cameron

Just to give a taste of the attitude,-

Euro in a tailspin (Daily Mail, p.4): "Former Belgian prime minister and Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt refused to speak English to deliver his speech on the summit, saying: "I shall speak my native language today because I don't think English is a very appropriate language to use" He added: "When you are invited to a table, it is either as a guest or you are part of the menu. That can happen. This selfish British strategy of protecting the City is one we cannot tolerate any longer" (James Chapman and Hugo Duncan)

I thought you might be interested in this new article 'Exposed: the snobbery and intolerance of the EU elite', written by sociologist Professor Frank Furedi and published today on spiked www.spiked-online.com

In the article, Furedi - professor of sociology at the University of Kent, England - argues that the hysterical reaction to David Cameron's veto reveals the dark heart of pro-EU sentiment.

'The venomous anger directed at Eurosceptics cannot simply be driven by the communications clerisy's love affair with the European ideal. Rather, what is at issue here is the clerisy's preference for the technocracy-dominated and cosmopolitan-influenced institutions of Brussels. From their standpoint, the main virtue of the EU is that its leaders and administrators speak the same language as the UK clerisy. They read from the same emotional and cultural script, which they believe to be superior to the script and values associated with national sovereignty. That is why it isn't surprising that a BBC journalist can casually ask the Estonian prime minister to have a go at her own national leader. The UK-based communications clerisy has a greater affinity with the outlook of EU technocrats and political administrators than it does with the outlook of its own people.'

'Of course, Cameron may be isolated in the corridors of power in Brussels - but the clerisy is more than a little out of touch with popular sentiments in Britain. Indeed, their visceral castigation of Eurosceptics is actually a roundabout way of morally condemning what the old oligarchy used to call 'the little people'. The main sin of Euroscepticism is that it has the potential for mobilising popular sentiment. And certainly, the anger of the cosmopolitan elite does not resonate with people getting on with their lives in Birmingham, Newcastle or Leeds. Those who want to expose the heinous Eurosceptic plot to undermine the EU should remember that opinion polls demonstrate that the majority of the UK electorate does not like the EU, and when the Mail on Sunday carried out a poll asking 'was Cameron right to use the veto?', 62 per cent of respondents said "yes".'

And a final comment from me.

Are you aware that the principal founder of he EU, Jean Monnet, was never elected to public office?

With the EU godfathers having usurped the elected governments of Greece and Italy, replacing them with unelected EU propagandists, are you surprised at their attitude to he who is, after all,- and whatever one's personal politics are-, our Prime Minister?

Are you surprised that, over two or three years now, there has been open talk here of the, "Post Democratic Society".

A happy Christmas to all my readers, and......See you in 2012

Derek Clark MEP

Strasbourg 15th Dec 2011

Nov 30th-Dec 1st 2011 - Brussels Commentary Plenary Session

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Brussels Commentary Plenary Session 30Nov - Dec 1st 2011

Tuesday Debate on the Economic crisis and on Croatia's admission.

Economy, all the usual phrases and the EC/ ECB have to lead us out of the crisis! Economic governance the answer, and the EU institutions must work with democratically members to participate in decision making, well!

Apparently Bonds and Bailouts are not giving cash to Greece etc, but are helping them to manage their debts!

Even Verhofstadt thinks the Euro is close to collapse and that Germany / France were once good news for Europe, now they are bad news. They are not following their own advisors, the five wise men, but making up their own minds. I would say making it up as they go along. What is certain is that there is no new plan, no plan "B", so it will just go on, and then collapse. (memo, must have a word with Angela when I get the chance).

Wednesday You will have Nigel on the web speaking about the admission of Croatia but, meanwhile, Parliament took a vote on it today. Or, rather, two votes, both with same title by the same rapporteur. Can't tell you why, I missed voting meeting today as I was hosting a visitor group from Grantham College. Anyway, both these reports on Croatia's accession were passed, by 564 - 38 and 550 - 34. So another lame dog will soon join us and a very corrupt one at that. How could it be otherwise when their Government is of exactly the same communists who ruled over it when it was part of Yugoslavia!

