Exclusive: Tony’s Donation

I have a post on Rightlinks explaining Tony Blair's Donation

The French Dislike The Euro

That man from Croydon has spotted a French poll on the Euro.

52% consider the Euro to be a bad thing. 53% think it has been bad for employment. 57% think it has been bad for them personally.

So an unmitigated success then.

Bulgaria's Nuclear Power

Bulgaria has a nuclear power station that the EU is forcing them to close.

As Bulgaria prepares to join the European Union on Jan. 1, it is being forced to deliver on one last promise: to shut down two aging reactors at its only nuclear plant. The EU says the units must be closed because they don't meet safety standards, but Bulgarians fear the closure will lead to price hikes.

Now nuclear power is a subject that neighbours have legitimate concerns over (if little in the way of actual influence) as Chernobyl amply demonstrated. Bulgaria is not happy.

Bulgaria's economy and energy minister, Rumen Ovcharov, has warned that the closures at the Kozlodui plant, which now contributes some 40 percent of Bulgaria's total electricity production, will force the country to slash electricity exports.

But safety comes first right? Well, consider the fact that had Bulgaria not joined the EU, the plants would have continued to be used well after their sell by date, and the EU could have done nothing about it. Also consider the fact that with this leverage, the EU could probably have found a compromise solution, involving French Nuclear Expertise (admit it they have more experience than anyone else). But that is not the way the EU works. The poor have to pay for the safety of the rich.

Top ten EU achievements in 2006

With achievements like this, who can argue against the beneficence of the EU .

1. It took steps to ban misleading claims on food packaging, helping consumers choose healthy foods and avoid obesity.
2. Another of the EU's targets has been roaming charges on mobile phone use within the EU. Extortionate prices – averaging four times the price of a domestic call – are now being curbed.
3. A new law regulating chemicals will protect workers and consumers, requiring industry to replace hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives wherever possible.
4. In the technology field, the EU has been developing its own satellite navigation system, Galileo.
5. Internationally, the EU has sent troops to the Congo and south Lebanon
6. Other major achievements in 2006 include Bulgaria and Romania's EU entry
7. Slovenia's adoption of the euro,
8. Cuts in sugar prices and an end to overproduction,
9. The opening of the European market to trade in services,
10. Measures to tackle illegal immigration.

So here goes:

1. Does anyone really believe that it will make a difference.
2. If the public had really been that worried about it, the market would have provided a solution.
3. Reach is a morons approach to health and safety, based on a wish that we lived in a perfect world.
4. Why????? The American GPS is freely available for use.
5. Of course the might of the EU is so useful, (he laughs to himself) what would we do without it.
6. Circular argument. A major achievement of a club, is two new members.....
7. Poor old Slovenia, it was doing so well.
8. A quarter achievement. Right direction, not nearly far enough. However, it was only made necessary by the existence of CAP (which wouldn't exist without the EU).
9. Real attempts to liberalise failed, so we stuck a plaster on the wound.
10. Haven't actually noticed that one, must have been a summit or conference.

Shame it cost so much to achieve so little isn't it. Thanks to Istanbul Tory for pointing out this little gem.

Repeal The European Communities Act

I blogged about this before, and now the short list is up Telephone 0901 5221004 to repeal the European Communities Act, or vote online. Go on, you know you want to.

Looking for Lembit

Welcome to those arriving here from a cellar under the houses of parliament. If you are looking for Lembit, the original is here.

False Arguments

Nigel Farage has been in Romania, to get to see the country prior to its joining the EU in 10 days time. In reply to his Euroscepticism, we get the following argument from a Romanian Civil Servant.

"If my children will be able to drink healthy water just because of what you call stupid European regulations it's already worth joining the EU."

We have to fight these ignorant arguments. There may well be lots of EU legislation that individuals agree with, but that completely misses the point. Do Norwegian children drink sewage filled water? Did the Swedes poison their offspring prior to becoming members?

If the Romanians have a problem with their drinking water, they are perfectly capable of solving it themselves. We don't need the EU to enable Anton Niculescu's children to drink clean water. Its a problem that could be solved at Municipality level, it doesn't need a supra national body to make it happen.

EU Agrees To Throw More Fish Back

Its not exactly what is written in the headlines.

EU nations settle on new catch cuts for key species, seeking to assure their survival

But quotas are relevant for fish landed not caught. So tighter quotas just mean that more unwanted fish get throw overboard if they are caught. Which if they are already dead is hardly a conservation measure.

