STRAIGHT TALKING January 2008
Roger Helmer's electronic newsletter from Brussels
Please feel free to distribute this newsletter, or to quote from it. It is primarily written for Conservative Party members and activists in the East Midlands, but may also be of interest to others concerned about developments in the EU. If you receive the newsletter second-hand and want to go onto the e-mail list (or if you want to be deleted), please e-mail me on roger.helmer@europarl.europa.eu
Roger Helmer's electronic newsletter from Brussels
Please feel free to distribute this newsletter, or to quote from it. It is primarily written for Conservative Party members and activists in the East Midlands, but may also be of interest to others concerned about developments in the EU. If you receive the newsletter second-hand and want to go onto the e-mail list (or if you want to be deleted), please e-mail me on roger.helmer@europarl.europa.eu
[THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT TAKEN FROM THE MOST RECENT NEWSLETTER]
The Hooligans' Demonstration
An after-word on the "Referendum" demonstration in the Strasbourg Hemicycle on Dec 12th. The Daily Mail described it as a "Hooligans' Demonstration". Labour and Lib-Dem members said we should not have interrupted the proceedings of the house.
But we have a parliament which persistently votes in favour of EU integration and against the wishes of European citizens (who want a Referendum). That's because the MEPs consist (largely) of Euro-visionaries who will allow nothing to stand in their way. The institutions talk of "A Europe of values based on democracy", but when the people demand a democratic vote, their views are dismissed with contempt. We have EU institutions determined to drive the project forward in the teeth of public opposition. And we have member-state governments -- most notably our own -- elected on a promise of a Referendum, but now determined to deny one.
In these circumstances, I believe our demonstration was justified. We had the Presidents of the EU's three key institutions in the Hemicycle -- parliament, Council and Commission. And for five minutes we forced them to listen to the voice of the people. They hated it.
Big-mouthed, red-faced, grumpy old men
On Dec 19th I responded to a piece on Commissioner Wallstrom's blog in the following terms:
1. As one of the big-mouthed, red-faced, grumpy old men castigated by the Commissioner, may I say that I would never be so discourteous as to pass pejorative comments on Mrs Wallstrom’s appearance — she is a very handsome woman. However I am shocked by the towering contempt which she and her fellow Commissioners show for public opinion. They speak of “A Europe of values based on democracy”, but they then dismiss the overwhelming view of the French and Dutch voters on the Constitution in 2005. I am shocked by the deceit and cynicism with which they bring back essentially the same text, and pretend that it is different. I am shocked by the seven member-state governments that were elected on a promise of a referendum, but are now breaking their word.
An after-word on the "Referendum" demonstration in the Strasbourg Hemicycle on Dec 12th. The Daily Mail described it as a "Hooligans' Demonstration". Labour and Lib-Dem members said we should not have interrupted the proceedings of the house.
But we have a parliament which persistently votes in favour of EU integration and against the wishes of European citizens (who want a Referendum). That's because the MEPs consist (largely) of Euro-visionaries who will allow nothing to stand in their way. The institutions talk of "A Europe of values based on democracy", but when the people demand a democratic vote, their views are dismissed with contempt. We have EU institutions determined to drive the project forward in the teeth of public opposition. And we have member-state governments -- most notably our own -- elected on a promise of a Referendum, but now determined to deny one.
In these circumstances, I believe our demonstration was justified. We had the Presidents of the EU's three key institutions in the Hemicycle -- parliament, Council and Commission. And for five minutes we forced them to listen to the voice of the people. They hated it.
Big-mouthed, red-faced, grumpy old men
On Dec 19th I responded to a piece on Commissioner Wallstrom's blog in the following terms:
1. As one of the big-mouthed, red-faced, grumpy old men castigated by the Commissioner, may I say that I would never be so discourteous as to pass pejorative comments on Mrs Wallstrom’s appearance — she is a very handsome woman. However I am shocked by the towering contempt which she and her fellow Commissioners show for public opinion. They speak of “A Europe of values based on democracy”, but they then dismiss the overwhelming view of the French and Dutch voters on the Constitution in 2005. I am shocked by the deceit and cynicism with which they bring back essentially the same text, and pretend that it is different. I am shocked by the seven member-state governments that were elected on a promise of a referendum, but are now breaking their word.