Have a nice week-end, I'm going while I can.

Derek Clark MEP

Brussels 1st Dec 2011

Nov 23rd -24th 2011 - Brussels Commentary Employment committee

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Brussels Commentary Employment committee 23rd - 24th Nov 2011

Tuesday Health and Safety at Work was up for discussion again and I found myself speaking to this as soon as I sat down, the flight only getting here in time. Video should be on my web site soon, but the response is not worth your time.

A Statute for European Cooperative Societies was debated, where enterprises just like our own "Co-op" and farmers' cooperatives are envisaged. It turns out that there are 160,000 of these independently set up and already operating across Europe. The EU has managed to promote17 more Co-ops employing 32 people, costing you plenty.

Wednesday Votes on the Co-ops were passed, naturally. Also adopted was the Mid-Term review of Health & Safety at Work, all 240 amendments of it! Not that we voted 240 times for when there is that weight of amendments the rapporteur gets together with the "shadow rapporteurs", and amendment submitters, to roll lots of them together in "compromises". These are popular, cuts down the time, but means that one has to vote for some items where a No is wanted, and the other way about.

You might like to know that the two amendments I queried, see video, were both adopted. So "whistle blowers" will still not get protection. Bear in mind that this is Health & Safety, so we are not talking about the nasty little creep who wants to cause some one trouble, or to ingratiate himself/ herself with the boss, over someone, say, cheating on hours worked. We are talking about cutting corners, or deliberately ignoring a precaution, which could lead to injury or worse.

Small traders will also have their business curtailed on Sundays, a loss of trade hard to bear these days. I would agree that Sunday always used to be a day of rest, but try telling that to the supermarkets and high street multiples, times have changed.

Also up for vote today was, "Conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for seasonal employment". Third country means from outside the EU and this is only a proposal for a directive, - the committee is actually asking the commission to set this up! Up to now, under third country legislation, businesses can move to the EU but not their workforce. This proposal would allow employees to come with the business and I do not have to spell out what that would mean.

A small detail emerged in a debate on the long running issue of MRI scanning, by which time the 30 committee members present had dwindled to 8, incl the president! Apparently, in some EU states it is illegal for medical staff, prior to taking a scan, to ask if the patient has a pacemaker or, unbelievably, to ask a woman if she is pregnant. Since an MRI scan is believed possibly to harm the unborn child......

The day finished with an "exchange of views" on the EGF, European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. This mechanism was introduced to help with the consequences of a company closing, initially due to its relocation to outside the EU. Money is poured in to help employees to cope with loss of wages and to provide re-training, it is not intended to assist the company directly. Only Governments can apply and the threshold is 500 employees losing their jobs.

You should know that the number of applications is increasing, and they are always approved by this committee. There was a Portuguese application today, following, as far as memory serves, some 4 Austrian, 7 Danish and 8 from The Netherlands. The pace is accelerating due to this now being available for re-locations within the EU.

I did a short TV about this on Wednesday evening, which will appear in due course, where I hope I pointed out the essential scam. Firms moving across the EU do so with the aid of EU subsidies and the EU then comes in with yet more of your cash (EGF) to help the redundant employees in the original country. We pay twice over and no money comes back to us from the £51 million we now pay the EU every day, for I cannot remember any case of a UK company making a claim!

In the following EGF debate the Commissioner made great play of "Economic Governance", which was well received. There are articles in place to cope with "macro-economic" events and all is in line with the "6 pack". Its all linked to Policy and Economic Performance, including for some reason, Teacher Training! I listened up then but was disappointed not to hear more on that topic, except that it leads to cash flow. Prospective teachers need not worry, they will reduce the audit burden, they won't even demand an audit of hotel expenses, but they will harmonise rules.

If you think this presentation to be a far cry from the real world of the Greek and Italian disasters you are mistaken. The undemocratic sacking of their properly elected prime Ministers and their replacement with unelected bureaucrats in bang in line with EU policy. Today's speaker from the Commission remarked that all the above is in line with the development of Economic Governance, declaring:-

The European Commission will take over from Member States when necessary.

