Councils Unprepared

Whatever one thinks of immigration, you cannot deny that the flow into the UK over the last few years has been unprecedented. Now it seems that local as well as national public services are straining at the seams.

Many local councils are struggling to cope with the flood of workers from EU accession states such as Poland and Lithuania.

Another example of Tony Blair's joined up government no doubt. Though with these numbers, you can see why we are struggling.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions quoted in the report show that 662,000 foreign nationals gained a national insurance number for the first time in 2005/06.

There is no doubt that this massive flow of labour has papered over many of the cracks in Gordon's economic edifice. It has also benefited those who have come here, and the unemployed in the countries they came from. The rest of us? I am not so sure.

Smoking is an EU Problem

I could make posts like this every day. Some people think smoking should be restricted, others don't, but that is irrelevant here. Is Smoking an EU issue?

Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said he wanted to turn the entire EU into a smoke-free zone by 2009.

How is this issue even remotely an EU competency. It is something that can easily be argued over at local level, and has no place being discussed at EU level. As I have argued before, when you have so many commissioners, include those (like the health commissioner) whose area of responsibility is almost completely held by national governments, it is no surprise when they try to keep themselves busy. Thus we have streams of directives, concerning things that by any rational assessment are none of Brussels business.

The People are Wrong

Democracy is a wonderful thing. Governments are chosen by us, and then do their own thing for a few years until we chose them again or throw them out. The public is denied their wishes in areas like capital punishment, that the elite don't like, yet are used as an excuse to bring in bad legislation, with the simple phrase, its the will of the people.

Nowhere is this two faced behaviour more evident than over the issue of the EU. Whilst the majority may not wish to leave (yet), it is clear that most Brits think we have already gone too far, a fact that has not impeded further integration.

Now, 7 years on from the introduction of the Euro, those unlucky citizens of the countries that murdered their old currencies, are deeply unhappy.

Two thirds of Germans now prefer the Deutschmark to the euro and more than half believe that the European single currency has damaged their country's economy.

To which there can only be one response:

But the European Commission insists that ordinary people are simply failing to grasp the benefits of the single currency.

So they screw up and blame it on us Serfs. Why not just dissolve the people and choose another one?

EU-wide anti-racism law

The news that Germany was trying to force its lack of free speech over Holocaust denial, was apparently in the context of an EU-wide anti-racism law. Whilst they have given up on the idea of an EU wide Swastika ban, the rest of it goes on.

Germany's new draft suggests that incitement to racism and xenophobia would be punishable by at least one to three years of jail in all 27 EU states, while leaving to each state to decide on the specifics.

Two questions.

1. In what way is racism an EU problem
2. In a liberal democracy, how can it be illegal to incite someone to think something (as opposed to incite them to do something)

There is nowhere that the EU will not go. Subsidiarity is a word that has no meaning in Brussels.

European Union (Information, etc.) Bill

So we have another glorification of serfdom law:

A Bill To

make provision for information to be made available in various public places relating to the activities and organisation of the European Union; to make provision for the flying of the flag of the European Union on various public buildings; to provide information to further the establishment of twinning arrangements between towns in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the European Union in accordance with the European Union’s town twinning support scheme; and for connected purposes.

One of the aims of the bill is to force public buildings to fly the EU flag. Another is:

Information and statistics relating to the European Union shall be provided free of charge on the internet.

I have been doing that for a couple of years, with any need for legislation.

Eco Union

Milibland has found a new way to try and sell the EU.

David Miliband, the environment secretary, begins the eco-charm offensive at a Brussels renewable energy conference today as the European Union gears up for a climate change summit in March. "The European Union must become the Environmental Union," he writes in the February edition of the EU's E!Sharp magazine.

He is trying to use the latest climate change fashion to help the EU cause. The problem is, that the EU is not good for the environment, which is something we need to use as a counter argument. CAP has caused the death of millions of birds, incentivised over use of chemicals and generally damaged our countryside. CFP has denuded the sea of life, such that stocks may never recover. The European Parliament itself, moves back and forward between Brussels & Strasbourg, uselessly wasting energy in the process. In short, the EU has a terrible track record.

If emissions trading is you thing, then EU or no EU, a continent wide trading system is possible. If fact, as part of the EU, projects like this, are hostage to fortune, as members use them as bargaining chips, so as to win something elsewhere. As a stand alone project, that would not be possible.

If you believe in energy taxes as the way forward, then EU actions threaten our fiscal independence, even more so than currently. Regulations? All sentient beings are aware that regulations are the worst way forward, and EU wide ones the extreme. Unforeseen consequences cannot be tackled, as changes require unanimity, so bad regulations never die.

Mr Miliband is convinced that the fight against climate change will provide new legitimacy and a sense of purpose for the EU.

It could also, more logically provide a sense of purpose for a world government, but not even Mili is suggesting that. Funny how the EU project has been with us for so long, and the justification for its existence has changed so many times, one could almost think it is nothing more than a historical oddity, whose existence politicians are struggling to justify.

