If he's to be consistent, David Cameron should criticise Proportional Representation for giving him a stunning victory in the European Elections in Northern Ireland, the first for the newly formed Ulster Conservatives and Unionists. (After all, he's been slagging off PR constantly for the last few weeks, and William Hague blamed PR for the BNP's two seat victory in the European Parliament elections).
It is reasonable to speculate that, if the election had been run on Cameron's First Past the Post system, Jim Nicholson, the Ulster Conservative and Unionist candidate would have come third. That was where he came in the ranking of first preferences.
But, because the election was run on the Single Transferable Vote system, a variant of Proportional Representation, Jim Nicholson came second, scoring an historic victory over the Democratic Unionist Party, who came third (they came first at the last Euro elections).
That is because the second preferences of Jim Allister of True Ulster Voice, who was eliminated in the count, went mainly, according to observers, to the Ulster Conservative and Unionist candidate, and not to the Democratic Unionist party candidate.
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Conservative heavyweights lay into Cameron's EU group move
I am delighted that David Cameron is getting some real stick about his decision to leave the EPP and side with a load of nutters. The inclusion of three former Conservative EU/EC/EEC commissioners, Lords Patten, Tugendhat and Brittan, is particularly significant.
A group of Tory grandees and former senior diplomats will tomorrow launch a devastating attack on David Cameron's flagship Eurosceptic policies, warning that they pose a threat to British influence in the European Union.
On the eve of the European elections, the Tory leader stands accused of adopting a "rigid commitment to impotence" after he pledged to withdraw from the main centre-right grouping in the European parliament.
Cameron, who will appear alongside highly conservative EU allies in Warsaw tomorrow, goes into the European elections next Thursday on the most hardline Eurosceptic ticket of any mainstream political leader since Britain entered the EEC in 1973.
A group of Tory grandees and former senior diplomats will tomorrow launch a devastating attack on David Cameron's flagship Eurosceptic policies, warning that they pose a threat to British influence in the European Union.
On the eve of the European elections, the Tory leader stands accused of adopting a "rigid commitment to impotence" after he pledged to withdraw from the main centre-right grouping in the European parliament.
Cameron, who will appear alongside highly conservative EU allies in Warsaw tomorrow, goes into the European elections next Thursday on the most hardline Eurosceptic ticket of any mainstream political leader since Britain entered the EEC in 1973.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Rifkind contradicts Hague on EU Council President
Linda Jack has already started a Facebook group to stop Tony Blair becoming the President of the EU council. Now the European Tribune has started a petition on the subject. I have just become the 5,655th signatory.
On Today this morning, Sir Malcolm Rifkind said that the President of the EU Council does not have any power whatsoever and is purely ceremonial and will only allow the occupant to make the odd speech.
That's funny. This evening, William Hague was bleating on BBC News saying exactly the opposite. It will be very powerful he was saying.
How on earth can William Hague's comments have any credibility whatsoever when they are totally contradicted by the last Conservative Foreign Secretary?
On Today this morning, Sir Malcolm Rifkind said that the President of the EU Council does not have any power whatsoever and is purely ceremonial and will only allow the occupant to make the odd speech.
That's funny. This evening, William Hague was bleating on BBC News saying exactly the opposite. It will be very powerful he was saying.
How on earth can William Hague's comments have any credibility whatsoever when they are totally contradicted by the last Conservative Foreign Secretary?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
EU President Blair? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
I see Tony Blair wants to be President of Europe - but only if he is given "real" power in defence and trade affairs.
Presumably, that would be the power to ignore the wishes of the people in crawling up to extreme right-wing US Presidents to pre-emptively invade a country in the cause of "defence", would it?
On your bike sunshine. He's not going to get the job anyway. Merkel is against it, so forget it.
The main person who seems enthusiastic about the idea is Sarkozy. Add to him, presumably, Berlusconi, if he gets back into power.
Pass the sickbag, Alice.
I cannot think of anything that turns my stomach more than that ******** (see Greg Mulholland's lexicon) Blair getting to be President of Europe.
If there is a campaign against it, I will gladly march 100 miles to stop it happening.
Blair's invasion of Iraq was one of the biggest mistakes in British foreign policy ever.
He really should get the message and crawl away and spend the rest of his time with his directorships.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Phew! That feels better.
Presumably, that would be the power to ignore the wishes of the people in crawling up to extreme right-wing US Presidents to pre-emptively invade a country in the cause of "defence", would it?
On your bike sunshine. He's not going to get the job anyway. Merkel is against it, so forget it.
The main person who seems enthusiastic about the idea is Sarkozy. Add to him, presumably, Berlusconi, if he gets back into power.