Derek Clark MEP

Brussels 23^rd Nov 2011

Nov 14th-17th 2011 Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session 14th - 17th Nov 2011

Tuesday You may recall earlier comments of mine about the EU moving in on Education,- University Degree documents to carry the EU logo and to be labelled as an EU Qualification, without reference to the University where a student actually graduated. Today we voted on the "Implementation of Professional Qualifications Directive", adopted by 463 - 163 votes. It was an "own initiative" report, that's by an individual, not from the commission. The author was your East Mids MEP, Emma McClarkin, and the Commission often take these individual reports up and push them through later, officially.

Wednesday The day began with a major debate, "Economic Governance." Barosso, Von Rompuy and Jean-Claude Juncker led and trotted out all the usual rhetoric, Solidarity and so on. I have to say Barosso was less bombastic than usual, but he pressed for Treaty changes, the Community Method and declared that the Euro is central to the EU; excellent news!

Jean Claude Juncker wants the EU to become more political, yes, more political! He also wants the Euro Group, of which he is President, to be permanently established in Brussels.

Von Rompuy, made a lasting impression, can't tell you what he said!

Of group leaders the ALDE leader, Verhofstadt, did not disappoint. He was more vehement than usual, demanding that the Commission get a grip of the financial crisis. Not elected members mark you, either here or in the Greek or Italian governments. He wants the "Community Method" not the "intergovernmental" one, he always does, he wants a single European State run by bureaucrats,- but what else from a former Belgian Prime Minister.

If you have not seen the video of Nigel's response make sure you do, soon.

Thursday Came the vote on Combating Illegal Fishing, to which I spoke earlier, text and video on my web. It passed by 491 - 7 votes. This includes a move to establish a common Coastguard organisation, as though we didn't have one ourselves, tried and tested over the years. They just do not understand that, as they don't understand the stupidity of this being voted on by countries which have no coast line!

Which leads me to fishing and the Boston fishermen. I saw them last week having been to the offices of the Inshore Fisheries people the previous day. Would you believe that I heard two quite different accounts. The Boston boys know that there are about 30,000 tons of cockles out in the Wash, but they are not allowed to go for them; used their quota up earlier in the year. Never mind the fact that many cockles will die over the winter and, in so doing, exude poisons which kill the juveniles to be found close to the dead adults. Thus next year's lot will be killed off before they mature!

I'm off to Kings Lynn again tomorrow. I wonder what these inspectors will think of the coverage I've got in the two Boston papers this week! More to come after tomorrow. With a bit of luck my comments about the coastguard will be in the nationals tomorrow, or over the week end.

Derek Clark MEP

Strasbourg 17th Nov 2011

Oct 24th - 27th 2011 - Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session 24th - 27th Oct 2011

I'm sure you have all seen enough of the referendum vote last Monday. Whatever you think about having a referendum, especially on the terms as offered, I think you will agree that the Government are totally out of step with the electorate, which can only be to our advantage. We must try to press that home.

I was, of course, at Westminster on Monday, with Don Ransome and Sue, and some 3 or 4 hundred mainly UKIP members, protesting outside what used to be the REAL Houses of Parliament. All very peaceful with lots of placards bearing branch names,- East Mids well represented. So, like other UKIP MEPs, I missed the first day of this week's Strasbourg session.

Tuesday, got here at lunch time, just in time for voting. This included a vote on motor vehicle tyres, commented on in the first of my two speeches this week. All this way for that? Not quite, there were 15 other reports up for voting. Another vote was on, "Application of emission stages to narrow-track tractors". Wow. These unmanned tractors work their way up and down the rows of produce, harvesting potatoes, grapes and the like, but they are nasty diesel powered jobs, emitting particulates as well as carbon dioxide. Got to be controlled.

Wednesday. Vote on the Budget for next year. In this period of financial difficulty you'd think they would hold back and trim the spending, but not this lot. The great work of the EU must go on, so most items show an increase in spending,- for which we will pay more in taxes-, and Cameron stands no chance of getting it reduced.

