Better Off Out

There is a new campaign in town. Its called Better Off Out and is supported by the great and the good. They actually think, gasp..... that we would be better off without the ball and chain we call the European Union around our ankles. How dare they say such things. Don't they know that its forbidden. The great unwashed might start to get ideas.

Euro Parliament Rent Scam

The city of Strasbourg have been over charging the European Parliament for rent.

The French city of Strasbourg has been overcharging the European Parliament up to €2.7 million a year in rent for as long 25 years

What other organisation could over pay and not notice it for so long? No wonder our money is being so badly spent on everything else.

Newsflash: EU-Serf Denied Front Bench Seat

Its official, I have no chance to serve in a David Cameron Cabinet. Apparently he will accept no-one who advocates withdrawal from the EU. No word yet on whether he demands belief in santa claus or fairies at the bottom of the garden.

Its not the EU but...

I couldn't resist: I give you Comical Patty. For the original

Finns Want a Referendum

According to Polls, most Finns want to be asked about the EU Constitution.

According to a poll commissioned by the Sunnuntaisuomalainen Sunday supplement of Väli-Suomen sanomalehdet, a group of provincial newspapers, 57 per cent of respondents wanted a referendum on the EU draft constitution before it was brought before the Finnish Parliament.

Good for them. The reason I want to see referendums in all countries (even Europhile ones) is that the EU has only lasted this long, due to the lack of debate. The more debate, the faster Euroscepticism will grow.

Euro Myths

The favourite subject of Europhiles everywhere, is Euro Myths. Eluned Morgan MEP is no exception.

Mrs Morgan said, "Some of the stories make me laugh frankly because they are so over the top, and sometimes you have to give these people credit for being so creative. "There was one recently where it said the European Commission was going to standardise the size of condoms and everyone was saying they wouldn't be big enough for British assets. "But it's just titillation fuelled by newspapers. Most of the Euromyths are either pure imagination or massive exaggeration. They're spread to make the EU appear sinister or silly."

This is what masquerades as an argument in Federast circles. Sometimes, some eurosceptics indulge in exaggeration in order to make people take notice.

So what. Isn’t the EU itself built on an exaggerated fear of German invasion and sustained by a completely erroneous belief that all our jobs depend on it?

What the federasts fail to do is to address the real EU issues, like a run away budget, an evil agricultural policy or the unnecessary loss of our nation. Instead they prefer to repeat ad nauseum, myths that they claim have been disproved.

Their attempts at positive argument are even worse though, try this:

Also the people writing the legislation are Brussels administrators who are being driven by consumer demands. It's about protecting the consumer.

Protecting the consumer from their own elected representatives no doubt? Because if the Brussels gravy train did not exist, such laws could anyway be passed at Westminster.

Eye Popping, Even for the EU

What would an organisation whose accounts have not been sign for a decade have to do to surprise you? How about running a programme, for which 70% of the funds have been wasted?

The scheme has given about €500 million a year to 12 former communist countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to promote free markets and democracy since 1991.

Nice so they’ve had just noticed 15 years later that something is not working.

The auditors investigated 29 representative projects in Russia, the main beneficiary of the programme, and found that only nine actually achieved the objectives for which the EU was paying. In total, only 5 of the 29 projects had any lasting impact.

Wow no wonder Tony Blair wants a Brussels job. Only 17% of the projects could be regarded as a success and it took them 15 years to notice.

One project invented a region on paper to meet the criteria for receiving EU funds.

Perhaps we could suggest this to John Prescott. Rather than trying to force regional parliaments on real people, he could just invent a region.

Fitness equipment aimed at helping children ended up being used by Russian soldiers.

So they can beat each other up more effectively I suppose.

Again, someone remind me why we pay a single penny to this cowboy outfit.

Water Regulations to Wash Away Small Business

It’s bad enough that regulations have made water more expensive across the UK. The water companies have invested vast sums of money meeting new regulations rather than mending their infrastructure, hence the hosepipe bans. Now new decrees from the Eternal City are to put small businesses in Rural areas in trouble.

Thousands of small, rural businesses face paying annual charges of more than £600 for tests on their private water supplies, from July. They could also have to pay thousands of pounds to upgrade supplies to meet a European directive covering drinking water.