Quisling Nationalists

Why is it that Scottish & Welsh nationalists are Pro EU. How can it be better to be ruled from Brussels than from Westminster. If the Welsh and Scots feel that their voice is not heard in the UK how can it be heard in the EU with 7-8 times the population?

The reason for the question is the following statement by Lord Elis-Thomas.

Despite being a member of Plaid Cymru - which advocates the break-up of the United Kingdom to gain independence for Wales - the former MP said devolution could ensure the future of a politically unified Britain.

But not just a unified Britain:

"I think it is quite possible to have a United Kingdom within a united Europe.

I know that most regional aid (paid for twice over by us anyway) goes to our Celtic neighbours, but that would surely not continue if the UK were to break up. The amounts reflect the bargaining power of the UK, and the fact that these regions are poor relative to say London. As independent countries, they would be competing with Lithuania and Bulgaria for funds, with much less need for them.

MEPs Want to Increase Poverty

Well thats not the way they see it, but that will be the end result of what they are trying to do.

MEPs are calling on the European Commission to push EU businesses to take the economic, social and environmental impacts of their activities more into consideration wherever they operate in the world.

What they are aiming for is to create legislation that controls the way that European Multinationals behave in developing countries. At the moment the talk is of voluntary codes, but nothing short of punitive legislation will be enough for people like this.

Economic actors, especially trans-national companies, have a huge role to play in protecting, promoting and respecting human, social and environmental rights. Sometimes more powerful than national governments, they are rarely held to account for the abuses they commit in damaging the environment, harming local communities and forcing workers to accept unfair conditions and/or salaries.

The problem is that it is complete bollocks. Of course some trans national corporations behave badly, but the overall reality is that they benefit the countries that they invest in. They have higher standards of behaviour.

A Book by Martin Wolf, associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, spells this out in full.

He cites a study of 20,000 plants in Indonesia showing that the average wage paid to workers in foreign-owned plants in 1996 was 50 percent higher than in private domestic plants. Even after controlling for education levels, plant size, and other relevant variables, wages paid by multinational companies were 12 percent higher for blue-collar workers and 27 percent higher for white-collar workers.

This certainly fits in with my (limited) experience. Workers in developing countries would rather work for foreign companies than home grown ones.

But reality is never allowed to intrude on the making of European legislation, and has probably never intruded on the life of the Muppet behind this cause. Not today, nor next week, maybe not next year. However, it will happen, European Companies will be forced to apply rich world standards to poor countries. This will make overseas investments by European companies a riskier business.

With such legislation, the EU would achieve a number of things.

1. Less attractive employment for workers in the developing world
2. Less know how transfer, essential for development
3. Less competitive European Companies
4. Poorer environmental standards in developing countries
5. More power for the Eurocrats of Brussels.

Of course they only care about point 5, the poor and huddled masses can piss off and starve, the alternative is to give up on class warfare, and that's just not possible.

Whose Side is He On?

Wonko, has had a disagreement with Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP (Conservative) over the reasons for hospital closures. Wonko claims that it is due to our opt out from the Working Time Directive, and Mr Bushill Matthews disagrees.

Now I think that Wonko has made a technical error, and that Mr Bushill Matthews despite knowing what it was that Wonko was trying to say, has pedantically answered back, ignoring the actual issue.

The reality: Junior Doctors hours have been cut, and will be cut more in the future, due to The application from August 2004 of statutory working time limits (in line with the EU working time Directive) to doctors in training in the UK.

Our opt out of the working time directive is a separate (though related) issue and is still not solved.

So I ask you, what would a Eurosceptic MEP have said in an answer to such a technical error? Perhaps something along the lines of .... its not that one but this one.

Why are Conservative MEPs obfuscating, and deliberately trying to mislead people over EU issues? The key point of Wonko's argument was correct, that EU laws are having an impact on the closure of our hospitals, yet to read the counter argument, you would be led to believe that it was not so.

When are we going to get Conservative MEPs who actually stand up for our Country?

EU to Invite Mugabe

One of the reasons that the EU is apparently superior to individual nations, is its ability to use its size to facilitate change around the world. The reality is that it frequently goes for lowest common denominator politics, an undermines any worthwhile efforts. So it is no surprise that the ban on Comrade Bob is coming under pressure.

Portugal said that it wants to invite all African leaders - including Mr Mugabe - to an EU-Africa summit next year. The Portuguese Prime Minister, Jose Socrates, argued that the EU's position on Mr Mugabe needed to be changed and that "that will happen in February", adding: "The summit cannot be held if we do not invite all African countries."

