Irish Advice on Fighting the Constitution

In reading the long, but informative and extremely useful material put out by a Eurorealist organisation in Dublin The National Platform Research and Information Group I was struck by the fact that I had made exactly the point that is the main thrust of their comment in my novel written between 1996 and 1997 titled 'Millennium Blitzkrieg' the plot of which is an EU contrived trade war with the USA, alarm bells for which had already been rung this week, with the mishandled Microsoft fine by Mario Monti.

Before quoting the full details of the Irish call to arms against the 'subjugationist' EU, I quote a brief section from page 131 of my book which makes very much the same point in fewer and far less well-put words. The novel may still be bought for only a fiver, with proceeds helping to fight the EU, from the link on the side-bar of this blog.
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One of the main characters a British Cabinet minister is here talking to his American wife about the looming German contrived trade-war and the causes of the EU having become the non-democratic nightmare that is presciently portrayed in the book:-

"We politicians in all parties and all countries, are of course, most to blame. We can meet quietly in various European capitals and dicsuss and decide the important issues of the day and comfortably wait for our decisions to be enforced by Brussels' edict. No parliamentary questions or committees to trouble us on such important matters. It's the heady stuff of smoked-filled rooms, as your party conventions used to be. Trading a favour here for a vote there....addictive for us politicians, and I've been as guilty as the rest, I'm ashamed to say."

He paused and, as if thinking aloud, added, "How much more heady,though, if you have real power! If you provide by far the largest share of the budget, have the most commissioners and so forth. The chancellor of Germany must at times laugh up his sleeve at the limitations imposed on your president and his constant struggle with Congress, while reputedly being the most powerful man in the world. Where does such a man turn when he has control of the entire European continent in his hands and perhaps has already become besotted with power. Why not the U.S.?"
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So much for fiction, herewith below is the full, excellent advice and help from Ireland:-

OPEN
The National Platform Research and Information Group
24 Crawford Avenue
Dublin 9
Ireland


Friday 26 March 2004


Dear British Friends,

Irish Prime Minister(Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern and the euro-fanatics who run the Irish Foreign Affairs Department in Dublin are now aiming to get the Constitution for an EU State agreed at the next EU summit meeting on 17/18 June.

Unfortunately they look like being successful in this. Then the "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe", to give it its proper title, will go around the 25 EU Member States for ratification.

It is clearly desirable that the people of every EU member country should have their say on this Constitution in a referendum, just as the people of the Republic of Ireland will have, for a referendum is required under its national Constitution.

Ireland's referendum is likely to be towards the end of the ratification process in the other EU States. But even if Irish voters should vote No to this monstrous erosion of democracy and political independence, as they did in the first Nice Treaty referendum in 2001, and as the people of Denmark did on the Maastricht Treaty in June 1992, the powers-that-be will re-run
the referendum in small countries and use the resources of the other EU Governments-working- together to bludgeon and trick citizens into changing their votes.

Hence it is vital that there are political referendums in as many different EU member countries as possible, on this Constitution for what is effectively an EU State. Hence too the importance of having the Constitution defeated in at least one Big EU Member State, such as Britain,
France or Poland.

My colleagues and I would like to wish you and your fellow democrats in Britain every success in your campaign to obtain a UK referendum on this proposed EU Constitution.

In explaining to people what is involved in it, my colleagues and I have found that the following point seems to strike a chord with the public in this country, and perhaps it may do the same in Britain and elsewhere:

This whole process of passing power in successive EU treaties from national States to supranational EU Institutions in Brussels INCREASES THE PERSONAL POWER of Ministers and Government politicians all over the EU - at the expense of the power of national parliaments and peoples.

For very time a policy area is shifted from the national to the supranational level, Government Ministers, who are EXECUTIVES - i.e. part of the executive arm of government - at national level, and who must have a majority behind them in the national parliament (legislature) to get things
done, are turned into LEGISLATORS for 400 million Europeans at the supranational level of the EU Council of Ministers.

There they make EU laws in an exclusive club of 15 - soon to be 25 - persons, meeting behind closed doors, on the basis of package deals with one another. They are not responsible as a collectivity to any elected body, and of course cannot be collectively dismissed. It can be
seductive,indeed intoxicating, to the individuals concerned, especially if they come from small countries, but it is of course the antithesis of democracy.

EU integration thus means a HUGE ACCRETION OF PERSONAL POWER to Ministers at the expense of their own parliaments and peoples, as national Government executives are turned into European legislators.

This seems to be the key reason why Government Ministers in all countries so much favour the growth of European Union power. For their own PERSONAL power grows with it.

Two things are therefore happening every time there is a new EU Treaty: (1) power passes from the national level to the supranational; and (2) at national level power passes from the legislative arm of government to the executive arm. The latter is a kind of coup in slow motion by senior politicians, Government Ministers - which is often connived in by aspiring Ministers in so-called "opposition" parties - at the expense of the democracy of their own peoples, parliaments and nation States.

While there is no benefit or advantage to the peoples and national parliaments of Europe in the proposed EU Constitution,there are big personal advantages in it for Government Ministers and aspiring Ministers.

If we may take the liberty of suggesting it, it may be that this is a point worth stressing by democrats as they opppose this monstrous EU Treaty-cum-Constitution. It may help to explains to "ordinary voters" why Government politicians want this. In Ireland it explains why Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern and his Foreign Affairs diplomats are far more interested in "keeping in with" and winning the approval of Messrs Chirac, Schröder, Verhofstadt and the rest - who are their fellow members of that exclusive 25-person club of EU legislators, the European Council and the EU Council of Ministers - than defending what is left of the power of their own parliament and people. This point can also appeal to the popular disillusionment and disgust with mainstream political leaders for their subversion of democracy that exists so widely today in most EU countries as well as in this one.

You may find useful also the text below of two Factsheets on the Draft EU Constitution, which my organisation has adapted from material produced by the TEAM network The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements, to which we are affiliated, as are several organisations of the British EU-critical movement.

The 1st Factsheet gives 12 arguments against the EU Constitution. The 2nd describes the EU Convention on the Future of Europe from which the Draft Constitution came. (For several other such Factsheets see )

PLEASE USE THESE FACTSHEETS AND E-MAIL THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES who may be concerned at the way Governments and mainstream political leaders throughout the EU re subverting what is left of our national democracy and political independence before our eyes, and working to turn the Nation States of Europe into provinces or regions of a highly centralised EU State, under the political hegemony of Germany and France.

Yours faithfully

Anthony Coughlan

Secretary

___________________

FACTSHEET NO.1: Twelve Arguments Against the EU Constitution

___________________


1. The Draft Constitution is a plan for a more centralised, more unequal and more undemocratic EU, further removed from ordinary citizens and more under the control of the political elites of the Big Member States, especially Germany and France. We say: Yes to Europe, No to an EU State.

2. Up to now the European Union has been based on treaties between its Members. It has been the creation of its Member States and could not exist without them. The proposed Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe sets up what is legally and constitutionally a new EU, founded in effect on its own State Constitution. It makes the EU an international actor in its
own right, with legal personality and an independent corporate existence for the first time, separate from and superior to its Member States, and able to negotiate treaties with foreign States on behalf of its Members.
Citizens want their countries to be politically independent, run by governments that are responsible to them. They do not want their countries to become provinces of a centralised EU State whose policies are decided by supranational committees, the European Commission, Council and Court of Justice, which are run by undemocratic elites that are not elected by
citizens or collectively under their control .

3. The Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe repeals all the existing EU/EC treaties from the Treaty of Rome to the Treaty of Nice and incorporates their main elements into an EU State Constitution. This is a good opportunity to re-assess those elements, repatriate powers back from Brussels to the Member States and remedy some of the things that are wrong with the EU - for example the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, Euratom, the endless Brussels rules and regulations. But it does not do this.

4. The peoples of Europe have not sought this EU Constitution. Giscard d'Estaing's Convention that drafted it failed to carry out the terms of reference it was given by the EU Governments in the Laeken Declaration. This called for "more democracy, transparency and efficiency" in the EU,
reforms that would bring the EU "closer to citizens" and the possibility of "restoring tasks to the Member States." The Draft Constitution does not propose restoring a single power from Brussels to the Member States.

5. Article I-10 of the Constitution says: "The Constitution, and law adopted by the Union's Institutions in exercising competences conferred on it, shall have primacy over the law of the Member States." This has never been stated in an EU treaty before. Moreover, it applies to all areas of government, not just the mainly economic areas covered by previous EC/EU treaties. This removes the national democracy and political independence of the Member States. Constitutionally and politically they become like provinces of an EU State, with their national Constitutions and laws subordinate to the EU Constitution and laws.

6. It replaces the system of weighted votes for making EU laws that has existed since the 1957 Treaty of Rome by a new system in which laws would be made by a simple majority of States as long as they contain 60% of the EU's total population. This advantages the Big States with their big populations. It gives greater power to Germany and France, which have nearly 40% of the population of the enlarged EU between them. It would lead to far more EU laws being passed, more centralisation in Brussels and less power for national parliaments and the citizens that elect them. It means less democracy, not more.

7. The Constitution abolishes national control in nearly 30 new policy areas. They include civil and criminal law and procedure, asylum and immigration, Europol and Eurojust, energy, structural funds, commercial treaties dealing with services, culture. People do not want the EU to have more powers, just after the Treaty of Nice and the Treaty of Amsterdam have given it so much more already.

8. It abolishes the rotating six-monthly EU presidencies which give each Member State a role in running the EU and replaces them with a five-year Political President, like an ordinary State. It establishes an EU Foreign Minister and diplomatic service, separate from those of its Member States, as well as an EU Public Prosecutor able to prosecute people across national boundaries.

9. The Constitution forbids Member States to operate an independent foreign policy. Article I-15 says "Member States shall actively and unreservedly support the Union's common foreign and security policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall comply with the acts
adopted by the Union in this area." One can show "loyalty" only to what is superior, in this case the EU. Article I-40 envisages an EU military alliance and common defence, which would cut across the obligations of the EU's NATO members, while ending the neutrality of its non-NATO ones. There has been no demand from citizens for this.

10. The Constitution greatly extends the scope and competence of the EU by giving its Court of Justice in Luxembourg the power to determine the fundamental rights of EU citizens, overriding national Constitutions and Supreme Courts, as well as the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It does this by making the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding in EU law. This would bring the EU Court into virtually every area of life and society; for human rights issues arise everywhere - the right the life, family law, property rights, labour law, health and education, religion etc. Human rights standards are not so defective in the EU Member States
that they would be improved by giving final power to decide them to the EU Court. In some sensitive areas there are differences in rights standards among EU countries - e.g. preventive detention, trial by jury, narcotics, abortion, euthanasia. Should the EU Court be empowered to lay down a uniform standard for such matters across Europe? This proposal has more to do with power than rights, for the case-law of the EU Court shows that it seeks continually to extend the EU's power into ever wider areas. The EU should respect human rights. It should not be given power to decide our rights.

11. Article I-24 of the Draft Constitution allows the Presidents and Prime Ministers to move EU policy areas from unanimity to majority voting without the need for new treaties and their ratification by national parliaments or referendums. Article I-17 provides that if the Constitution has not given the EU sufficient powers to attain its very wide objectives, the Council of Ministers can "take appropriate measures" to give themselves those powers. These Articles open the way for ever further expansion of EU powers at the expense of national parliaments and the citizens that elect them, without the need for their prior consent. It is fundamentally anti-democratic.

12. The EU Constitution makes a liberal market economy, maximization of economic competition, laissez-faire, free movement of capital and the privatization of public services into constitutional principles that are immune to legal challenge because of the superiority of EU law over national law. It states that the EU's objectives include "a social market economy", a term used in the German Constitution but not in other countries. National Constitutions do not seek to pre-empt society's social policy and economic choices in the way the EU Constitution does. In normal
democratic societies discussion of such matters and the choice of alternative futures are the stuff of public debate and contention between political parties, and are not laid down as part of the fundamental law of the State, as in the EU Constitution.

_____________________

FACTSHEET NO.2: Why the EU Convention Failed in its Democratic Duty
____________________

In December 2001 the Laeken Declaration of the EU Presidents and Prime Ministers set out ambitious tasks for the Convention it established. One was for "more democracy, transparency and efficiency" in the EU. It mentioned the possibility of "restoring tasks to the Member States," which meant strengthening national Parliaments as one solution.

If the Laeken Declaration meant anything, it implied radical reform of the EU. It imposed a duty on the Convention to deal with the EU's deepening crisis of legitimacy and authority in the eyes of Europe's citizens. It meant dealing with the "democratic deficit" in the EU, which everyone
recognises.

The Laeken Declaration said that European citizens do not expect a "European super-state or European institutions inveigling their way into every nook and cranny of life." It referred to the need to "clarify, simplify and adjust the division of competences between the Union and the
Member States ? while constantly bearing in mind the equality of the Member States ..." It invoked the principle of subsidiarity: that Brussels should not take decisions which it would be more democratic and efficient to make nationally or locally. It said the Convention it established should consider "how to bring the citizens ? closer to the European design and the
European institutions ..." It mentioned the possibility of adopting a constitutional text for the EU, but only "in the long run".

But no sooner did the Convention come together under its chairman, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, than it set out to draw up a Constitution for a more centralised, more unequal, more undemocratic EU, an EU with most of the features of a single unified State. A comparison between five key proposals in the draft Constitution with the Convention's
terms of reference set out in the Laeken Declaration shows this:

1. Member States can only legislate in areas where the EU chooses not to

The Draft Constitution provides (Art.1-14) that the Union shall "coordinate the economic and employment policies of the Member States." This is a huge extension of the existing Treaties, which state that economic policy is a matter of "common concern" (Art. 99, TEC). There was no discussion about this change in the Convention. None of the Convention working groups proposed it. It came out of Giscard's head and was rubber-stamped by his 14-person Praesidium. This is just one example of the Convention's "top-down" working methods, which were neither transparent nor democratic.

Article I-12 of the Draft Constitution sets out policy areas where the EU has exclusive power and competence to act, such as the customs union and monetary policy for the eurozone. Article 1-13 gives a list of policy areas that are "shared competences" between the EU and Member States. These include social policy, environment, public health, transport and economic and social cohesion. But Article 1-11 lays down that "Member States shall exercise their competence to the extent that the Union has not exercised, or has decided to cease exercising, its competence." So the EU has primacy in deciding what policy is shared. Today, about 50 percent of all national laws originate in Brussels. This percentage is likely to increase with more
"shared competences" in future. Member States can only legislate where the EU chooses not to.

2. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights has more to do with power than rights

The Constitution proposes that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, a political document approved by the Presidents and Prime Ministers at the 2001 Nice summit meeting, should be made legally binding. Yet its contents have never been discussed, not to mind approved, by any National Parliament or by the EU Parliament. Fundamental rights are a core element of all
national Constitutions. The EU should of course abide by human rights standards. But with a legally binding Charter the judges of the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) would have the final power to decide what our rights are.

If the Charter is made binding in EU law through the proposed Constitution, all EU legislation and judgements of the ECJ will acquire a new legal dimension, that of human rights as defined in the Charter. This will give the EU and ECJ wide new powers to intervene judicially in the lives of ordinary people and the affairs of the Member States. While there is wide agreement between the EU Member States on core human rights, there is deep disagreement in some socially sensitive areas. Should EU law have primacy over national law in such areas? The EU Charter has more to do with power than rights.

3. A "subsidiarity alarm bell" does not give national Parliaments real powers

The Convention was given the task of proposing a stronger role for national Parliaments in the EU. One idea was to give national Parliaments the right to ring an "alarm bell" if a law proposed by the Commission was regarded as breaching the principle of subsidiarity, in other words if the measure proposed could be better implemented at the national or regional level rather than the supranational EU-level.

The Draft Constitution proposes that if one-third of the national Parliaments consider that a particular Commission proposal for an EU law violates the principle of subsidiarity they can object, in which case the Commission must reconsider its proposal. How can one-third of national
Parliaments, which means at least eight in an enlarged Union of 25 Members, be able to coordinate their objections within six weeks? Even if they do, the Commission does not have to change the proposal as a result of the criticism of the national parliaments. It can re-submit the same proposal to the Council of Ministers and get it passed. The "subsidiarity alarm bell" or "yellow card" looks nice on paper, but it does not give the national parliaments any real powers. Talk of subsidiarity is just window-dressing. The Constitution does not propose the rapatriation of a single EU power from the supranational level back to the national. This is
a democratic paradox, for national parliaments are elected by citizens. The Commission is nominated, not elected. EU Commissioners are government appointees. French President Charles de Gaulle once aptly described the Commission as "a conclave of technocrats without a country, responsible to no one."!

4. Rejection of a "catalogue of competences" ? No limit to EU's growing powers


The Convention rejected the idea of a clear "catalogue of competences" early on. This would have defined exactly the powers of the EU institutions and those of the Member States. That might have been one way of showing that the EU was not on a one-way street to "an ever closer Union", a single European State. The federalist majority of the Convention and its Chairman, Giscard, had no interest in clearly defining the powers of the EU, since a "catalogue of competences" would have only served to limit them.

Article 1-24 allows the Presidents and Prime Ministers to move EU policy areas from unanimity to majority voting without the need for new treaties and having to get them ratified by national parliaments or referendums. Giscard called this way of extending EU powers without the need for new treaties "a central innovation" of the Draft Constitution. Article 1-17 provides that if the Constitution has not given the EU sufficient powers to attain its very wide objectives, the Council of Ministers can "take appropriate measures" to give themselves that power. These Articles open the way for ever further expansion of EU powers at the expense of national
parliaments and the citizens that elect them.

5. The "Two Presidents" idea ends the notion of the EU as a partnership of legal equals

Inspired by France and Germany, the Constitution proposes that the future EU shall have two Presidents, one a permanent political president for the European Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers, instead of the present six-monthly rotating presidencies, and the other the Commission President. In this way they say the EU should be easier to understand and the world would know who is really running it. It would answer Henry Kissinger's question: Who should the US President phone when he wants to speak to "Europe?"

