The EU – A Conservative Way Forward

The following press release was issued by the Conservative Party today in response to the signing into law of the Lisbon Treaty. I have reproduced it verbatim:

The Lisbon Treaty has now been signed by President Klaus and will shortly become part of EU law, entering force on 1 December.  This is a situation which has been brought about by the Labour Party (aided by the Lib Dems), who could have instigated a referendum at any time prior to the Treaty’s ratification. Given this situation, the Conservatives have today announced a series of measures, which are summarised below and for which we will seek a mandate at a General Election. 

The measures are essentially in three areas.

One: ‘Never Again’ unilateral measures which we can take ourselves

An Irish style ‘referendum lock’ on any treaty handing over further powers from Britain to the EU.  We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any future Treaty which transfers competences (powers) from Britain to the EU would have to be subject to a referendum, as is already effectively the case in Ireland. We will campaign on challenging our opponents to confirm that they will never seek to overturn this.

Similarly, a legal lock ensuring a referendum if any British Government tried to take Britain into the Euro.  We are pledged never to take Britain into the Euro but, to prevent any future British Government from trying to do so without a referendum we will also amend the 1972 Act at the same time to provide a similar safeguard.

A United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill, to ensure the ultimate sovereignty of the UK Parliament.  Unlike many other European countries Britain does not have a written constitution.  Given the increasing amount of EU law with which we have to deal we would amend the law to insert a sovereignty clause, to make it explicit that ultimately Britain’s Parliament is sovereign and cannot be overruled by the EU against its will.  This is similar in principle to the situation in Germany whereby the German constitution (the basic Law) is ultimately supreme. This would not mean striking down individual items of EU legislation but would provide ultimate constitutional safeguards against any attempts by EU judges to erode our sovereignty.

Full Parliamentary control over the self-amending or ‘ratchet’ clauses in the Lisbon Treaty:  The Lisbon Treaty contains a number of ratchet clauses (sometimes called ‘passerelles’) whereby the powers of the EU could be expanded in the future without a new treaty.  These clauses require all EU nations to agree, so we retain a national veto on their use.  We do not believe that any of these ratchet clauses should be used to increase the EU’s powers but, as a safeguard, we would change the law so that using any passerelle would require a British Government to pass an Act of Parliament (rather than a simple motion and a 90 minute debate, as currently proposed under Labour). 

These measures can be brought in unilaterally by an incoming Conservative   Government without the need to seek approval from our European partners.

Two:  ‘British Guarantees’ on the operation of Lisbon and social and employment legislation, which require negotiation with our EU partners

We will use the forthcoming General Election deliberately to seek a mandate to negotiate ‘British guarantees’ on the application of the Lisbon Treaty and on seeking to restore key powers to Britain. These would include:

A full opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR).   Tony Blair told us that he had obtained an opt out from the CFR but he did not.  As Ministers have subsequently admitted he only obtained a ‘clarification’ as to how it would apply.  We want to upgrade this to a full opt out so that the CFR, which for instance would interfere with our trade union legislation, cannot be made to apply in Britain.

Greater protection against EU encroachment into the UK’s criminal justice system.   Lisbon provides us with an ‘opt in’ over criminal justice matters but we want broader protection provided by an additional protocol. This would protect against EU judges extending their control over our criminal justice system and we  also want to ensure that only British authorities can initiate criminal investigations in Britain.   

Restoration of control over social and employment legislation.  Lastly, we want to restore national control over those parts of social and employment legislation which have proved most damaging to the British economy.  For instance we would seek guarantees over the application of the Working Time Directive in our public services such as the fire service and the NHS.

We will establish a European Policy Committee of the Shadow Cabinet, chaired by William Hague, to work on the detail of these proposals.  

We will seek to give these measures legal effect by adding them to a future accession Treaty.  This is the same mechanism that will give effect to the ‘Irish guarantees’ and also the more recent ‘Czech guarantees’ and we would seek to mirror it for the above British guarantees too.   