So even the largely superficial sanctions that were actually agreed to, are now not convenient for some grand standing politician or other. So Mrs Mugabe can look forward to shopping trips in Paris, whilst her countrymen starve under the negligence and venality of her evil husband.

An EU Foreign Policy? That'll be a force for good won't it.

Beta Blogger

I have move the blog to Beta and updated my links. If you think you are missing and should be added to the links send me a mail. If you are part of the Eurosceptic Bloggers Group, I am preparing a blogroll which will include your blog.

Whose a Nasty Imperialist?

For those Michael Moore loving, GW hating lefties that have stumbled across this by accident, NO, its not the USA. The rest of you knew that I was going to say the EU anyway didn't you.

Eneko Landaburu, general director of the EU external relations commission, announced he was preparing a dossier denouncing the Swiss cantonal tax regime.

Just to reiterate. Switzerland is not a member of the EU, and yet our Benevolent Masters are trying to blackmail them into changing their tax regime. When you take into consideration that under their constitution, tax rates are under control of the cantons, you will see what a disgusting battle this really is.

The EU wants non member Switzerland, to change its constitution, so that it can change a tax regime that it doesn't like.

Imperialist Bastards. At least the Americans want to leave Iraq one day.

MEPs, High Profile or Invisible

Interesting analysis of MEP's profiles by Open Europe blog

We wanted to know which MEPs were most effective in gaining publicity. So we've done a quick back-of-the-envelope ranking based on how many times they have appeared in the press over the last 6 months (as measured by the Lexis Nexis database) and how many hits they turn up on Google.

Obviously we expect more from our Politicians than being publicity whores, but the results are interesting non the less. Our favourite Conservative MEP is top.

Red Diesel

No its not fuel being offered by Hugo Chavez to Ken Livingstone, its actually normal diesel fuel with a red dye added, and sold with a discount on normal fuel excise duty.

So why should we Serfs be the least bit interested? Because the following is a little example of how the EU controls everything. From Hansard:

Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): What recent progress has been made in negotiations to extend the derogation from EU regulations to enable UK pleasure boats to use red diesel in 2007; and if he will make a statement. [104886] The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey): I know that the derogation that permits the use of red diesel in Britain is highly valued by private boat owners and users. Thirty-four separate derogations from the directive are held by member states. None has yet been approved by the Commission and 14 have been rejected so far. Late yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed to me that the Commission had decided not to renew the UK’s application for a fresh derogation for private boats.

This means that by order of Brussels, pleasure boats will have to pay full excise duty on their diesel. Why such decisions need to be made at EU level is a complete mystery. What over riding principle could there be, we are not told. But the upshot is that in many areas, Brussels already controls our taxation policy.

The debate continues with Class Warrior Rob Marris (Lab) criticising the fact that pleasure boats are exempt. His contribution is the kind that have led to the situation that we find ourselves in today, completely irrelevant.

Now you may think that he has a point. Its at least worth a debate. But handing over power to Brussels in order to win domestic arguments is the height of ignorance and negligence.

Those of you that read the debate may notice this little snippet:

The principle that road fuel level duty should be applied to private boat owners was agreed ...... in 1992 under the mineral oil structures directive, by the previous Government.

Two points here:

1. Previous Conservative governments have been almost as bad as this one in their surrender to Brussels
2. It took 14 years for the full effect of this directive happen. You can get opt outs or special status, but in the end, the Steam Roller will flatten you.

A Vote on the EU

Many of us have never had the chance to show our democratic disapproval of membership of the EU (or its previous guises). Now perhaps, the BBC is offering us a chance.

We want you to suggest a law which you think should be scrapped. Which is Britain's least useful or most damaging law? If possible, be specific. Our panel of politicians (across the spectrum) and legislation experts will sift your nominations to come up with a shortlist of six. That shortlist will go to a vote and, on New Year's Day, we'll announce the winning - or, more accurately, losing - law. At the very least, we hope, we'll fuel debate. But we'll also see whether any politician is brave enough to take the views of Today listeners to the House of Commons.

To take advantage of this, here is what you should do. Go to the page in question and write "European Communities Act 1972" in the space provided. Who knows whether they will choose it, but it could be fun if they do.

Not keen on enlargement

We are not keen on enlargement! Taken from FT (Thanks Steve)

Lib Dumb

Many people say that the 3 major parties are equally bad on the subject of the EU. Whilst I accept that they are all bad, they are not all equally bad, as this demonstrates.

The EU should have a much more central role in foreign and security policy, the Liberal Democrats say.

The reason is because idiots like Ming, cannot understand the difference between free will and being forced.