The budget is presented as line-by-line expenditure, about 100 lines in various groups. We voted against the lot, except for about 20 lines where a reduction in expenditure was suggested, which together would have saved about 119 Million Euros, roughly £100 million. Would you be surprised to learn that we were out voted on all but two of these lines, so Parliament was only prepared to save just under £1 million.

Thursday.

Votes today include minding other people's business in the Ukraine, Egypt etc. etc.

The main business is the Key Debate this morning, "Conclusions of the European Council meeting", the financial crisis and their proposals. I think I know the answer before we start. It will be more of the same, cash in enormous quantities, good money chasing bad, arrogant statements, economic government, common fiscal policy, solidarity, but my guess is, no plan "B".

The group leaders will all have a say, which includes Nigel, and his speech will be on the web in full so I will leave that for you to see. (In fact Nigel went home early so as to do 'Question Time' tonight, that's much more important. The speech as Group Leader will be given by our Dutch MEP Bas Belder).

In any case I am writing this commentary before the day's business begins as my bus to Frankfurt leaves at 1.00 pm for my 5.15 flight. Voting starts at 12.30 and I have to spend time this week as whip, standing in for Gerard, and that takes quite a bit of time each morning. I may be asked to squeeze a TV interview in as well, so I'm taking the chance to complete this week's edition now, this morning, in the right atmosphere. I can send it home to complete there, and I have done that before, but I find it loses impact for me.

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg 27th Oct 2011.

Oct 13th -14th 2011 - Brussels Commentary Plenary session

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Brussels Commentary Plenary session 13th - 14th Oct 2011

Wednesday saw Barroso pontificating about the Euro and the measures being taken to rectify the problems. All the usual pie-in-the-sky stuff, quite divorced from reality. Its now 2 trillion Euros for the ECB to bail out whoever next goes pear shaped. You will have seen newspaper report of how Slovakia put a spanner in the works, which drew this response from Barroso,-

I congratulate those elements in the Slovakian Government who supported the Euro against the selfish approach of pure national interests.

His arrogance as he promotes the EU/Euro, whatever the damage done to societies and to the real people of them, is quite breath taking.

Even Schultz criticised Barroso but note the term used, "people were being confused by your Parliament"

William Dartmouth asked a question of Schultz, "Would any treaty changes be ratified by referendums, or not?" The response was that, as we should know, the UK is one of those countries which MUST have a referendum for this kind of thing. News to us!! And Schultz is not short of informed advice. As he spoke there sat right behind him none other than Stephen Hughes, Labour North East!

Video of Nigel's response is on the web but see below part of it, quoting the rebel Slovakian Parliamentarian, -

"I'd rather be a pariah in Brussels than feel ashamed before my children who would be deeper in debt"

************

Thursday a photo shoot outside the Berlaymont, the Commission building. This was to support the Federation of Small Businesses in handing over a letter to the Commission. The Commissioner responsible, Tajani, said a week ago he could not come so senior team member Valentina Superti would stand in. Late yesterday Ms Superti announced that she could not make the agreed 10.30 am meeting, could only manage 3.30 pm, but of course the FSB could not cancel the arrangements involving their Reps, MEPs photographers and all, so it went ahead anyway.

I will post pics showing a number of us holding the banner of protest. This is against the Commission banning our new tall trucks, those up to 4.9 metres high as opposed to the regular 4.0 m. It does not take a genius to work out how an extra one fifth capacity will cut down on trucks, so less motorway congestion, carbon dioxide etc, etc. UK hauliers will not be taking these high trucks abroad anyway, so it has no impact on the continent, except to make our hauliers more competitive. But the EU does not like competition, hence the regulation. I expect many will remember that we had to re-build bridges to take the extra load when continental trucks got bigger.

Its called, a level playing field.

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 13th Oct 2011

Oct 6th 2011 Brussels Commentary Employment Committee

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee 5th/6th Oct 2011

Wednesday started with an MEP complaining that there was no translation into his language, Danish. He's right of course, and several others supported him, but in terms of showing "solidarity" with him. They just can not talk in ordinary terms, they have to use Euro-speak.

