Powerless Select Committee And MPs

The Daily Telegraph reports MPs have warned that European plans for a new financial super-regulator are "hasty" – adding that it was "better to be right than quick".

The article continues: "The powerful House of Commons Treasury Select Committee said that........." At the end it also states: "The Treasury Select Committee claims that the proposals blatantly fly in the face of an earlier agreement in June by politicians that ensured measures would not impinge on the fiscal responsibilities of member states."

The 'powerful' Treasury Select Committee and MPs can shout and complain all they like, but it won't be them making the decision, nor will they have any input into that decision, said decision being made by Brussels.

To whinge about earlier EU 'agreements' shows that neither the Treasury Select Committee nor MPs have learned anything about the EU and 'agreements'. Perhaps this is the first example which shows how impotent MPs are when it comes to laws by which this country is now governed.

Thought For Sunday

Just listening to Classicfm and they have an interview with Michael Caine - obviously to 'plug' his new film, 'Harry Brown - and two comments he made struck a chord.

1. In 'researching' the film he spent time talking to groups of 'gangs', people who, he says, you would not want to meet, and the general complaint these 'gangs' had was they felt they had been 'let down' at school by the education system, that they had not learned anything that would help them get work and, more importantly, that it had not taught them 'knowledge'.

2. He also said that, whilst filming, they had used a block of flats that were now being demolished and the one fact that struck him was the size of the rooms. Caine said that what struck him was that there was not one room in which the family 'could sit down and have a meal together'.

Perhaps politicians, educationalists and planners could learn something?

Just a thought.........

Afterthought: I always remember Michael Caine, being interviewed on 'Parkinson', on the subject of 'old age' and why we older people talk to themselves. He said that it was because we have said all we want to say, we have heard everything that has been said - therefore we don't need anyone else!

Nick Griffin

Well, we all knew he was mad, but Barking Mad?

 Perhaps this is a modern interpretation of what is known as 'hodging one's bets'?

Cameron 'Does' God

The Mail reports on David Cameron's attitude to God.

Never mind about 'doing' God - He acts as though he is 'God'!

Paraphrasing: "I have decided that you will not have the opportunity of a referendum on Europe"

Well, I for one will not be 'dropping to my knees' in supplication!

Ironic Biteback

After preaching about the evils of 'central control' by David Cameron and the ill effect caused thereby, it is with some humour that one observes the goings-on in South West Norfolk.

The imposition of 'A' list candidates upon a constituency party is nothing more than 'central control' and makes a mockery of Cameron's stated aim to 'devolve power'

Sir Jeremy Bagge: "His [Cameron] message to me was that we had made a mistake and please hold  hard because if we stir the pot it could have a ripple effect throughout the Conservative Party. Since then, he has done a U-turn on the referendum (on the Lisbon Treaty), and I would have thought that had rather more of a ripple effect than I am causing in South-West Norfolk."

Much is made on Conservative-supporting blogs and newspapers about the Government 'imploding'. It may be an idea if they looked in a mirror as it seems that the Goverment-in-waiting is imploding too!

Another Fatality

And so another member of our Armed Forces dies in this needless and ridiculous military operation in Afghanistan.

Needless to say, condolences to the family is a given.

How many more fatalities must this country suffer before a responsible government brings our forces home?

Adonis Gets It Wrong Again

Repeating past mistakes, Lord Adonis has done it again.

The 'work of a generation' - and that should be in the plural - will be to clear up the bloody mess he and his lot have made of the country, yet again!

Pillock!

Bercow's Re-Decs

Speaker Bercow's apartment has reportedly been redecorated, something which is not news as in the wish to be transparent John Bercow announced this last August. It is not the object of this post to question the reasoning behind why two spreadsheets for this expense were maintained, nor why the additional expense has doubled and appeared to have been 'hidden' in administrative 'niceties'. Neither will this post delve into the question of whether it was a good move by Bercow when considering the small matter of any 'effect' that Expensegate will have during the next general election, coupled with the fact that unlike normal 'Speaker elections', this time there will be the 'Farage element' involved.

It will be remembered it being reported that the Conservatives were a tad miffed at having John Bercow 'foisted' on them by the Labour party and that also there was even talk of a change in the Speakership should the Conservative Party form the next government. In which case it must be obvious that the whole exercise would be repeated by Bercow's replacement, causing yet more public money to be spent.

