An Exchange of Letters

From Anne Palmer an exchange of letters the constituion
received this reply 29.7.2005.
Dear Ms Palmer,
Thank you for your letter of 8 June regarding the Oath of Allegiance sworn by MP’s.
Members of Parliament are elected to represent their constituents. Having received this democratic mandate, they should not have to take an oath to an unelected institution [...]

Throw Away Lines

It is often the throw away lines that say the most, in case you think I am nit picking, I suppose I am, but I do get annoyed at the simple acceptance of basically untrue assertions, which gain the veneer of truth just by the process of repeating them often enough.
What has got under my [...]

Euro-Regionalisation

Savings even less than the £20 million pa, or less than 1p per person per week, previously projected – now it’s only £4.2 million pa = 0.16p per person per week [ca 49 million population as this is for England only] and it may actually cost more. Plus the real prospect of “total project failure” [...]

Juries weighed in the balance and found wanting

Telegraph | Opinion | Juries weighed in the balance and found wanting:
“The collapse of the Jubilee Line corruption trial shows how disastrously wrong jury trials can go when they are badly handled. It should not, though, be used as a stick with which to beat all jury trials, when it comes to the inquiry into [...]

Libertas

I have deleted the Libertas spam comments
If however you (you know who you are) have a real comment it will be published.

Light relief

Although I am an atheist and do not normally concern myself with religion, I was looking for another blog link to keep company with Cranmer when I found this quote for a post about Halloween on a Witness blog.
 Thank God! I finally woke up to see that Halloween is such a great opportunity for evangelism. [...]

Europe is dead

No only Joking!
Italy appeals to EU over merger and argues that Europe is dead
The French merger of Suez SA and Gaz de France is said to be causing consternation in Italy. An editorial in the WSJ argues that the French “head-on challenge to the single market calls into question the raison d’etre behind the [...]

Tongue in Cheek

Thanks to Dennis Cooper for these two funny letters.
This refers to an article by Bill Jamieson last week: “UK policy chasm: official numbers and the real world”: Link
“Few now believe that the CPI inflation measure bears much relation to the cost of living. Indeed, how could it when the CPI does not include [...]

Letters to the Times

Letters to the Editor
The Times February 23, 2006
Legislative reform Bill grants powers too great for government
Sir, Francis Bennion is right to draw attention in his letter to the failure — of successive governments — to bring forward legislation to implement sensible law reforms recommended by the Law Commission. What needs to be recognised, [...]

Parking Bill of Rights, Magna Carta and the Human Rights Act

This from Neil Herron
Burnley Council … formal letter incorporating the Bill of Rights, Magna Carta and the Human Rights Act
As we now begin to introduce the Human Rights perspective NPAS and DPE is looking very vulnerable indeed.
Legal Department
Burnley Borough Council
Town Hall
Burnley
BB11 1JA
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing with regard concerning a Final Demand from Drakes Bailiffs, dated [...]

Abolition of Parliament Bill

Who wants the Abolition of Parliament Bill?
David Howarth
Hardly anyone has noticed, but British democracy is sleepwalking into a sinister world of ministerial power.
LAST WEEK all eyes were on the House of Commons as it debated identity cards, smoking and terrorism. The media reported both what MPs said and how they voted. For one week [...]

Blog Repair and a British Constitution

On Saturday I checked into Eurealist and found that the blog had become corrupted, no problem I hear you both cry, just reload your back up copy of the template and you will up and running in no time, A wat! Oh yes, I did back up the template some months ago whoops! [...]

Devolution and EU Regionalisation

A Comment on my deconstruction of Professor Hazels report on The English Question suggests that there is no linkage between the devolution and EU Regionalisation.
I must agree that this is a much argued contention by those who oddly are recipients of EU largess, who œincidentally also support and promote the devolution process, including the [...]

Blair`s Nightmare Government

How I woke up to a nightmare plot to steal centuries of law and liberty
From the Times
By
Daniel Finkelstein
THE POINT IS, I don’t want to seem like a nutter. It’s a very common human emotion, that — not wanting to stand out for thinking something hardly anyone else thinks. Best keep your head down [...]

ID Cards

From the letters page in the Times some voices of concern.
This ID card infringes fundamental freedoms
Sir, Most unusually, you have allowed yourself to be misled by the Government’s spin and misrepresentations concerning the ID Card Bill — principally by swallowing its contention that the privacy concerns of many people in the UK are “in [...]