Now if I believed for a single minute that these rules were based on a reasonable assessment of the cost benefit analysis, I would say nothing. But I am willing to bet that not a single life will be saved whilst jobs are lost in areas of the country least able to cope. Never mind though, I’m sure that the jobsworths that do the audits will be happy.

Those Bloody Irish

Ireland is a success story. We have all read the stories in the paper about low unemployment and rapid growth. Good luck to them on that, they deregulated and slashed taxes and the result was as expected. I have one very major complaint about them though. They continue to see the EU as their personal rich aunt who is there to provide. Take this story for example:

IRELAND and 12 other member states have taken on the European Commission, as it bids to accelerate dairy export subsidy cuts towards their promised elimination by 2013.

They don’t need the money and yet they are trying to stand in the way of CAP reform. The bastards are stopping the poor scrape a living by selling their goods to us. You would think that of all people the Irish would have some sympathy with the starving in Africa.

Attack of the Bow Tied PM

Its not often I get cheered up by the sight of a politician trying to undermine the courts, but I will make an exception here.

Judges at the European Union’s top court must pay more attention to national sensitivities or risk fuelling growing public antipathy towards the EU, Wolfgang Schüssel, chancellor of Austria, has warned.

Good on that man, although not everyone will see it the same way:

Mr Schüssel denied he was trying to apply political influence on the court, which jealously guards its role as the independent arbiter of the EU laws.

The problem is that the court is not independent and uses it powers invariably to extend the remit of the EU, often into areas where officially it shouldn’t go. So if it get a little political pressure from the other side (and more importantly publicity about its agenda) then it’s no more than adding a little ying to their very powerful yang.

It Could Have Been Us

Austria is one of the countries that ratified the Lazarus Treaty:

On 25th of May (2005) the upper chamber of the Austrian Parliament, the so called “Bundesrat”, ratified the EU Constitutional Treaty with 59 out of 62 representatives in favour. This step followed the preceding ratification in the lower chamber, the “Nationalrat”, on 11th of May (2005) with only one member against.

Contrast those numbers with the following ones:

According to latest Eurobarometer polls, Austrians are, after the Brits (of course), the most Euro-sceptic Nation among all Member states.

And:

46% of Austrians did not consider a European Constitution as ‘necessary’, against 35% who did.

So in a strongly Eurosceptic country, both houses of parliament overwhelmingly ratify a treaty that the majority of citizens do not want. Note that the person writing this report is happy about the way in which it was passed:

As most other EU countries, Austria lacked a genuinely broad and well informed open discussion on the EU constitution carried by the mass media.

The people were uninformed so they would have made the wrong choice. This all basically reinforces my prejudices that politicians are self serving gits who ignore the electorate’s wishes. Unfortunately, nowhere is this more so than over the subject of the EU.

No Surrender

With the love of the EU waning in Turkey, the foreign minister is forced to resort to ever more pathetic attempts to protect his position:

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul spoke out against criticisms that "Turkey surrendered to the European Union," and said Turkey has in fact become "an exemplary country that provides stability to its neighbourhood.

Now forget whether you agree with his second statement or not, what exactly is the link? Is there an argument in there somewhere? Not that there is an argument to back up his statement any way. At EU summits, as we have found out to our cost, the only flag you are allowed to wave is a white one.

Modest With the Truth

As I pointed out recently, Tony Blair’s “great deal” over the EU budget, not only left us with more of the EU’s bills, but it was not even the last word

The European Union's next budget is £20 billion more than Tony Blair admitted when he unveiled a British-brokered deal last December, a leading Brussels official will say today.

So as bad as it sounded at the time, worse is to come.

It will be about £24 billion above the budget Mr Blair announced and means that the taxpayer will have to find an extra £2 billion.

Just think about the number of IT projects, Nanny State Activists and Useless NHS projects that could have been had for this money. No wonder he wasn’t eager to publicise it. Then again if the government were in the least prudent, this would mean a vast number of operations, new schools or tax cuts, depending on your preference. It seems that once again, the only time our Dear Leader can be modest, is with the truth.