Therefore one has to ask (a) was this a pre-emptive move by John Bercow to cement his position as Speaker; (b) has David Cameron intimated to John Bercow that no move will be made to replace him, were the Conservative Party to form the next government; (c) if (b) is true, on whose authority did David Cameron make this decision or as is more likely did Cameron made a decision by 'fiat', a decision which at present he is not in a position to do and (d) on the basis that the Speaker is no more than an MP, in that he has to be elected and is therefore subject, one could presume, to the same 'constraints' as an ordinary MP, knowing that it was likely that second homes for Ministers of State, ie those occupying 'grace and favour' homes - of which it can be argued the Speaker is one - would no longer qualify for Additional Costs Allowance, then was not the decision to proceed - and be allowed to proceed - hypocritical?

Just thinking......... 


Update: A statement has been issued by Bercow, reported by the BBC. The central question remains though, in my opinion, that if his tenure of Speaker is unsure then surely he could have stayed in his London flat. If on the other hand he did receive the 'support' of Cameron, then the initial works including child-proof locks on windows is understandable. On the data provided however the figures do not really 'stack-up' and differing interpretations of what were 'changes' and what were 'maintenance' need to be clarified. The original comment remains therefore.......just thinking.

A 'Byers' Market In North Tyneside?

With the news that Stephen Byers is to stand down at the next election, bequeathing a safe 15,000 majority to some lucky Labour stooge, one wonders whether either donations or family political 'connections' will feature in the selection of a candidate.

 Regardless of past statements, does this create an opening for yet another return by the Foy Boy - you know the one with more titles, figuratively speaking, than Debrett's?

A Reasoned Argument To Leave The EU

Dan Hannan speaks reasonably on why we need to get out.

Simples!

The Question Of Europe On The Rise?

Politics Home Polls have posted an interesting survey result, albeit that the number surveyed are small and no doubt the methods used will not comply with Polling Codes of Practice.

One aspect of this poll which is striking is that the subject of 'Europe'* - by which one presumes they mean this country's membership of the European Union - has risen in importance, as a 'key' issue from 18th place to 10th and percentage wise from 12 to 31.

Methinks that 'Europe', as a key issue, is going to rise a lot higher in the coming months - something I am sure that Came Ron will view with horror. (TeeHee)

* When will the media desist from referring to the EU as 'Europe'? Europe, in case they have forgotten, is a continent - not a bloody country! Mind you, I do have to admit that education standards have plummeted somewhat in the last few decades and therefore one doubts whether the present 'younger generation' taught the subject or even know what is the definition of 'geography'.

Yet Another 'Tax' Burden?

Richard North, EU Referendum, posts on the introduction of the proposed "Energy Performance of Buildings Directive" which can be expected.

Setting to one side Richard's apt comments about the fact we will have no say in this proposed directive and MPs requested payrises, what exactly is 'net zero energy use' FFS? From what I can remember from my science lessons - albeit that is just over 50 years ago - 'net zero energy use' just ain't possible.

And how, if it were achievable, does a building in use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year - for example, a hospital - attain 'net zero energy use'?

Oh and I believe the UK is £1.somethingtrillion - or is that £2trillion now - in debt, which means that we are now in debt even longer than we had estimated, when one considers the armies of 'crats' that are going to be needed to monitor yet another stupid 'mentalist' idea.

Afterthought: having seen Came Ron today on another matter, you can forget him - he is definitely a 'lost cause' (more on that in a day or two)

Afterthought (2): if any scientists amongst my readers can enlighten me on what 'net zero energy use' is and how one achieves it, I would love to know!

You Could Not Make It Up

Courtesy of Fausty, on whose blog I spotted this, is the case of Roger Helmer's brush with bureaucracy.

This can only be an example of what is termed as 'the cost to British business of our membership of the EU'.

Perhaps we really do need to take a leaf out of Article 41(2) of the Implementing measures and implement the one measure left to us - the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972!

An Interesting EU Conundrum

A report in the Open Europe press summary today caught my eye relating to an ECJ President who has been accused of bias in a judgement on a British couple’s property case.

"PA reports that the UK’s Court of Appeal has been asked to consider whether the President of the European Court of Justice, Vassilios Skouris, was biased when he ruled in a land dispute which affects thousands of holiday home owners in Northern Cyprus. The article notes that Skouris headed a panel of EU judges which ruled that the British courts must enforce the decision of a southern Cyprus court upholding the property rights of a man forced to leave his land when Turkey invaded the north of the island. The ECJ ruling would mean that British couple David and Linda Orams would have to demolish their home in northern Cyprus on which they had spent their life's savings and pay damages to the original land owner, Meletios Apostolides. However, it was alleged at the Court of Appeal that Judge Skouris had close links with the President of Cyprus, who had bestowed the island's highest honour on him, and this may have coloured his judgement."