Don't Offer Electorate a Manifesto

He doesn't say that but thats the underlying message.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, foreign minister of Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said senior French politicians should remain "flexible" on the constitution ahead of April's presidential elections.

Herr Steinmeier, doesn't seem to understand the way elections and democracy works. The French will expect to hear from the candidates what they plan to do, and will make their choice in the election based on that. I was under the impression that they had a similar system in Germany, but perhaps I am wrong.

The idea that a German politician, feels that he has the right to tell French Presidential candidates what they can or cannot put in their manifesto, illustrates what is wrong with the EU. They say that the EU stops Germany invading France. What they don't tell you is that Germany doesn't need to.

How Many Staff Does the EU Have?

We often hear from Europhiles, that the EU is not some massive bureaucracy, if fact it has less staff than Birmingham City Council (Though the question of whether the good people of Birmingham are getting a good deal is never raised). Things are not completely as they seem however, because not everyone agrees on the numbers.

1. EU Official Figures: 25,000
2. British Government Estimate: 37,000
3. Open Europe Estimate: 54,000

The 29,000 allegedly hidden employees are believed to be working in low-profile organizations such as the European Data Protection Supervisor, the Community Plant Variety Office and the European Personal Selection Agency.

So the EU has been using the Sir Humphrey approach to shrinking the size of the civil service, call them something else.

John Reid's Inspiration

Why split the home office? Could it be that its the European thing to do?

End of Subsidies Sweet for India

Mozambique is not the only poor country to gain from the changes to the EU sugar market (I didn't point out in the last post that the changes were forced by the WTO)

The government is mulling a biotech-based plan for breaking into the 4 million-tonne market for sugar that is getting vacated in the EU following withdrawal of subsidies to this segment.

Everyone gears up when new opportunities come along. The irony in India, is that they were part of the problem themselves.

The move is significant since the ban on sugar exports has been lifted recently.

Repeat after me,

• Free Trade is Fair Trade,
• Protectionism is Theft,
• A Politician that defends CAP, is responsible for poverty,
• The best way to stop the poor from drowning, is to take our foot off their neck.

African Sugar

Recent limited reforms to the EU's complicated sugar market, will make it easier for poor country producers to sell us sugar. Here is one example.

Tongaat-Hulett group to expand sugar production in Mozambique for the EU market.

Mozambique is a country of 20 million people, and a GDP per head of $1.500. It is one of Africa's relative success stories, with a rapidly growing economy. Investments like these are essential for it to continue on that trajectory. So why are these investments being made?

The Company will use this base to expand low cost sugar production at our two factories from 115 000 tons in 2005 to over 270 000 tons at the time when the EU markets open up to LDC sugar producers.

The impact of this on the economy is important.

The two expansions will have a positive socio-economic impact on the region with the creation of 6,638 and 2,145 (total 8,783) new jobs in Xinavane and Mafambisse (the two factories) respectively.

9,000 jobs from one company's investment is certainly not to be sneezed at. If we were to abandon or protectionist ways, stories like this would no longer be remarkable.

Italy needs to leave the Euro

Not my opinion, but that of a respected journal, Euromoney. In an article in the January edition, entitled Europe: Will Europe burst asunder?, they analyse the forces pulling Europe's economies apart. Important points include

1. Dividing the countries by current account surplus or deficits produces roughly equal size “half-Europe” economies in which the surplus countries’ current accounts are 5.5% of GDP and the deficit countries’ 3.3%.
2. Without French and Spanish (and UK) growth, the already feeble performance of the euroland economy would have been a disaster, and the German transition to competitive labour costs would have crumbled into deflation.
3. Financial imbalances reflect labour-cost and other divergences that threaten the integrity of EMU.
4. Spain’s output/worker has barely increased in the past decade.
5. The domestic boom was based on housing, borrow-and-spend and building. Housing affordability remains fine, as the euro’s “one size fits none” interest rates subsidize Spanish borrowers, but household debt has rocketed this decade from 60% of disposable income to 130%
6. Italy needs to leave the euro to have much of a chance. But how?

All in all, the situation across Europe is dire. The problem is that a single currency could work, only if certain conditions were applied. Among these, one of the most talked about is big transfers of money, something that they would love to force onto us. Economic flexibility is even more important however. Without a single labour force, productivity & unemployment cannot adjust. The harsh truth is that most of us are born, live, work and die in the same country. Moving across borders for work is not even considered. The Euro can therefore never really flourish.

The people who were willing to enter this Euro experiment, for their own glory, and for the pursuit of a nebulous goal of every closer union, have been shown up for the irresponsible louts they are. The lives of countless people, help to ransom, for the vanity of the elite.

Thanks to Steve for sending me the article.

Wrestling in Lederhosen

Sorry, I couldn't resist that. The Bavarian CSU is in for a leadership contest.

Edmund Stoiber, premier of Bavaria since 1993 and CSU party chairman since 1999, announced last week he would step down from his positions at the end of September.

