Smoking Is Good For You?

According to this sign I saw on holiday:


"You are endangering your life and the lives of others by...No Smoking"

Shock Horror! The BBC Mentions The EU.

Prominent on BBC News earlier today was a report that Dutch airline KLM is refusing to pay out compensation to its passengers delayed by the volcanic ash cloud earlier this year.

And throughout the report the BBC just couldn't stop mentioning the EU. It was liberally sprinkled with phrases such as; "protected by EU rules", "under EU rules passengers are entitled to compensation", "the EU Commission promises to get tough" and so on. The obligatory 'financially hit family' were featured, who were facing poor treatment from the airline. The tone of the report was very clear; nasty airlines, but at least the nice EU is on your side. They even interviewed a European Commission spokesman in front of the Berlaymont which must be a first (The BBC do know where it is then?), but no-one from the airline was interviewed or any hint that the airlines were grounded because of an EU decision in first place.

It wouldn't be such a problem if the BBC treated the more insidious actions of the EU with the same prominence. But they never do.

Back To Business

After a week's rest from the internet, blogging should resume back to normal. A politics and EU free week, apart from seeing the EU logo plonked all over English Heritage sites (presumably because they were eligible for a grant) so I'm now playing catch up.

My Hols

As from today I'm off on holiday for a week, and my internet access will be limited or non-existent, so blogging will be taking a sabbatical as well.

And talking of holidays leads me neatly onto this article in the Mail today regarding consequences of the European Arrest Warrant:

A student and four of his friends are facing years in a Greek prison after a holiday turned into a nightmare.

They were flown to Athens yesterday. Lawyers for the five claim the case against them is 'ridiculously weak', but they were powerless to prevent the extradition as the Greek authorities used the controversial European Arrest Warrant to force them to stand trial.

The long arm of EU power is now starting to affect people directly and in ways that it can no longer hide from. As Richard North states on a post regarding immigration the cracks in the dam are appearing. It will only get worse.

You can only govern peope by either consent or fear; the EU has neither. And when it starts to interfere negatively and obviously in people's lives, without democratic recourse, then the project is in trouble. Big trouble. It's always only ever been a question of time.

I leave you with a quote from one of the suspect's mothers.

[Mr Holland's] mother Vanessa said: 'How many more young innocent British lads like George will be banged up across Europe before the Government shows some mettle and gets to grips with the failings of the European Arrest Warrant?

'Parents, be very afraid – this summer it could be your sons wrongly accused yet you'll be powerless to stop their extradition and immediate detention.

'When did this country become so feeble in failing to stand up for the rights of its own?

Quite.

Loyalties

According to a EUROPA press release today, a British diplomat has been appointed as the new EUSR for Sudan:

Dame Rosalind Marsden, a British Diplomat, has been appointed the new European Union Special Representative for Sudan, effective September 1st, replacing Ambassador Torben Brylle.

She has a large experience in African affairs, including as UK Ambassador to Sudan, a position she held until May this year. She will actively participate, on behalf of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, in the international efforts in Sudan, notably the support for the preparations of the upcoming referenda in Abyei and South Sudan, liaising with the Sudanese parties as well as with all the regional, continental and international stakeholders. She will also devote considerable attention to the unsolved situation in Darfur.

Not only a clear illustration of where the loyalties of our civil servants really lie, but also the continual drip drip of Britain's loss of sovereignty.

It's 2012

The coalition government has collapsed as predicted and just before the Olympic Games commences, a snap general election is called.

This is won narrowly by the Labour party led by David Milliband who won the Labour leadership challenge two years previously. He reiterates his pre-election promises regarding the BBC:

“The mutual principle could play a role in strengthening the democratic accountability of the BBC, as one of most treasured and important public institutions"

“Owned by the British public and paid for directly through each household’s TV licence, it is only right that ordinary members of the public should have a real say in how it is run”.

"Under a mutual model, membership of the BBC could be open to everyone who pays the licence fee. Members could have the right to elect representatives to a Member’s Council that would elect a majority of members of the BBC Trust. This would give licence fee payers a way to democratic voice in the priorities of the BBC.

"Greater public engagement with members could also take place via the website, to ensure the BBC was providing responsive services. With those running the BBC directly accountable to their members, they would have a clear mandate to canvas license fee payers on all major policy decisions.”

After 2 months of public consultation, the new Labour government reported that they were inundated with suggestions of:

abolishing the license fee

and...

can the BBC cover EU issues with more partiality.

David Miliband responded:

"We understand that so many of you feel jaded and sceptical about the BBC and its coverage of the EU. We appreciate that there's a profound disconnection between the British people and what is reported in their name by the BBC. We want to deal with this."

Ministers subsequently reject every public suggestions for change to the BBC.

Crowdsourcing - A Waste Of Time

The Mail reports that the UK Government's public consultation, where members of the public were invited to make suggestions as how to tackle the problems facing Britain was:

"...deluged with suggestions that Britain should leave the EU"

Well what a surprise. But naturally those who 'know better' disagreed. The FCO website states (my emphasis):

"We understand that so many of you feel jaded and sceptical about the EU. Speaking about the EU in Parliament, the Foreign Secretary said he knows there is 'a profound disconnection between the British people and what has been done in their name by British Governments'. We want to deal with this."

Dealing with the profound disconnection properly can only be dealt with by a referendum on our membership of the EU, which won't happen. What they really mean is 'how can we shut these people up'? Or, 'we need to spend even more taxpayers money re-educating the people on the benefits of the EU'. The rest of the statement makes it very clear that leaving the EU is not an option. So much for listening.

The disconnect between the governed and the government was accurately predicted by the FCO when the UK joined the EU Common Market in 1973, as detailed in this FCO document from 1971. The arrogance of the political elite is summed up by this quote in the Mail from Labour MP Denis MacShane:

‘The Government’s job is to govern. If it runs around asking people what they want it will get answers that it can never deliver on.

What he meant say was; 'doesn't want to deliver on'. This head in the sand technique cannot work forever, the more they ignore the will of the electorate the more likely that the voters of Britain will use the only option available to them to express their views.

And the Government won't be able to complain that they weren't warned.

He's Back

Tony has a new book out soon:



Apparently Blair will be 'frank' and 'unflinching' (no jokes please on how that will be a first).

What's struck me about this youtube performance is that Blair doesn't appear too dissimilar in his mannerisms (especially about 1min in) to this unintentionally hilarious effort by Brown.

hattip: Mr Eugenides

Difficult Decisions

I've just had a call from my car insurance company today, regarding the incident on 27th March. Apparently the Council have eventually got round to fixing the street furniture which we 'altered' and have sent in a bill for just over £1700. The insurance company asked:

"Would you like to pay it or do you want us to?"

Now let me think about that one...

"EU Can Go To Hell"

So says Mugabe:

Western officials walked out of the funeral of Robert Mugabe's sister yesterday after Zimbabwe's president said the European Union could "go to hell" over its economic sanctions.

Mr Mugabe, 86, told mourners for his sister Sabina in Harare: "Sanctions must go. We are still treated as if Zimbabwe is owned by Europe cum America. They say 'remove so and so,' of course they mean Mugabe must go before we can assist you. To hell with them."

Personally, I'd have thought that there are many aspects of the EU that Mugabe would admire.