The case of Cyprus is an extremely interesting aspect when considering whether Turkey will be admitted to the European Union. At the time of Turkey's intervention in Cyprus at the affront - as they considered it - of the Greek governments treatment of Turkish Cypriots, the undertaking was given by Turkey that they would never leave Northern Cyprus and to this day retain garrisons of troops in the northern part of the island; . At the time of my visit to Northern Cyprus two years ago - and to my knowledge not much has changed - whilst the two sides were living 'side by side' fairly amicably, although there were customs restrictions on what could be taken in and out of both sides, resentment was still felt by the Greeks at what they considered theft of properties and land held prior to the division of the island. It was a regular occurence for Greeks to arrive at a property laying claim to that property or land.

 

Reverting to the Press Association report quoted by Open Europe, we have the European Court of Justice making a ruling on land held in a country that is not a member of the European Union and therefore not subject to its rulings. And British courts must enforce a ruling likewise in a land in which they too do not have judrisdiction.

WTF! Or am I missing something here?

Footnote: For an unbiased account of the Greece/Turkey 'troubles' in Cyprus, one could not do better than to obtain and read a copy of The Genocide Files by Harry Scott Gibbons - a journalist for the Daily Express who covered events - pubished by Near East Publishing 73 Bedreddin Demirel Avenue, Lefkosa Mersi 10 Turkey.

New Name Wanted?

With a report that British Airways and Iberia have reached a preliminary agreement on a merger, subject to EU approval, presumably they will be looking for a new name.

In celebration of the creation of the ERUSSR might one suggest Beria?

The Conservatives & Spin

Nicholas Watt writes in the Guardian on Gordon Brown being accused of having used speculative estimates in claiming the government had saved jobs during the recession.

What caught my eye was the quoted comment by Philip Hammond, shadow chief Treasury secretary, who said:

"Gordon Brown needs to face up to the facts, not spin them. He is part of the problem, not the solution."

In which case Gordon Brown has a lot in common with the Conservative Party in that the Conservative Party 'spin' their policies on, for example, the environment, immigration and the economy without admitting that these are constrained in part, if not in whole, by Directives and Regulations from the European Union.

If Gordon Brown has to be honest, then so do you Mr Hammond!

Albion Alliance

The Albion Alliance is a new 'movement' which has been started, one with which I am associated, and is a cross-party alliance of like-minded people who are totally fed up with the emasculation of our democracy caused not just by the present government, but also by our membership of the European Union.

We seek to ensure that at the next General election only those MPs who are elected have a belief in furthering the cause of country before party, who believe in restoring self-rule and thus reintroducing those institutions, practices and customs that have been so debased. In restoring that self-rule we would wish to rebuild a solid foundation for the future of Britain - a foundation built on freedom, self determination and sheer common sense.

As stated on the website, it is not our intention to split party or vote, neither to ask supporters to forgo their party membership, purely to ensure that - come the General election - the voter will know which of the candidates wish to retain Britain's subjugation to the EU and which believe in returning Britain to a self-governing nation state. With sufficient numbers of 'self-governing MPs', regardless of party, it should be possible to force the government of the day to hold the referendum that the majority of this country want.

Do take a look at the website - which is still under construction - and any comments are more than welcome.

David Dimbleby To Miss Question Time

So reports the Times - seems he had a bit of trouble with a bullock! Obviously he did not use the right words!

Oh well, that disproves one theory of mine - that Dimbleby always talked a load of bull!

Is This Right?

Paul Waugh posts that Sally Bercow has been selected as one of three Labour candidates and will be standing in the St. James ward for Westminster council.

On the basis that the Speaker is supposed to be 'politically neutral', one has to question whether his wife should be actively involved in politics.

Accepting that Sally Bercow is a person in her own right, should not the Speaker's wife be publicly seen to be 'politically neutral' also?

Just another thought.....................

Date Of General Election

Both Iain Dale and Nick Robinson have posted about the above and will there, or won't there, be a March election.

Bearing in mind that local elections are scheduled for May 6th and the parlous state of the country's finances, would Gordon Brown 'get away' with the expense of two different dates?

This late in the Parliamentary 'cycle', it was never going to be in doubt one would have thought?

Hardly 'Rocket Science' - but I could be wrong........