Three:  The Longer Term

We will aim to implement these measures over the course of the next Parliament, and believe that they can stop Britain’s relationship with the EU from heading in the wrong direction. But if, over the lifetime of this Parliament, we do not succeed in negotiating the return of these powers; or if in fact the EU does move in the wrong direction, in those circumstances, then of course we can return to this subject in a manifesto for the Parliament after that. This is not something we want to happen. Nor is it something we expect to happen. But if those circumstances were to occur, we would not rule out a referendum on a wider package of guarantees to protect our democratic decision-making, while remaining a member of the European Union. However, that would be a judgement for the future, not for this election or for the next Parliament.

In summary:  A Conservative Government will never allow us to become part of a federal Europe and we have devised a series of specific measures which protect Britain from this happening in future.  We will seek a mandate from the British people to implement these measures at the forthcoming General Election.

You can find out more here.

Michal Kaminski – “A Strong Friend of Israel”

I have written before about the truly disgusting campaign against the Polish leader of the Conservative and Reformists Group in the European Parliament. Labour Ministers have been active in the campaign to smear the Conservative Party by association and have claimed that Kaminski is homophobic and anti-semitic. Many people have testified in support of Michal Kaminski but still the smears continue.

One source that has been cited against him is the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, who previously said “…it is clear that Mr Kaminski was a member of NOP, a group that is openly far right and neo-nazi. Anyone who would want to align himself with a person who was an active member of NOP and the Committee to Defend the Good Name of Jedwabne (which was established to deny historical facts of the massacre at Jedwabne) needs to understand with what and by whom he is being represented.”

The Rabbi has now clarified his earlier remarks and mounted a strong attack on those who are smearing Kaminski. In his most recent remarks he said “There is no doubt that Kaminski is a strong friend of the State of Israel. He himself has spoken out against anti-Semitism on several occasions during the past decade. It is a grotesque distortion that people are quoting me to prove that Kaminski is an anti-Semite. Portraying Kaminski as a neo Nazi plays into the painful and false stereotype that all Poles are anti-Semitic. I would also like to clarify that the headline of James Macintyre article of July 29, 2009 entitled: “Jewish Leaders Turn on Cameron’s Tories: Poland’s chief rabbi and others call on Cameron to sever ties with Polish MEP” does not represent what I said to the author. I made no political statement and this headline is misleading and untrue.”

It is too much to hope that James Macintyre will offer Kaminski an apology but perhaps it is not too much to hope that the nasty, personal, and inaccurate smears by senior Labour Party figures will now stop. Michal Kaminski is a moderate mainstream politician from a conservative Catholic country. His views will not always accord precisely with the secular liberal values of most of Western Europe but an anti-semite and homophobe he most certainly is not. Labour should look a little more closely at their own record before trying to make personal attacks on others.

Gibraltar’s Governor Hands Over

In a magnificent colonial ceremony Seventeen Gun Salutes were exchanged between the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and HMS Sutherland today as Lt Gen Fulton handed back the Keys of Gibraltar on relinquishing his post as the Governor of Gibraltar.

The Governor inspected a Guard of Honour drawn up from B Company of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment before handing the Keys of Gibraltar to the Port Sergeant for the last time. After saying his farewells to senior military officers and Gibraltar’s dignitaries, he bade farewell to the Chief Minister, the Hon Peter Caruana and Mrs Caruana at the ship’s gangway.

In uncharacteristically wet weather, HMS Sutherland, a Type 23 (Duke Class) frigate, was then escorted out of the Naval Base by patrol boats of the Gibraltar Squadron and the Gibraltar Services Police to carry His Excellency the Governor of Gibraltar away from the Rock on the first stage of his journey back to UK.

Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom on the southern tip of the Spanish mainland. It has been a British colony since it was captured in 1704 and this was recognised in 1713 when under the treaty of Utrecht, Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in perpetuity. Despite several attempts by the Foreign Office to get shot of Gibraltar its people have remained loyal to Britain and have voted overwhelmingly to retain their British citizenship.

Dan Hannan MEP on the Lisbon Treaty

Another excellent speech from Conservative MEP for the South East of England, Dan Hannan:

Hat tip to Steve Green’s “Daily Referendum” blog.