The English Question

The English Question
Thanks to the Blog Great Britian not Little England for the link to this report from Publius: The Journal of Federalism by Robert Hazell.
Devolution to Scotland and Wales throws up related questions about the government of
England. Does England need to find its own separate political voice? Does England too need devolution? There [...]

A defence of Trial by Jury

Simon Jenkins is again having a go at Trial by jury in the Times today he says;
Jury trial has outlived its usefulness. To pretend that it delivers justice is absurd. This archaic theme park democracy is expensive, a waste of time and adds nothing to fair trial. Abolish it.
He cites as evidence for this [...]

Oath of Allegiance

David Lidington, the Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman, has suggested that The Oath of Allegiance to the Queen sworn by MPs should be reviewed to encourage Sinn Fein to take up their seats in the House of Commons.
This might encourage them to do so but it is doubtful because they do not want Westminster as the [...]

The British Bobby

I wish to make my objection about the the double standards the police are operating.
Thanks EURFERENDUM

The Police attack the Hunting Demo

The Police attack the Hunting Demo

But this man told them to go softly writh this demo

The only people to be arrested at this demo were two men found carrying cartoons of Mohammed. Police said [...]

Isolation or Treason

Quote!
The British problem with our membership of the EU may derive from the curious and tortured circumstances of its birth. But long since, it has taken on a unique life of its own. The dilemma of a British Prime Minister over Europe is acute to the point of the ridiculous. Basically you [...]

Blair Spins on the EU

This from Open Europe
Blair: “the argument in favour of an open Europe is winning”
Tony Blair will give a speech in Oxford this evening which will attempt to defend his EU policies as Prime Minister. It is reported that he will insist that he has achieved his ambition of enhancing Britain’s clout in the EU [...]

That Exit Clause Again

The Europhile spin put on the EU Constitution Exit Clause, would have us all belive that we can not leave the EU at the moment because there is no EU recognised legal apparatus for doing so. The implication being; if we wish to leave the EU then first we must ratify the EU Constitution, [...]

EU Can Not Do Propaganda

Margot Wallstrom the EU propaganda commissioner says that the major goal of the communication activities by the commission is to try to “sell our message.” But then goes on to say “we can not do propaganda.. we shouldn’t be accused of it,”
This is obviously a new EU definition of “Propaganda” they shouldn’t be [...]

A Police State

I noticed this report about the new Animal Welfare Bill, which apparently has cross party support and is expected to return to the floor of the Commons in March in the Times.
It is to be agreed that every domesticated animal will have a code of conduct tailored to their species, each of which is expected [...]

The West Lothian Question

Jeremy Black has a good post about the West Lothian Question on the Social affairs Unit Blog
The West Lothian Question – the fact that, post-devolution, Scottish Westminster MPs can still vote on legislation, on for example health and education, where Westminster legislation does not affect Scotland – could become the key issue at the [...]

EU: Subsidiarity and all that

Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many times since its inclusion in the Maastricht Treaty the subsidiarity principle has been used successfully to ensure that powers remain with the United Kingdom and are not transferred to the institutions of the European Union. [HL3469]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman):
Article 5 [...]

A Certain Somthing in the Air

There seems to be a certain theme running through the “middle ground” of political debate in this country, something to do with making us all appreciate being British, or something that something is needed to bring us all together, or as Davis Cameron says “something we all did together” what with Gordon Brown’s flag waving [...]

Gay Marrage Abortion and Euthanasia in the EU

The EU parliament is continuing to push its secular “religion” and for the destruction of the right to object because of religious conviction.
Last weeks report in The Christian Post says that clergymen across the United Kingdom have been left highly concerned by a European Union report which has recommended that clergy not be allowed [...]

And on the Third Day

EU constitution is dead, says Dutch minister,
Federalist hopes of reviving the draft European Union constitution were snuffed out yesterday when the Dutch foreign minister, Bernard Bot, said the treaty was “dead”.
He swept away months of euphemisms and half-truths, as European leaders struggled to avoid being the first to declare an end to the [...]

Freedom of Speech under Threat

Police are targeting Sir Iqbal for his religious beliefs
Sir – I wholeheartedly disagree with Sir Iqbal Sacranie’s views on homosexuality (News, January 12), but I wholeheartedly support his right to express these views on Radio 4 – in a manner that was certainly not “threatening, abusing or insulting”.
Surely the police pursuing him under section 5 [...]

Uniting the People

“We are not making a coalition of States,
but are uniting people.”
[ Jean Monnet, 30 April 1952 ]

What Part of No Do You Not Understand?

