Elected Representatives

An MEP was banging on yesterday that cyclists should be registered, have a number plate, insurance and be forced to wear high vis jackets. Effectively she was wanting to tax and regulate cycling.


Regardless of the issue my argument with her was that it is not the job of an MEP, on a monster salary and expenses, to be banging on about this kind of thing. Maybe a local councillor possibly an MP but not an MEP in an ivory tower in Brussels.


Her justification for it was that constituents had been in touch with her about it. Big deal. My response was to ask if she would advocate the slaughter of the first born in every household if a few constituents contacted her in support of it. She didn't answer.


This seems to be the problem with politicians, they are so busy trying to please every interest group they piss everybody off. Elected representatives are representatives, they are not delegates. We vote for people we are in broad agreement with and each election we should look at what they have done and decide whether to vote for them again or not. I certainly wouldn't expect a Labour MP to vote for the nationalisation of the NHS, even if a thousand constituents lobbied him. The argument that elected representatives should do what those who shout the loudest want is wrong headed and dangerous. Especially when it goes against the representatives core beliefs.


I suppose with Euro elections coming up MEPs will suddenly become high profile media whores as they become ever more desperate to maintain their places on the gravy train. I for one will be using my democratic freedom to spoil my ballot paper.

New Year Resolution #1-The European Union Elections

It's that time of year when we start thinking about changing our ways as we leave the old year behind us. So here's my starter.

I was at a meeting a few years ago when Enoch Powell was asked how he thought people should vote in the upcoming EU elections, it was some time in the late '80s. His reply was: "I wouldn't soil my hands on a European ballot paper".

So my first resolution for 2014 is to boycott the European Union elections. Voting gives it some element of legitimacy and is a form of collaboration.

Eurosceptic MEPs-What's the Point?

UKIP are making a big deal about their chances of 'winning' the European elections next year. What they mean by 'winning' is unclear as even if every MEP elected in the UK next year is UKIP it would make not one jot of difference to our membership of the EU.

As UKIP rightly point out MEPs have no power and little influence, here or in Europe. As UKIP rightly point out MEPs are costly, overpaid, given far too much in allowances and expenses and have virtually no value. Why then, is a party dedicated to leaving the whole corrupt sham, so desperate to get more of its candidates elected to the corrupt sham than any other party? It makes no sense.

UKIP's track record doesn't stand any kind of scrutiny. They have some of the worst attendance records in the EuroParl but still get paid a huge salary, expenses and allowances. Enjoying the gravy train? Surely not!

On matters of policy, other than the EU, they fight like ferrets in a sack. Since the last elections in 2009 they have lost 4 MEPs, David Campbell Bannerman, Marta Andreason, Mike Nattrass and Nikki Sinclaire. Bizarrely loose cannon (political euphemism for nutjob) Godfrey Bloom MEP lost the whip, remains a UKIP member but sits as an independent MEP. Previously two former UKIP MEPs went to clink for fraud.

In May they trumpeted about their best local election results ever. Since then numerous councillors have defected to other parties and others have been disciplined for dodgy comments on social media sites. In one authority a group of UKIP councillors have broken away to form a separate group to the official UKIP group. They can't get on with each other so the rest of us have no chance.

Today I have been on my old friend Nikki Sinclaire's blog. Nikki was treated shabbily by UKIP and is now an independent MEP in the West Midlands and has launched her We Demand A Referendum Party . But yet again the party intends to fight next year's Euro elections and, if they win any, will take up their seats. Why?

Nikki is currently banging on in her blog about councillors getting free meals before council meetings, not a common practice in my experience but is that really what costly MEPs should be spending their time campaigning about? What about the hugely generous expenses and allowances that MEPs receive, far more generous than rubber chicken and chips before the odd meeting? And is an MEP really paid all that cash to arrange collections outside supermarkets for foodbanks? I don't think so.