Happy, But Not Completely

Greeks regard the European Union in much the same way that a pet dog regards its owner. In exchange for performing a few pointless exercises, it provides generously for all needs. But all is not well in the land of Hellas:

The majority of Greeks are happy to be a part of the bloc but blame the euro for many of the country's woes

Which raises some interesting questions. Will the EU damage itself the more it tries to do? After all, without the Euro, the Greeks would have been happy, now they have a complaint leave at Brussels door.

Cameron is Determined

Despite the skepticism of many Eurosceptic Conservatives, Cameron seems to be still on course for divorcing the EPP. According to Francis Maude:

We want to create a new grouping of parties that take what we would call a more progressive approach to the European Union and who do not see it as an ever more centralised block which is what it currently is. "The European constitution moves even further towards that model and that is why we think the right thing to do is form a new grouping which will be very formidable."

I’m not sure about formidable, but the aim is at least good.

Someone is Awake in Ireland

I can’t say I agree with all of this but one statement is certainly worth repeating:

AS we approach the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the Taoiseach appears rather hypocritical in celebrating Irish independence while his Government supports the EU constitution which would virtually annul the powers of the Oireachtas.

Ok, so the EU is known for the problems of plenty rather than famine, but independence means home rule, not rule by Brussels.

Quote of the Week

From David Davis

"A while ago, a couple of my friends were berating me for being too tough on Charles Clarke. "After all," one said," if you went on the street and sold 6 ounces of cannabis, you would still be arrested." "Maybe," the other one replied, "but not for selling cannabis - just for selling it in ounces."

Unfortunately, a great example of the government's priorities on crime.

Though Shalt Not Say....

Islamic terrorism

The European Union, tiptoeing through a minefield of religious and cultural sensitivities, is discreetly reviewing the language it uses to describe terrorists who claim to act in the name of Islam.

Now I understand that Muslims may dislike the term, but take a look at what they have decided to use in its place:

we talk about "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam"

Now if I were a Muslim, thats probably how I would refer to them. But seeing as they refer to themselves as Islamic, I fail to see the problem in us using the same terms. I also never cease to be amazed at the priorities of people dealing with very real threats to the lives of innocent people. "Forget about the problems, lets be careful about the words we use. "

Archbishop Cranmer

He hasn't been seen for a few hundred years, but he is back, and he is none too fond of the EU.

Council of Europe membership for EU

That man Juncker is once again spreading joy with his great ideas.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, has proposed that the EU become a member of human rights watchdog the Council of Europe, in a bid to strengthen ties between the two organisations.

Sounds innocuous does it not? After all, all 25 member states are alreay members. There is one slight problem though:

The EU according to its present treaties has no "legal personality" which is needed to enter international organisations.

Guess which treaty would solve that problem? Yes, the constitution so roundly rejected by French & Dutch voters. So what he is basically saying has nothing to do with the Council of Europe, and everything to do with the constitution.

The US should "divorce" the European Union

In trade negotiations, it is often the rich world on one side and the poor on the other. At least one important American involved, thinks this is a mistake.

I believe that the US should stop enabling the EU in its efforts to drag down the global trade talks and instead focus on those trading partners who share our goals of creating meaningful economic opportunity.

So says Congressman Bill Thomas, a man who has finally realise that the EU is a problem creator not an ally.

We have been sitting next to the EU for a long time and the conversation has been painful. So, until the EU is serious about true liberalisation, we should get up from that seat and visit with others at the dinner table to have more fruitful discussions.

I hate to be cynical, but I suspect Mr Thomas, will be waiting a long time before the EU is serious about true liberalisation.

Get Your .EU Domain

The doors are finally open, and the customers can at last buy the goods.

Some 300,000 Europeans rushed to register their ''.eu'' domain names in the first hour of being able to sign up for the new Internet addresses, officials said Friday.

Prior to last week, only brand name owners could register. So I wonder what is being bought. ihatethe.eu anyone?

Tony’s Deal, lasts 4 months

Remember when Tony gave in to the pressure and release billions more of our cash to pay for massive pensions and expensive lunches? Well his carefully worked out “deal” has been torn up.

British taxpayers face paying an extra £208 million to the European Union after a late-night deal was struck by EU representatives to add billions to the budget compromise agreed by Tony Blair.