Ukraine’s Got Talent

For those of you that enjoy shows like Britain’s Got Talent or the X-Factor have a look at Ukraine’s Got Talent winner Kseniya Simonova:

She is amazing and truly talented, as she traces a series of scenes from Ukrainian history in sand.

Samoa Moves to the Left

An interesting news item caught my eye today. The small Pacific Island nation of Samoa will later this month switch from driving on the right to driving on the left as we do in the UK. This is to bring them into line with Australia and New Zealand. The move has not been universally welcomed with thousands of people coming out to protest against the move but the Government is determined to press ahead. American Samoa will continue to drive on the right, contrary to most of the Pacific region.

I have lost count of the number of times people have told me that as we are in the EU we will eventually have to switch to drive on the right “like the rest of Europe”. However, we are far from alone in driving on the left. As well as Australia and New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia and South Africa all drive on the left. Within the EU, Malta, Cyprus and Ireland also do. In fact as I researched this article I found that a total of 75 countries and territories drive on the left with right hand drive vehicles and more than a third of the world’s population. Most of these countries are former British colonies and dependencies but included are countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Mozambique and Japan which have never been British.

Interestingly a number of countries have switched from one side to the other (mainly from left to right). Portugal (1920’s), Argentina (1945), Taiwan (1946), Sweden (1967), Iceland (1968), and Burma (1970) switched from left to right hand driving, while East Timor (1976) and Okinawa (1978) switched from right hand to left hand driving.

Samoa therefore is just the latest in a long line of changes.

Above: Map of the world showing the driving directions for all countries and any changes that have occurred, beginning with Finland’s change in 1858
     drives on right      drove on left, now drives on right      drives on left      drove on right, now drives on left      had different rules of the road within borders, now drives on right

Michal Kaminski – The Fight-back is Underway

There can be little more repellent accusation for a politician these days than to be branded a racist. It is a tag sometimes deployed by the left to smear someone who is challenging their accepted norms or political position. However, the one thing that is at least as bad is to seek to depict someone unjustly as an anti-semite.

That is what has been happening in the case of Michal Kaminski MEP (left), the new leader of the European Conservative and Reformist group (ECR) in the European Parliament. His “crime” in the eyes of the left is to be a party with the British Conservatives in seeking to defy the cosy federalist consensus that has pervaded the European Parliament in favour of the “ever closer union” of the EU nations. That consensus crosses the political spectrum in most of Continental Europe but has never been as strong in the UK or some of the newer Eastern European members. It was particularly strong among the (Communist-sounding) centre-right “European People’s Party” (EPP), which is why the British Conservatives were never full members, forming an allied “European Democratic” (ED) group as the EPP-ED group.

It was David Cameron’s determination to completely break that consensus in his campaign for the Conservative leadership that some think gained him his victory over the likes of David Davis and Liam Fox. He pledged to leave the EPP group and form a new “euro-sceptic” entity, committed to national sovereignty and free trade. It was an explicit pledge that he had no option but to fulfil. Many commentators doubted that he would succeed since the European Parliament’s rules make it difficult to form an officially recognised grouping. It must have at least 25 members from at least 7 different nations. With 26 Conservatives elected on 4 June only the latter rule was a challenge but this was comfortably met when the new group was formed with Polish and Czech MEPs forming an equal share of the grouping with the British Conservatives.

The most extraordinary events were unleashed at the Parliament’s first meeting when long standing Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott (right) decided to put his name forward for a Vice-Presidency of the Parliament in direct challenge to the agreed ECR nomination of Polish MEP Michal Kaminski. McMillan-Scott is one of the few remaining federalists in the Conservative group and was one who opposed the break with the EPP. With the backing of the EPP he was elected over Kaminski and was therefore immediately expelled from the CRG and the Conservative group in the Parliament. Nominated CRG leader Timothy KIrkhope then nobly stood aside to allow Michal Kaminksi to become leader of the ECR in his place.  