The problem is that Eurosceptics have been suckered into the very corrupt organisation that they claim to loathe. Getting elected to the EuroParl, with its dodgy PR system, is far easier than winning First Past the Post elections. Hence UKIP have MEPs but no MPs. Once suckered in they are seduced by their new found status and all the baubles that go with it. Once an MEP gets used to that thumping salary, generously supplemented by a huge array of expenses and allowances, they look at the real world and fear what a drop in cash and status they would face if they lost their seats. They go native.

It is my intention to abstain/spoil my ballot paper in the European elections next year. I have yet to hear a Eurosceptic MEP expose anything in the EU that hadn't or wouldn't have been exposed in the media anyway and, as much as anything, even having worked for an MEP, I just cannot see the point of Eurosceptic MEPs other than to make a few people quite wealthy.

UKIP and Marta Andreasen-The Farce Lingers On

Farage or Petain?

The continuing comedy drama that is UKIP continues to raise a titter, just a shame a few people still take the party seriously. I first met Farage in 2000 when I was invited to stand by the local UKIP members in the Preston by-election. When I was introduced to him I instinctively checked my watch was still there after we'd shaken hands, he may as well have had the word 'spiv' tattooed on his forehead it was so obvious.

Over the following few years I had the misfortune to suffer his company on many occasions as he became increasingly megalomaniac and obnoxious. On one occasion he was lost in Manchester trying to find a hotel I had booked for him and his 'lady researcher', we were demonstrating outside the Tory conference next day. Only a clown would phone somebody 60 miles away and state that he didn't have a clue where he was in Manchester then ask if I could I direct him to the hotel. Obviously not, you do need a start point when giving directions but he was too dumb to realise. Then, when I suggested he ask a pedestrian for directions he told me he was scared to do that because there were too many Tories about and they don't like him. Man of steel? I don't think so.

So I wasn't surprised when Marta Andreasen MEP resigned on Friday to join the Tories citing Farage's attitude to women and his Stalinism. She's spot on. That led me to ponder the other UKIP MEPs over the years. It's not gratifying reading really, but in no particular order here we go:

Ashley Mote: Went to chokey for fiddling housing benefit prior to climbing aboard the gravy train.

Tom Wise: Went to chokey for fiddling his expenses.

Michael Holmes: One of the three MEPs elected in 1999, Farage being another. Holmes resigned as leader and left the party soon after being elected.

David Campbell Bannerman: Defected to the Tories in 2011, he was elected in 2009.

Nikki Sinclaire: Forced out of UKIP after refusing to sit in their group in the EU Parliament alongside assorted right-wing nutters, racists and homophobes from other European countries. I should declare that I worked as Nikki's campaign manager for three months in the 2010 general election and that I worked from 2004 to the end of 2008 for John Whittaker MEP.

Marta Andreasen: Resigned last week to join the Tories.

Nigel Farage: Too many scandals to list here, including putting his wife on his payroll without anybody in UKIP ever knowing, and certainly not knowing what she did when it came to light.

The problem is UKIP MEPs do very little work, they have some of the poorest attendance records in the EU Parliament and rarely attend or contribute to committee meetings. They have gone native and are now just a small group of people making themselves very wealthy, while doing very little, at our expense. No wonder they do nothing but bicker, stab each other in the back and resign, as the saying goes, the devil makes work for idle hands.

We didn't defeat the Nazis by joining them did we? Petain tried that little number in France and look how Vichy ended up. Sadly it looks like Farage is the latter day Petain leading a Vichy party on the gravy train they claim to oppose while achieving nothing for the UK.

Have Eurosceptic MEPs Gone Native?

In the 1990s I was involved with Alan Sked's Anti Federalist League. Around 1995 it became the UK Independence Party and I didn't join, firmly believing that a single issue party would not achieve my aim of leaving the European Union.

In 2000 I was invited, as a local councillor, to address a meeeting of the local UKIP branch. John Whittaker, who became an MEP in 2004, convinced me that UKIP MEPs would use their positions to build a credible and effective political movement in this country to fight domestic elections. I then joined UKIP. John did work hard to do just that when he was elected, but I believe that he is the only UKIP MEP who did.

