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Posts Tagged ‘EU’

So the Cannes G20 Summit has ended and as could be predicted, with very little achieved except a very clear message from the rest of the World to the EU and specifically, the Eurozone; “Get your house in order”. Sarkozy along with Merkel, will no doubt blame the Greeks and yet, Greece is but a symptom of an underlying disease called the “Euro”, a currency never destined to work for the benefit of all.

For France, the “Common Market” and the infamous CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), were designed so that inefficient French farmers could get a ‘subsidy’ that didn’t come from the French taxpayers, it came from all the other ‘Members’. As this has wound down, Germany has achieved a similar unfair bonus via the Euro, the point being that these two, for all their apparent “high moral ground” with regard to the Greeks, fail to see the mote in their own eyes.

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I believe that David Cameron is a pretty good Prime Minister, truly a man for the times we live in, pragmatic not dogmatic, a cool and relaxed character so, I find his stance over the EU Referendum Debate not only odd but totally misguided, what on Earth is he thinking of in putting down a 3 line whip ?

Sorry, this is piss poor judgement and could have easily been avoided. David Cameron should never have painted himself into a corner over this one, it has a “cost” but no benefit for these Islands, him personally or even his Party in return for that cost. Daft Bugger this is where “Feet of Clay” get exposed !

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The Euro Crisis has thrown up an amusing spectacle, a British Conservative Government urging the Euro countries to “ever closer union”. On the one hand with so much of UK trade bound up with the Euro Zone, it is obvious that it is not in the UK’s best interests that the Euro should fail and therefore if tighter economic integration of the Euro Zone countries is the “answer” to it not doing so, then so be it.

Perhaps from a UK perspective, we are finally reaching a “tipping point” with regard to our relationship with the EU whereby without too much effort, we in the UK can move on our way quite naturally without having to make a “Big Decision”, like being an island race, many decisions are made for us already, same as if we were a “Continental Country”.

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There was an interesting article by John Rentoul in the Independent on how David Cameron risks being caught between a ‘pincer movement’ by the Tory Right and the Liberal Elite over the European Court of Human Rights: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-a-pincer-movement-on-no-10-2219869.html#comment-153134186

But as is often the case, it led me to think somewhat beyond the current difficulties of ‘Votes for Prisoners’ and the right for convicted people to ask to be removed from the Sex Offenders Register after a period of time, it leads me to wonder about the practical limits on political power.

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There was a report published the other day by a Right of Centre, Think Tank called Policy Exchange ( http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/ ). Read it for yourself, I am sure that there will be those that ‘object’ but the truth is that this organisation is no ‘Fascist Outfit’ and is in most things, intelligently directed and driven by thinking people.

The report in essence, suggests that the UK should involve itself in a renegotiation of the way this Court works over some two years and failing any reasonable progress, withdraw from its jurisdiction, make the UK Supreme Court the ultimate arbiter whilst “noting any suitable judgements made by the ECHR” along the way and over future years: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/8307782/UK-should-withdraw-from-European-Court-of-Human-Rights.html

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I have at times of boredom or weakness, engaged in ‘comments wars’, they can get quite grisly because hiding behind some anonymous name, people can feel quite free to be totally silly and downright insulting so normally I ignore them but the following mild example may provide some amusement.

One of the staff writers on The Daily Telegraph is Janet Daley who I rarely read because like Simon Heffer who also writes for the DT, she is none too bright and her right wing fan club that comment on her articles are pretty unhinged at the best of times however, today it was worth a crack: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/janetdaley/8165185/Why-dont-we-love-David-Cameron.html#dsq-content

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There is a piece in the Sunday Telegraph today following their questioning of various Economists which produced a majority view that suggests that the Euro as a currency, is likely to cease to exist within the next 5 years and possibly sooner: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/budget/7806064/Euro-will-be-dead-in-five-years.html

Obviously this has been bought about by the Greek crisis in particular and the state of the PIIGS generally however, it represents a far more interesting illustration of a fundamental flaw with the whole idea of the EU and in particular, the rather dubious methods employed by those who see themselves as the “Ruling Elite of Europe” to further their Federalist aims, one hears the distant rumble of the Tumbrils in the streets…

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The former Europe Minister Denis MacShane wrote an article on the EU intended to show that the EU is wonderful and the “Beastly Tories” will detach us from it which given the difficulties Greece is currently in, hardly seems a sensible approach to reality.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/denis-macshane-shame-on-those-now-sneering-at-the-european-project-1900566.html

However as an election has to take place in months, the Labour Party is dragging “any old has been” off the back benches to write “wicked Tory” articles on any and every topic they can, what a sad sack of shit this Labour Government has become.

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Whilst I could never understand the economic rationale behind setting up the Eurozone which was always a total nonsense to me, the political case was obvious for those who believed in a “United States of Europe”, another nonsense if ever there was one. But whilst I have no love for either, I certainly wish them no harm because the UK is outside the Eurozone and hopefully in due course we shall be outside of the EU too.

The Media is full of stories about the economic crisis in Greece which is in the Euro but in deep shit because of the way it ran its budget therefore the question is: “Will the richer Eurozone countries bail Greece out ? Is this the first test for the Euro and will the currency fail if they can’t or don’t do so ?” To be honest the real problem has nothing to do with this in any case in my opinion…

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I believe that it is becoming increasingly clear that the UK would be far better off outside of the EU however, even David Cameron has convinced his most die-hard anti EU party members, it is not a burning issue for the majority of the British electorate because like most EU citizens, they don’t see it as having much impact on their daily lives even though, it may.

In addition and historically, the British electorate instinctively distrust “clever, intellectual” politicians or those who wrap themselves in the Union Flag so, trying to get the EU as a central political issue that would engage the electorate is a highly fraught task. However, help may well be at hand in the unlikely shape of Nicholas Sarkozy, the French President, “Vive Le President !”

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