We must help combat poverty and social exclusion, apparently, by submitting a Reform program to the Commission, that's in the Lisbon treaty. We must also provide more affordable housing and there are moves afoot to introduce a minimum income.

The issue of Seasonal Workers was debated. Illegal immigrants are being exploited, surprise, surprise, although some people think it's the other way round. Some of the committee want the employers to pay for the travel of these workers from home back to home, and to find their insurance, while equal pay was raised. Other members thought that only EU people should be allowed to move about as seasonal workers!

Of more interest to me was a debate on health and safety regarding electromagnetic fields. For once I was interested because a presentation from 5 people was largely technical, usually any visiting experts are just hot air. I am interested in MRI scanning because the 2004 regulations set the levels of field strength so low to protect medical staff that it would have spelt the end of MRI. Hence my question, the video of which will be on my web site in due course.

Thursday Having debated work-place stress a member from the Czech Republic said that he felt under stress having seen the voting list for the day. I don't know why, the votes on whether Croatia should join the EU only covered a page and a half. I'll admit the voting list for Poverty and Social Exclusion did occupy 36 pages, but he is paid to do this! Including the items mentioned above it passed by 34 to 5 with 5 abstentions.

Today ended with a visit by Commissioner Andor, our man in the EC. I was going to ask a question, but that was impossible because I wanted a real answer. His twenty minute presentation, -with plenty of "solidarity"-, included "Gender equality", the unemployment situation,- esp among the young-, and telling us that there was a 430 million Euro budget for the Globalisation Adjustment Fund. My question, on "Bombardier", would have needed a bit of time to answer but, had this been the full one hour session as advertised, that would have worked. However, he turned up 30 minutes late, having preferred to take a press conference into overtime. So I waited for him to finish and departed, there being only 12 minutes left, within which he would have found no time for Bombardier.

Derek Clark MEP Brussels Oct 6th 2011

Sept 26th - 29th 2011 Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session 26th - 29th Sept 2011

Just when responsible people and governments are watching every penny you propose more expense,-

Starting this week with the biker's protest last Sunday, herewith the gist of my letter to the local press.

On Sunday some 60 groups across the country set off at the same time, operating a rolling 'road block' for about 20 miles before pulling off and dispersing. I went to Thrapston, junction of A45 and A14, so as to get to an early afternoon official engagement in Cambridgeshire in good time.

Bikers are astonished at the proposed measures including, for me the prize for lunacy, which is to prohibit bikes over 7 years old from urban areas. The proposers of this regulation do not understand that the great majority of "bikers" keep their machines in very good order, after all, it's their necks!

As with so many other regulations the stupid EU bureaucrats who dreamed this up have absolutely no understanding of the activity they seek to restrict..

So my wife and I had a great day out on Sunday, talking to bikers and even being allowed to give them the "GO" at 1.00 pm. It was real pleasure to wave them on their way, all 150 of them; bikes, trikes and mopeds alike.

*********

Strasbourg this week was dominated by two grand stand speeches.

Tuesday - Question time with Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the Eurogroup and president of Luxembourg. and,Wednesday - Barroso, "State of the Union"

The main theme throughout was, and which tells all,-

"We need Community method, not a National Government one."

So There, and we then received the notes on,-

The 6 Pack or "goodbye economic sovereignty"

The so-called "six pack" are six linked measures which extend and reinforce economic governance: in short, they represent a massive increase in the ability of the undemocratic EU to tell the member states, especially those in the Euro zone, how to run their economies and to interfere and punish behaviour the generally faceless and unelected bureaucrats do not like.

It builds upon and gives teeth to the Stability & Growth Pact (SGP):

A new directive on national budgetary frameworks requires member states to achieve set fiscal standards and to report on how their budget plans conform with their Medium Term Objectives (MTO) set as part of their Stability or Convergence Programmes (SCP)

In doing so, member states must guarantee transparency which means they have to provide detailed budgetary information and guarantee its accuracy.

This information is assessed against a 'scoreboard' of indicators which are in turn used to provide an early warning system which flags up the need for preventive and corrective action under a new Excessive Imbalance Procedure (EIP). Once a member state is placed in EIP, it has to submit a corrective action plan with performance deadlines.