That is when the serious work of smearing Kaminski began. What appears to be a concerted campaign began, to claim that Kaminski was anti-semitic, homophobic and a virtual neo-Nazi. On 30 July McMillan-Scott wrote in the Yorkshire Post and Europe Minister Denis MacShane wrote in the Independent alleging that Kaminski was an “extremist” and the face of “respectable fascism”.  What could be “respectable” about fascism seems to have escaped McMillan-Scott in his rush to justify his self promotion to a European Vice-Presidency. According to this unholy duo Kaminksi “has had fascist links – he was a member of Poland’s notorious fascist National Revival (NOP) – and he tried, as its MP, to cover up one of the worst anti-Jewish atrocities in wartime Europe”.  

However, gradually over the last week the fight-back has begun. YouTube sensation Dan Hannan was quick off the blocks with a comprehensive rebuttal of the smears on 31 July in his Daily Telegraph blog, he was followed a couple of days later by Timothy Kirkhope writing in the Guardian on 4 August. So far Conservatives predictably(?) defending their new group leader. However, it was very interesting yesterday (6 August) to see an article by the editor of the Jewish Chronicle published in the Telegraph. Stephen Pollard comprehensively slammed MacMillan-Scott and MacShane for their “despicable” use of the charge of anti-semitism for purely political gain.

He further acquitted Kaminski of the charges of anti-semitism that had been levelled against him. Pollard says “Far from being an anti-Semite, Mr Kaminski is about as pro-Israeli an MEP as exists. Ironically, it is Mr McMillan-Scott who has repeatedly called for Israel to engage with Hamas – an organisation which is committed by charter to the destruction of Israel. Yes, the resurgence of anti-Semitism is a serious and worrying issue – but to use it to further your political ends is mudslinging of the most disgusting kind.” Pollard was joined today by Charles Crawford, former British Ambassador to Poland writing in the Guardian.

If there was any real substance to the lies and smears against Michal Kaminski it would have been aired by now. The best that his accusers and the BBC can find is a clip from 9 years ago when he made some remarks that could be construed as disrespectful to gay people –the kind of language you would hear any day in a pub – that does not excuse it but it also does not justify the attacks on him. By all accounts Kaminski is a conservative in the truest sense but also someone who holds a deep admiration for the UK and the US. He deserves better than to suffer a disgusting and disgraceful smear campaign against by senior politicians of the major UK parties.

It is too much to hope that now that the smear campaign has been countered that anyone will apologise but I do hope that the accusers will see that neither Michal Kaminski nor David Cameron are prepared to bow before the onslaught. The new ECR group has made a solid start securing some important positions in the European Parliament and I am told that negotiations are ongoing to secure several new members.

The tragedy is that in order to secure himself a coveted Vice-President position Edward McMillan-Scott has placed himself outside of this new force and betrayed the many thousands of voters that returned him to the Parliament on 4 June. They will not make the same mistake twice.

Europe 20 Years On

This morning I was fascinated to read a full summary of the events of 1989 that led to the fall of Communism in the Warsaw Pact countries. Even though many of the events were less than 20 years ago it now seems like longer. We take for granted the EU and NATO membership of many of the Central and Eastern European nations and the stable, democratic structures that implies. It is almost impossible now to conceive of Europe divided down the middle between democracy and dictatorship, most starkly illustrated by the divide between West and East Germany.

Reading Neil Ascherson’s account in the Observer today took me back to the time when we in the West could only watch as history was made and the fall of one Communist regime after another was witnessed. I vividly remember the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Ceaucescu regime in Romania, leading to his summary execution.

Whilst the lion’s share of the credit for these events must go to the courage and vision of Mikhail Gorbachev, the contribution of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher should not be forgotten. Reagan was the one who was prepared to bankrupt the Soviet Union in an arms race that it could not afford and Margaret Thatcher demonstrated that even the UK had the military strength and political will to fight in the Falklands 8,000 miles from the UK. As Ascherson points out, the young people in Eastern Europe saw “Thatcher” as a word full of hope of freedom.