"Britain should distinguish its own foreign policy from that of the United States," he said.

The British Prime Minister, in his wisdom (or otherwise) has thrown us together with the USA. If Ming becomes Prime Minister (God Forbid) he can follow another course. Throwing our lot in with the EU however, would be a different matter, it would be sealed in concrete with a treaty.

However much he dislikes the current foreign policy, is he really too stupid to understand the difference? Or does he want to permanently neuter our country, such that it can never have its own interests again?

The Euro Revolt

Ever since the launch of the Euro, many have predicted that it would all end in tears. This story seems to support that thesis. France is in pain.

The monthly trade deficit ballooned to $2.7bn, following two months of sliding industrial orders and a shock halt to economic growth in the third quarter. Car output is down 14pc so far this year.

This is a country that not so long ago, had a trade surplus and the cause of this change is only too clear.

The euro has risen 11pc against the US dollar and most Asian currencies this year, and 20pc against the Japanese yen.

Not that France is the worst off you realise.

Italy has lost 40pc in competitiveness against Germany since the exchange rates were fixed ten years ago, while France last lost over 20pc - yet they still have to compete in the same currency zone.

and now the clincher......

Philippe de Villiers, leader of the eurosceptic MPF movement, said he was launching a referendum drive for a return to the franc. "The euro is a failure. It's weakening our industry and our exports to the point where Airbus is preparing to build plant directly in the United States and China," he said. "As we saw with the Czech and Slovak currency split, leaving the euro is technically quite simple. We could do it in eight days," he said.

How long before such opinion becomes mainstream.

Government For The People

Forget for a moment if you will, what you think of Turkey's EU membership bid. Ignore your concerns about clash of cultures, human rights or economic burdens. If you are in favour, forget that also. Just focus on this.

Only 26 percent of the European public support Turkey’s EU membership.

Now take this into consideration.

EU foreign ministers agreed to freeze eight of 35 "chapters" in entry negotiations relating to transport and trade, significantly slowing down Turkey's membership talks.

No pause to take it all in...... The EU seems to be listening to the people!!!!!! Could this be a first?

The most advanced legislation in the world

When politicians cannot defend something on the grounds of logic, they have a key word that they use instead. It is the favourite word of our Dear Leader and is common parlance in the corridors of power in Brussels.

That word is Modern. When you hear a politician use it, beware, they are up to no good. If the policy they are espousing were any good, they would explain why, not call it modern.

And so we come to REACH:

The law, considered the largest piece of legislation in EU history, has pitted industry against environmentalists for years.

The reason it is controversial is that it is based on the Precautionary Principle. This states that everything must be completely safe or it will be banned. It is the enabling act of EU politicos and will be used to snuff out every last vestige of individual choice, civil liberties and free markets from our continent. As such it is described.....

"This is some of the most advanced legislation in the world," said Mauri Pekkarinen, trade and industry minister for Finland

OK so he said advanced not modern, but the rule still holds. Bear in mind that this man is trade and industry minister, and you will understand how hopeless the situation is. Ignoramuses such as Mauri Pekkarinen, claim to be modern, progressive and advanced, but they are turning the clock back on the massive progress that society has made. They won't be happy until we are all back in our caves.

Just Because We're Paranoid...

It doesn't mean they are not after us.

1. The EU commission decides that a British food company has breached regulations, and bans their products for export.
2. Britain's Food Standards Agency, checks out the company and gives it a clean bill of health.
3. The company takes the commission to the Court of First Instance and wins
4. The Commission fails to accept their mistake
5. The commission decides to fine the UK food safety authorities, despite nobody ever having been in danger
6. The EU's Food and Veterinary Office decides to audit the UK's entire cheese industry
7. Our own Department of Health, bows to EU bullying and passes a new regulation banning trade by the company in question

They have completely overridden both their own EU standards and our Ancient liberties, in pursuit of a company that was doing nobody any harm. All in the cause of not admitting their own mistake.

Why do we want to trust these institutions with any more power, when they quite obviously cannot be trusted with that which they have?

The moral of this story is not just that the EU is morally corrupt, but that our own officials are quislings and turncoats who fail to stand up for the people who pay their wages.

Hat Tip Tim Worstall

Pour Some Sugar on Me

It might make great song lyrics, but its not good trade policy.

Sugar fell for a second day in London after the European Union, world's second-biggest sugar exporter, said it would export some of its excess stock and funds began selling in both London and New York.

The price goes down and farmers in poor countries suffer as a result. But that's the market right? Wrong. Each year, EU consumers and taxpayers foot a bill of €1.6bn to subsidise the over production of sugar.