The excessive deficit procedure (EDP) requires member states to keep deficits below 3% of GDP and government debt below 60%. Failure to perform or make progress to these targets causes the member state to be placed in "EDP".

Once placed in EDP. Euro-zone countries can be required to pay a non-interest bearing deposit of 0.2% of GDP. On a recommendation by the Commission, with limited Council powers to block it, this can be converted into a fine which can be increased for repeat offences

Sufficient repeat offences can cause the fine to be as much as 1% of GDP.

Though it is all written in the most complicated, jargon-laden language, the bottom line seems to be this. Member states will:

- be set economic, budgetary and fiscal targets

- report on performance against those targets

- be told what action they have to take if they fail to meet those targets

- fined for non-performance.

Clearly in these circumstances, the freedom of action of the member state government has disappeared and the views of the electorate are irrelevant!

***********

I copy the above without apology for it is the blue print for the horrors to come. Each of these was the subject of a separate vote on Wednesday and all were adopted by majorities ranging from 354 - 269 up to 554 - 90.

The rapporteur for the first, Ms Wortmann-Kool was presented with a bouquet when the result was announced. And a burst of applause.

Is that enough for one week?

Derek Clark MEP

Strasbourg 29th Sept 2011

Sept 12th - 15th 2011 Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session 12 - 15 Sept 2011

Wednesday. Not much in the way of votes this week to get excited about. Mind you, we are to vote on Libya tomorrow. But today we had a treat, a debate on,-

"The Economic Crisis and the Euro",

This was led by Barroso, "we must implement the principles we adopted in July. National Governments must explain the benefits of the Euro! He employed the usual terms; Solidarity, Act Together, Climate Change....and to solidify the Euro we must deepen integration. We need more Europe, not less....

On Euro Bonds the ECB will introduce options all within the treaties, although there will be some need for Treaty Changes (but Lisbon is self-amending).

Other speakers agreed with Barroso in the main; need single Vision, its either each for himself or All together. It was a mistake to introduce the Euro without pan Europe Fiscal Government, separate economies ruin it. We need Economic Government, A Euro Bond market, Growth & Jobs Pact and a Stability pact, with the Commission in charge!

The common theme was that this must all be done by the Commission, no room for the elected MEPs of course. Apparently, the markets look for weaknesses and exploit them,- well some one has woken up. And then a ray of light from the ECR speaker who promoted Greek devaluation and asked, in the context of the impending Greek default, "Whose funereal am I attending, theirs or ours?"

And then came Nigel who said that European Economic Governance was,-

"A plane lands at Athens airport out of which get an official from the Commission, an official from the ECB and an official from the appalling IMF. Those three people, the Troika you call them, go in, meet the Greek Government and tell the Greek Government what they may or may not do. You have killed Democracy in Greece. You have three part-time overseas dictators now telling the Greek people what they can and cannot do. It is totally unacceptable.....

I have one last plea Mr Barroso, will you please help Greece. Help her to get her currency back, help her to reschedule her debts, help her to get out of the mess you have put her into. Your policies have failed, stand up, be a man, admit it. "

(Full speech on Video, party web site, & UKIP MEP's web site.)

And so to voting followed by the most disgraceful episode imaginable.

It had been planned for Tuesday to hold a minute's silence for the victims of the dreadful massacre in Norway. Quite right too. But it was held over to the Wednesday voting session when the President of the Parliament, Jerzy Buzak, made some opening remarks, all in order if too long, but never did I imagine what a dreadful, crass error was to follow. Each group, its leader or a nominee, was then invited to make remarks.

The Socialist leader, Robert Schulz, made it political, emphasising that the murdered youngsters were all young socialists attending a Party event. This was endorsed by the left leaning groups who added comments like, Xenophobia, attack on our society etc etc. while Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Green co-chairman, even used the occasion to attack Le Pen for what he is alleged to have said about the massacre. Only the ECR speaker avoided political comment and, of course, our EFD speaker, co-chairman Francesco Speroni, who spoke briefly in measured tones, in just the right kind of way.

