Thursday, May 07, 2009

Libertas And The EU Elections June 4th 2009

Libertas appear to be running an extremely slick and effective EU election campaign. They seem to have the backing and professionalism so lacking in other smaller parties and who knows, their reformist message could possibly, maybe, just about, have some impact as it is EU wide. Anyway, I received the following messsage from Libertas yesterday, the kind of thing I have not received, either via the internet or the letterbox, from any other party yet:

Gregg,

In an incredible display of arrogance and disrespect for the will of the people, members of the European Parliament will have a lengthy debate tonight on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. That’s right, the Lisbon Treaty, the same Treaty that Libertas defeated in Ireland and - according to the EU's own rules - is now dead.

Apparently, the bureaucrats in Brussels don’t care what the people think. And the truth is, they don’t need to. Because, right now there is no one to hold them to account.

That’s why the movement you are building right now is so important. It’s up to you whether or not Europe will be accountable to its people. Libertas is our last chance - our only chance - to make sure we have democracy at the heart of the European Union.

The European Elections are only 29 days away. Please email everyone in your contact book. Ask your friends. And get ONE more person to join the movement today.

http://www.libertas.eu/spread-the-word

The MEPs will debate a total of five different reports for this anti-democratic debate, including the Parliament’s new role and responsibilities in implementing the Lisbon Treaty. This discussion is a perfect example of the inherent disrespect the EU has for the democratic views of European citizens, and the lack of accountability to which we are strongly opposed.

This morning Libertas Chairman, and leader of the winning “No” campaign in the 2008 Irish referendum, Declan Ganley said, “Members of the European Parliament are completely out of touch with reality. Instead of debating real issues like how to solve the economic crisis, they are spending resources on something which does not exist because it has been rejected by the people who were allowed a vote on it.

This displays their arrogance, their disrespect for democracy and their waste of taxpayers’ money".

No wonder multiple newspapers across Europe have now confirmed that Brussels is living in fear of our movement, the Libertas movement. What those bureaucrats fear most is a movement of the people. Because they know that if millions of us act together, as Europeans, we will create a new hope for the future – a Europe where Brussels is efficient, focused on creating jobs and restoring our economy, and is overseen by the people.

Please email everyone in your contact list. Ask your friends. And get one more person to join the movement today.

http://www.libertas.eu/spread-the-word

The Libertas movement is gaining tremendous momentum across Europe. We have united the leading figures of the “No” campaigns in France, Ireland and the Netherlands (Declan Ganley, Philippe de Villiers and Eline van den Broek) who worked tirelessly to make sure that the people in their countries were given a vote.

But, now, we need YOU. Our movement is in your hands. You are it. The new hope for Europe will live or die based on what you do now.

So, if you want a strong Europe, a democratic Europe where only elected leaders make the law; if you want a referendum on any Constitution; if you want a real solution to the economic crisis; if you want to hold Brussels to account; if you want to renew the hope that we all had for Europe, then help build the first true party of Europe. A party dedicated to openness, accountability, transparency and democracy.

There are millions of others like you who want a new Europe – they are your friends, your work colleagues, your family members, your neighbours, and members of your community and now we need you to get them to join our cause.

Kind regards,

Libertas


Like thousands of people who supported UKIP in 2004, indeed I was a candidate back then and subsequently worked for their North West MEP, I have realised that having MEPs will not bring British withdrawal from the EU any closer. What I saw, over the last couple of years I was involved, was a small group of people who had hijacked a party whose membership is 99% decent and honourable, in order to use them to get themselves elected to a nice little earner. So withdrawalist MEPs will achieve nothing by getting elected. They will merely be joining the ranks of those they accuse of being useless, having no influence or power but making a great living at the taxpayers' expense. So if you join them, you are surely one of them.

So the EU elections won't bring British withdrawal any closer. Can a reformist party make it more democratic until a party in Westminster can extricate us? Maybe, but I suggest that history says no. If Margaret Thatcher failed when in government I very much doubt that Declan Ganley has any chance with however many MEPs he gets elected.

So UKIP have gone native and Libertas have given themselves an impossible task. My view is that if Libertas do get MEPs elected, in five years time we will be asking them the same question we are today asking of UKIP. Well, what have you achieved? The answer will again be nothing.

There are other fringe parties involved such as No2EU which is a motley crew of lefties, trade unionists and 'equality' obsessives. There are the Greens, but please? There will also be the Jury Team, a real bunch of misfits, but idealistic and, I believe, in it for the right reasons if misguided. OK, perhaps thirty years in politics has made me cynical .

I suspect that thousands of people who deserted the Tories in 2004 to vote for UKIP as a protest, will return to the fold in June 2009 in order to administer one more kick in the gut to Gordon Brown, as will many others. Libertas will garner a hardcore Eurosceptic vote from the rest, especially hardline Tories and disillusioned ex-UKIP voters who realise that any number of MEPs will not bring about withdrawal.

One thing for sure is that for once, we may have an interesting election to the European parliament. I can't believe I just wrote that!

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