The other MEP to work hard in this country is Nikki Sinclaire. It was her petition that forced the referendum debate in Parliament. Nikki was forced out of UKIP for refusing to sit with right-wing extremists in their group in the European Parliament. I can't think of anything useful that any other UKIP MEPs have done.

While I respect Nikki I no longer believe that Eurosceptic parties, including her We Want A Referendum Party, will achieve their aims by getting people elected to the European Parliament. I firmly believe that Eurosceptics in the European Parliament have been seduced by the money and status. If all 70+ MEPs for the UK were Eurosceptic it would not bring us one minute closer to exiting. Only the EU imploding or our own Westminster Parliament will achieve that.

Logically therefore, we Eurosceptics have nothing at all to gain from sending MEPs off on the gravy train that they claim to abhor and wish to leave. In recent weeks I have asked numerous people in the North West if they can name any of their MEPs. None could. I have also asked if they can name the parties their MEPs represent. Most thought they were Liberal Democrat or Labour, only one included a Tory, none knew that there was a UKIP MEP, and only one knew there was a BNP MEP. I asked how many MEPs there were in the North West. None got the answer right. So in terms of connecting with the electorate I would say that all MEPs have failed completely. There is virtually no awareness of them or their role. No consultation on any issues, it seems, is done by any of the North West MEPs. So what is the point?

In my opinion the only logical reason for any Eurosceptic remaining an MEP is that they have gone native. And that applies to Europhile MEPs too.

New EU Referendum Party

Great news this morning, Nikki Sinclaire MEP has launched a new party to fight the EU elections, the We Demand A Referendum Party.

Polls suggest the party could win betwen 8 and 22 seats at the next European elections and will be fighting all seats in the UK. My only hope is that, if elected, they refuse to take up their seats, unlike UKIP who have sold out since having their first MEPs elected to the gravy train in 1999.

Some hope that there will be a party to at least consider voting for at the next Euro elections, which there really wasn't at the last elections. All we need now is a party to vote for in UK parliamentary elections.

Afghanistan Election-EU Approves

The EU observers have noted that the election in Afghanistan was mostly OK, although in some areas there was intimidation, in some areas people were unable to vote etc., etc. However the result will stand.

It seems that the EU only demands that polls be re-run where there is absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever, such as Ireland.

Labour Party Disaster?

What a strange election.

Yes Labour's share of the vote dropped by 7% and they lost 5 MEPs. But the Conservative vote only went up 1.2%, and they gained only 1 MEP. Scotland is yet to declare but it looks like the SNP will gain at Labour's expense.

I am most concerned that the smaller parties failed to make a proper breakthrough. Yes UKIP gained 1 MEP (vote up 0.5%) and the BNP, sadly, gained 2 (vote up 2.5%), but a low turnout has to be a huge advantage to smaller parties whose hardcore vote will turn out come hell or high water. Apart from UKIP and the BNP the smaller parties, although increasing their vote slightly, didn't make any significant breakthroughs with the Greens only retaining their 2 seats. Here is a full national breakdown.

So yes a terrible night for Labour and Gordon Brown but did the Tories really take full advantage? I would say no. Labour did poorly in 2004, admittedly not as badly as this, but went on to win a general election in 2005. In EU elections people know there is little point so will protest vote knowing that there is little at stake. It looks to me like the next general election could produce a tiny Conservative majority or, more likely, a hung parliament. Sadly there seems little hope of a smaller party breaking through yet.

Full BBC election results.

English Democrats

It's the last day of campaigning in the fake European election. I had intended to abstain but couldn't bring myself to do it when the postal ballot papers arrived, even for a fake election it seemed wrong not to vote somehow.

So I've looked at all the parties and decided to vote for a party that I least ideologically opposed. So out went the BNP and The Green Party. Next went No2EU and Scargill's bunch of 1970s throwbacks aka the Socialist Labour Party. Next came Libertas, too pro-EU as are the big three, so they were out.I didn't know what any individual member of The Jury Team believed, it's a shambles, so they were out.