The Council President is to be elected by a "summit" of Presidents and Prime Ministers and be responsible for EU foreign and security policy. The Commission President will be selected by majority vote of the same people and their nominee then ratified by the European Parliament. The new EU system is modelled on the French Constitution, under which France's President supervises foreign policy, while its Prime Minister runs the government and allocates ministers their jobs, as the EU Commission President will do with his Commissioners in future, as if he is running an EU Government, which he will be.

France argued for a strong Council and Germany for a strong Commission. The compromise was to have one President for each. There may well be rivalry between the two Presidents. This scheme and the abandonment of the rotating presidencies that have existed since the 1957 Treaty of Rome, when every Member State has a chance to run the EU for six months, is further
evidence that the EU is no longer a partnership of legal equals. Laeken's call to respect the "equality of the Member States" is shown to be empty rhetoric.

The Convention failed to take the opportunity to make any radical reforms of the EU's institutions and structures to bring the EU closer to its citizens. From the start it was overwhelmingly dominated by Euro-federalists, whose own careers and ambitions were bound up with turning the EU into a single European State. None of the thousands of amendments submitted were voted on. Its autocratic chairman, Giscard d'Estaing, decided there was a consensus on the text he approved, and that was that.

One of the two representatives of the British Parliament on the Convention, Gisela Stuart MP, was scathing about its lack of democracy and how Giscard rammed through his ideas even on the Praesidum of which she was a member. Half-English, half-German, Gisela Stuart was nominated to the Convention as a strong europhile by Labour Prime Minster Tony Blair. She describes in a Fabian Society pamphlet how her experiences turned her into an EU-critic:

"The Convention brought together a self-selected group of the European political elite, many of whom have their eyes on a career at a European level, which is dependent on more and more integration and who see national governments and parliaments as an obstacle. Not once in the
sixteen months I spent on the Convention did representatives question whether deeper integration is what the people of Europe want, whether it serves their best interests or whether it provides the best basis for a sustainable structure for an expanding Union. The debates focused solely on where we could do more at European Union level. None of the existing policies were questioned."

This is likely to lead to a worsening of the Union's crisis of legitimacy and authority. If the EU Constitution is foisted on Europe's peoples it is likely to lead to further decline in public support and participation in such events as European Parliament elections, and bring about greater
public disillusion with the EU as a whole.

The basic objectives of the Convention, as set out in the Laeken Declaration, have not been met. The problems of the EU it was supposed to solve have not been tackled. What the Convention proposes - to wind up all the existing EU treaties from the Treaty of Rome to the Treaty of Nice and replace them with a more centralised, more unequal and more undemocratic
EU, based on this Draft Constitution - would make the Union's "democratic deficit" immeasurably worse. This is why the EU Convention has failed in its democratic duty.
END

posted by Martin at 3/27/2004 07:41:00 AM

 
British Justice already Junked!

The Daily Telegraph linked here, in its report on the Brussels EU meeting reports Blair as gung ho on the constitution, and warned that B-Liar:-

.. skipped over the thorny topic of criminal procedure, which is also listed as a "red line" issue in the Government's White Paper. Downing Street admits that it is willing to whittle down the veto in criminal justice, but not on "key issues".

John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole and son of a noted attorney, (I recall the West End production of 'Voyage Round my Father' with Alec Guinness if I remember rightly) recently wrote this book review of Just Law by Helena Kennedy, which clearly indicates it might already be too late for British Justice, already destroyed by this increasingly despotic government:-

From The Daily Mail
Friday, March 5 2004
Liberty Belle
Critic's choice
JUST LAW
The Changing Face of Justice
by Helena Kennedy
(Chatto & Windus: £20)
Review by John Mortimer

The position of Helena Kennedy is a living demonstration of the meanness and blind authoritarianism of New Labour.

Born in Glasgow with a working-class background, she became a brilliant barrister and QC, head of the British Council and was a natural appointment by the Labour Party to the House of Lords - which has recently proved itself to be a far more intelligent and reasonable body than the House of Commons.

Unhappily for New Labour, Baroness Kennedy, with eloquence and honesty, protested against the Government's frequently demonstrated contempt for civil liberties. For doing this, she has been cold-shouldered, isolated and frequently attacked by the New Labour apparatchiks, many of whom appear to regard "civil liberties" as two particularly dirty words.

On one of the many occasions, she writes, "when I was called to book by a Labour whip for voting against the Government, he said that such concerns as mine were completely out of touch with the voters for whom they were "just law", not serious topics like health or education or the economy".

So Helena Kennedy "with a heart as heavy as stone", had a title for "Just Law", this admirable book. She has drafted a terrifying indictment against the Government, which has demonstrably forgotten Magna Carta (judgement by your equals), torn up the bill of rights (habeas corpus and no imprisonment without trial) and committed other assorted crimes against human rights and the rule of law. The charge includes introducing imprisonment without trial, the forced detention of the mentally ill, plans to abolish juries in a number of cases, restrictions on the right of silence and transferring the burden of proof to the defence in some cases (so goodbye to the presumption of innocence and hello to the assumption of guilt).

But perhaps worst of all is the introduction of the inexcusable European Arrest Warrant, which allows British citizens to be hauled off on flimsy evidence to be tried in foreign lands under foreign laws for offences which may not exist in Britain. For some of these legal crimes, such as imprisonment without trial, the defence is put forward that there are terrorists in the world and everything has changed since the attack on New York.

What the Government has failed to realise is that every move to diminish and ignore our human rights and violate the rule of law is a victory for terrorism.

Helena Kennedy quotes, with effect, the words of Tom Paine: "Those who would make there liberty secure must guard even his enemy against repression." Everyone who has practiced in criminal courts, as Helena Kennedy has long done, knows that no two cases are the same, no two defendants are the same and the only person qualified to decide sentences is the judge who has heard all the evidence and probably seen the guilty person in the witness box.

Our present Home Secretary, David Blunkett, seems determined to remove the powers of sentencing from judges and give them to politicians, who produce mandatory sentences which take no account of particular cases.

Helena Kennedy brilliantly traces the steps taken by politicians to remove decisions from judges and give them to themselves. She also deals with the cack-handed operation of destroying the office of the Lord Chancellor (something which has worked satisfactorily for centuries) in a change which shows every sign of having been worked out on the back of an envelope in a moment of ill-directed irritation with judges who have found that the Government has breached human rights.

The result, as described by Helena Kennedy, is the greatest breach that has ever existed between the judiciary and the politicians. In its extreme moments, this conflict becomes comical.

Mr Justice Popplewell described the present Home Secretary as a "whingeing control freak", whereas Mr Blunkett, speaking at a police conference described himself as a sensible working-class lad, pitted against the judges "in their Surrey homes".

My learned friend Mr Horace Rumpole often said that the great glories of our civilisation were the plays of Shakespeare, the great British breakfast and the presumption of innocence. To these may well be added Helena Kennedy, without whose passionate defence of the rule of law, we might be completely in the hands of an uncaring government.

Unquote

posted by Martin at 3/27/2004 06:47:00 AM

Friday, March 26, 2004

 
Maltese Independence Movement Launched

This declaration shows that some on the George Cross Island still retain their sturdy independence , and can recognise a tyranny when such threatens:

Quote

SOLEMN DECLARATION

BY THE

CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE (CNI)

REPUDIATING THE

MALTA - EUROPEAN UNION

ACCESSION TREATY, 2003

On the eve of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Malta's acquisition of full Freedom on March 31, 1979, and one month before the annexation of Malta by the European Union on May 1, 2004, We, the Campaign for National Independence (CNI) in the Republic of Malta, make this solemn and formal Declaration to our fellow citizens of Malta and Gozo, and to the peoples of the United Nations Organization and of all countries everywhere.

The Republic of Malta's formal annexation by the European Union on May 1, 2004, entails the loss of our people's Freedom, Independence, Sovereignty and Neutrality, and lacks the proper, valid, popular democratic consent.

Malta shall be free again. Whatever the costs, whatsoever the sacrifices, We, the Campaign for National Independence, pledge ourselves to spare no efforts to regain full Freedom for our homeland.

Let these facts be known to all.

(a) The European Union's annexation of the Republic of Malta formally takes place on May 1 2004 in virtue of the European Union - Malta Accession Treaty signed in Athens on April 16, 2003.

(b) The Republic of Malta, comprising only 316km2 of land in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and with a population of only 400,000, professing in the very first Article of its Constitution to be a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment and refusing to participate in any military alliance, is subjected by the European Union Accession Treaty, 2003, to follow all the policies, laws, directives and decisions emanating from the European Union Institutions and to adhere to all the Treaties entered into by the European Union, thereby forfeiting our freedom, independence,
sovereignty and neutral status.

(c) In the Referendum on Malta's membership of the European Union held on March 8, 2003, more than 53% of the eligible voters did not vote in favour of membership.

(d) In the said referendum, persons who were not legally entitled to vote in accordance with Malta's electoral laws, were allowed to vote.

(e) The Maltese people's consent to the European Union's membership is vitiated and not validly procured, and the people of Malta have the right to claim not to be bound by the Malta - European Union Accession Treaty of 2003.

(f) It is a basic principle of law that when one's consent is obtained by treachery, blatant untruths, false promises amounting to fraud, moral violence and threats, one's consent is vitiated and one has the right to claim not to be bound by the given consent.

(g) We hold and maintain in the strongest terms that the Maltese people's consent to the European Union membership given in the Referendum of March 8, 2003, and at the General Elections held on April 12, 2003, was vitiated because it was obtained by treachery, lies, false promises amounting to fraud, moral violence and threats, emanating both internally and externally.

(h) The extremely negative effects of Malta's European Union membership were hidden from the Maltese voters by a thick smokescreen of massive propaganda and lack of objective information.

(i) Inuendos were frequently made that Malta would be boycotted and isolated politically and economically and would face disaster and the proverbial darkness and gnashing of teeth if Malta were not to join the European Union.

(j) The European Union Commissioner for Enlargement even threatened that the European Union would see that the Opposition Party would lose the Referendum and the subsequent General Election.

(k) The European Union itself took an inordinately active part in the European Union membership campaign, with massive funding and with innumerable Union personalities, including the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Parliament, and a number of European Commissioners visiting Malta and cajoling the people to vote for European Union membership.

(l) The European Union Delegation in Malta took the unprecedented step of actively participating in the Referendum campaign by mailing to every household in Malta and Gozo propaganda literature in favour of European Union membership.

(m) There was massive illegal foreign interference during the Referendum and General Election's campaigns in flagrant breach of the Foreign Interference Act (Chapter 300 of the Laws of Malta), with a number of Heads of foreign States and Governments and Ministers paying visits to Malta and making public statements to influence the people in favour of membership of
the European Union.

(n) Huge amounts of public funds by local standards were shamelessly allocated to the pro EU membership campaign and inadequate amounts were provided to the contra membership side.

(o) Notwithstanding the statutory provisions enjoining balance of opposite viewpoints on matters of public interest, the State radio and television allocated airtime and broadcasting facilities over a long time prior to the European Union Referendum, to the Government and pro membership side by far in excess to what was allocated to the opposition and contra membership side.

(p) The Maltese people in general were deprived of knowledge of the contents of the Accession Treaty both prior to the referendum and the subsequent General Election. The Treaty was not published in the Maltese language either by the Government of Malta or the European Union. An English version of the EU Accession Treaty was only published by Poland on the Internet a short time prior to the Referendum in Malta on March 8, 2003. All those who were not connected to the Internet or who are not conversant with the English language were unable to have access to the Accession Treaty. The considerable length of the text of the Treaty and the short time it was available on the Internet prior to the Referendum date, made it humanly impracticable for those who are conversant with the English language and were connected to the Internet, to go through and evaluate the implications of the Treaty.

(q) The consent of the Maltese people to the Accession Treaty was not only vitiated, but it was also not procured by proper, valid, democratic, popular means.

(r) In view of the lack of valid consent of the Maltese people, We hold and shall continue to maintain with the strongest terms that the Government of the Republic of Malta's mandate to sign the European Union Accession Treaty on April 16, 2003, was legally defective, and that consequently it should be held to be null and void.

(s) Moreover we hold and shall continue to maintain in the strongest of terms that the Malta - EU Accession Treaty is in breach of entrenched provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Malta and consequently its ratification by the Maltese Parliament on July 14, 2003, should be held to be legally unconstitutional and null and void.

Furthermore, let these facts be known to all.

(i) The entrenched provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Malta which declare that Malta refuses to participate in any military alliance and that no facilities in Malta will be allowed to be used in such manner or extent as will amount to the presence in Malta of a concentration of foreign forces, and that no foreign military personnel, other than those engaged in civil activities, will be allowed on Maltese territory, and that the shipyards in Malta will be denied to the military vessels of the two superpowers, have been violated.

(ii) The Armed Forces of Malta have been committed to participate both in the Partnership for Peace and in the European Union Rapid Reaction Force as part of the Italian military contingent, in breach of the Constitutional impediment referred to above.

(iii) Innumerable times, also in time of war, warships of the European Union Member States as well as of the United States of America have been allowed in the ports of Malta at the same time or at different times, in flagrant violation of the Constitutional status of neutrality of Malta.

Warships of the United States of America have undergone repair works at Maltese dockyards, notwithstanding the express Constitutional prohibition, and dockyard workers were threatened with loss of employment if they refused to carry out the repair work.

(iv) A further major violation of entrenched Constitutional provisions is being committed by the Malta - European Union Accession Treaty according to which all European Union Laws, Regulations, Directives and Decisions, as well as the Constitution which is being drafted, override the Constitution and the Laws of Malta in flagrant breach of the entrenched Constitutional provisions which establish the Constitution of Malta as the Supreme Law and the Maltese Parliament as the Supreme Legislative Organ for Malta.

(v) The ratification of the Malta - European Union Accession Treaty which was effected by a simple majority of the Members of the Parliament of Malta, cannot prevail over the Constitutional requirement of a concurrent positive vote of two-thirds of the Members of the Parliament of Malta in order to amend the entrenched provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Malta, and voting at General Elections or Referendums does not sanction amendments to the Constitution of Malta.

Let it be known to all that the provisions of the Malta - European Union Accession Treaty are in contravention of the following Declarations,Resolutions, Treaties, Agreements and Conventions of the United Nations Organization.

(1) Malta's membership of the European Union entails the loss of permanent sovereignty by the people of Malta over a considerable amount of the natural wealth and resources of Malta which according to the General Assembly Resolution of 14 December 1962 on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources must be exercised in the interest of the national development and of the well-being of the people of Malta.

(2) The interference, coercion and threats by the European Union on the people of Malta to vote in favour of membership of the European Union constitutes a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December1966.

(3) The constraints and restraints imposed on Malta by the European Union severely curtail Malta?s rights to regulate foreign activities within Malta?s jurisdiction and to choose freely the economic and social systems in conformity with national priorities, thereby violating the
provisions of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 12 December 1974.

(4) Moreover, the membership Agreement negotiated by Malta withthe European Union prejudice the security of the people of Malta by impairing the status of neutrality and damages the well-being of the people of Malta by depriving the Government of Malta of the means to protect and enhance employment in Malta.

In view of all the above-mentioned facts and reasons, We, the Campaign for National Independence, solemnly declare:

That the people of Malta have the right to strive for the repudiation of the Malta - EU Accession Treaty; and

That the people of Malta have the right to regain full Freedom, Independence
and National Sovereignty; and

That the people of Malta have the right to pursue again a policy of active neutrality and peaceful cooperation with all peoples who profess and put into practice the same aims; and

That we shall not flinch from struggling undeterred to urge the people of Malta and Gozo to achieve these sacred national goals.

As evidence of our strong resolve, We are submitting this Solemn Declaration to the United Nations Organization, and are respectfully requesting the Secretary General to archive it as well as to communicate it to all Member States.

We are also submitting this Solemn Declaration to all Member States of the European Union and all Members of the European Parliament in the hope that it will elicit from them a sense of remorse for the harm which the annexation of Malta by the European Union is inflicting on the people of Malta and Gozo.

FREE NEUTRAL MALTA SHALL OVERCOME

Unquote

Good to see that some people seeing the EU acting completely as it usually does still have enough spirit of independence to actively protest. How is it that in reading through each point, one can be almost positive that the EU is guilty as charged.

Well done Dr Bonnici and Dom Mintoff (now there is a name from the past, let's hope he retains the fighting spirit the British came to know so well!)

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 09:23:00 PM

 
EU Summit Ends with Nothing Achieved on Economic Slump

'Smug and self-satisfied' is the impression gained of Europe's leaders from the widely televised post summit group photographs, while 'completely and utterly useless' has to be the verdict on what the 'Spring' EU summit had to offer the EU as far as its dire economy is concerned.

Following the meeting's closure gold returned to its January peaks while the price of silver hit a six year high! Are the markets finally beginning to become aware that Europe lacks leadership? Probably not, when the penny finally drops on that fact I imagine there will be far larger and more instant exchange rate shifts.

As on terror their only real action was to appoint another tired old politician into another comfortable and no doubt completely useless post. This time it was Dutchman Wim Kok ex-PM of that country (who has been on the jobs for the boys list for what seems an age) who unbelievably will be charged with injecting 'Dynamism' into the moribund trading block. Bring back Giscard d'Estaing why not, most obviously as EU Supremo for the promotion of EU Youth Culture!

Blair left stating it was all a great success and that there was a 'fantastic feeling of unity' in the EU at the moment. Quite breathtakingly unbelievable! Schroeder who one would imagine would be most concerned about his country's ailing economy, instead announced yet another 'Big Three' meeting of France, Germany and Britain this time in London.

And the Lisbon Process - the EU was to overtake the USA for economic growth and diversity by 2010 remember, that was to have been the main agenda item for this meeting....well strangely nobody seems to have been found who was prepared to discuss that. The EUobserver report on the 'new economic dynamism supremo' is linked from here.

Remember when trailing economies were tagged as the 'Sick Man of Europe' well the EU has managed it for the entire Continent. Europe is THE Sick Man! Their 25 leaders meet and apparently, as recently pointed out by Jose Marie Aznar in Le Monde, do not even discuss the economic problems.