Parliament didn’t think the cash was enough and the complained. Our government, true to form, meekly agreed to give up even more of our cash. The man is a marvel. He compromises without getting anything in return, and when that is found wanting by the other side, he just turns the other pocket, so to speak.

Crouch Low, and Proceed With Caution

European Integration sometimes resembles a wildlife programme. You know, where they follow a pride of lions around, showing aspects of their daily life. They lie around all day, doing nothing of any value, from time to time they growl or roar, scaring the local wildebeest. But they are at their most dangerous when the creep silently through the long grass, towards their prey. Its only when it’s too late to escape, that the big cat leaps into action. So when the European Commission or Parliament is roaring, we should listen but not get too afraid. It’s when they creep up on us that we should get worried.

Brussels is keen to replace the current patchwork of national corporate tax regimes with a pan-European approach towards calculating a company’s tax base.

They are not, I repeat NOT, trying to harmonise tax rates. They are just trying to help those poor souls doing business in a number of EU states.

The Commission stressed that a new regime was not required for companies that anyway only operate in one member state. It also made clear that the Commission had no intention of proposing harmonised tax rates.

So, what are the odds, that once they have crept up on the Corporate Tax issue, through the long grass of trying to help business, they won’t leap to attack the concept of different tax rates? This may be why some countries oppose the idea.

The plan faces strong opposition from countries such as Britain and Ireland

But then judging by previous attempt by the current government to resist Brussels overtures, I guess they are as worried by the prospect as a pride of Lions would be of a baby wildebeest putting up a fight.

Quisling Conservative MEPs

I have discovered an interesting Blog, supporting the continued association of the Conservative Party with the Federast EPP. It does us all a favour by reminding us which of the Conservative MEPs have views similar to most of those who voted for them and which would be better off joing the Liberal Democrats. From one of those that we need to deselect:

Whilst the Hannan/Helmer/Heaton-Harris/Deva axis childishly denounce the European Union in favour of protecting their anachronistic vision of the nation state, Beazley offers an exciting vision for just what Britain can achieve from the European Union by working with our friends and allies in the best interests of the people of Europe.

An exciting vision where all our laws come from Brussels, I presume.

Defence of the European Realm

The state of the Defence industry in most European Countries would make a Soviet Tractor manufacturer cry. Out dated technology, low sales, late deliveries and incompatibility all come as standard. A proper free market would be a help.

Creating a more open “European Defence Equipment Market” (EDEM) between Member States is the theme of a public consultation launched by the European Commission today.

So what are we to think? Judging by the EU’s past record on such things, an ostensibly free market project will turn into a political one. National champions will continue to exist and certain countries will still play by the old rules. Not that you can blame them. Can you imagine trying to actually use your limited military capability when the country that manufacturers your spare parts doesn’t share your views? You couldn’t proceed without the acquiescence of all your "European Partners".

Switzerland Welcomes Polish Plumbers

Switzerland has decided to go where most EU member states fear to tread.

Switzerland has formally opened up its labor market to nationals from the European Union's 10 newest member states.

Seems strange doesn’t it, when they are not even a member of the club. But the reality is that whether you think they are enlightened or stupid, they made the decision themselves. Oh to be allowed to eat at the Open Buffet instead of being forced to go Ala Carte.

Statesman Juncker's Wisdom

Man of great Stature that he is,Jean-Claude Juncker has been sharing his thoughts with the German edition of FT. He is criticising the European Commission.

"I criticise the communication strategy of the commission…It gives the impression that everyone who puts questions to planned or ongoing mergers should automatically be a protectionist.

What he calls a government that stops foriegn takeovers is not mentioned.

Mr Juncker also showed he supports Paris' interventionism in substance, saying he understands that European governments resist a Europe which is only interested in the market.

Which brings us back the the problem at the heart of the EU. Idiots like Juncker and his fellow federasts, accept some freeing up of markets as a way of achieveing the useless political union that they dreams of. The average Brit, and his Eastern friends, accept a certain amount of political union in exchange for access to a big market. But in the end, we are never going to agree to a finalcompromise. Every time one side gets happy, the other is downcast. Its like having a social club for Cats & Dogs. We just do not fit together.