The extreme right is rightly vilified but it should not be forgotten that many in the West on the left were tacit or overt supporters of the Soviet Union and Communism.  Many in the Labour Party saw the USSR and the Communist nations of Eastern Europe as their ideological idols and some took money from them. Why is it that support for repression by a brutal left-wing dictatorship should be seen as “acceptable” when those same people on the left are quick to condemn the slightest infraction by those identified as right wing regimes?

The fact is that the collapse of European Communism was principally due to the refusal by Gorbachev to threaten or use violence against the peoples it was repressing. Once that threat was lifted the old men of Eastern Europe were swept away by a tide of popular freedom and optimism. Europe is now unrecognisable; Germany is re-united, Yugoslavia is fractured and Czechoslovakia is now split down the middle. However, the most telling event was in June when every one of those former Warsaw Pact nations (plus three former Soviet Republics – Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania) voted alongside Western Europe to elect members of a new European Parliament.

Neil Ascherson’s article is an excellent read but it will be fascinating to see how Europe moves forward over the next 10-20 years. Who can foresee what the next 20 years will bring and how the map of Europe will look? I very much hope that nations like Russia and Belorus will come to enjoy less fettered freedoms. I would imagine that most of the former Yugoslav states and Albania will join the EU and possible NATO as well. It is even possible that nations on the fringes of Europe such as Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan may eventually come into the EU and NATO fold but that presupposes a democratic and non-threatening Russia. To try to rush that process would be likely to cause more immediate problems.

In the mean time the democratic states of Europe have to find a modus vivendi with a Russia that is still searching for its place in the post-Soviet world. That will not be an easy path to navigate and will require much patience and sensible diplomacy.

Gary McKinnon – This is Not Justice

About 8 years ago a sufferer of Asperger’s Syndrome began a process of systematic hacking into US Government computer systems in order to feed his obsession with aliens. He believed that the US was hiding evidence of alien life and he was determined to prove that it existed. He is a self-confessed computer nerd and he used his expertise to by-pass supposedly foolproof security measures on highly sensitive US Government systems.

As testament to his harmless intent he even left messages on the systems he hacked, pointing out the weakness of their security. However, on one he indulged the conspiracist’s fantasy that the 9/11 attack was an inside job. He became obsessed by his search and lost his job and girlfriend in the process. He was eventually traced because when attempting to download a picture of what he believed to be a spacecraft he used his own email address.

Now aged 43 Gary McKinnon is facing extradition under terrorism legislation to the US to face trial and a likely prison sentence. He has fought the extradition request through the courts but today heard that his plea to the High Court had been refused. Lawyers now have just 28 days to get the decision reversed.

Many politicians have spoken out against extraditing McKinnon. Conservative Leader David Cameron today said “I am deeply saddened and disappointed with this decision. Gary McKinnon is a vulnerable young man and I see no compassion in sending him thousands of miles away from his home and loved ones to face trial. If he has questions to answer, there is a clear argument to be made that he should answer them in a British court. This case raises serious questions about the workings of the Extradition Act, which should be reviewed.” However, some, like Reading West MP Martin Salter, first stated their support for Gary and then voted with the Government in the House of Commons, earning the title of “spineless” from campaigners and the Daily Mail. 

It cannot be right to use terrorism legislation to extradite someone like McKinnon to the US. That is not the purpose for which it was passed into law and the Government should be standing up and saying so. There is no doubt that McKinnon is guilty of hacking and his actions have cost the US Government many hundreds of thousands of Dollars in investigation and repair work. However, he is clearly not a terrorist and bears the US people and government no apparent ill-will. I agree with those who have said that he should stand trial in the UK and pay the penalty for his actions but with the support network around him of his family and friends. Extradition, even to a friendly country like the US, should be the very last resort and not the first and it should be reserved for the most serious of cases.

Our British civil liberties should not so easily be tossed aside at the behest of a foreign power.

BREAKING NEWS – Michael Jackson has Died

Reports in the LA Times and on numerous websites suggest that Michael Jackson has died aged 50 after suffering a suspected heart attack. Apparently he was found at home not breathing and was taken to hospital.