I whittled it down to UKIP, the English Democrats and the Christian Party. Sadly I think UKIP now sets the cause of EU withdrawal back and has become just another vehicle to get people on the gravy train, hence their campaign strapline of 'lend us your vote for the European election', implying they are not bothered about Westminster from where withdrawal, if it ever does, will come.

I admire the Christian Party but couldn't bring myself to vote for a religious party. So I ended up voting for the English Democrats. At least they have a full programme and their policy of equality for England isn't based on hatred of another group, as the SNP and Plaid Cymru are on hatred of the English.

But, more importantly they are highly unlikely to win. So I exercised my democratic right, but without helping give somebody a leg up onto the gravy train, at least not directly.

However, come the general election I look forward to voting, and campaigning for, the Libertarian Party.

EU Election June 4th

The BBC have produced a guide to all the parties fighting the European elections on Thursday.

At-a-glance: Party-by-party guide

EU and County Elections

Almost one third of voters are not planning on backing any of the three main parties, according to research.

A ComRes poll for the Independent put support for "others" at 30%, up 18% since before the expenses row erupted.

The rating is neck and neck with the Tories - who have plummeted 15% from the equivalent poll last month.

Labour has dropped four points to 22%, while the Liberal Democrats were up one on 18%. The Greens were on 8%, Ukip on 7%, the BNP 3%, the Scottish National Party 2%, Plaid Cymru 1% and other smaller parties or independents 9%.

Meanwhile, an Ipsos Mori poll found support for Labour has plunged by 10 points in the past month, and the party is now running neck and neck with the Liberal Democrats.

The dramatic slump in Labour's fortunes has allowed the Conservatives to pull 22 points clear, according to the research.

While support for all the main parties has declined in the aftermath of the MPs' expenses scandal, Labour appears to have fared the worst by far.

The Ipsos Mori poll put the Tories on 40%, down one since the same survey last month. But Labour was down 10 points, putting the party on the same support as the Lib Dems, who were down four on 18%.

At the same time, support for minor parties has doubled in the past month to 24%, including 7% for the UK Independence Party, 6% for the Greens and 4% for the British National Party.

The poll will harden expectations that Labour will be given a drubbing in Thursday's European and local elections.

The big problem seems to me that the smaller parties could cancel each other out, especially in the Euros, thus allowing the big three in.

In my county council division the smaller parties are either not standing or have merely put up a paper candidate. They just don't get it, they will not win parliamentary seats until they prove what they can do at council level.

So for now, it looks like we are stuck with big empty gestures and useless protest votes, only the Green Party, of the smaller ones, actually seem to be taking politics seriously.

Tribes

Sat in the garden of the homestead and it's just like being on holiday in France. The sun shining, the trees offering a bit of respite when the heat gets a bit too much and a jug of fresh iced juice on hand to slake the thirst.

But we're not in France, we've just got back from a walk around Ullswater and we think it must be Wearside wakes week, the place was full of people in Sunderland FC shirts, t-shirts and tattoos. They were everywere.

Now, I love hot weather, even when it does trigger my hayfever, which is due around now. But there is one thing I do dislike intensely, and it seems to be a very British thing. Why is it when the sun pops out so do the big, bare red beer bellies, the horrible chav tattoos and the bouncy sunburnt thighs? And as for the men? It makes me ill! So today we've witnessed tribal culture, manifested in the football tribe from Wearside.

On Thursday we will witness it from the political tribes. Being a European election it will be the real hardcore tribal members who bother. The ones who, regardless of their representatives putting expense claims in for buying a cornet at the pictures one Saturday night in 2007, will still vote for their tribe.

One of your candidates being investigated for firearms offences? Earns a crust making gallows for countries that still hang 'em high? Bet muppets will still vote for that particular tribe.

Had one of your MEPs imprisoned for benefit fraud? Well, he was thrown out of the party. What about the other one then, the one on bail for alleged fraud and money laundering. Well, he was weak and if you want out of the EU, well, 'we're the only show in town'.

It sometimes seems that politics is the middle class, or more likely 'pseudo-intellectual' eqivalent of football. They are both tribal, both prepared to forgive their team/party for almost anything and regard sticking with their team/party whatever they have done as a badge of honour, however dishonestly they may have behaved.