Goebbels rides again
Another fine example of the EU's propagandists riding roughshod over reality. Orwell's Ministry of Truth strikes again.
The parliament's audiovisual services naturally produced video coverage of the signing ceremony, but they found that on their soundtrack, the strains of the European National Anthem were overlaid by our "Referendum" chanting. So they wiped the soundtrack and replaced it with a straight recording of the Anthem. And of course their cameras had avoided our banners as far as they could. Thus is the voice of the people air-brushed out of history.
For amateur, uncensored footage, filmed by a lady who was man-handled out of the room, see http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vCBIst10H-k
The Charter of Fundamental Rights
Although we were demonstrating for a Referendum, the occasion bringing together the top brass was a formal signing of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. That's the one that Keith Vaz said had "no more legal force than the Beano". The one that comes in with the Lisbon Treaty/ Constitution. The one where Gordon Brown has some rickety red lines, which will fall at the first challenge in the ECJ.
Predictably, Bill Turncoat Dunn was moved to make one of his rare excursions into regional press, singing the praises of the EU's new Charter. But let's not forget that it was EU "Rights" that enabled convicts to demand pornography in jail, and which prevent Britain from sending home terrorist suspects.
We in Britain have a Common Law tradition stretching back centuries. Our rights are not given us by the state, or by Charters and Conventions. They are ours because we are born with them.
The effect of this Charter will be more judicial activism. It will mean that the law is decided by unaccountable judges, not by politicians (whom at least we can sack at the next election). It contains a host of "Rights" that in many cases are self-contradictory. It will be a field-day for lawyers, but a bad day for the freedoms of English men and women.
The Treaty is shorter than the Constitution. Isn't it?
President Sarkozy of France promised the people a "Mini-Treaty". So of course the Treaty is shorter than the Constitution. It's only 287 pages, against the Constitution's 349.
But check the word-count. The Treaty has 76,250 words, whereas the Constitution has only 67,850. So the Treaty is actually 8,400 words -- 12.4% -- longer than the Constitution! How did they get the page-count down? Easy. Closer line spacing. The closer you look at the Treaty, the more you discover cynicism, and deceit, and contempt for democracy and for the people.
For amateur, uncensored footage, filmed by a lady who was man-handled out of the room, see http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vCBIst10H-k
The Charter of Fundamental Rights
Although we were demonstrating for a Referendum, the occasion bringing together the top brass was a formal signing of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. That's the one that Keith Vaz said had "no more legal force than the Beano". The one that comes in with the Lisbon Treaty/ Constitution. The one where Gordon Brown has some rickety red lines, which will fall at the first challenge in the ECJ.
Predictably, Bill Turncoat Dunn was moved to make one of his rare excursions into regional press, singing the praises of the EU's new Charter. But let's not forget that it was EU "Rights" that enabled convicts to demand pornography in jail, and which prevent Britain from sending home terrorist suspects.
We in Britain have a Common Law tradition stretching back centuries. Our rights are not given us by the state, or by Charters and Conventions. They are ours because we are born with them.
The effect of this Charter will be more judicial activism. It will mean that the law is decided by unaccountable judges, not by politicians (whom at least we can sack at the next election). It contains a host of "Rights" that in many cases are self-contradictory. It will be a field-day for lawyers, but a bad day for the freedoms of English men and women.
The Treaty is shorter than the Constitution. Isn't it?
President Sarkozy of France promised the people a "Mini-Treaty". So of course the Treaty is shorter than the Constitution. It's only 287 pages, against the Constitution's 349.
But check the word-count. The Treaty has 76,250 words, whereas the Constitution has only 67,850. So the Treaty is actually 8,400 words -- 12.4% -- longer than the Constitution! How did they get the page-count down? Easy. Closer line spacing. The closer you look at the Treaty, the more you discover cynicism, and deceit, and contempt for democracy and for the people.
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