Worse followed after the one minute silence. A German Socialist MEP, Robert Goebbels, rose to denounce Nigel as an Anti- European bigot who, while being in the building, preferred to be absent for this, rather than join all the democrats. Nigel had indeed left the chamber during votes precisely to avoid what he knew was coming.

I confess to being stunned, Francesco Speroni tried to rise in answer but was denied by the President.

I found it too difficult to stay there and left before voting had ended. As a result I missed the sequel, but picked it up on the Parliament recordings. Le Pen rose to answer Cohn-Bendit and insults were then hurled across the assembly with accusations of paedophilia. All this at what should have been a solemn occasion.

Be in no doubt, if ever you were, that we are under constant attack by those who profess to have embraced democracy but who, in fact, no nothing of it. Worse, they have no sense of decency or decorum, or of putting differences aside in the name of something bigger than all of us.

It will get worse. The President of Parliament only serves two and a half years of the five year mandate and a new one is then elected. This election is a farce. The EPP are the biggest group, the Socialists next so they do a deal. They all vote for the EPP nominee for the fist half of the mandate, and all for the Socialist for the second half. Its a racing certainty that this will bring us Robert Schulz for the second half, starting in January.

There is nothing left to say.

Derek Clark MEP

Strasbourg, 15th Sept 2011

July 12th - 13th 2011 Brussels Commentary Employment Committee

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee 12th - 13th July 2011

Tuesday Poland takes the rotating Presidency and two of their ministers took the Employment Committee on a 2 hour ramble through all they wished to do in their six months. Can't tell you exactly what they said, full of "Solidarity" and other EU buzz words. The committee thought it was wonderful, well they would, mainly because it was only the same as all the other incoming ministers of a fresh presidency say when they take charge. They seem to want reassurance that the EU is following the script.

I did intervene in the debate on, "Modernisation of public procurement", using it unashamedly to talk about Bombardier losing the Thameslink contract to Siemens. Video in due course on my web site which will show that I was interrupted for once, by another MEP, Martin Kastler. The next speaker after me was Thomas Handel who claimed that Siemens had been thoroughly investigated and cleared. Kastner is in the PPE and Handle in the GUE/NGL, the Nordic Green Left, ie communist. Surprise surprise, both are German!

Wednesday The voting list showed two more awards (two Austrian firms) from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund, support for workers made redundant by firms closing. I said it was on the list, which usually means a quick vote in favour and move on. This time not even a vote, taken for granted I suppose, its only awarding lots of money and you know where that comes from.

The afternoon included debates on "Elf and safety". A debate with the Director of the Bilbao program and an address by the USA Assistant Secretary for Labour for occupational Safety & Health. And a mid-term review of the strategy for Elf & S. These debates are always called, "An exchange of Views".

We also debated, briefly, "Conditions of entry of third country nationals for seasonal employment". Third country means non-EU and so this debate means an interference in UK immigration systems. So my prediction that such interference was on the cards, when I spoke in Parliament on July 4th, Video on website comes ever closer.

Have a nice summer,

Derek Clark MEP

Brussels 14th July 2011

June 15th - 16th 2011 Brussels Commentary Employment Committee

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee 15th - 16th June 2011

Wednesday Voting included, "The challenge of security of offshore oil & gas activities".

I felt bound to make a remark or two, the gist of which was, first to query why we were debating this at all, and second, to remark that this will drive companies elsewhere resulting in job losses and company taxes lost. You will be able to see video which, hopefully, will run on to show the president's reply. This was direct to me in person and was the first time I have actually received a direct answer which made sense!! All right I didn't like it much, but it was an answer.

The other vote was on the "Globalisation adjustment fund", that is, giving loads of taxpayers' money to help redundant workers when companies relocate out of the EU. In this case it was the Danish firm of Glasfiber. They make these windmill things for producing electricity and the trade is going to China. I thought the wording of the amendment would be of interest,-

"..the paradoxical situation where member states commitments to fight climate change don't pay off for their companies as they do for their global competitors, meaning that they are currently not sufficiently integrated in the Union's industrial strategy".