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 04:24:00 PM

 
EU Leaders Call for Increased UN Role in Iraq

Heads still firmly buried beneath the sands, the EU leaders having briefly considered their euro-crippled economies (the pound moved by more than five cents against the dollar within a 24 hour period, a good sign of the real underlying crisis) turned to something they find less troublesome, as it is an area where they have zero responsibility whatsoever: calling for a return of the UN to Iraq.

As the UN pulled out when it came under attack, reportedly as a result of years of frustration and anger amongst some Iraqis over alleged corruption and payoffs to Hussein's regime during the UN administered oil for food and medecines programme, and considering that organisation has shown little inclination so to do; this once again looks like pointless and non-productive anti-Americanism.

If Germany, France and now also Spain were to offer to send troops to protect the UN personnel so dispatched, maybe there would be some purpose to such a call, but we all know that is the last thing those nations will do, seemingly wishing instead that the forces for chaos should prevail. And Blair put his name to this? With British troops he dispatched to Basra still with their lives on the line? Can any of this be real? Yes, unhappily, I pinched myself and I truly am awake.

Here is the press report from EU Business - EU leaders press for larger UN role in Iraq This bit is particularly surreal:-

They warned "the security situation in Iraq remains a major impediment to successful political and reconstruction processes."

But they said the EU "is determined to assist the Iraqi people as they enter a new era in the history of their country."

They WARNED....did none of them see the pictures of the British Serviceman set on fire there this very week. Do they not understand that the people out there trying to make life better for the Iraqi people in general are not aware that "the security situation remains a major impediment ...... What kind of people are these and what can Blair and Straw be thinking of spending any further time sitting down alongside them. It is complete farce.

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 12:59:00 PM

 
Polish Government Splits

Even as Prime Minister Miller capitulates in Brussels, his own party is falling apart back home. A Polish election during the planned resumed IGC on top of the difficulties being caused by the Spanish transition look set to throw yet more difficulties in the path of the subjugationists. EUobserver carries the report linked here

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 11:52:00 AM

 
European Parallel Universes, in which one are you?

What a morning of contrasts. In Italy reports of the country grinding to a halt during a four hour stoppage of workers protesting at changes to their pension entitlements; from Germany the fear of a triple dip recession is voiced as consumer demand and business confidence tumble once again (read here from RTE Business) while in Brussels more hot air and ostrich postures from the summiteers and the EU's supposed rulers. Real events clearly prove that there is nobody really in charge.

The International Herald Tribune has reproduced part of an excellent editorial on the EU Constitution from The Times earlier this week which we can now thus link hereand quote:-

The draft European constitution must seem an impossible document to anyone who believes in liberal democracy; it is a real monster, like a Gillray cartoon of Napoleon. It transfers a wide range of powers through "exclusive competencies" or "shared competencies" to the European institutions, which are unelected and bureaucratic. It establishes the EU as a single state, with the European nations as subordinate, and makes European law supreme over national law. If it were adopted, it would destroy the British constitution of parliamentary democracy, remove the power of the elected House of Commons, and place power in the hands of European bureaucrats who could never be removed by a British general election. Behind the bureaucrats, the effective authority would be the Franco-German alliance. ... The centralizing, non-democratic, constitution drafted by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing does not accord with our traditions of independence and democracy.

Yet Blair maintains it is mere tidying up, and that he can get it through Parliament without the authority of a referendum - and the Leader of the main opposition party merely promises to seek to renegotiate it, were it already to be law on his party gaining office!

The Warsaw Business Journal announces and accepts the inevitable defeat and the Polish capitulation to the Franco/German steamroller which is now seemingly bent on the complete destruction of what it had been supposed to have been constructing. Read the link here.

German officials are reported as now pressurising the ECB for an urgent rate cut, in clear contradiction of the guiding principles of price stability, which as for the defunct Growth and Stability pact, they were largely responsible for framing.

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 11:18:00 AM

 
Summit Dinner Press Conference

The journalists covering last evening's press conference by Ahern and Prodi must have seen something entirely different to what I watched on TV. Almost without exception they hail a constitutional breakthrough and seem to assume all will now be accomplished by end June. Mr Ahern, however, was very circumspect and cautious in his remarks regarding the possibility for progress and only time will tell which of them is the more realistic. In any event the IGC resumes next week and the EU must continue to cope with the monstrous convention document which I am increasingly convinced will in one way or another, become the death knell of the present EU.

The Reuters report linked here, states:

They also invoked a solidarity clause that commits all EU states to assist any member hit by terrorism.

That dreadful word again, the excuse by all to do nothing individually, thus achieving nought. It should be the EU's most fitting epithet - 'Slaves to 'Solidarity'; they destroyed that they desired' perhaps.

Other reports make much of the appointment of a terrorism 'Tsar' in only six days as if that were a positve rather than negaive matter for all our security. Instead of overseeing the sealing of our borders and the tracking down of the enemies within, our security supremos will now be in Brussels meetings discussing on which computer operating system the data banks on those about to blow us up should be stored, or other such multilateralist pursuits of pointlessness.

The Scotsman, article, filed in the early hours gives one of the best overviews and is linked here. The EU Business report on British reactions read here gives an account of the reactions of Blair and Straw, claiming they will stick to their 'red lines' even over criminal justice, which is rumoured to already having been largely conceded, in apparent confirmation of which they are now only pledging to stand firm on "key areas of criminal procedural law" Bye, bye our remaining Common Law rights then!

I mainly include the latter link for the amusement of seeing Michael Howard's new EU Constitutional policy being quoted in all its forlorn and pathetic evasion of any commitment whatever, that last paragraph is quoted here:-

Michael Howard, euroceptic leader of the main opposition Conservative party, said earlier this week that he would seek to re-negotiate the constitution if he were to come to power.


Howard promises to seek to re-negotiate the mind boggles, such a commitment! What a totally shameless statement of spin and clearly intended non-action.

posted by Martin at 3/26/2004 08:05:00 AM

Thursday, March 25, 2004

 
US Congressmen Warn Monti

Five democratic and five republican congressmaen from the House of Representatives have warned the EU that the the "potential of a regulatory impediment to the continued vibrancy of American and European industries is the utmost concern to us".

In this report carried by The Inquirer' linked here the very point we were stressing earlier is most clearly stated:-

The US Department of Justice, they claimed, had investigated and resolved the same matters that the EU had investigated after a lengthy investigation.

They said that the EU should not have investigated the inclusion of audio and video functionality in the Windows operating system because "this exact issue was raised and resolved during the US settlement".

In effect, the open letter tells the EU to get off its turf. "This case involves a US company, the complaining parties in the EU were primarily US companies and... all of the relevant design decisions occurred in the United States".

It looks as though the EU has yet again created a major and unnecessary problem for almost all of Europe.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 05:59:00 PM

 
EU Summit Opens

The small-minded men who lead the member states of the European Union have just commenced their latest meeting, with terror apparently being the only item on the agenda for this evening. More spurious appointments and much talk of cross-border co-operation all leading to less accountability and far less security for the peoples of the EU, no doubt. As in everything that the EU has done since Britain joined, things put at at a European level will inevitably mean things done either worse or not at all. How could anybody believe otherwise?

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 05:39:00 PM

 
Europe's constitution turns into nightmare

Such is the headline from the usually frighteningly federalist Financial Times which tales a rare realistic look at the dreadful European Union ands its horrendous proposed constitution. A few quotes:-

The European debate will suddenly shift from antiseptic conference rooms in Brussels to the floors of national parliaments and out on to the streets. For many EU leaders, it is not an appealing thought.

Since the Laeken summit the EU's popularity has sunk to new lows. The distance between the Brussels elite and the people is expected to be reflected in dismal voter turnout figures in the European parliament elections in June.

The number of Europeans who thought the EU was "a good thing", in a Eurobarometer poll in December, fell below 50 per cent for the first time to 48 per cent. Britain managed 28 per cent.


The entire column may be read from this link.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 05:12:00 PM

 
US Department of Justice slams Monti's Microsoft Decision

As forecast on this blog, the Microsoft matter looks likely to cause a storm. I suspected that there had been no co-ordination with US anti-trust authorities and this Press Release clearly shows that to have been the case. The report linked here states:

The European Commission's order for Microsoft Corp. to ship a version of Windows without the Windows Media Player could stifle innovation and help Microsoft's rivals instead of promoting fair competition, the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust chief said Wednesday.

Assistant Attorney General Hewitt Pate in a statement also said the record €497.2 million ($613 million) fine levied on Microsoft by the European Commission (EC) is "unfortunate." It surpasses fines the Commission has imposed on price-fixing cartels and that may send the wrong message about antitrust enforcement priorities, Pate said

It is extremely dangerous and completely foolhardy to use anti-monopolistic fines against a major company domiciled within the jurisdiction of a main trading competitor, unless you have intentions beyond those of curbing anti-competitive behaviour or monopolistic practises. Monti has been one of the more disastrous Commissioners of even this particularly dud bunch, to exit on such a disastrous note could reap dire consequences indeed.

It would appear that the Europeans are prepared to stop at nothing in trying to needle the Bush Administration, see the immediately following posting bar one, for an instance of riduculous posturing and cheap point scoring.

Britain being within this group brings ever greater shame upon the nation. Economic consequences too for sure, although thankfully being outside the Eurozone, we are somewhat buffered from the full likely eventual fallout! USA fourth quarter growth at 4.1 per cent, just confirmed, shows the euroland block as being the economically sick and sorry grouping it truly is.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 02:37:00 PM

 
EU Press Release from Irish Presidency on the IGC

Linked from here, it contains nothing new and concludes as follows:-

The President of the European Council will expand on this report directly to his colleagues, focusing on the prospects for progress. He will not be asking his colleagues at this meeting of the European Council to enter into the detail of the substantive negotiations or to agree conclusions in that regard. However, he intends to ask them to confirm that there is a shared political will to move to an early overall agreement.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 02:18:00 PM

 
Spain Snubs the USA for Chirac

The following is a quote from the front page of today's International Herald Tribune:-

Zapatero's meeting with President Jacques Chirac of France, in which the two men, agreed on the need for a greater role for international law and multilateral decision-making in a clear snub to U.S. foreign policy, took so long that Powell had to wait 45 minutes. According to one member of the team travelling withe the Secretary of State, he wasn't happy.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 02:05:00 PM

 
Irish Examiner lists likely Compromises

This morning's Dublin paper carries its estimate of the likely constitutional compromises:-

QMV - The size of this majority still has to be agreed though current thinking favours 55% of both.

Other sticking points and likely solutions include:

Number of commissioners: likely to be set at 18 with every five years a third of member states losing their commissioner for that term.

Veto issues: Ireland and Britain likely to retain their veto on tax issues, but to lose it on judicial issues which will be decided by majority decision.

An Irish diplomat said the government believes there will be sufficient safeguards to protect Ireland?s common law system, which is different to that operated in most other EU member states.

European Parliament seats: an increase of four seats per member state.

Last night work was continuing on a declaration to be agreed by the leaders on terrorism that will commit all countries to closer cooperation and to implementing agreed laws.

As reported by the FT (linked below) Blair has conceded already conceded the terrorism Red Line and reporst widely circulating in the UK media indicate he is set to abandon his Red Line on Justice as well. Details will be posted when firm news is available. The Irish Examiner article may be read here.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 01:55:00 PM

 
Electoral Commission/Hansard Reveal the UK's Political Disconnect

MORI have conducted a survey on behalf of the two bodies above, which is available for downloading from the Electoral Commission site linked.

The following is a short extract which shows that only 27 per cent of the sample are satisfied with politicians generally. This vividly highlights the scope that exists for a hugely successful independent campaign in the country for the Euro Elections on 10th June when domestic policy considerations need act as no hindrance to casting a well deserved protest vote and a huge financial kick in the teeth to all the established parties!

Quote

For four in five of the attitudinal measures, the proportions with positive attitudes fall within a
five-point band (36% – 41%). But trust in politicians generally is considerably lower than this, at
only 27%.

Efficacy and satisfaction

‘Getting involved works’ 36%

Trust politicians generally 27%

Satisfied with Parliament 36%

Think present system of governing works well 41%

Satisfied with their own MP 36%

Unquote

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 11:48:00 AM

 
New Zealand Herald

A first rate explanation on the British political situation and various dilemmas over the EU Constitution is provided from the still Sovereign Nation of New Zealand, where Her Majesty remains the acknowledged and presently unchallenged Head of State and Parliament in Wellington makes all the laws. Who would have once thought that Britain would have thrown all that away, and to Continental Europeans to boot, not many Antipodeans I'll be bound? The full summary of pre-summit matters may be read from this link. We quote just the last paragraph:-

Mr Blair faces a dilemma over how to handle the negotiations. If he were to obstruct progress, it would put his strategy of "positive engagement" in Europe at risk. But if he signs up to the constitution, it could cost him the support of some voters and newspapers, such as The Sun and The Times, both owned by Rupert Murdoch, at the general election.

posted by Martin at 3/25/2004 08:34:00 AM

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

 
Blair Abandons 'Red-Line'

The Financial Times reports the latest capitulation to the EU by Blair is over the veto on terrorism. The article is linked from here. The paper reports:

"But it is also a concession to Germany and France, which have warned Tony Blair, prime minister, that his defence of national vetos could bring the EU to a standstill.

and later adds:

British diplomats say there is no question of the UK surrendering the veto in its other priority areas areas: foreign policy, tax, social security and Britain's budget rebate.

We shall see! EU Politix meanwhile reckons most leaders are in no rush to conclude matters fearing the 10th -13th June European Elections, particularly France and Britain:

Elysée and Downing Street politicians are nervous that the EU-wide polls could become a referendum on a European constitution - and a vehicle for domestic political disenchantment.

Now I wonder how they could possibly think that? It is linked from here.

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 06:15:00 PM

 
Poles to hold Referendum on EU Constitution

EUBusiness reports a referendum has been agreed between the Polish President and Prime Minister. The article is linked here. This is clearly a move to strengthen the Poles' negotiating stance in the upcoming constitutional meetings, exactly the course of action we yesterday urged upon Blair.

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 06:11:00 PM

 
Irish Presidency issues Positive Report on Constitution

EUobserver linked here, reports this exceptionally depressing but hardly unexpected news. We quote:

The note, which is just four pages long, says "the Presidency has been able to identify those issues which continue to raise problems for delegations and to assess the possibilities for resolving them".

The letter goes on to say that Dublin "expects that most of them could be resolved without undue difficulty".

According to the document the most difficult issues remain the size and composition of the Commission and the proposed new voting system. "The minimum seat threshold in the European Parliament also remains to be settled".

No mention of Blair's Red-Lines, let the steam engine roll! We are all in its path!

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 05:49:00 PM

 
Microsoft Fine Announced!

It has been set at 497 million Euros, in line with the earlier leaks see the posts below. Included in the finding is coercion regarding the sharing of interfaces with deadlines. The link to the announcement will be posted here when available. BBC News early report is linked here

Will 24th March 2004 be seen to mark the real opening of an open and dirty EU/US trade war? If so it will be clear who fired the first shot - appalling that Britain should be so associated with such an act!

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 10:39:00 AM

 
More Evidence of Monti's Mendacious and Malevolent Mugging of Microsoft

The Seattle Times, local paper in Microsofts home city, reveals in an article linked from here and titled 'Microsoft details offer it made to EU' the following astounding fact - "Microsoft agreed to do what might seem extraordinary: bundle three competing media players along with its own in future versions of Windows'.

More proof if such were needed of the truth of our posting immediately below. This is such a blatant piece of extortion against one of America's foremost companies that major European firms should be bracing themselves for the inevitable retailaition. Once again Europe's National Leaders must stand back as mere observers while the appointed autocrats of the EU Commission blithely set about the wilful destruction of the economies of the member states of the undemocratic union.

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 10:32:00 AM

 
EU's Microsoft Fine - Blatant anti-Americanism and Greed

Rumoured to be over six hundred million dollars - who gets it? The thoroughly corrupt EU!

Who will pay? - The ordinary consumer and if there is any justice only those within the EU!

What is it for? - Bundling a Multi-media player with the software you get with the Windows operating system of a new PC! Why is it unjustified and absurd?.......... try this on your own PC:-

I just did a quick run through the programme files on my PC. I have six DVD and movie players. Only one of them did I deliberately download - that being Real Player. None of them are Microsft!

This makes clear there is plenty of competition in this sector , and secondly there is far more stuff being unknowingly downloaded onto your PC each time you go online, play particular DVDs or let others watch DVDs on your laptop.

Who gets the money Mugger Monti and his mates that's who and under what authority! The EU an evil monopoly if ever there was one!

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 09:29:00 AM

 
Britain loses control of its Offshore Gas Reserves and Supplies

The following is a report from the European Parliament:-

Subject: Security of gas supplies

Security of gas supplies 19.3.2004 European parliament
After consulting Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, the Industry Committee voted on Thursday by a large majority in favour of changing the legal basis of the draft directive on security of gas supplies. The committee's report, drafted by Peter MOMBAUR (EPP-ED, D), was adopted by 19 votes to 7 with no abstentions. MEPs accepted Article 100 as the best - and indeed the only possible - legal basis for the proposal, given that both Parliament and Council were opposed to the harmonisation measures proposed by the Commission, which were the only reason for using Article 95 of the Treaty (co-decision for single market legislation).

At its first reading in September 2003, Parliament had deleted clauses providing for major harmonisation of the gas supply industry at Community level. MEPs argued that the Commission was encroaching too far on the responsibilities of the Member States and companies, and described as "over-prescriptive" certain provisions at Community level. These included the establishment of quantifiable standards at EU level, the right for the Commission to infringe on contractual freedom of companies and a "crisis mechanism" at EU level that disregarded the hierarchy of responsibilities (companies - Member States - Commission).

As a result the Council asked for the legal basis of the directive to be changed, so that it comes under Article 100 of the Treaty. This article provides that, in the case of special measures to be taken if there are severe difficulties in the supply of certain products, the Council decides alone and merely informs Parliament of its decision. Having made their point last September, a majority of members of the committee are now willing to go along with this procedural change.