Those with an interest in such things will remember that he failed to beat the cardboard cutout Schroeder in a previous election.

But as the party has tried to pick up the wreckage and move on, it has experienced several new crashes. Two politicians vying for the chairmanship have created two opposing camps, formed various alliances and created the conditions for a possible split in the sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

It seems that previous vacancies, had been filled in a manner more in keeping with the Mexican PRI than a democratic European party.

But the CSU has always considered party unity to rank above all else -- and the only way to win at the polls. Down-and-dirty internal party rumbling, like that often seen amongst the more fractious Social Democrats or members of the Left Party, has been anathema up to now to the Bavarian conservatives.

As an uncouth Anglo Saxon, I cannot help but think, that this political culture is one of the biggest problems within the EU. Why go into politics if you do not care enough about something to fight for it?

Punch and Judy politics may be out of favour with certain politicians in our fair isles as well at present. I for one however, believe that it is far superior to the alternative consensus politics we see in so much of Europe. Where politicians do deals, and the electorate gets shafted. I am therefore happy to see CSU politicians getting down and dirty, perhps it'll catch on.

Bloggers Petition

In a move designed to pre-empt any legislation, UK Daily Pundit has launched a petition.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure that bloggers remain free to comment on government policy, ministerial decisions, political correctness, Islamic extremists, the weather and anything else that takes our fancy, without fear of censorship.

Go along and sign it.

EU Aid, With Strings

Somalia is one of the poorest most destitute countries on earth. The recent Ethiopian backed action, finally restored the internationally recognised government, and they are in need of cash. Perhaps they could get help from the EU? Perhaps not.

The Somali government has declared on Tuesday that it could not accept conditions that the European Union said it would help finance the Somali transitional government on the condition that it should reach out to the defeated Union of Islamists and other parties for peace and a unity government.

The EU is offering our cash, in exchange for the Somali government including Islamists in their number. God help us is all that needs to be said.

Online Sales, Legal Quagmire

Small companies that sell online, are in for a shock. New legislation is to make their lives a whole lot more difficult.

Under the proposals a UK firm selling its goods and services to consumers across the EU would no longer be secure in the knowledge that it is broadly governed by English law. Instead it would have to navigate a minefield of up to 27 different, often conflicting legal regimes - or, more likely, opt not to do business outside the UK.

Bang goes your chance of running your own online business, selling to consumers across Europe, unless you can afford a coterie of Lawyers.

Its funny, I thought the EU was supposed to make cross border trade easier.

Hat Tip, Bel

Serbs Choose Wrong Parties

Now I am not the kind of person to warm to The Serbian Radical Party, but I do find the slant of the reporting a little strange. On TV, they kept being referred to as Eurosceptic, which they no doubt are, but thats a little like using the term for the BNP. This man is the party's leader and he is on trial for war crimes.

EU reaction was unsurprising.

"The majority voted for forces that are democratic and pro-European," said Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief.

Which obviously begs the question of how a party can be both democratic and pro-EU. Also, the radical party may be a little extreme for your tastes, but they are not, to the best of my knowledge calling for a halt to the democratic process. All parties are anyway against Kosovo independence, not just the nationalists, an issue which is going to cause huge problems in the future.

Britain 'turns blind eye to faulty EU laws

This gets worse and worse.

The Government has admitted signing up to new EU laws even though they may be illegal under European treaties

Read that again. New EU laws, are illegal under existing European treaties, and yet our representatives don't care.

A leaked letter from Geoff Hoon, the Europe Minister, shows that the Government turns a blind eye in Brussels to possible illegality because it can be used as a trade-off in EU negotiations.

So all 24 other members are so dead keen on passing a new illegal law, that they are willing to trade it for something? Someone remind me what we got in return, because nothing springs to mind.

Geoff Hoon, a rabid Europhile, is obviously not a believer in the rule of law:

"If EC legislation were in the public interest and it was in Britain's longer term interests to vote in favour the Government will support the measure even where it had doubts about the legal base".

The law is the only thing that protects us from these bastards. When they ignore it, what are we serfs supposed to do? Take to the streets? Suddenly lampposts and pieces of rope seem attractive. Could we challenge these laws in the courts?

Oh and Hoon you traitorous slime ball, EU legislation is never in Britain's interest.

Mahatma Gordon

Blogger won't let me post images????? so I'll just link to this.

What Gordon Learned from Gandhi

ECJ: Friend of Terrorists

More great news in the war on terror.

The EU's second-highest court has ruled that the brother of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader, has the right to fight the group's position on the EU's terrorist list.

No doubt he will not have to pay the costs of the legal action either. We can have him wasting good weapons money on legal fees can we.

If the European Union wants to see the situation on Kurdish Rights improve in Turkey, it has to be seen to be tough on terror. The biggest stumbling block on this issue, is the Turkish public's view that Kurds = Terror, a view that is reinforced everytime something like this happens.

The PKK are a bunch of murdering bastards, that make the IRA look like pussies. They should not be seen as a legitimate voice of anything.