UPDATE: The LA Coroner has now confirmed Michael’s death to CNN.

 This is very sad and shocking news. I was due to go and see Michael in concert at the O2 Arena, London on 28 July.

 

 

A New Force in Europe

Almost lost in the news of the Speaker election yesterday was the announcement that the Conservatives in the European Parliament have successfully formed a new grouping. It will be the fourth largest group in the Parliament with 55 MEPs from eight countries.

In forming the new group David Cameron has fulfilled one of his campaign pledges despite many commentators predicting that he would back-track or fail to find enough palatable allies. As it stands the new Conservatives and Reformists Group is a model of moderation and rationality by European standards and comprises the following members:

            British Conservatives                                      26

            Polish Law & Justice Party                              15

            Czech Civic Democratic Party                            9

            Dutch Christian Union                                      1

            Latvian National Independence Movement          1

            Hungarian Democratic Forum                            1

            Belgium Lijst Dedecker                                     1

            Finish Centre Party                                          1

I understand that there are at least two more significant groups of MEPs that are being courted and may join in the next few months. According to Conservative Home the new group has already received an application to join from Waldemar Tomaszewski an MEP from the Polish minority in Lithuania.

The new Conservatives and Reformists Group have all signed up to the following declaration:

“CONSCIOUS OF THE URGENT NEED TO REFORM THE EU ON THE BASIS OF EUROREALISM, OPENNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEMOCRACY, IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR NATIONS AND CONCENTRATES ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY, GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS, THE EUROPEAN CONSERVATIVES AND REFORMISTS GROUP SHARES THE  FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:

1. Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity.
2. Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
3. Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security.
4. The importance of the family as the bedrock of society.
5. The sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity.
6. The overriding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe.
7. Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures.
8. Efficient and modern public services and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities.
9. An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
10. Respect and equitable treatment for all EU countries, new and old, large and small.”  

There have been the predictable attacks from the Lib Dem and Labour parties and one or two Europhile Conservatives. These completely ignore some of the bizarre partners that they cohabit with e.g. Labour’s former Communist allies in the Socialist Group and the Lib Dem allies in the Latvia First Party who have a rabidly homophobic platform. Former Conservative MEP critics like Caroline Jackson were also very content to sit with Mussolini’s grand-daughter in the European People’s Party.

I am delighted with the new grouping, which at last means that my party is supporting in Europe the policies it espouses in the United Kingdom. It could never be right to be so closely affiliated to the EPP whose federalist policies were anathema to most British Conservatives. It also means that Roger Helmer and Dan Hannan, who were expelled by the EPP, can now be leading players in a new, united and euro-sceptic grouping.

Eurovision 2009

Like hundreds of millions of others across Europe I sat down to watch the Eurovision Song Contest last night. We had to wait for 22 other countries of varying quality to perform before Jade came on with Andrew Lloyd Webber to perform the song he wrote, “My Time”.

Jade gave an excellent live performance and despite one of the violinists bumping her microphone into her mouth at one point, she carried on like a pro (Watch at 1min 20 secs into the clip below).

Fifth place was a respectable result, especially when compared to recent years. I hope that Jade is not too disappointed as I am sure that her great performance gives her the opportunity for a successful singing career now.

Despite the reforms to the voting system there still was an element of countries voting for immediate neighbours. For example Cyprus (as always) gave its 12 points to Greece. Although I have to say that Greece’s song was one of the better ones.

However the competition was stormed by the Norwegian entry “Fairytale” written and performed by Alexander Rybak. It was classic catchy Eurovision reminiscent of the 1960’s but I felt it was let down by Rybak’s forgettable singing voice. Clearly many countries disagreed with me!  The 387 points he won is reported to be a record win.

Tonight Is Eurovision

Tonight one of the world’s biggest live TV events will take place. From 8pm tonight hundreds of millions will be glued to their TVs to watch the Eurovision Song Contest from Russia. I must admit to being a fan since I was a kid. The mix of tat, talent and tension as the votes come in is compelling.