18.03.2004 Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy
In the chair: Luis BERENGUER FUSTER (PES, E)

Plenary vote: April, Strasbourg

Press enquiries:
Virginija Zabotkaite - tel. (32-2) 28 31055
e-mail: indu-press@europarl.eu.int

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 08:49:00 AM

 
No Way to Fight Terror

This was put out by the British Foreign Office. Proving the EU can never provide the basis for fighting terrorism, just oppressing the people unfortunate enough to be living within its area of control:-

EU SECURITY POLICY CO-OPERATION


In an interview for BBC Radio 4 on 23 March, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, commented on the level of co-operation between EU countries on anti-terror measures and security, like the European Common Arrest Warrant and other judicial and police measures. He said: 'Co-operation with many countries in the European Union and between those countries is very good but there are some countries which are frankly back markers and some which have not yet fully implemented the decisions which were made after September 11th 2001.' He said it was caused by inherent delays in the legal and political systems of some countries and not by an unwillingness to implement the changes. Mr Straw added that all EU member states are required to implement the new measures and said agreement had been reached at the recent General Affairs and External Relations Council to set a deadline of 30 June for full implementation.

National Security is a matter solely for National Governments accountable to their Sovereign People in National Elections! It could not possibly be any other way!

The to and fro of the interview, proving as vividly as is possible that Straw is incapable of fulfilling his first duty of protecting the British people is worth reading and is linked from here.

posted by Martin at 3/24/2004 07:16:00 AM

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

 
Difficulties of Aznar representing Zapatero at 25/26th March Summit

The problems and issues surrounding the fact that Zapatero does not officially assume his responsibilities as Spanish Prime Minister until mid-April are discussed and may be read on this link to Euractiv. Any delay to the steamroller would however be useful as the EU's fast growing and deepening economic crisis might now be another helpful factor in halting the anti-freedom, anti-democratic EU constitution.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 04:24:00 PM

 
Schroeder in Warsaw Announces Constitution by End June

Germany and Poland have jointly announced, following lunchtime talks in Warsaw, that they foresee having the EU Constitution agreed by the end of June. See this report from RTE Ireland linked here

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 03:06:00 PM

 
The Guardian reports on Blair's Plan to Steamroller Parliament

Tony Blair is preparing to seek tactical electoral advantage from the fast-emerging prospect of early agreement on the EU's stalled constitution by pushing ratification through parliament as soon as possible - and facing down any attempt by the House of Lords to insist on a referendum

The above is the opening paragraph of an article which may be read in full from here

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 03:00:00 PM

 
BBC on Blair's Constitution Test and NO to Euro Campaign Closure

The BBC highlights the difficulties ahead for Blair and reports on the NO campaign effectively declaring 'mission accomplished' efforts will now concentrate on Vote2004. Report linked here.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 02:57:00 PM

 
The Sun Britain's Biggest Daily Paper warns Blair

Today's Editorial in the popular tabloid carries this warning to Blair and his government:-

Battle lines

YOU have been warned. There’s a double-cross in the wind.

Jacques Chirac’s got a smile on his face and that always means trouble.

The French President joined Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to announce that they expect a deal to be signed on the European Constitution by mid-June.

With a new pro-Brussels government in Spain, and the new-boy Poles said to be wavering in their opposition, it looks like nothing will stop the ill-founded constitution now.

Apart from one thing, that is.

The overwhelming opposition of the British people.

We don’t want to hand control of our country to an undemocratic, unelected, unaccountable and unwanted European entity.

If Tony Blair thinks he can go along with his chums in Paris and Berlin without giving his own people the right to vote on it then he’s heading for the biggest mistake of his life.

This country will not give up its sovereignty without a fight.

It will not willingly hand over control of its taxes, its interest rates, its laws and its courts.

Don’t try it, Mr Blair.

The editorial is linked here and an accompanying article from here.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 02:25:00 PM

 
Schroeder lunches in Poland

Momentum gathers as Schroeder lunches in Warsaw. This report from Deutsche Welle Schröder Visits Poland to Break EU Constitution Impasse

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 02:10:00 PM

 
Cato Institute view on EU Constitution

We thank the reader who brought this piece to our attention. It is titled Europe's New Constitution: Philadelphia it is Not and this paragraph provides a flavour:-

"The American Constitution is permeated by the ideas of the Enlightenment and steeped in the desire to be free of foreign and domestic despotism. The EU constitution, in contrast, is written in largely impenetrable legalese and constitutes a politically correct proclamation of bureaucratic folly immersed in the European Left's post-Cold War ideological confusion."

It may be read from here.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 01:05:00 PM

 
Dutch to become last hope for Democracy?

Following the Al Qaeda inspired rout of the Spanish and Poland falling prey to historic and therefore fully justified fears of its western neighbour, it seems therefore that it must now be the Dutch on whom we must pin freedom's hopes.

EUobserver has a report linked here on the two main continuing Dutch concerns: the preservation of its veto over the budget and the Growth and Stability pact.

There has been a huge swing in public opinion against the EU in Holland over recent months, as reflected in the latest Eurobarometer 60 the Executive Summary February 2004 of which is linked here in pdf format. The following quotes are from the main survey:-

"The Netherlands has, however, the highest percentage of pessimists (64%, +4)."

62 pct of Dutch believe the country's economic situtaion will worsen against 23 pct for improvement

The survey charts show support for EU membership dropped precipitously over the past six months as did the numbers of Dutch considering EU membership 'a good thing'

The IRI Report on Referendums linked here also in pdf format, lists Holland as one of the countries almost certain to hold a referendum, will they therefore be large enough to resist the ensuing bullying in the event their citizens' disgust continues to grow and they gather the courage to say NO. We must hope so, but depending upon others, as experience has shown, cannot be enough in this increasingly dire situation.

Blair's apparent complete loss of nerve, either over the consequences of his Iraq conflict lies or for other more complex reasons, has apparently left him dumbstruck on the dreadful EU constitution and subservient in all his recent dealings with Chirac and Shroeder. The British Government must be compelled to grant a referendum. As can already be plainly seen, without one they have zero negotiating power.

Announcement of a change of mind by Blair on a Referendum, delayed beyond this Thursday will send Britain to dinner in Dublin defenceless.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 12:08:00 PM

 
'Neville Again' Appeasement by Mark Steyn

Recommended Opinion column from this morning's Daily Telegraph linked here.

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 10:08:00 AM

 
Ahern Predicts Constitution by 18th June

No sooner had we completed our post below, predicting the Constitution now being rushed through at breakneck speed than this report arrived from EUPolitix linked here. We quote the essence in the Irish PMs own words:-

“A mandate has been received from Brussels to consult with colleagues and report to the spring [summit]. I intend to discuss the issue with colleagues on Thursday evening, focusing on the prospects for progress,” he said on Monday.

“I have been heartened by the support I have received in recent weeks and believe that it is possible we can conclude the work of by the June Council [of EU leaders].”

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 09:37:00 AM

 
EU Constitution

We link a summary of the main provisions of the Constitution (here),which now looks like being rushed through at breakneck speed, in my view to allow France and Germany to avoid the fines under the Maastricht Provisions which will then become void. I consider these elements as particularly unacceptable:-

- EU LEGISLATION: EU law shall have primacy over national legislation.

Current raft of legislative devices are to be replaced by six legal measures: laws, framework laws, regulations, decisions, recommendations and opinions.

- LEGAL STANDING: The constitution establishes the EU as a legal body with power to sign international treaties.

- CITIZENSHIP: "Every national of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union."

If the voting compromise proposed by France and Germany is accepted by the Poles and the other fawning member states' leaders (latest situation also described by EUBusiness linked here) then nearly all our laws look like being made by EU qualified majority voting of just above the simple majority. This is absolutely outrageous and to me it is inconceivable that any British Government could consider agreeing such an arrangement even with some of the longest standing Commonwealth members who share our basis of law and democracy, let alone the Continental powers who down through history, continuing right up to the very recent past, have no tradition of those in authority respecting the individual and to whom, even today, the concept of 'fair play' seems alien.

It is absolutely unacceptable on any basis and must be stopped!

posted by Martin at 3/23/2004 09:11:00 AM

Monday, March 22, 2004

 
Straws in the Wind

Germany's Siemens is threatening to move 10,000 jobs towards Asia due to high labour costs. According to Bloomberg's report linked here Germany's labour is the most expensive in the world.

China's oil imports are growing far faster than forecast, up 60 per cent in February according to the Miami Herald, part of the reason perhaps for the strength of oil prices.

Bangalore is promoting cheap operations in modern hospitals at one sixth the European cost. The same proportion of computer software designers you can hire in China (6) for the cost of one equivalent German, according to the same Bloomberg report linked above. No more sixes needed at present, thanks very much, things are already looking ropy enough.

French voters went left in protest at their government's proposed economic reforms, according to a BBC reporter in Paris this evening. Maybe another dose of even greater socialism and a drop in the working week to thirty hours followed by the complete bankruptcy of their nation and the EU is what has to be experienced before sense prevails.

posted by Martin at 3/22/2004 09:12:00 PM

 
An MEP Speaks Out for Press Freedom (and worries about his leaks?)

Twenty five years as an MEP and only now does he begin to see the dangers to democracy!

JENS-PETER BONDE - president of the Group for a Europe of Democracies and Diversity and the SOS Democracy Inter group in the European Parliament, spokesperson for the Danish June Movement (which advocates remaining within the EU) made this comment to his EUobserver on the recent police action in Brussels, reported on previously on this blog! We quote from the 'Comment' piece which is linked below:-

I have never seen anything in Brussels quite like what happend last Friday. For the first time we witnessed an event that would normally only take place in countries that do not subscribe to the principles of free press and democracy.

On 19 March, at 7.10am, six Belgian policemen came to the house of the Brussels editor of the German weekly magazine Stern, Hans-Martin Tillack. They took his address books, telephones, computers and documents.

They repeated the action in his office at the International Press Centre in Brussels.

They did not allow Mr Tillack to phone his wife, his lawyer or employer. It is only because other news media have their offices in the same building that press colleagues saw what was going on and sounded the alarm.

Interrogated for 10 hours about his sources

Mr Tillack was arrested and interrogated for 10 hours about his sources................

Don't the MEP' s realise that the huge amounts money the EU spends on keeping quietly coddled the EU's elected representatives, who in theory should be fighting tooth and nail for all our lost freedoms and democracy, is being spent precisely because that is the way things are going....towards tyranny! That is the plan, look at the convention proceedings and the resulting totally non-democratic, zero-accountability constitution and there can be no other possible conclusion.

The column is linked from here.

posted by Martin at 3/22/2004 06:49:00 PM

 
'Adiós amigo: now Blair is the lonely man of Europe'

Such is the title of an 'Opinion' article in this morning's The Times' by William Rees-Mogg, which is presently available to online readers surfing from the UK. We quote just one paragraph below, but pass on these comments sent to me by Christina Speight, which she aptly titled: 'Blair Adrfit on a Hostile Sea' and which as always goes directly to the point:-

Quote

This is a seminal article. May I particularly draw attention to the fact that al Qa'eda has effectively handed Europe on a plate to the Franco-German axis. Also note the following:

="The Prime Minister-elect, José Zapatero, announced that he would reverse Spain's alliances, taking Spain into a 'magnificent relationship' with France and Germany, ,,,, and switching to support for the European constitution. "

=" Spanish support would give the Franco-German alliance just over 40 per cent of the enlarged European population; under current proposals that would provide a veto in qualified majority voting. "

=" Mr Blair can expect little help on Iraq from Eurosceptics, and little help on the European constitution from those opposed to the war. Both groups wish to destroy him. "

=" If it were adopted, it would destroy the British constitution of parliamentary democracy, remove the power of the elected House of Commons, and place power in the hands of European bureaucrats who could never be removed by a British general election. Behind the bureaucrats, the effective authority would be the Franco-German alliance. "

="The loss of Mr Blair's Spanish alliance, and the Polish acceptance of the voting system, mean that the constitution may be agreed much sooner than had been expected. .... Mr Blair has refused a referendum. He is surely taking a big risk if he fights the European election on an anti-democratic, anti-independence ticket. The election could become a referendum on whether
to hold a referendum. "

="In Europe, there is only one answer: a referendum. Tony Blair has to be able to tell France and Germany that he will only negotiate a constitution which is acceptable to the British people. ..... If Mr Blair endorses such a travesty, he will destroy himself and his party"

Herewith my chosen direct quotation from Mr Rees-Mogg, which seems to pretty well say in a paragraph what the eurosceptic cause in totality has been trying to get across to the media and public for months :-

The draft European constitution must seem an impossible document to anyone
who believes in liberal democracy; it is a real monster, like a Gillray cartoon of Napoleon. It transfers a wide range of powers through 'exclusive competencies' or 'shared competencies' to the European institutions, which are unelected and bureaucratic. It establishes the EU as a single state, with the European nations as subordinate, and makes European law supreme
over national law. If it were adopted, it would destroy the British constitution of parliamentary democracy, remove the power of the elected House of Commons, and place power in the hands of European bureaucrats who could never be removed by a British general election. Behind thebureaucrats, the effective authority would be the Franco-German alliance.

posted by Martin at 3/22/2004 10:47:00 AM

 
Alarm Bells for EU Axis Powers

Le Figaro reports the French voters' censure of its government in the first round of local elections with a headline literally translated as 'The Right Sanctioned'. A surprising choice in view of the reported latest poll estimate of 17 per cent for the far right party of Le Pen's National Front. The Socialist have recovered from the fiasco of the Jospin defeat in the Presidential campain estimated to have won 40.4 pct to the ruling right's 33.9 pct. This comment is from The Daily Telegraph.

The consequences of incompetence were also being encountered by the other half of the EU's ruling duopoly when Gerhard Schroeder stood down as leader of the major ruling coalition party the SPD, as also reported by the Telegraph in this piece titled 'Schröder steps down as party leader'.

As Fench and German voters are now the only ones with any real say in who governs Europe it is disappointing that Chirac's party did not get more of a trouncing for the clear mismanagement, but breaking the Growth & Stability pact did save France from massive fines and was therefore probably an electorally popular move within France. It remains to be seen whether the joint complicity of Schroeder will eventually mitigate his party's losses. The recent Hamburg results would tend to indicate otherwise!

As the two leaders get increasingly desperate over their desrved unpopularity, my guess is that they will tend to adopt policies more and more in favour of their own nations which will have to be at the expense of the rest of their European partners..... more nasty times ahead!

posted by Martin at 3/22/2004 06:50:00 AM

Sunday, March 21, 2004

 
The Clever Conspiracy that Condemns us All to Corrupt EU Control!

There is an extremely serious, totally corrupting and very dirty little semi-secret that all involved in any position of seniority or authority within the Common Market, the European Economic Community and now the European Union all well know. I have tried to trace its basis in law and the treaty concerned, but without success, freedom of information within the EU is paid only lip service. (Don't believe me! Then visit Statewatch and then check out this link to a mysterious EU official document linked here, 'which does not exist!')

It is a secret that enslaves those who know of it by that most powerful of bonds imaginable, namely:the lure of undeclarable wealth. It seems to have become almost irresistible although to those in its grip, no doubt at first appeared, eminently respectable and perfectly justifiable. It is the tax free EU Pension. I was told when young that only two things in life are certain: Death and Taxes - Well! Our EU masters seem to have found a way round the latter!

The extraordinary fact is that those retiring from the European Commission do not have to pay any tax on their no doubt, hugely over-generous pension and benefit receipts which are liberally ladled out from the money received from the 'ironically' excessively taxed citizens of Europe. To ensure that such taxes may not be levied by the ever revenue hungry fiscal authorities of the EU's national member states, a protocol or some other such device was apparently inserted into one of the early treaties protecting recipients of certain EU pensions from having to disclose the amounts of their receipts to any national tax authority. Not only can their incomes not be taxed, they are not even obliged to let the amounts be known!

Contrast this with the situation prevailing for national civil servants and politicians. MEP Salaries alongside those of MPs, Ministers and top civil servants are available in the UK from the Cabinet Office linked here but nothing can be found regarding MEP pensions. Would Britain, indeed would any nation accept that its civil servants and politicians should not only be entitled to tax free, tax-payer funded pensions but also be allowed to keep the amounts received secret and impervious to any exposure by the legally empowered, national fiscal authorities?

Germany's Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz, GG) Article 33 [Equal citizenship; professional civil service] Subsection (5) states ' The law governing the public service shall be regulated with due regard to the traditional principles of the professional civil service.', which we cannot for a moment envision covering such arrangements as the EU has apparently awarded itself.

A hint of the scam may be found in this Guardian report, linked here on last year's budget dated 21st November 2003, from which this is a quote:-

EU officials and MEPs were also given a dressing-down. The report suggested that the EU's disability scheme was being heavily abused, costing the EU budget and therefore taxpayers some 80m euros a year.

Most of the retirees are in their 30s and 40s, it noted, and more than half plead psychological or stress-related complaints, a statistic which sits oddly with the fact that EU jobs are famously stable white-collar ones.

The disability scheme is generous - it gives people life-long pensions equivalent to 70% of their final retirement-age salaries.

The report also alleged that MEPs are using public money to make up a third of their own pension schemes, a ruse which has no legal basis whatsoever.

While the arrangements under which the payments are being made, might so far have successfully been kept quiet, at least the means of diverting the funds seem to be known to the European Court of Auditors, but I wonder, are some of their top officials also eligible for the scheme?

Initially there might have been some logic for arguing a select few, transnational employees might perhaps justifiably be exempt from any pressure that might be able to be applied by national fiscal authorities. Perhaps it was modelled upon something experienced by Monnet at the League of Nations, or possibly something even occurring at the UN. Now however it is an utter scandal, especially if rumours we hear as to its wide extent are to be believed! How did it spread, does it truly extend to MEPs, if so did the European Council approve or was it slipped in as part of 'an understanding' between the Commission and the Parliament?