From the Open Europe Press summary
Chirac and Merkel at odds over strategy for bringing back EU Constitution
In a speech to French Ambassadors yesterday Jacques Chirac called for parts of the EU Constitution to be cherry-picked and implemented separately. He suggested this could be done on areas such as “internal security and justice, external [...]

Towards a Political Union

Arguing for the return of the EU Constitution has become the objective of the past week or so, ever since the presidency past from Britian to Austria in fact.
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel told a news conference in Vienna Monday “The constitution is not dead,” “The constitution is in the middle of a ratification process.” Well [...]

The Exit Clause and British Sovereignty

This from appeared in the Scotsman this morning and was sent by e-mail from Dr Cooper with a note above the letter.
Mrs Rolls writes very anti-EU good letters, but I have to disagree with her on this. The editor has deleted “Irrespective of the pretensions of the European Court of Justice” which I had put [...]

Wake up America !

Thanks to Dr Cooper who sent this to me by email and said;
Many people in Washington still haven’t woken up, apparently. Like Mr Pantucci, with his letter in the Independent yesterday.
Business Platform
Washington still blind to true nature of the EU
By : John Blundell
January 08, 2006
HISTORY is little but an inventory of errors. Even the [...]

Row over rigging of BBC poll

The Guardian reports that UKIP have said that they encouraged people to vote for Jose Barroso in the Today programme poll to find the most powerful person in Britain. Ben Jones, of the European Movement is quoted saying, “They’re using neo-con-style tactics – fairly ruthless, almost propagandist means. Politics should be done through rational [...]

Curtailing Religious Rights

EUSURF has just written a post about the pre-Christmas report from The EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights, an advisory panel to the EU. In the 40 page document they challenge the right to religious freedom if it conflicts with the European Charta of Fundamental Rights;
Their opinion considered the right to conscientious objection [...]

Regional Police

Again thanks from Dr Cooper the Western Morning News
PRESSURISE YOUR MP OVER REGIONAL POLICE
The purpose of Lindsay Jenkins’ article (December 13) on the shameless bulldozing through of regional police forces by the Government was to explain the real reason for it. Britain is long committed to the EU by treaty to set up full regional [...]

WE CAN’T AFFORD SUBSIDIES FOR ALL

This Is Devon from Graham BoothWE CAN’T AFFORD SUBSIDIES FOR ALL
Your columnist Kate Ironside seems to have her morals all mixed up in her recent article. If you read my speech to the EU Parliament last month its contents may straighten out her muddled thinking.
It is very tempting to offer all of Europe’s poorer regions [...]

The Retreat of Reason

This should release a few pigeons amongst the cats, I have not read the full report yet but its puff looks promising. Happy New Year
Anthony Browne (Who He) argues in The Retreat of Reason that political correctness, which classifies certain groups of people as victims in need of protection from criticism and allows no dissent [...]

Some Moments of Fantasy

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schssel on taking over the Presidency of the EU this month wants to resurrect and redefine the EU Constitution; he said “Europe needed “some moments of fantasy and flexibility and new thoughts.” He said he would restart efforts to draft a new constitution at an EU conference on European identity to be [...]

EU Budget Virtual March

The DM is organising a ‘virtual march’ on 10 Downing Street this Saturday in advance of next week’s EU summit, to
protest against Tony Blair’s offer to massively increase Britain’s contribution to the EU budget.
The government has proposed that Britain pays over £5bn extra to the EU between 2007 & 2013, to bring our total net
contribution [...]

ID Cards a letter

27.11.2005
This has gone out to other MP’s, Lords and Ladies.
Dear Home Secretary,
The only time in living memory we have had a compulsory Identity Card was in 1939 at the start of World War II. The initial guide was the 1920 Census Act and the ID Card was free. There was however a fee [...]

FLYING THE FLAG

http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/the_north_east/features/HEARALLSIDES0.html
06/12/05
FLYING THE FLAG: AS one of the 84 per cent of the UK’s citizens living in England, I find it regrettable that an English newspaper should publish such an anti-English article (Echo, Dec 1).
We do not know whether its author, Helen Cannam, is English or Scottish. Quite simply, she has not had the integrity to [...]

Blair selling UK down the river

By : Fraser Nelson – Political Notebook December 04, 2005
SAY what you like about Jacques Chirac, but he knows how to handle the European Union (EU). The President of France has a strict negotiation strategy: if it doesn’t benefit my country, forget it. I won’t sign.
If the EU tells him it’s illegal to [...]

Should the Europan flag replace the Union Jack?