I know that some people loathe Eurovision but it has launched the careers of ABBA, Celine Dion and Bucks Fizz and given a massive international platform to acts like Riverdance. Amongst the dross is usually a good number of great acts and this year I think the UK has a real chance of the top three after last year’s humiliation. The rule changes that bring back a national jury alongside public voting should help to reduce some of the more blatant “vote for my neighbour” that has helped the Eastern European countries recently.

I will be cheering on the UK’s Jade, singing “My Time”. Let’s hope it is her time tonight.

Tragedy in L’Aquila

Tonight I have been watching the appalling pictures on the news from the Italian town of L’Aquila and its surrounds. It is an historic town in the region of Abruzzo, east of Rome and is full of beautiful and ancient buildings.

This morning 15 people were thought to have died in the quake which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale but by ten o’clock tonight that had risen ten-fold to over 150. Sadly the toll is likely to rise further as deaths in mountain villages are tallied. Many thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods and the Italian Government has declared a state of emergency in the region. Some nearby villages have lost a high percentage of their population and buildings.

I hope that if there is any help that the UK can send, that we will do so promptly and efficiently. Now is not the time to be counting the pennies.

I cannot imagine how it must feel to have lost your home and members of your family in one sudden cataclysmic event. Many of us have close friends and family that are Italian and that brings this tragedy even closer to home.

My thoughts tonight are with the people of L’Aquila and the affected area around it.

South East Blog of the Month

Yesterday I received the regular email newsletter from my Conservative colleague NIrj Deva MEP (South East Region). It contained his usual informative mix of news on European matters and comment on wider political issues but on reading to the end I was surprised to learn that I was voted “Blog of the Month” by his readers. 

It is only the second month that Nirj has awarded “Blog of the Month” and I am delighted to have been the recipient. Now it explains why my site “hits” jumped from seemingly anonymous sources in the last couple of days.

For your general edification I have reproduced Nirj’s newsletter in full below:

● EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2009

We are now little more than two months from the European elections; the first UK-wide election since David Cameron was elected party leader and a crucial test for the party as we prepare for the general election next year. 

As I said last month, it is now absolutely crucial that the Conservative message is heard right across the South East region.  Along with our fantastic team of Euro candidates – Therese Coffey, Sarah Richardson, Richard Robinson, Tony Devenish, Niina Kaariniemi and Marc Brunel-Walker – and my colleagues Daniel Hannan, James Elles and Richard Ashworth, I have campaigning furiously across the region. 

If I can be of any help to you campaigning on the ground as you prepare for the County Council and European elections, please do let me know.  The fastest way to reach me is by e-mail at office@nirjdeva.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

● WE’RE LEAVING THE EPP

This month, I cheered the arrival of Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague in Brussels to inform Joseph Daul, the chairman of the European People’s Party that we will be leaving the pro-federalist alliance in the European Parliament after the June elections.

For the last ten years in which I have served as a Member of the European Parliament, I have opposed the party’s continued membership of this unsuitable grouping and have consistently spoken out against other group members who have, amongst other things, called for EU-wide tax policies and enthusiastically supported the European Constitution.

Our new grouping, which is being formed in conjunction with our allies in the Czech ODS, will be an exciting new alliance of pro-Atlanticist, pro-free market and anti-European Constitution parties. 

Not a day too soon!

● THE G20

Yesterday afternoon, the leaders of the world’s twenty most powerful states – from old powers like the United Kingdom and France to thrusting, vibrant new economies in China and India – began converging on London. 

Over the coming days, world leaders will seek to forge a consensus on issues such as tackling climate change and the world financial crisis.

The Shadow Chancellor George Osborne could not have been more right when he demanded that the world’s leaders use the meeting not as an opportunity to grandstand but as an opportunity to find solid, workable solutions to shared problems. 

If media reports are to be believed, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are already threatening to walk away from any summit which does not lead to greater regulation of the world’s financial markets. 

This isn’t the answer.  Stifling competition and increasing red tape never is.

Throughout my business career, I always held to the principle of that one should only spend the money I have rather than accepting loans they could not afford.  That’s being responsible for one’s finances – nothing more, nothing less.