Consider the insidiousness of such an arrangement. Knowledge of the secret and eventual rewards must quickly become a powerful tool in restraining existing employees from becoming whistle-blowers. Being, by its nature, something best not widely discussed it probably soon became a 'nod and a wink' topic among the cognoscenti, encouraging an atmosphere of joint conspiracy amongst those in the know, spreading subsidiary corruption in its wake, the affects of which are all too clearly and frequently illustrated in the constantly emerging EU scandals.

Rumour has it that those retiring and receiving the benefits are prohibited from criticising the EU, its institutions or operations, thus ensuring even retirees can be relied upon to keep concealed the REAL ROT that lies at the heart of the EU's organisation.

National politicians aware that such an opportunity for a luxurious, tax free future could never be provided by a career dedicated to their own rule - bound and comparatively open legislatures, must be ever cautious not to appear overtly anti-EU, or more probably even slightly EU critical, in fear that their their future chances of joining the scam, of effectively robbing Europe's citizens, might as a consequence become shut off!

The corrupt organisation that the EU has become appears unreformable in this situation. Was it thus contrived? Ex-officials will almost certainly continue to remain silent on the institutions failings as long as the tax-free cosseting continues. Even retired MEPs (when and if eligible) of once Eurosceptic bent must feel constrained from feeding the full facts on the EU's ROT to their campaigning parties for fear that the plug might be pulled on their private pension perks. All inside avenues of criticism it would seem could therefore become closed! Is that not something we are seeing everyday? Evidence abounds as to the EU's multiple failings but high level or inside criticism, comes there NONE!

Hard facts to back-up this comment are difficult to find. If there are inaccuracies then we will of course make the necessary retraction here on the blog. I would very much like to see, but do not expect, a full denial and linked details regarding the tax handling of the pensions of MEPs and senior Commission officials on the Europa website. Anybody knowing retired EU figures such as Christopher Tugendhat or Leon Brittan might wish to quiz them directly. Come June Neil Kinnock or Chris Patten might be forthcoming, but I doubt it.

National tax officials where high concentrations of retired EU grandees are to be found might also be useful sources. I imagine that some frustration must exist over their probably thwarted tax collection efforts.

Retired Commissioners or Commission Director-Generals and their senior staff in other countries might also have one among their number, with some remaining shred of honour that will now let them reveal all the facts before 10th June when Europe's electorate has its once in every five year chance to pronounce on the EU, particularly the European Parliament and its occupants.

I believe a fitting verdict would be to return NO MEP representatives from ANY party presently sitting in the parliament. After all the European Parliament has become nothing more than a corrupt mechanism of subsidising national political parties with European taxpayers money, in obscene amounts for no useful legislative benefit or result whatever. The money instead keeps such political parties subservient and in harness to the corrupt EU project, and allows them to further neuter the National Legislatures, which is yet another growing scandal to which, of course, I will return on this blog!

posted by Martin at 3/21/2004 01:39:00 PM

 
EU's Press Freedom Crackdown

Last Friday (see below) we reported on the actions of OLAF the anti-EU fraud office against a reporter from the German Stern magazine. This added detail, confirming matters are worse even than they first appeared, appeared yesterday in the Daily Telegraph, linked here, from which we quote:-

Hans-Martin Tillack, the Brussels correspondent for Germany's Stern magazine, said he was held for 10 hours without access to a lawyer by the Belgian police after his office and home were raided by six officers.

"They asked me to tell them who my sources were. I replied that was something I would never do. Now they have all my sensitive files, so I suppose they'll find out anyway," he said last night.

"The police said I was lucky I wasn't in Burma or central Africa, where journalists get the real treatment," he added.

Mr Tillack said the raid was triggered by a complaint from the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF. He was accused of paying money to obtain a leaked OLAF dossier two years ago, which he denies.

The European Ombudsman has already come to his defence, issuing a harsh criticism of OLAF's campaign to silence him.

Mr Tillack, who describes himself as a "pro-European federalist", has been OLAF's most vocal critic, accusing it of covering up abuses within the EU system.

As the author of a recent book on EU corruption, he has the greatest archive of investigative files of any journalist working in Brussels.

Here is the link to the news from 'The International Federation of Journalists', click on the title:
Belgian Raid on Reporter Sparks IFJ Alert Over Threat to Journalists’ Rights

'Reporters Without Borders' also picked up on the matter read here which is also available in French and Spanish, as did Reuters UK linked here. There has as yet been no interest from the broadcast media that I have been able to find!

posted by Martin at 3/21/2004 08:57:00 AM

Saturday, March 20, 2004

 
European Committee on Constitutional Affairs

Meeting Monday 15th March, 2004

Constitution: agreement needed before elections.

The Irish Presidency should take the "calculated risk" of reconvening the intergovernmental conference (IGC) in order to conclude the negotiations on the draft constitution before the European elections. This was the general thrust of a debate on Monday at the Constitutional Affairs Committee in which members of national parliaments also took part.

Giorgio NAPOLITANO (PES, I), who chairs the Constitutional Affairs Committee, urged governments not to distort the draft Constitution, which the EP and national parliaments support, saying "They would be denying the role of parliaments, both national and European, and would seriously damage their dignity". This "would frustrate hopes and generate disappointment and distrust as never in the past". He called on national parliaments to press their governments to approve the treaty before the European elections in June.

Mr Napolitano also defended the double majority system proposed by the Convention - a majority of states, also representing 60% of the population - to replace the complex machinery laid down by the Nice Treaty. He said "the double majority is the most transparent system, the one most easily understood by the public and it is the expression of the Union's dual nature: a union of states and a union of citizens". It would have the further advantage of not needing to be revised at each enlargement, unlike the Nice system. Mr Napolitano also criticised the Italian Presidency for pedalling backwards on the extension of qualified majority voting on the eve of the European Council in December. He wondered if anyone today would deny there was a need to take swift decisions at European level against terrorism and organised crime.

Ben FAYOT, a Luxembourg MP and former member of the Convention, reminded the meeting that, following the attacks of 11 September 2001, the European Union had adopted a European arrest warrant. Perhaps 11 March, in turn, might enable Europe to move closer to a single area of security, freedom and justice.

Alain LAMASSOURE (EPP-ED, F) called on all MPs to urge the Irish Presidency to try to broker an agreement on the constitution before the elections. Otherwise, he felt, the elections risked "taking place in total confusion". Klaus HÄNSCH (PES, D), Parliament representative to the IGC, claimed there were now noticeable shifts on the part of Spain and even Poland on the subject of the double majority. Andrew DUFF (ELDR, UK) wanted the European Parliament and national parliaments to take up consistent positions on two issues: firstly, it should not be possible to block use of the "passerelle" (allowing decision-taking to be shifted from unanimity to majority voting for certain topics) except by one-third of national parliaments; secondly, the procedure for revising the Constitution should entail a requirement for the European Parliament's assent.

15.3.2004 Committee on Constitutional Affairs. In the chair: Giorgio NAPOLITANO (PES, I), with John BRUTON, co-chair on behalf of national parliaments

posted by Martin at 3/20/2004 11:08:00 AM

Friday, March 19, 2004

 
EU's Fraud Office moves against Free Speech

Europe's march back into darkness continues apace with this report of the EU's anti-fraud arm OLAF moving against an independent German magazine Stern which was instrumental in the exposure of corruption within Eurostat and could now be looking at the EU's investigatory organisation itself. Read the EUobserver report from here.

Alarm bells should be ringing across the Continent, where are the protests of the MEP's? Muted by the surrounding trough we presume, their noses so far in that the surrounding swill has now apparently also risen to blind their eyes!

posted by Martin at 3/19/2004 06:37:00 PM

 
Germany Sends 600 extra troops to Kosovo

A Reuters report, just in, states:-

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is send 600 additional troops to Kosovo as part of a NATO effort to quell an outbreak of violence there, Defense Minister Peter Struck said Friday.

The troops will start deploying Saturday and will bring Germany's contingent in Kosovo to 3,800 troops......
------
Germany is sending a full infantry battalion which will use equipment already stored in Kosovo, the German defense ministry said in a statement.

Flying in reserves to bolster its 18,500-strong force, NATO has vowed to stamp out the worst violence Kosovo has seen since the military alliance and the United Nations took control of the province from Serbia in 1999. It has said it will use "robust" action if required.

Now if we were to substitute the word 'Kosovo' by the word 'Iraq' this action would appear to be a complete foreign policy reversal by the Germans, though it hard for me to understand where the difference lies. Certainly the main reason why Germany refuses to help to aid the international effort to bring some peace and justice to Iraq is apparently the absence of specific UN backing, which of course was similarly lacking in the initial Kosovo action, in which, as can be seen from this press report, they still play an active role as they have from the start.

posted by Martin at 3/19/2004 11:35:00 AM

 
Government Drops Lords Reform

Ironic isn't it that just recently it has seemed that it is only the rump of 92 remaining hereditary peers that have seemed to be the last bastion of democracy in the country. Good news then, from the Daily Telegraph, this morning, in this report advising that due to the monumental drafting error in its latest Reform Bill, it will now have to abandon the legislation until its increasingly certain, third term of office.

posted by Martin at 3/19/2004 06:14:00 AM

 
Shameless Misreporting of EU-Federalist Press

This morning's Financial Times in an article reporting that Poland is now ready to concede on the EUs constitutional voting procedures, makes this completely inaccurate, but oh so typical, statement:-

The new constitution would give the EU a new president and foreign minister, streamline decision making in a union of 25 members and attempt to make it more democratically accountable.

There is nothing in the document that makes the slightest attempt to make the EU more democratically accountable, in fact it should be perfectly clear to even the least well informed casual reader, let alone a presumably well-trained journalist and his editorial supervisors, that any streamlining of decision making in a union of 25 members is, by definition, bound to make it less democratic.

The whole, totally depressing article, proving once again how bullies manage to prevail even in the face of all principals of equity and fairness can be read from here. Read this heart-wrenching quote from the Polish PM:-

Leszek Miller, the prime minister, said he did not want his country to be isolated after the new Socialist government in Spain signalled it would no longer fight alongside Poland in a battle over EU voting weights.

"For an individual loneliness is a very unpleasant mental state," he told Brussels-based journalists. "For a country it would be very dangerous."

Safety in numbers ? My foot! More like the tyranny of the majority and a sad end for the new dreams of freedom for the Polish people only so recently re-kindled and now hopelessly dashed. More totalitarianism for the vast majority of Europeans as well, of course, with the full squeeze now being available to turn against the democratic Swiss, whose embarassing individual freedoms in the centre of the EU will for sure now come under renewed pressure.

Let the battle for a referendum and against ratification resume! The Poles must believe that there are some in the old Western Europe who still value liberal democracy and the the right of the individual to be occasionally free of regulation and control, I fear they may be disappointed.

posted by Martin at 3/19/2004 05:58:00 AM

Thursday, March 18, 2004

 
Al Qaeda Rewards Spain for its craven stance on Iraq

While warning Britain, Australia and Saudi Arabia of imminent attacks from 'a brigade of death' Spain has been advised that Al Qaeda was freezing its operations in that country according to this report from BBC News linked here.

In a lunch time press conference with Jack Straw at the Foreign Office, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini pledged his country's commitment to retaining the Italian troop contingent in Iraq. Security at Milan's Malpensa Airport this morning was extremely tight as I can confirm.

posted by Martin at 3/18/2004 02:22:00 PM

 
Poles Raise the Ratification Problem

As France and Germany prepare to consolidate their bullying ahead of next week's EU summit, to get the voting agreement unanimously agreed at Nice revoked and replaced by something much more open to Commission and large state manipulation; all the pressure is now brought to bear on Poland, the Spanish having opted for Al Qaeda sponsored socialism following the justifiable ballot box protest at the blatant spin of the Madrid bombing incident by the outgoing government.

Poland, in spite of earlier reports of imminent capitulation, is not about to be the pushover the Axis powers might have hoped, as is clear from a report in this morning's International Herald Tribune We quote from the article:-

Tadeusz Iwinski, secretary of state in the office of Prime Minister Leszek Miller, said the Spanish election did not change the simple fact that the constitution does not have domestic political support in Poland.

"Any draft constitution has to be ratified by the Polish Parliament and we need a two-thirds majority in two chambers," Iwinski said in an interview Wednesday. "So Mr. Miller can theoretically sign anything but this would not be ratified by the Polish Parliament."

The article is titled 'Poland stands firm against the EU Constitution' and is linked from
here.

While the main hopes of all freedom loving people within Europe must now rest with the Poles, ratification requirements are the 'castle keep' from which the final back-up defence will almost certainly have to be mounted. In Britain our daily more oppressive government seems increasingly dtermined to prevent the people having any say on the final sacrifice of their individual common law rights and consequently their personal freedoms, citizenship and most importantly of all the last possibility of being periodically able to remove their real rulers.

The time to once again get active with Vote04 and/or Referendum04 has arrived and in this regard we draw readers attention to this debate organised by The Democracy Movement :

'LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK!' ROADSHOW
Invitation to a major Public Debate
Thursday 25th March 2004, 7:30pm

'Britain and the EU: Which way forward?'

Please join us to hear both sides of the argument on the issue of an EU Constitution and the case for a referendum.

Speakers:

John Cryer MP - Labour for a Referendum
David Heathcoat-Amory MP - Conservative representative on the European Convention
-v-
Sir Anthony Meyer - Federal Union
Mark Littlewood - Liberal Democrat

with special guest speaker from Germany: Thomas Rupp (European Referendum Campaign)

at: Chelsea Old Town Hall, King's Road (near Sydney Street), Chelsea, London

Free admission - Everyone welcome

Nearest tubes: South Kensington or Sloane Square (Circle/District lines).
Car parking available in Sydney Street. For a map and directions to Chelsea Old Town Hall, click
here:
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/vfhfindus/General/default.asp

Democracy Movement
51 Charles Street, London W1J 5ES
T: 0870 511 0440 F: 020 7491 3036
mail@democracymovement.org.uk

posted by Martin at 3/18/2004 06:48:00 AM

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

 
Prodi Shames all Europeans

Demonstrating complete and utter inability to combine cause with effect the EU's Commission President, who thankfully is now in his final months of office, betrays the European weakness to properly assess and address the causes of Islamic terrorism.

Totally overlooking the fact that terrorism atrocities far pre-dated the action in Iraq, Prodi tries to manipulate the truth in the manner which has become totally habitual amongst his dreaful and incompetent comission who presume, without any democratic authority whatsoever, to speak on our behalf.

EU Business carries the report titled 'Prodi says Madrid attacks show failure of Iraq war' which is linked here.

Predictably and lamentably Prodi continues to suggest that what is needed now in Europe, to combat the threat of more attacks is a terrorism commissioner.

That of course is absolutely the last thing needed now in Europe. What would be useful now would be an immediate clarification that neither the EU, nor any of its officials NOR any of its institutions should have or has any role or any part to play in the protection of Europe's citizens from further acts of terrorism.

EU involvement, as in every area of its control, would confuse the lines of responsibility, encourage dangerous side-shifting of decision-making and precipitate delays in urgent planning and action taking.

Only democratically elected national politicians can properly be held accountable by each country's citizens for failures in this crucial area of anti-terrorism measures. Inter- government co-operation is necessary and attainable without any EU involvement.

This is one area for sure, where the people really deserve to know exactly who is in charge. If it is yet another commissioner reporting to that walking disaster area Romano Prodi, then God help us all!

posted by Martin at 3/17/2004 04:30:00 PM

 
Will the EU get its Constitution Courtesy of Al Qaeda?

EUobserver reports the French and German leaders, desperate for a EU Constitution deal (presumably so that the Maastricht provisions regarding G & S Pact breaches can be scrapped), are much more opitimistic over the prospects for winning through, linked here.

London at the same time had reports coming from Downing Street maintaining that agreement was still far off, see this article from The Scotsman from this link.

More incredibly, than either of these predictable posturings, is the picture emerging of almost unbelievable incompetence, negligence or pure ostrich syndronism coming out from reports of the investigations into the Madrid bombings. This report from CNN shows that Al Qaeda was known to be discussing the overthrow of the Spanish Government last December linked here and even more startlingly, (if that is possible!), this report also from CNN which follows known links of the bomber, recognised by eyewitnesses as having been on the Madrid train, apparently at total liberty in spite of having known links to Al Qaeda, other bombers and even September eleventh conspirators. Report and links from here.

posted by Martin at 3/17/2004 10:46:00 AM

 
Common Sense RIP

We received this which we thought well worth passing along:-

Everybody Daily News
FRIDAY, March 12, 2004

OBITUARY


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense
who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost
in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come
in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and
reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge).

His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized hewas gone. If you still know him pass this on, if not join the majority and do nothing

posted by Martin at 3/17/2004 06:57:00 AM

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

 
France in 'Catastrophic' State

The following is an excerpt from an article carried on the 'NO' to the Euro campaign web site:-

Roger Fauroux, France's former Inspector of Finances, said his country was in a "catastrophic" state and would have faced a currency crisis already if it had not been for the euro. He described currency union as a double-edged sword that jams the warning mechanisms and shields the economy from the discipline of market forces, allowing problems to fester.

"Without the euro, our fiscal policy would have forced us to devalue three times by now. France is protected by the euro umbrella so we don't have to worry about the pressure of vanishing reserves. But our fiscal policy is just as irresponsible as it was in 1981 (under Mitterrand), without the benefit of inflation eroding the debt," he said.

He feared that the French deficit would mushroom to 7pc of GDP by 2007 unless growth picked up soon. It was 4.1pc last year, smashing through the 3pc limit of the EU's stability pact.

But Brussels is more immediately concerned about the high debts of Italy, Greece and Portugal, fearing the markets could demand a greater risk premium on government bonds now that the fiscal rules underpinning the euro has collapsed.

It was originally in the Daily Telegraph but linked from here. If visiting the site the recent poll showing only 15 per cent of Britons now support Euro entry is also worth reading.

posted by Martin at 3/16/2004 08:33:00 PM

 
Blood Transfusion vCJD Ban

Given this British government's disinclination to tell the truth about anything, what is to be made of the announcement regarding those who have received blood since April 1980, now being banned as blood donors?