Poll in the Daily Express, in almost full page article about Wear Valley etc, complete with a picture of a stern Neil Herron …
Q. Should the Europan flag should replace the Union Jack?
To vote no:
Ring 0901 890 2301 – cost 25p from BT landline
Text DXVOTE B to 61616 – cost 25p plus network operator costs
Lines [...]

Bill of Rights Meeting

Notice of Event: Bill of Rights Hearing in Worcester
Fownes Hotel, Worcester
Robin Decrittenden vs. Worcester City Council
Appeal No. WC 49.
18th November 2005 11am
“£1,000,000,000 a year revenue from Parking Fines under threat”
This notice is to all supporters, contacts and interested parties and is to inform you that on 18th November 2005 at 11am at the Fownes Hotel [...]

Freedom of Choice Free Zones

If this isn’t “dictatorship, I don’t know what is. Do they now read of the problems re growing GM seeds? Where are our “rights” to eat GM free foods?Anne
GM-free Zones
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the powers [...]

Immunity From What?

Immunity From What?
I read a News Release on 23rd September, “Government to end Crown Immunity from Planning Controls”. The list was quite long so I will mention only that “the Crown” includes Government Departments, Her Majesty’s private estates, the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and also part of the Palace of Westminster is [...]

The Two Courts

The Two Courts
The European Court of Human Rights ECHR
The European Court of Justice ECJ
Confusingly we have two European courts witch our governments have allowed to hold sway over our domestic national laws. As a point of fact no government should allow any other court to make any laws which our courts must obey, we are [...]

Increasing Government Powers

Farewell to freedom
(Filed: 10/10/2005)
Cast your eye over some of the stories in today’s newspaper. Cars are to be installed with chips making it easier to incriminate their drivers. Fluoridisation is to be extended to most of England. Smoking may be banned from pubs and restaurants. Work is going ahead on an identity card scheme [...]

Two More EU Professors

They used to say you could always tell you were in a tough area if you saw two policemen walking the beat together; one was there to back up the other. Well it would appear the EU professors are now writing in tandem, as if by jointly writing an article would in some way shield [...]

How EEOO Are You

My wife, having a rough idea about my interest in all things EU, mentioned that there was a political program she thought I would want to watch this evening, the title of the program was How Euro are you? At which point I opted not to waste my time, and decided to sleep through [...]

The Cornerstone Group

It is time the Consevative Party became conservative again, the Cornerstone Group of 28 MP`s have put their names to A Cornerstone of Policies to Revive Tory Britain. The Cornerstone Blog has this to say about the present direction of the political party, which gives all the appearance of wanting power for the sake of [...]

The EUSSR Rag

Trying to Make us all feel like nice little EUrooopeans
From Neil Herron
Christopher Booker’s Notebook
Sunday Telegraph
Sunday 02nd October 2005
The European Parliament is, as it likes to insist, “a rules-based organisation”, so its office in London was quick to comply last week when, following a complaint by the UK Independence Party, it was told to haul down [...]

Trying to make them obey their own laws

From Neil Herron
Transport Committee
Dr John Patterson
Clerk of the Committee
Transport Committee
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1
mail to: tramscom@parliament.uk
Submission by Neil Herron on behalf of the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund
30th September 2005
Transport Committee
Current effectiveness of Parking Provision & Enforcement Policy
I wish to make the following submission to the Committee but I also wish to make a formal request that further, [...]

Margot Responds at Last

For the first time Margot Wallström has at last responded to some of the points we have been making on her Blog over the past few months:
Ok, let‘s talk about democracy: are you saying that democracy can only exist at nation state level? That a “demos“ can only be defined within national borders? To me [...]

The Police Use of UK anti-terror laws…

This from Euan MacDonald TransAtlantic Assembly: “If you’ve nothing to hide, then you’ve nothing to fear” runs the popular, logically-suspect response to those who worry over the civil liberties implications of the current raft of new powers that have been awarded to police recently. This argument is, of course, as spurious as it is superficially [...]

An Open Letter

Some Conservatives are at last beginning to get the message, that the way back into power in not to offer a pale imitation of NU-Labour but to return to basic Conservative policies and to ground those in the national interest founded on self-government and the supremacy of the British Parliament duly elected by the British [...]

The EU Arrest Warrant

British acceptance of EU legislative powers – Comment – Times Online: “From Mr Mark Wallace
Sir, Mr David Stephen (letter, September 24) is in my view dangerously optimistic in his assertion that the European arrest warrant is an unmitigated triumph for “trust” between EU member states over “civil liberties”.
Contrary to the beliefs of the European Movement, [...]

Next Page »