Any agreement on greater financial regulation should focus not so much on regulation but on encouraging responsibility in the banking system so that we can avoid debacles such as that we have witnessed following the Royal Bank of Scotland’s acquisition of ABN Amro.

The second biggest (and only other real) issue on world leader’s agendas will be that of free trade – or rather the lack of it at present. 

As I wrote in my newsletter last month, President Obama’s administration has already demonstrated a worrying taste for trade protectionism, for example, the ‘Buy American’ clause in his economic stimulus package which forces the sole use of American products in construction projects funded by the package.

While compromises will surely have to be made in order to secure agreement across the G20, Gordon Brown must push for the swift conclusion of the Doha free trade round, including the elimination of harmful trade barriers which cause so much suffering in the developing world.

The world’s leaders have a chance to do something meaningful and long-lasting at this meeting of the G20.  Let’s hope, for all our sakes, that they make the right decisions.  

● DEVELOPMENT AID MUST HELP THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST NGOs AND BUREAUCRATS

This week, I cautiously welcomed the news that the European Commission has allocated the first €314 million of a €1 billion package to support agriculture and improve the food security situation in twenty three of the world’s poorest nations while also safeguarding the British taxpayer from shouldering the costs of paying for emergency famine relief in the developing world. 

The fund is seen as a medium-term aid scheme that improves the poorer nations’ ability to build a sustainable and viable agricultural sector by providing micro-credit, rural infrastructure, safety-net measures and improved access to agricultural services and products such as vets and fertilizers.

Over the past few months it has become clear to me that the ‘developed’ world has, by necessity, become consumed by its own economic problems and is at very serious risk of forgetting the impact of the crisis upon  food security in impoverished nations.

This fund must be seen as a hand-up rather than a hand-down.

Allowing poorer nations to be exposed to the precarious global food security situation will not only risk famine and the loss of thousands of lives but it could also require significant extra short term aid spending in the future.

Given the historically shambolic state of the European Commission’s accounts I will be working hard to monitor the use of this fund in order to ensure we are gaining maximum value from it.  It must be used to help build stronger agricultural businesses in the developing world, not to line the pockets of NGOs or corrupt bureaucrats.

● LAUNCH OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY WORKING GROUP

Last week in Strasbourg saw the launch of the Working Group on Human Dignity of the European Parliament, a project my office has been closely involved in bringing to fruition.

Why does the European Parliament in particular need this strangely named Working Group?  Allow me to explain. 

As Conservatives, we all believe it is essential to carefully balance between the rights and responsibilities of the individual and the power of the state.  The Working Group will promote within the European Parliament the view that man’s rights are intrinsic to his being, and not the product of legal charter such as those forced upon us in the form of documents such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

This understanding is essential to sustain liberty in a free – and not an over-regulated – society. It will assist the work of those MEPs who seek to promote such a view of human dignity in their activities, and thereby promote the foundation of all human rights based upon personal responsibility.

 There were sixteen MEPs present, as well as fifteen ambassadors representing the following: Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, Panama, Switzerland, Romania, the Holy See and the European Commission; as well as countless other NGOs and many who came simply to support the working group.

● BLOG OF THE MONTH

Thank you very much to everyone who has e-mailed with suggestions as to who they would like to awarded with the honour of ‘South East Blog of the Month’!

This month’s winner – in a very close run contest – is my old friend Richard Willis, Reading Borough councillor for Peppard ward.  Richard’s blog, which can be found at http://richardwillisuk.wordpress.com, is a great blend of local and national news stories and has, by all accounts, set the cat amongst the pigeons in the Reading Labour Party!

Please do drop me an e-mail if you would like to nominate the blog a friend or colleague in the South East for next month’s newsletter.

● AND AGAIN…

As I said at the start of this newsletter, please do not hesitate to get in touch if I can help in the run-up to the European and County Council elections.  My e-mail address is office@nirjdeva.com.

Do email Nirj if you want to be added to his email newsletter distribution list or want to help his re-election on 4 June.