The most detailed report I have found is this from Medical News TODAY linked from here. It states 52,000 donors will be lost as a result.

If the risk of each of these donors having the same statistical chance of having received blood from a vCJD sufferer was the problem, the statistical increase in national risk would be so small as to make the concern raised by the ban seem not worth the trouble. Therefore evidence has presumably emerged that the risk is significantly greater than that.

Batching of blood, or limited combinations amongst donors for plasma etc. would still not appear sufficient to increase the level of risk by any substantial degree whatsoever. Could the answer be that there has been some cross contamination of large parts of the NHS blood stocks, or a largish portion of them at some particular time or place. If so then a further announcement and justification should be made.

Canada banned anybody who had lived in Britain from being a blood donor years ago and that decision too has never been properly explained within Britain to my knowledge.

Anybody wanting background into the rather shady international blood trade is recommended to read "Blood" An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce by Douglas Starr.

posted by Martin at 3/16/2004 06:27:00 PM

 
European Civil War? Mark Steyn

Daily Telegraph has a typically hard-hitting but well considerd opinion column from Mark Steyn this morning linked here, from which the following is the concluding paragraph:-

The only fighting that there is going to be in Europe in the foreseeable future is civil war, and when that happens American infantrymen will want to be somewhere safer. Like Iraq. There are strong horses and weak horses, but right now western Europe is looking like a dead horse.

posted by Martin at 3/16/2004 09:07:00 AM

 
Thus do the Tyrants Flourish and Advance

The International Herald Tribune carries an article 'Spain wil now push for deal on EU Constitution by Thomas Fuller which has this statement from the new Spanish Prime Minister:-

"Our intention is to accelerate as soon as possible a European constitution," Zapatero said.

At a news conference, Zapatero said his government would seek from "Day 1" to restore "magnificent relations with France, with Germany and with all the countries of the European Union."

Zapatero's warm, somewhat effusive language was a sharp departure from the outgoing conservative government, which together with Poland stood up to 23 other countries and blocked agreement on the constitution. The document calls for a European Union president and a foreign minister and proposes a more mathematical voting system to replace the arcane system in place now.

THe full article which is well worth reading, is linked from here. It describes the isolation now felt by the bravely resisting Poles and the disgraceful efforts by the French Foreign Minister de Villepin, to predictably use the terrorist threat as an excuse for adopting a Common Law.

In such a way has the EU always advanced its tyrannical rule. If one or more nations resist for a while, as did the once independent nation states which formed the European Free Trade Area as a counterbalance to the original community, the EU employs economic subterfuge or other underhand tactics (such as the present border difficulties now employed by the Germans against the Swiss) until the smaller and weaker countries are sufficiently cowed they are forced to surrender. Where occasionally a courageous national leader arrives who is prepared to defend the collective rights of his fellow countryman or women, such as Maggie Thatcher or Jose Marie Aznar, the new evil empire bides its time, weakens that leader by all means available and eventually is rewarded by a Kohl marionette such as John Major or now an overly effusive Zapatero.

We are now at a stage where potential national leaders who might pose a problem in the future are now seemingly to be replaced in advance. The clearing of Iain Duncan Smith this week of any wrongdoing over his wife's employment, of which much was made during the conspiracy to replace him, seems to suggest the lengths the EU now seems both willing and apparently able to go to ensure that nothing but compliant placemen get to the top of the national ex-democracies. Michael Howard's performance and statements towards the EU and the EPP in particular provide as much circumstantial evidence as one could want to make arguing to the contrary practically impossible.

In further illustration of the Conservative Party's complete surrender to the EU, we yesterday had a former supposedly leading Tory MEP eurosceptic, Daniel Hannan arguing in his regular Euro Roundup that the EU is plainly not a tyranny. That item and my response may be read from this link to Teetering Tories

posted by Martin at 3/16/2004 07:16:00 AM

Monday, March 15, 2004

 
The thousands of yearly EU decisions applicable to YOU

The web site of the totalitarian EU conglomerstate is now boasting of the control it exerts over YOUR daily life. The 'ABC Guide to Community Law' by Dr Klaus-Dieter Borchardt opens as follows:-

The LEGAL ORDER CREATED by the European Community has become a PERMANENT feature of political reality in the 15 Member States of the European Union.

On the basis of the European Treaties, thousands of decisions are taken each year which have a major impact on the running of the Member States and on the lives of European citizens. The individual ceased long ago to be a citizen merely of a town, locality or State: he is now a Community citizen too. (Emphasis added by Ironies - ed.)

So do not let any British politician or vote-seeking MEP candidate try to say anything different in the coming European Parliamentary election campaign! The Guide is linked from here.

Read it if you wish but I can provide a summary of its meaning:-

You are no longer an individual but a cypher. You have no power to elect or not to elect those who rule you. You have no say in the processes by which you are governed or any other aspects of public administration. You have lost all the democratic rights and freedoms hard fought for and won by your forefathers and these have been stolen by the lies, subterfuge and avaricious stealth of those you thought were your own elected and trustworthy leaders, nearly all of whom were your fellow countrymen and women. There is no escape from this nightmare. There is nothing in the Institutions of your form of governance in which you can now take pride! All the structures that run your daily life are based on untruths and are largely corrupt!

The traumas of Europe in the twentieth century were suffered for nought. If born since the Second World War there is nothing in which your generation can justifiably take pride. We have destroyed our birthright, betrayed our forebears and are left with nothing of value. Next comes the Constitutional Treaty with yet more regulation and lost freedoms.

Read the ABC Guide of lies, half-truths and plain nonsense and wait for the many thousand new rules, regulations and directives which YOU have left yourself with no alternative but to meekly accept! PERMANENTLY......THOUSANDS PER YEAR.......YEAR AFTER YEAR as a COMMUNITY CITIZEN!

At least they are now beginning to tell us the truth, they must believe there really can be no going back!

posted by Martin at 3/15/2004 06:07:00 PM

 
Spain's New PM wants 'accelerated' EU Constitution.

EUBusiness carries the feared and almost inevitable news that the new Spanish PM Zapetero not only wants the new EU constitution, but wants it on an accelerated basis. Read the report linked here

The Poles have already indicated a willingness to negotiate with the axis bullies. Now we will see what Blair's red lines really mean!

posted by Martin at 3/15/2004 02:01:00 PM

 
Aznar's Defeat a setback for certain secretive Internationalists?

I commented here at the end of last week, on the strange determination of a spokesman for The Economist magazine to push the case, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, for ETA having been the perpetrators of the Madrid train bombs.

Also on this blog I have been describing the interviews recently given by then Spanish Prime-Minister Aznar to various mainstream European newspapers, as if presenting a manifesto for his leadership of the EU. Were these events connected? If so has the defeat of Aznar's party at the polls, possibly a protest by the voters at the increasingly obvious attempts to spin the events surrounding the dreadful bombings, also now blown such plans to pieces?

It remains to be seen, such a plan could all have been a figment of my imagination; but if indeed it did exist and is now doomed to fail, then the bombers, whether they be Al Qaeda or some other group, have truly pulled off a coup of world shaping dimensions!

posted by Martin at 3/15/2004 06:04:00 AM

 
The UN - Another Major Casualty of the Madrid Bombs.

The United Nations has now shown itself to be the shallow, publicity seeking and opportunistic organisation that so many small signs have been indicating it was becoming for so many years. On 11th March 2004 the Security Council adopted Resolution 1530 (2004) after a meeting of five minutes, held just before lunch. It included this opening statement:-

1. Condemns in the strongest terms the bomb attacks in Madrid, Spain, perpetrated by the terrorist group ETA on 11 March 2004, in which many lives were claimed and people injured, and regards such act, like any act of terrorism, as a threat to peace and security;

Not one of the world's most senior diplomats, who like to adopt the airs and graces of dignified statesman apparently carrying responsibilty for the fate of mankind upon their shoulders, hesitated or questioned whether the assignation of guilt upon one organisation, ETA, might not perhaps be premature. Much of the world's media and many of its citizens, had been so debating for many hours before the UN Diplomats had even assembled and drawn opposite conclusions to the emerging consensus.

Those of us who habitually watch the weekly CNN International programme Diplomatic License about the affairs of the UN, cannot but have helped but have noticed (and in my own case been appalled by) the growing evidence that the organisation had increasingly been adopting a public attitude that was self-satisfied, smug, and frequently downright self-congratulatory, usually in total contradiction to all the evidence of its actual performance.

A sense has been gathering that the organisation and membership of it was more important than the ideas behind it and the aspirations of those who fund it, somewhat akin to that pertaining in the European Parliament. The present UN ethos seems entirely separate from the principles on which the UN was founded or the concerns and aspirations of the ordinary men and women across the world, that it is supposed to represent. The diplomats, international bureaucrats and media representatives who report on its activities seem to be inhabiting a different and entirely separate universe.

UN Resolution 1530 (2004), which can be read in full from this link, should stand as a monument to this complacency and lack of concern or careful consideration of events and their consequences. A monument marking such ethos having been brought to an end! The world should have a right to expect better from its one truly global organisation, and at the very least, slow, careful and due consideration of all the facts and factors behind the complicated forces at play on all the mostly dreadful events occurring within the world today.

Today's UN: Beyond irony for certain and an international disgrace for sure!

PS This week's CNN UN programme reported on the missing Black Box from the crashed plane in which the Rwandan President had been killed. A UN Press Spokesman having first mocked its very existence finally came clean admitting it had lain in a UN filing cabinet for years! I ask you?

posted by Martin at 3/15/2004 05:31:00 AM

Sunday, March 14, 2004

 
Greek Airport Scandal

Christopher Booker in his regular Sunday Telegraph column, gives a passing reference to the exciting news of the independent MEP campaign being mounted by Martin Bell. It is a strange way of commenting upon the campaign which we would have thought would have been welcomed by the veteran anti-EU corruption campaigner. Grudging support only I would say, I wonder why?

The details of the airport scandal do indeed make startling reading however, as can be discovered from this link. With a total figure of over two and a quarter billion euros having been spent, the German project compnay 'Hochtief' ending up with a 45 per cent holding for an outlay of only 133 million euros.

Martin Bell's Campaign Home Page and an E-mail link have both been added to our side-bar!

posted by Martin at 3/14/2004 06:49:00 AM

Saturday, March 13, 2004

 
Hopeless Outlook in Holland?

Yesterday we highlighted the dire economic straits caused in Italy by their belonging to the Euro.

Holland too, clearly has its difficulties, as this quote from a report by Bloomberg's makes clear:-

The Dutch economy shrank 0.8 percent last year, contracting for the first time since 1982, after average growth of 3.2 percent between 1994 and 2001, when rising wages began eroding Dutch competitiveness just as the global economic slowdown took hold.

`A Lesson'

``In some ways, the Netherlands is a lesson in what can go wrong in a region like the euro zone where there's a single currency, little labor mobility and a relatively inflexible labor force,'' said Rajeev Demello, who manages the equivalent of $6.7 billion at Pictet & Cie. in Geneva.

The economy's decline is mirrored in the stock market's performance. The benchmark Amsterdam Exchanges Index has dropped 20 percent over the past three years, making it the world's fourth-worst-performing primary index in the same period.

Dutch economy stays torpid...Bloomberg.

Who to blame? A start might be not to return any sitting Dutch MEPs to Brussels in the elections this June! Or any from anywhere perhaps?

posted by Martin at 3/13/2004 05:21:00 PM

Friday, March 12, 2004

 
Spanish Bombing Outrage

The streets of Madrid and other Spanish cities were choked with choked people tonight.

The tragedy and toll of dead and injured are appalling. Also, now. is the growing suspicion that various authorities seem to wish to manipulate the information available in ascribing the blame, as between the Basque separtist group ETA and Al Qaeda even while doubts grow that the attack does not at all fit the former's normal operational patterns.

The initial reaction from members of the Spanish government was understandable. Less so were the regular appearances of a senior member of The Economist's journalistic team on various international TV news channels, ie. CNN and BBC World, strenuously arguing against any alternative to ETA being the perpetrators. This mystified me all yesterday and makes even less sense today. The entire UN Security Council similarly abandoned deliberate and cautious judgement and reportedly also condemned the Basques in a unanimous resolution, which was similarly disturbing.

A question, halfway through a CNN interview this evening with the Spanish Ambassador to the USA, who was trying to maintain the line that ETA were still the most likely culprits, was even more worrying as far as truth manipulation is concerned and was put roughly as follows - "has the Spanish Foreign Minister today issued instruction to all Spanish Ambassadors across the world that ETA is to be blamed?.....there was no meaningful response!

Other than that there was a fascinating exchange on CNBC of all places, regarding the loss of values across our societies that makes us open to these attacks. The interviewer missed the point, as I did the name of the London University security expert who made such a well-argued and valid case! How are we to defend our Societies without values?

posted by Martin at 3/12/2004 08:21:00 PM

 
Italy sees EU Recovery Hopes as Forlorn

The Italian News Agency AGI can see the bleak reality now facing Euroland as the prospects of economic recovery lie smashed by the recent machismo induced and meteoric rise of the Euro against the Dollar as relished by the economoically illiterate and socially uncaring EU elite.

The report is linked from here and is titled CONFINDUSTRIA: BLEAK RECOVERY OUTLOOK FOR EUROPE the following is a brief quote:-

Italy's recovery is heavily affected by the euro exchange rate, with figures marking stagnation since August 2003. Recent figures indicate that as was the case during the first half of 2003 the Italian economy is suffering at the hands of the euro far more than other EU economies. According to ISTAT foreign trade figures, January exports outside EU bounds have fallen 3.4 pct compared to December. The slump follows up in the wake of November and December falls and has Italian exports ratings worst performance since 2000. Export hindrances and a lack of internal demand have caused industrial stagnation. According to the CSC flash report January-February industrial output figures are level on par with the latter half of 2003.

posted by Martin at 3/12/2004 05:42:00 PM

 
Benefits of Bullying

EUobserver linked here in a piece titled 'Poland could accept new voting system in EU Constitution' and EUBusiness in a further report since our post below, linked here announces (YET AGAIN) that Bertie Ahern supports the double majority voting system, though his reasoning betrays the total lack of logic for his position:-

"The reason I am prepared to move to 'double majority' as, I think, is the vast majority (of EU states), is because we see the difficulty that we'll be creating if we don't", Ahern said.

and thus were bullies ever appeased!

posted by Martin at 3/12/2004 05:31:00 PM

 
German Bullying

Following the Spanish rejection of the compromise voting procedures being touted by the Irish Presidency, the German Chancellor has turned his attention from his war against the tabloids (as reported in this morning's Daily Telegraph read here), to trying to pressurise the Poles once again, see this linked item from EU Business.

These shameless shenanigans, where the Germans try every trick in the book to renege on the terms of the Nice Treaty which was stitched up and devised by Chirac and Schroeder themselves, is becoming increasingly unsightly and unpleasant to the point of it becoming thoroughly obnoxious.

Germany agreed a ludicrously unbalanced voting procedure in Nice, now they must learn to live with it. Britain was right royally screwed when we joined thirty years ago and none of the supposed negotiated remedies in the intervening period have worked, but we have paid our bills and lived with the consequences, such as fishless seas, working time directives, inequitable payments etc.etc. The EU is a failed institution that offers its citizens less and less say in their own affairs and increasingly less of the economic benefits it once promised, time we all considered the alternatives - n'est pas?

posted by Martin at 3/12/2004 03:03:00 PM

 
Does Soul Ring a Bell?

According to this report in The Scotsman of a Starsky and Hutch re-make premier last evening linked here David Soul is set to help Martin Bell's candidature as an independent in the Eastern Region MEP elections for next June 10th. The report was amplified by the Norfolk paper EDP24 also linked from here.

Ironies strongly believes that all regions should have a chance of voting for candidates who will rigidly refuse not to join the disgusting gravy train represented by the European Parliament. We continue to update the links and facts about the disgusting excesses of the parasitic MEPs on our sister blog 'WE WON"T GO' linked from here!

posted by Martin at 3/12/2004 02:23:00 PM

Thursday, March 11, 2004

 
Patten

I wish to put this here for future reference - my apologies for the apparent waste of space!

The Guardian Chris Patten Interview and short biography

posted by Martin at 3/11/2004 05:58:00 PM

 
Constitutional Crisis (continued)

Lord Strathclyde Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords throws down the gauntlet to the government in a fighting piece in this morning's (effectively proprieterless) Daily Telegraph.. The Opinion article is titled 'Never forget, Prime Minister, that Parliament is sovereign' which may be read by clicking here. The following is an extract, but please read the column in full, it is critical to the future freedoms of Britain:-

The forces of change have had a good run; it would be wise for them to pause and let what they have won bed down. It would be wise to realise the constitution does not belong to one party or one group within it.

There comes a point when those in Parliament, of all parties, who believe no government has a right to ram through unilateral change, irrespective of past undertakings or in the absence of any manifesto authority, must be counted for what they believe in. These are not arguments of mere academic interest or low politics, but of high principle. They touch the bedrock of the way we are and will be governed.

posted by Martin at 3/11/2004 05:26:00 AM

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

 
Queen sees Lord Chancellor

The BBC has let it be known that a 'private' meeting is being held between the Queen and her Lord Chancellor. Is this the closest we can come to a Constitutional Crisis? The BBC report is linked from here.

In this connection, beneath this is quoted the third of four extremely pertinent points made by the Earl of Errol in the House of Lords on 8th March, two evenings ago before the defeat of the governments constitutional bill:-

'I notice that the order of precedence in this country goes: Monarch and Royal Family, Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of York, Prime Minister. If we removed the Lord Chancellor—and we notice that the Crown is being steadily removed from government branding, probably in preparation for a downgrading of the monarchy, and we know that certain elements would dearly like to get rid of the Royal Family—and then we also remember that the Prime Minister appoints the two archbishops, using much the same mechanism as he intends to use to appoint the judges, we have a Prime Minister who is truly an elected dictator.'