Europe exports sugar at prices around 50 to 65 per cent less than the high prices guaranteed under the CAP - far below European costs of production.

So first they screw us and then the screw the poor. But don't worry its all in a good cause.

The aim of the common agricultural policy is to provide farmers with a reasonable standard of living, consumers with quality food at fair prices and to preserve our rural heritage.

So thats all right then.

What Has Europe Done.org

I came across this animation, by Europhile group The European Movement. Needless to say I wasn't convinced by there list of things that the EU has apparently done.

EU Transparency

Those of us who are keen to see more transparency in the EU should be happy with this story. It seems that some Commissioners don't want to keep anything from us.

New Blog

Devils Kitchen, the polite and well spoken blogger, has started a new blog. Called "The EU-nihilist" it promises to bring us the stories that the MSM can't be bothered with. Serf wishes him luck.

Why Bother to Report it

Forbes has the following report:

The European Commission would like to see the establishment of a single licensing regime for telecom content among the EU's member countries

The European Commission would like to see the establishment of a single licensing regime for every single sector it can think of. Thats what it is there for.

Lets Call it Rasputin

I used to refer to the Constitution as Lazarus, the man brought back from the dead. But I have changed my mind, Rasputin is more suitable.

It is a representative of the orthodox religion, it has a massive appetite, it aims to pervert the existing levers of power and is the subject of much controversy. Most of all however, the bastard just won't die.

Germany and Portugal, which hold the European Union presidency next year, are working to salvage key elements of the union’s constitutional treaty, rejected last year by French and Dutch voters, in time for a new text to come into force by March 2009.

Critically

The rescue operation is expected to produce a slimmed down treaty with a new name

Slap another label on it, and we will swallow it second time round??? I know that the public is gullible, but do they really think that its opponents will take it that lightly? Its already been stabbed, we plan to poison it, shoot it and drowned it in the river.

Prodi the KGB Agent

I don't know what to think about this story, but why is it being dismissed as nothing more than a conspiracy. The idea that Prodi worked for the KGB is being discussed on Right Links. The story is based on this statement from UKIP.

"Mr President, I should like to pay tribute to my constituent, Mr Alexander Litvinenko. Alexander was fearless in exposing the political gangsters that now run Russia, and the creatures of the KGB and FSB that still hold political office in Europe. For his bravery, he paid the ultimate price. In April, I made two speeches in this Parliament repeating allegations made to me by Alexander that Romano Prodi had been an agent of some kind of the KGB. Alexander told me that the key figure to understanding Mr Prodi’s alleged relationship with the KGB in the 1970s was a man named Sokolov, also known as Konopkine, who worked for TASS in Italy.

It is possible that this is nothing more than a EU Sceptic's wet dream, but can we really dismiss it as such. We know that the KGB have always sought to infiltrate Western centres of power. We know that Prodi is a Left winger and therefore potentially open to working with the Soviets. He was after all the source of information on Aldo Moro when he was kidnapped by left wing terrorists. I am not saying that the allegations are true, but rather than we have no reason to believe that they are not true. As Chameleons on bicycles says:

After Mr Litvinenko’s death and the contamination of his friend, Mr Scaramella, as well as numerous aircraft and sites across the UK, it deserves wider investigation.

How will we ever find out?

Good News on the Euro

What can he mean I hear you ask, is it going to disappear? Not quite, but it seems that the newer members are still well beyond the dead hand of the single currency.

None of the EU member states working towards euro entry meet all of the criteria to join the single currency yet, the European Commission said in a report.

Technically they are all obliged to join when they meet the criteria, though I find it hard to believe that a government that didn't want to couldn't find an excuse to postpone. So it is good that they are not in a position to throw away their economies just yet.

I hope that within a short period of time, someone will actually stand up and say that it would be stupid to join. That could break the sheep like tendency to just follow the flock.

A Eurosceptic In Brussels

I am completely bored with the EU today, so I will recommend you read David Webster's Blog, as he is currently getting to know the power base of the evil empire.

Propaganda

The Eu may be in the process of telling Turkey where to go, but it doesn't stop them wanting to spread their propaganda:

Lokum (A new book) is expected to be a useful tool in helping Turkish kids learn about and understand the European Union.

Wow lucky kids.....

The book is meant to convey to children an impression of cultural variety within the EU member countries.

Does it perchance convey the hatred that Brussels has for variety?

It also addresses the logic behind the establishment of the European Union.

Perhaps I should get myself a copy, thats something I have never understood.