Apparently the Wind capacity over 5 years in Denmark has decreased from 70% to 27% and Asian markets now account for 40% of new wind capacity. Unemployment in the Danish towns affected by the resulting redundancies rose by 25%.

Thursday Voting, best not to comment. Complete shambles. The regular President was not present so a vice President took over. She's OK but the interpreters changed over half way through and we were getting the invite to vote "Yes" mixed up with the "No" invite. On chatting with the Secretary General of the committee afterwards he assured me that they knew the problems, all happened before and they do get it right! He's a very pleasant man actually and I do not doubt his honesty, just the system.

Two more unrelated points,-

By now you will know of the resignation of the Greek Premier and of the Greek Cabinet. You may also have seen Nigel's interview on TV. This was on Wednesday 15th June and since it was by 'Russia Today' it might not appear on TV in the UK, in full. The BBC is unlikely to broadcast it in full for reasons which are familiar to us all so the link is attached below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQkBVLrAFFU

Incidentally, a member recently commented on having seen Dan Hannan's broadcast interview on the Greek bail-outs and why was Nigel not doing that? Answer, this was within 'Politics Today' , or a similar show, and Nigel had not been invited. We can not invite ourselves. Hannan is popular with the media because he is a Tory and we all know the true Tory stand.

Last, to cheer you up,-

The Norwegian TV company Nrk reported on a recent opinion poll. 66% of Norwegians are opposed to EU membership, only 26% in favour. Among the under 30s its 77% against and only 15% in favour.

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 16th June 2011

June 6th - 9th 2011 Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:20:00 +0100

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary session 6th - 9th June 2011

Tuesday Fun day. Fire alarm drill, all as it should be, except, having exited the building and strolled in the sunshine along the river bank most of us started to move back. Could get no further than the central courtyard formed by the 13 story circular office block. There we were, chatting in the middle, theoretically, of a building on fire!

Wednesday Voting started with catch up of those reports abandoned in the fire drill of yesterday. First up was a report to extend the Schengen process to include Romania and Bulgaria. It passed by 487 - 77. But note that Romania has just opened its borders to Moldavia and is in no position to cater for all these Moldavians who will just pass on to, well, you guess where.

Then to Polledo, "Financial framework for sustainable Europe".That includes education programs, helping young people to travel, helping the Roma, and so on. It also included an amendment to establish the FTT, a European tax. That is a direct Euro taxation system. Sounds bad, but not to worry dear, it means that national contributions to the EU budget can be reduced. So that's OK then. This passed by 397 - 246, and to a great round of applause. as did the whole thing (468-134)

Thursday Very thin voting session, well, we passed some kind of report on the Sudan and on an EU - Russia summit.

There was light relief. A Mr Lambsdorf of the German Free Democrats rose to complain that Mr Turmes, Lux, had voted twice by using his and his neighbour's machine and vote card. This is of course illegal but Mr Turmes is a Green and, as you know, they are all nice, helpful people just trying to save the world, so that was deemed OK by the President.

Footnote You may already have read or seen my speech of this morning, Business Directories. This scam contacts small businesses offering to give them advertising space in their publication found in many European Cities. They actually contacted me when I was first elected. Did I want coverage all over Europe? Well, being a "New boy" I read on down and soon found the snag. After a small deposit they will send back a proposed lay out to finalise and then publish, but only after sending about £2000. No thanks!

Trouble is, lots of small businesses have fallen for this and the follow up letter states that, by their first response, they had signed up to paying an extortionate amount. Failure to pay elicits threatening solicitor's letters. Virtually in tears people have contacted me for help. My answer to all, is, "Do not pay this fraudulent firm any money, do not contact them in any way, ignore solicitor's letters". I am happy to tell you that, once I realised this was widespread, I checked this out with the Foreign Office who replied that my advice was perfectly in order.

This firm operated from Valencia and the Spanish police did close it down. They simply shifted to other EU cities and carried on, often under a different name. They have since returned to Spain and so what is misery for quite few people continues. Hooray for freedom of movement of people, goods and SERVICES.

Derek Clark MEP

Strasbourg 9th June 2011