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 09:06:00 PM

 
Dr Macshane invokes the 'Entente Cordiale


As warned on this blog, the Entente Cordial is certain to be often trotted out by the federalists this year to further justify more sacrificc of our nation's self-government. This is a quote just received from the Foreign and Commonwealth press Office, on a speech marking the launch of the official 100 anniversary web-site:-

"THE EU WILL BE SHAPED BY BRITAIN AND FRANCE"

In a speech on 9 March 2004, at the launch of the Entente Cordial 100 website, the Minister for Europe, Denis MacShane, said: 'The EU will be shaped by Britain and France – also by its other 23 Member States. But Britain and France have not so much a special relationship but a special responsibility to make Europe work. We will never build Europe without France or against France, without Britain or against Britain.' Dr MacShane concluded by saying: 'I hope this year will allow us to go forward and build a new century that shows France and the UK can mark the history of Europe and raise our sights to a new ambition of helping to make a better world.'

The real impact and results of that treaty were discussed and may be re-read from
here on 25th January in a post titled 'Anglo/German Relations' and on a more lighthearted note from here on 2nd February, in an item on how the two now corrupted parties to the original deal are viewed from 'down under'

Those wishing to read the latest from our Europe Minister 'MacShame' may do so from this link

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 02:21:00 PM

 
EU unveils Citizen Control Programmes beyond 2006

The EU Commission has announced more money wasting schemes for the direction of its enlarged population :-

They underline the need to establish reinforced and restructured programmes which are clearer to the citizens of an enlarged European Union, enabling them in particular to benefit from a true common area in terms of mobility. Once established, these new programmes will also enable institutions in the fields of education, training and culture to improve the way they cooperate with each other.

The proposals may be read from this link to The future of education and citizenship policies.

Also highlighted in today's Midday Express the piracy legislation on which we commented earlier, and the opening of an EU dlegation office in New Zealand, as if Britain needs such extra representation, part funded by British taxpayers when we have superb links and relationship through the Commonwealth and many, many families. More wasted money for an office probably mainly intended to undermine Britains already close ties with our New Zealand friends.

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 11:44:00 AM

 
Spain Rejects Irish Voting Compromise

Spain has rejected the latest compromise proposal on EU Constitutional Treaty voting weights. This detailed report is from this morning's Financial Times, click here to read in full

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 11:34:00 AM

 
EU Internet Law to Allow Home Invasions

New laws on the Internet just passed in Strasbourg will allow the invasion of homes and the policing of the internet by the EU, merely on the excuse of music copyright infringement with civil penalties including seizure of property and bank accounts.

As is increasingly the case in the ever more oppressive EU, consumer group protests were almost totally disregarded by the expenses fiddling MEPs who voted by 330 to 151 with 39 abstentions to fast track the procedures. Another black day for opponents of the non-democratic conglomerstate where the internet, in the absence of any attempt to preserve or provide accountable democracy, is one of the few, but most effective, tools for those attempting to maintain some remaining individual liberties.

This report is from Constant Brand of Associated Press and comes via the Detroit News linked from here and titled 'EU Parliament pass tough rules for fighting piracy'. Further reporting on the implications also linked here from The Independent Internet users who download music illegally face home raids.

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 07:27:00 AM

 
Britain's Enormous Trade Deficit

The Guardian reports on the disastrous effect the weak dollar is having on Britain's balance of payments. It will be remembered that it was such ongoing and apparently incurable problems that destroyed earlier Labour governments reputations for sound economic management. The full report may be read from this link.

Read in conjunction with this report in this morning's Daily Telegraph titled 'Tax Twice EU Average' which is linked from here, it can be seen that the Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer has finally milked dry the sound economy which he inherited.

posted by Martin at 3/10/2004 06:27:00 AM

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

 
EU Goes Public on Anger with the Swiss

As predicted in my novel 'Millennium Blitzkrieg' written eight years ago, the EU is now 'officially' angry with the Swiss. This report in the Financial Times linked here, is but one of several reporting this fact now available on Google News search word 'EU'.

The increasingly non-democratic and totalitarian European Union will be less and less able to accept the ultra-democratic and liberty-loving Swiss as an island of freedom in their dark and increasingly opressive state. Expect a regime of creeping sanctions and officially encouraged tourism boycotts for my book's Swiss predictions to be met.... it was however set in 2014, so still time yet!

posted by Martin at 3/09/2004 09:04:00 PM

 
An Aznar Manifesto to Lead the EU?

EUobserver provides an English summary of an interview given by the retiring Spanish Prime Minister to Le Monde. It seems ver similar to an earlier one provided recently by the London Times. The translation is linked from here and the following is to me the most interesting portion:-

He said, "The EU has taken a series of very important decisions: deciding to reunify Europe, reform our institutions, launch the euro, aim to become the most competitive economy in the world, organise a system of defence and justice. And moreover, all of this has broken down. In these areas, Europe is even going backwards"!

But, according to Mr Aznar, these issues are not being thrashed out by leaders in summit meetings as one might expect.

The Spanish leader asserts, "It has been a long time since the European leaders discussed these matters in depth. Recently, we hardly talk about anything".

Wanted: leadership for Europe
Continuing in a similar critical vein, Mr Aznar says that enlargement has been seen more as a problem than an opportunity, that EU institutions are stuck, that the EU is in neutral gear when it comes to the economy and that the transatlantic link is being called into question.

posted by Martin at 3/09/2004 02:19:00 PM

 
Lords' Revolt

In the press coverage of the defeat of the Government's constitutional bill I have seen no mention of the role of the European Union. Yet evidence clearly exists that the scrapping of the Lord Chancellor's office is being carried out at the behest of our masters in Brussels. The Daily Telegraph Leader of 13th June last year stated the following:-

Only last April, Lord Irvine defended his office before a Commons select committee against demands from the European Union that a politician should not also sit as a judge. Yet the fact that the Lord Chancellor not only appoints judges but is invariably a distinguished judge has ensured that the English judiciary remains both the most independent and the least politicised in the world. To abolish this bulwark of the law by the stroke of a prime ministerial pen is a usurpation of executive power over the judiciary. If abolition is desirable, it should have been mooted, not amid the secrecy and personality politics of a Cabinet reshuffle, but after a thorough debate and on the basis of consensus.

Ironies blogs on this subject may be re-read here again here and most recently on 6th January in a post titled 'The British Nation' linked here.

The debate this morning on the Radio 4 Today between representatives of the two sides in the House of Lords typified the deliberate suppression of the real reasons behind these changes. Most noticeably when the BBC's John Humphries asked why the changes were necessary after so many hundreds of years. Not one participant mentioned the EU, even in passing, clearly indicating that it is not just this government that is conspiring in keeping the truth hidden, but so too is the BBC and, of course, the Conservative Party.

As always the EU agenda is advanced by a non-democratic conspiracy of our ruling institutions working against the the historical arrangements which have protected the interests and freedoms of the British people.

Yet it is all too clear that in the British Isles we have been free from tyranny for centuries, while the Continentals with their system of protections for the individual from their rulers, have for the most part, had only decades of comparative liberty on which to look back. For our rulers not to recognise that fact is to demonstrate that they too must now be driven by the lust for power over others!

posted by Martin at 3/09/2004 08:40:00 AM

Monday, March 08, 2004

 
The Loss of our Law

This book review, if not indeed the book istelf, is a must for those concerned about the loss of ancient British freedoms under the Blair/Blunkett bulldozer to our rights. The item is from The Observer of yesterday and is of 'Just Law' by Helena Kennedy - Chatto & Windus £20, pp356 . The review may be read from this link. A quote from the review:-

'What distinguishes the state from the subversive in a liberal democracy lies in the existence in the former of an independent rule of law, to which the authorities are always subject.'

posted by Martin at 3/08/2004 05:05:00 PM

 
EU President Ahern drops pretence of Neutrality

IRISH PRIME MINISTER BERTIE AHERN BACKS GERMANY AGAINST POLAND

(Statement from The National Platform Research and Information Group, 24
Crawford Avenue, Dublin 9, Ireland)

Monday 8 March 2004

Ireland's Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is openly siding with Germany in pressurising Poland to change its position on its Nice Treaty voting rights, so as to make possible the re-founding of the European Union on the basis of its own State Constitution.

He hopes to open the way to this at the EU summit meeting in three weeks time.

The Irish Prime Minister is thereby flouting the convention that the holder of the EU Presidency should be neutral and impartial between its Member States on issues that are in dispute etween them.

EUBusiness meanwhile reports the Germans as considering a compromise, still based however on the original Franco/German proposal. The Nice Treaty voting basis originally proposed by Chirac and accepted by Schroeder has the advantage of already being signed and agreed by all parties and therefore requires no re-negotiating whatever. Read the latest connivings from here.

Most Europeans should prefer to see agreed Treaties not being renegotiated by threats and bullying

posted by Martin at 3/08/2004 03:16:00 PM

 
Non-events

This from EUobserver that tells us this is to be a busy week in the EU, we quote:-

The European Parliament has a busy week at its plenary session in Strasbourg. Important items on the agenda include a debate between MEPs and the Irish Presidency on EU Constitution and on the agenda for the Spring Summit which will concentrate on economic issues.

The Constitution issue will also be re-visited on Tuesday when the architect of the current Treaty blueprint Valéry Giscard d'Estaing appears before the Constitutional Affairs Committee.

What exactly the European Parliament and the Irish Presidency expect to achieve from their talks on the EU constitution heavens only knows, nor what role VGdE now has to play in the process that is stalled between still somewhat sovereign states, is a mystery. What is certain the whole week will cost taxpayers a fortune and much french cuisine and fine wines will no doubt be consumed.

Today is also International Women's Day. Suggestions?

posted by Martin at 3/08/2004 08:08:00 AM

Sunday, March 07, 2004

 
EU's Expansion as seen in Washington

An article from today's Washington Times titled Opportunity, anxiety in new Europe is a worthwhile read on the EU's upcoming and increasingly troubled expansion planned for tghis May Day. The article may be read in full from this link and the following is a brief quote:-

The shift in thinking is dramatic — from jubilation a year ago, when voters in the 10 nations approved EU membership, to the resignation felt in Eastern Europe today. It is captured in an Estonian newspaper cartoon that depicts a bewildered man staring into his wallet and thinking: "That's funny — it's just as empty today as it was yesterday."

posted by Martin at 3/07/2004 10:23:00 AM

Saturday, March 06, 2004

 
Health Danger

The following is being circulated on certain internet fora and makes light weekend reading for the eurorealist:-

"Be aware. Be very aware. There is a toxic menace threatening both Yorkshire and N.Lincs. It is on the march. You have no doubt heard of Asian and Spanish flu? Well, this is the insidious Brussels Plague.

The disease has been running rampant since 1973 and an opportunity was missed to eradicate it two years later but a terrifying outbreak of 'Foot-in Mouth-Disease' by our politicians meant that the opportunity was missed. Its growth has been unchecked since then with consequences to our household budgets, our rights to self determination and threats to our age old freedoms. It has unbelievable effects on the brain. Contact with the pernicious EU strain can result in a terrible malady known as 'europhilia' which is as painful as it sounds. It strikes at those parts of the brain where common sense is stored and produces an offshoot of the Stockholm Syndrome where a victim learns to love their assailant. However ridiculous and corrupt are the antics of the original menace, the victim becomes mentally incapable of discerning the root cause of their infirmity and clings pathetically to a belief in the ultimate benevolence of their tragic and possibly terminal condition.

Regionaires' Disease is the latest mutant to have developed from the basic virus. It attempts to divide nations into 'smaller chunks' which will make the whole easier to attack and destroy. It weakens the body politick, demands resources at a rate faster than the body can produce them and causes a drain of energy and often the will to live.

The brain is circumvented and control of the body is lost and management of
the bodily functions is passed to Brussels for analysis, misdiagnosis and maltreatment.

These linked conditions are highly virulent and the only known cure is to hand over your healthcare to any party not tainted with the misleadinly named Nice Syndrome."

posted by Martin at 3/06/2004 10:16:00 AM

 
Titford Trembles

(This post is reproduced on our sister blogs UKIP Uncovered and Teetering Tories

Jeffrey Titford MEP, former member of the racist New Britain Party and ineffective one-time leader of UKIP, who either colluded in, or allowed to pass without sanction, the illegal BBC video tape copyright infringements of Nigel Farage MEP and Mike Nattrass, yesterday with three other Eastern Region MEP colleagues clearly displayed the panic Martin Bell's Independent MEP Canditature is causing. We quote from this latest report from EDP24

"He really needs a party behind him otherwise he will just drift from thing to another," Mr Titford explained.

Like witnessing boxers reeling after taking a heavy blow you could sense that though stunned they may be about to come out fighting.

The full article 'Ringing the Bell for Change' is linked from here.

More independents in all regions is the only way voters will receive a proper chance to elect some non-corrupted representatives for the Augean Stables of the European Parliament.

posted by Martin at 3/06/2004 08:48:00 AM

 
Light Relief for the Weekend

Try the satirical and amusing political 'humerous quiz' that has been added as a link to our side-bar and can also be accessed by clicking here

posted by Martin at 3/06/2004 06:35:00 AM

 
EU Constitution Pressure Grows and Augean Stables

EU Business reports pressure from the Presidents of Italy and Germany, they are pushing for a resumption of constitutional negotiations. Attention remains on the voting weight disagreement, if that were resolved other huge areas of difference should then loom larger. The Irish Presidency still sees small chance of resolution at present. The Spanish elections could be key in my view. Read the brief report from here.

If movement towards final agreement does materialise during the Irish Presidency, then the 10th June European Parliamentary elections could be turned into a public protest against those governing parties refusing referenda in large countries such as Germany (where there is deep-seated disgust as reported below), Britain and even France. Such protests coming on top of existing voter disapproval of incumbents for their excessive expenses could then result in a thorough clean out of the European Parliamentary Augean Stables.

posted by Martin at 3/06/2004 06:04:00 AM

Friday, March 05, 2004

 
Martin Bell to stand as Independent MEP Candidate in the Eastern Region

The candidacy of Martin Bell as an Independent in the Euros has just been announced in a Norfolk local paper EDP 24 linked from here.

Although mainly protesting at the electoral system used in the Euros he will also target the corruption in Europe, we quote:

Mr Bell describes himself as "a moderate Eurosceptic". He is against withdrawing from the EU but wants to fight in Strasbourg and Brussels against "the corruption which lies at its heart".

This point is also stressed in his election address, which states: "I have a record of challenging corruption. I was first elected on it. We can do it again.

posted by Martin at 3/05/2004 08:49:00 AM

 
UK is Kyoto Klutz

Kyoto kills national wealth and has pretty well been written off as a non-starter across the globe. Most national governments see fostering their economies as an important part of their responsibilities. Ever since the Kyoto protocol was rejected as being impossible to pass through the US Congress - DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF BILL CLINTON IT SHOULD BE RECALLED - most realists accepted that the whole exercise had become effectively pointless.

Not Britain, however. Yesterday the EU Commission issued a table showing how member states were progressing towards their Kyoto targets; while blithely stating in passing that the whole growth destroying nonsense would only, supposedly only, cost 2.9 to 3.7 billion Euros (of course, it is not the Eurocrats who wrote that, whose jobs will be lost as a result).

The full chart on how different countries are moving towards the targets can be read from this link and the following are some highlights:-

UK Target Minus 12.5 per cent Emissions Minus 12 per cent

Ireland Target Plus 13 per cent Emissions Plus 31.1 per cent

France Target 0.0 per cent Emissions Plus 0.4 per cent

The Netherlands Minus 6.0 per cent Emissions Plus 4.1 per cent

Spain Target Plus 15.0 per cent Emissions Plus 32.1 per cent

Italy Target Minus 6.5 per cent Emissions Plus 7.1 per cent

EU 15 Target Minus 8.0 per cent Emissions Minus 2.3 per cent

Only Germany, of the large countries, with a proper target, approaches their aim (minus 21 per cent with emissions of minus 18.3 per cent) with anything close to the stupidity of the British.

Note how the French, as always seems to be the case in the EU, managed to avoid any responsibility for participating in this admittedly mistaken global effort to mitigate global warming.

This chart and the fiasco it illustrates once again demonstrates how the UK is taken for a ride in the European Union. It clearly shows that our ministers and civil servants are careless of the country's well being when negotiating with our partners; this being then compounded by rigid enforcement of economically harmful measures which our partners clearly disregard.

Have the British jobs destroyed in this process been sacrificed on the altar of Blair's earlier desperate drive for the EU Presidency and therefore now certainly wasted in that lost cause?

posted by Martin at 3/05/2004 08:11:00 AM

 
Brown may Quit for IMF

The Daily Telegraph reports Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer may consider the top IMF job. All cannot be rosy for the the country's economic outlook as many have been fearing. In my view something very nasty must be looming to get the Chancellor to even give a moments thought to abandoning his long term ambition for the premiership.

posted by Martin at 3/05/2004 07:17:00 AM

Thursday, March 04, 2004

 
German's Protest at NO DEMOCRACY!

The weekly F.A.Z. has this Opinion piece on a recent interview with Germany's Foreign Minister, in which he tried to justify not holding a referendum on the constitution, linked here and titled Democracy for export only A quote:-

Voters should be satisfied with choosing a political party, which itself has a monopoly on choosing the politicians who make the laws. Democracy, it seems, is best exported rather than fostered at home.

Ironically earlier today the EU announced expenditure of 96 million euros this year to promote....wait for it democracy and human rights worldwide. The press release issued today is linked here. The prime objective listed is even more unbelievably stated as follows:-

Strengthening of democratisation, good governance and the rule of law

The hypocrites spend European taxpayer's money promoting what they are in the process of denying those from whom they have obtained the funds. Do they sleep at night?

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 08:19:00 PM

 
A Commissioner for Happiness Please!

This item is taken from The Independent:-

A Commissioner to champion the rights of children and to protect them from abuse will be created under landmark legislation launched by the Government today.

The law will be tightened to prevent repeats of horrific cases such as the murder of Victoria Climbie by forcing all those involved in the education, health and care of young people to work more closely together.

The Children's Bill - which will create a Children's Commissioner and give young people a say over policies that affect them - was unveiled by Education Secretary Charles Clarke and Health Secretary John Reid.