Pass the sickbag, Alice.
I cannot think of anything that turns my stomach more than that ******** (see Greg Mulholland's lexicon) Blair getting to be President of Europe.
If there is a campaign against it, I will gladly march 100 miles to stop it happening.
Blair's invasion of Iraq was one of the biggest mistakes in British foreign policy ever.
He really should get the message and crawl away and spend the rest of his time with his directorships.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Phew! That feels better.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Great fun to come - the EU Treaty debates
Polly Toynbee makes some interesting observations on the forthcoming EU Treaty debates in parliament. She describes how Labour think the public has become tangibly disinterested in the Treaty process:
Labour reckons this scrupulously thorough debate will expose the Tories as friendless cranks, unfit to govern. Cameron will be embarrassed by the Cash brigade's 1,000 amendments, ranting away to an empty chamber. In all 26 member states, the Tories' only allies are Greek communists, Dutch animal rights and Sinn Féin. MPs are getting few letters on the referendum, pollsters find the public never mention it spontaneously and the Sun and the Telegraph are embarrassed by how few bothered to sign their referendum petitions. That's the way Labour whistles bravely in the dark...
Then she sees it from the Tory side:
On the other side, Tories think their party's hour has come: the public wants a referendum, believes it was promised one and knows the government only refuses for fear of losing. But the Tories' real strength is in their press. Rupert Murdoch, Paul Dacre and the Barclay brothers have not gone away, though their recent silence before the storm is eerie. Remember the first day of Labour's party conference, when the Sun ran seven pages of referendum rant. Even if it bores readers into plummeting sales, these press barons are crazed enough not to care, so expect a daily bombardment of Euro lies. Big lies will say the creation of an EU foreign affairs minister means Britain will lose its UN seat. Other lies say we will be forced to give criminals the vote, 21-gun salutes will be muffled, children's swings, walnuts and wood-burning stoves will be banned, yoghurt will be relabelled Fermented Milk Pudding, and UK places will be renamed. All these are already in print.
I'll be glad when it's all over.
Labour reckons this scrupulously thorough debate will expose the Tories as friendless cranks, unfit to govern. Cameron will be embarrassed by the Cash brigade's 1,000 amendments, ranting away to an empty chamber. In all 26 member states, the Tories' only allies are Greek communists, Dutch animal rights and Sinn Féin. MPs are getting few letters on the referendum, pollsters find the public never mention it spontaneously and the Sun and the Telegraph are embarrassed by how few bothered to sign their referendum petitions. That's the way Labour whistles bravely in the dark...
Then she sees it from the Tory side:
On the other side, Tories think their party's hour has come: the public wants a referendum, believes it was promised one and knows the government only refuses for fear of losing. But the Tories' real strength is in their press. Rupert Murdoch, Paul Dacre and the Barclay brothers have not gone away, though their recent silence before the storm is eerie. Remember the first day of Labour's party conference, when the Sun ran seven pages of referendum rant. Even if it bores readers into plummeting sales, these press barons are crazed enough not to care, so expect a daily bombardment of Euro lies. Big lies will say the creation of an EU foreign affairs minister means Britain will lose its UN seat. Other lies say we will be forced to give criminals the vote, 21-gun salutes will be muffled, children's swings, walnuts and wood-burning stoves will be banned, yoghurt will be relabelled Fermented Milk Pudding, and UK places will be renamed. All these are already in print.
I'll be glad when it's all over.
Monday, November 12, 2007
EU Pie in the sky
It seems very weird that the EU is planning to set up a civilian navigation system in the sky, via upgraded sateillites. It really seems strange that they are getting involved in such an area while other more essential areas are crying out for cash.
I would ask: "What is wrong with the current systems in place?" But the response would be: "Ah well, if you're driving along the A1 and want to get to Acacia Avenue in West Pontefract, as opposed to Acacia Road in East Pontefract...." etc etc
But surely most of the faults in SatNav are in the software or the data load - not in the sateillite connection?
SatNav is not so important that it should be upgraded through a vast EU-funded project. It's ridiculous. If SatNav doesn't work we can use maps - or our heads.
I would ask: "What is wrong with the current systems in place?" But the response would be: "Ah well, if you're driving along the A1 and want to get to Acacia Avenue in West Pontefract, as opposed to Acacia Road in East Pontefract...." etc etc
But surely most of the faults in SatNav are in the software or the data load - not in the sateillite connection?
SatNav is not so important that it should be upgraded through a vast EU-funded project. It's ridiculous. If SatNav doesn't work we can use maps - or our heads.
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