I won't give a link as it is just more of the same unbelievable rubbish.

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 06:07:00 PM

 
Critique of the Conservative Stance on the EU

This comment by Sharon Burns was posted on an EU internet discussion forum yesterday. We thought it deserved broader circulation as a good basis for debate and I am happy to have been given permission to reproduce it here:-

Quote
A few highlights of Howard's speech on Europe

M. Howard is a committed europhile. In his position he well knows Britain's involvement in the EU is a disaster, yet he keeps the the trade benefit farce going:

"...The EU was designed to free up our markets so that we could compete globally." (Britain was trading globally before the EU was a twinkle in the devil's eye)

No, M. Howard. The European Union wasn't designed to free up anything.

The goal was to establish a single apparatus of governance centered in Europe with dominion over all commerce, taxation, immigration policy, employment, criminal justice, defense and the natural resources of the European Continent and Great Britain. The EU turned out the way it was planned.

In a nut shell.
Well before the 1960s, the founding masterminds of the EU in sync with the agenda of their globalist masters at the United Nations, correctly gauged the 'free market' concept the hook to draw the prey into the trap. Their well placed minions in each of the countries of the projected geographical range had been beavering away behind the scenes touting the unrealistic benefits of, and building political support for a single European market. They were quite successful.

Scare propaganda telling Brits they'd be 'left out' and 'isolated' outside Europe's mega-market went out to every household in Britain before the big sellout, with government-knows-best assurances to the effect that no British liberties are at risk here folks, it's all about Trade.

The gullible in government fell in with those whose loyalty to Britain had already turned. Loyalists were given the push or were overruled. As they are today.

Fast forward to 2004.
M. Howard's own words prove he is indeed disabused of the trade 'bait' premise used to justify the creation of the European Union (& Britain's participation in it) as, 18 years after his Party steered Britain's ship-of-state into the 'Bermuda triangle' he's having to 'suggest' proposals to achieve the national control Britain possessed for a millennium before traitors or fools (take
your pick) paid it out in a membership fee to 'Club Trade' across the Channel.

May we please have a teeny bit of our freedom back?
M. Howard: "The kind of approach I am suggesting should also enable adjustments to be made to the acquis communautaire. Where it is clear that policies can be more effectively implemented on a national basis the European Union should be prepared to recognise this. PROPOSALS TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL CONTROL (emph. added) in such circumstances should be treated on their merits and not automatically rejected as an affront to the European ideal, (but M. Howard, a winkle of independence in the E Zone IS an affront to the "European ideal.")

Howard plays the game: "But the weight and burden of the directives and laws it has introduced have had almost exactly the opposite effect damming the flood of enterprise that should be sweeping across our ('our' - denoting joint ownership of Europe by Britain or more scary - Britain by Europe?) continent."

Howard quotes the Dutch Minister of Finance: "...over 50% of the administrative burden on businesses in the Netherlands has a direct European origin. On a European scale these costs must be enormous...The decision makers involved, including the politicians in the parliament and the council, should realise the pressure they put on the economic potential," (is everyone who negotiates for Britain in Europe this naive? - or do they just pretend to be?)

M.Howard: "...But reform is simply not happening. The nation states of the European Union are still bedeviled by rules, regulation and red tape, which significantly impede our ability to compete..."

The above facts have been noted by those suffering the repercussions.

So, as you've watched Britain's economy deteriorate bogged down by compulsory rules foisted on it because your Party sold your country out to a foreign entity, and decades of negotiating Britain's 'side' have achieved nothing except to make Brussels Mandates one of life's certainties along with death and taxes, and you say, ' Reform is simply not happening,' it sounds as if there's a bit of cognitive dissonance at work in your brain, M. Howard. You know the EU is dead wrong and Britain never should have joined it, let alone hung around in it for so long, but you like it.

I thought Britain needed the European Union to survive? But now he says...

M. Howard: "Britain has always been a global trading nation. We have historic connections with our Commonwealth partners and with the United States...

Britain is the second largest economy in Europe. It is also the strongest military power in Europe. So we should have no fears about our influence." And: "More of our trade is with non-EU members than is the case for any other member state. We have more overseas investments in non-European markets than any other state. We are unique in the EU in having a global financial centre."

Having voiced the above truisms re: Britain's worthiness as a global power, would the Honorable M. Howard just remind us again of the great benefits accruing to Britain for conducting the nation's business on the same 'level playing field' as it's EU brother-states ?

M. Howard, champion of democracy. "Now, some fifteen years later, ten new countries will be joining the EU, many of whom never expected to experience freedom in our time. Their assession to the Union is a matter for celebration."

M. Howard equates freedom with the European Union.

Sharon Burns
Unquote

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 04:09:00 PM

 
Interest Rates Unchanged

As expected it was no change from the ECB and BoE. Watching the ECB Press Conference that followed the announcement, I was struck by Jean-Claude Trichet's almost begging appeal to European consumers to trust the ECB and believe that their money would retain its value in the long haul, and as a sub-theme that the Banks inflation figures really did reflect what was happening in the real world. As if every European looking in their purse or wallet is likely to believe that for a moment, no more likely than your increasingly cynical European citizen rushing out to spend, as pleaded by the ECB head, on the basis that those running things could be trusted! Hah! A report from Servihoo is linked from here

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 02:57:00 PM

 
ECB Rate Decision

On 12th July last year we slated the strong Euro policy of the ECB and predicted the devastation this would cause the Euroland economy. This was the opening sentence of the post titled 'Germany and the Euro':-

Away from Brussels and the stink of deep-seated corruption, another corner of the EU where the deepening crisis in the disastrous experiment of monetary union can now all too cleary be seen is in Germany, once considered the most dynamic of Euroland's economies....

This morning Bloomberg linked here reports yet another rise in German unemployment levels while earlier fourth quarter European growth was reported as even weaker than originally foreseen. Incredibly enough it is less than two months since such obvious outcome was denied, as linked here, in early January the ECB President Trichet had blithely brushed aside suggestions that the stronger Euro could hurt exports and consequently the Euroland economy:-

"Euro Rises; ECB Says Currency Gain Won't Prevent Export Growth "

'Bloomberg

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The euro rose against the dollar in New York as European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said the euro's advance won't stop export growth.

Trichet, who prior to today hadn't spoken about the currency since Dec. 18, is under pressure from industry associations in Germany and politicians including Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, to prevent the euro's surge from harming exports.

How can Europeans have any faith in those supposedly caring for the economic well-being of the Continent, when even their most basic policy positions are seen to be so disastrously incorrect within weeks of their having been made?

Note from my July posting, Schroeder was already but belatedly warning of the consequences of the Euro's rise as was the Belgian PM in January. These elected politicians are powerless to prevent the damage being wrought upon their economies by the Frenchman prematurely emplaced at the head of the ECB, whose very appointment was a matter of manipulation and manoeuvering between the two EU controlling powers, both of whose economies are now ironically suffering the worst affects of the disastrous Euro policy.'

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 11:37:00 AM

 
Republic or Monarchy? either way an EU Tyranny

The Daily Telegraph Leading Article today poses the question above. This blog's well aired view is included in the title. Read it here and see more of the same from the less likely source of the DT's lefter competitor. See also coverage in The Independent

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 08:25:00 AM

 
Lord Chief Justice Protests

The Guardian leads on Lord Woolf's fierce attack on growing government encroachment on judicial independence. We quote:-

Lord Woolf said one of the most important of the judiciary's responsibilities was to uphold the rule of law, which prevented the government from abusing its powers and stop (ped? Gruniad Misspelling) a democracy descending into an elected dictatorship. To perform its task, the judiciary had to be, and be seen to be, independent of government.

Nice to believe that this blog might now have such an ally in our fight for Britain's democracy. Read the entire article from here.

posted by Martin at 3/04/2004 07:47:00 AM

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

 
Constitution Resumption Unlikely - Ahern

The EU President said as much in Dublin an hour or so ago according to EU Business linked here.

This is especially good news as the link in the post just below this carried this quote:-

But it is all down to timing. He (Andrew Duff MEP) conceded that if it is not agreed by the end of the Irish Presidency in the first half of this year "then that's that".

The text will be put in a "refrigerator".

His comments echo those of fellow MEP Alain Lammassoure (EPP). Speaking to journalists on Wednesday morning, the French conservative MEP said that if the Constitution is not decided by May and has to wait until after the summer "it will have lost much of its political force".

Never mind the refrigerator, or even the deep freeze, the garbage can is the only suitable place for that entire document!

posted by Martin at 3/03/2004 09:59:00 PM

 
Bin the Constitution says Blair's Convention MP

Gisela Stuart, the Labour MP who bravely sat on the convention and criticised it sharply on the eve of the December IGC, has again slated the document. A report is linked here from EUobserver and we quote this sample:-

by forging ahead with the Constitution it would "create a vacuum and that vacuum would be filled by extremists".

posted by Martin at 3/03/2004 05:21:00 PM

 
Swiss Nestle knocks Perrier Productivity

In a warning shot to the powerful French trade unions, Nestle warned that unless productivity improved, they might consider the sale of Perrier:-

A spokesman for the Swiss firm said: "Productivity in the French water sector is considerably lower than in virtually any other country producing mineral water.

"If the situation does not improve, we could perfectly imagine living without Perrier."

Making water, like all else, is probably more complicated within the EU! Read it all from here.

posted by Martin at 3/03/2004 02:14:00 PM

 
'Crown' chopped from Prosecution Service

What appears a minor name change, does in fact represent a huge constitutional change apparently being pushed through without democratic debate or public consultation. The information is taken from The Daily Telegraph linked here

posted by Martin at 3/03/2004 08:26:00 AM

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

 
No More Letters from America

Alisitair Cooke is to retire according to the BBC. Aged 95 this should not be a surprise, but I hoped I might hear just a few more when this week's letter was cancelled due to illness. The PM programme was grudging in its tributes. If their presenters had a thousandth of Cook's balance, wisdom and broadcasting ability the BBC might not be in its present sorry state. Half a century of history - I will miss it.

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 06:38:00 PM

 
Further French Frowns

Eurolands second largest economy suffered a fall in consumer confidence in February while Peugeot reported falling sales. Bloomberg's report is linked from here.

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 06:33:00 PM

 
Gauleiter Enabling Legislation

The informal meaning of gauleiter is a person in petty or local authority who behaves in an overbearing or authoriatarian manner. Watch out they are on their way!

The CROWN EMPLOYMENT (NATIONALITY) BILL which was introduced in the House of Commons on 20 January 2004, will provide the means.

This Bill removes the existing restrictions (under both primary and secondary legislation) placed on the employment of non-UK nationals in civil capacities under the Crown and on the offices they may hold under the Crown.

In place of the current system (described below) the Bill would open up all civil employment under the Crown to applicants of any nationality, apart from such positions as would be restricted to UK nationals under rules made by a Minister of the Crown (or by another person or body to whom the power to make such rules has been delegated by a Minister of the Crown).

Note the exclusion of Parliament from future decisions as is becoming the norm with this administration.

The BACKGROUND provided in the Explanatory Notes to [Bill 39?EN] 53/3 explains that:-

The Act of Settlement of 1700 provides, in section 3, that no person born out of the kingdoms of England, Scotland or Ireland or the dominions thereto belonging should be capable of enjoying any office or place of trust, either civil or military, under the Crown. This prohibition does not apply to Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Irish Republic (see section 52(6) of, and Schedule 7 to, the British Nationality Act 1981) or to British protected persons employed in a civil capacity (see section 1(1) of the Aliens' Employment Act 1955).

It then continues as if in further explanation, but offering none whatever, that, Section 6 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919 provides that no alien shall be appointed to any office or place in the Civil Service of the State. An alien is now defined in section 51(4) of the
British Nationality Act 1981 as a person who is neither a Commonwealth citizen nor a British protected person nor a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.

All these perfectly normal and sensible arrangements are now to be swept away.

I have complained long and often that our country is now effectively ruled by unaccountable eurocrats in Brussels. It now seems that in future that would have been an idyll of independence. For if this Bill becomes an Act and thereby Law of the Land, the right not just to rule ourselves would not then be all to have been lost, but also the right to have that law administered and overseen by our own countrymen will also be gone. In other words, not only will we be no longer self-governing - we will also lose our rights to self-administration.

Not Just Ruled from Abroad as at present. But the law administered, overseen and applied by foreigners living in our own country. Foreigners accountable not necessarily to any elected British representative, but some other shadowy and non-accountable Brussel's bureaucrat himself too most probably of foreign origin. It is perfectly possible to foresee that with the present EU advance into every nook and cranny of life, hugely significant parts of our day to day existence will be legislated, regulated, administered and enforced without the involvement of one single elected British official and possibly without any involvement of anybody British at any time or at any stage of the process.

Forget 'Rule Britannia' at the last night of the Proms, this Bill will prove to be our enslavement! It will, of course, be passed by Blair's Braindead and subservient MPS.

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 05:05:00 PM

 
Telegraph Group Future

Times Online reports on the withdrawal of the Barclay Brothers' back door bid for the Conservatively inclined newspapers, and states owners of US Today are now among the favoured bidders. Blairs quest to destroy the forces of Conservatism look set to gain their greatest victory to date. The report is linked from here and this is the final paragraph:-

The future direction of the Telegraph would be most likely to be determined by commercial rather than ideological factors.

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 02:36:00 PM

 
English Democracy Poll by YouGov

A poll of 2364 people was undertaken by YouGov for the English Democrats on the West Lothian question. 47 per cent of those polled wished to restrict voting rights of non English constituency MPs on purely English matters. The next most favoured response was for an English Parliament at 24 per cent. The poll results are linked from here

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 02:25:00 PM

 
Short Smeared as Blair gets Bitchy

Disputes between Downing Street and Claire Short were dragged into the gutter today as the Daily Mirror reports on a drunken incident when he stepped in to save the 'lady' from arrest. Read it from here

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 09:00:00 AM

 
French/US Relations

For those comfortable with written French this article from this morning's Le Figaro gives a fascinating insight into the recent manoeuverings between the USA and France in the field of corporate corruption. In this case, regarding a Nigerian LNG project at Bonny. The target in French sights appears to be the Vice President Dick Cheney. It is linked from here.

posted by Martin at 3/02/2004 08:29:00 AM

Monday, March 01, 2004

 
Blair's Legal Quagmire

Best description of the mess I have seen so far is here from The Scotsman scroll down the page until reaching:-

'Tortuous legal argument making case for conflict becomes a political monster turning on its master'

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 06:18:00 PM

 
Michael Howard Pulls Tories from Butler Inquiry on Iraq War

The Daily Telegraph linked here carries a report on the main British opposition party's withdrawal from the Butler inquiry. We presume this is not unconnected with Blairs continuing refusal to give the full advice on the legality of the war as requested in a rare TV appearence from ex-Prime-Minister John Major. Ostensibly the reason is that the remit to examine the use to which intelligence was put (ie the actions of ministers) was about to be side-tracked.

Once again Howard is left appearing to look wrong-footed by the Liberal Democratic leader Charles Kennedy, who made that very point from the very start and refused to take part in Blair's charade.

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 05:22:00 PM

 
Tax Fiddling lets France overshoot the 4 per cent by only one tenth of a per cent

Read it here, from Expatica, it would apparently have been 4.2 per cent but for some complex arrangements with the taxes of grossly expensive monopoly state electricity supplier EDF. Understanding might be somewhat more difficult....the explanation makes no sense to me. One thing for sure the Growth and Stability pact *deficit limit 3 per cent max) is trashed again as forecast.

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 04:56:00 PM

 
On the Brink of Disaster

Not my words but German State Broadcaster Deutsche Welle's description of the plight of Germany's ruling SPD party of Gerhard Schroeder, following the Hamburg poll results reported in full below. Link to Deutsche Welle from here.

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 04:46:00 PM

 
Deficits Deepen Across Euroland

EUBusiness, linked here, reports the German deficit as reported to the EU has widened from 3.25 to 3.3 per cent.
Debt has risen to 65 per cent again in breach of the supposed limits.

EUobserver predicts the French deficit will come in at around 4 per cent later today, also linked from here. More gloom for the French economy, which had been showing some signs of recovery, with the latest Purchasing Managers Index falling to 52 from 53.5 the month before. (Details from CNN here.)

Having smashed the Growth and Stability pact to smithereeens, the two leading powers of the Euroland economy can now be witnessed stamping on the pieces!

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 01:49:00 PM

 
1st March 2004, EU/US Trade War Begins?

Will this be a history date to remember for future generations? Pascal Lamy the French EU Trade Commissioner justified his penal tarriffs that begin today on a huge variety of US goods as only affecting 300 million dollars worth of daily trade that is worth more than a billion. To me that seems hugely significant.

One of the underlying suspicions about the Common Market, then EEC and now EU has always been for me a slight suspicion that it is following a French led anti-US agenda. Nothing one can ever fully tie down or quantify, but always there. If there is any degree of slight satisfaction amongst French members of the European Community over today's action, I beleive they are terribly mistaken. When writing my novel started back in 1996, I predicted such a scenario and it saddens me to see it apparently coming true so much sooner than I would ever have thought possible even then.

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 09:41:00 AM

 
Schroeder Faces Catastrophe

Best wishes for St David's Day to any Welsh readers!

That is the choice of headline made byThe Independent in describing the events upon which we commented yesterday evening below. Read it from here

What affects Europe's largest economy and its government cannot help but affect the Euro and Euroland, and to a somewhat lesser extent also the entire EU.

Europe's Leaders' crazed pursuit of their project, blind disregard of the possible wishes or opinions of Europe's citizens, destruction of their peoples' historic democratic means of dissent and now consequent destruction of their livelihoods and general economic well-being are all being brought to a head in the fast gathering storm clouds none can now surely ignore as they gather on the horizon, and move rapidly nearer.

Leadership within the EU is needed. Who can supply it? In my view the only individual national leader of any largish country I can identify is Spain's Aznar. He is voluntarily standing down as PM in the near future. Can the Franco/German wreckers forget their greivances over Iraq and invite him to consider stepping in to the breach.

posted by Martin at 3/01/2004 07:54:00 AM

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