Blind allegiance to a football team is one thing. Blind allegiance to a political doctrine, or party, leads to conflict or even war. So, if you blindly follow a corrupt party on Thursday or, more importantly, in the general election that will come soon enough, don't whinge about dodgy politicians if you vote for the ones we all know to be on the make.

Maybe some of the blame lies with the political tribes, maybe more blame lies with the electorate, for either not giving a toss or not getting angry enough.

EU Election-Irish Perspective On The Sham/Scam

The heading for this post includes the words sham and scam for a reason. Nobody, even those fighting tooth and nail to get on the gravy train, seems able to justify the existence of MEPs. Far too many taking part are in it to get their snouts in the trough.

Even withdrawalist parties accept that electing any number of MEPs will not bring withdrawal one step closer, the EU doesn't work like that. One former colleague in UKIP, well intentioned but misguided in my view, claims that in 2005 UKIP's general election vote went up 50% on the vote in 2001 because of having MEPs. Maybe the number of votes did rise, but only because they had more candidates than in 2001. The actual percentage vote for UKIP was still only around 2%, similar to the percentage votes it was achieving pre-1999.

The problem is the public still don't care or know enough about the EU to be really bothered. Despite having MEPs since 1999 UKIP still haven't fulfilled their pledge of using MEPs to launch themselves into the UK parliament. Partly because they don't bother very seriously, partly because most people don't care about the EU, they vote on issues they regard as more important, and UKIP is still seen as irrelevant. The following quote from the Irish Times says it all really:

The European elections in Ireland, as in many other EU states, tend to be used as a mid-term review of the government by voters. The opposition also try to score political points against the Government rather than open an ideological debate about Europe or policy issues associated with the EU.

The full Irish Times article is here.

Let's face it the whole EU election is a sham. I have advocated abstention before but couldn't bring myself to do it when the ballot paper arrived. So I voted for a party that advocates withdrawal but I am certain will not get anybody elected. At least that way I know my vote hasn't helped directly put another snout in the trough.

That BNP Election Broadcast

European elections are essentially a wasted exercise in sham democracy, but it produces desperate attempts to jump on the gravy train. After all, five years as an MEP can make a person pretty well off for doing bugger all.

This year I was saddened that the BNP and UKIP should stoop to using images of Winston Churchill, a cheap shot in my view that smacks of desperation. But tonight's BNP election broadcast was something else.

The BNP really should get some basic history lessons. They showed war memorials in the UK claiming that the names were English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh, thus 'proving' that it was British people (not Johnny Foreigner) who saved us in the two world wars. What crap!

Yes the demography of the UK has changed and war memorials in Lancashire and elsewhere will represent the names that inhabited the UK in the first half of the last century. They do not represent the various nationalities and races that fought throughout Europe and the world from all corners of the Empire to preserve our, and their freedoms.

If anybody cares to visit war graves anywhere in Europe you will see the graves of people from Africa, the Indian Sub-continent, China and everywhere else the British flag flew at the time. Visit the Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper and see the names there that commemorate those who fell but have no known grave. The names are not only 'British', far from it.

What about the Gurkhas? Perhaps, according to BNP history books they don't count, or even exist.

I did't intend blogging tonight but their ignorance really pissed me off. Prats!

EU Election

We received our ballot papers yesterday for the joke election on June 4th. There is something very unpleasant about voting in an election to a parliament that has no influence or power, and thankfully that is the case with the EU parliament.

What is really sickening though, is knowing that all your vote will do is help somebody become quite wealthy over the next five years from your taxes. That is what really rankles. But I couldn't bring myself to abstain.

So I would suggest that people vote for the party that has the closest domestic agenda to the one you would like to see in the British parliament. That's what I did.

And there are eleven parties and one independent to choose from. The ballot paper was about 2ft long. Getting on the gravy train is very popular it seems.

UKIP-Lies and Hypocrisy.

There comes a time when enough is enough. I came home today to find the UKIP EU election leaflet behind the door. In these days of sleaze and excess by politicians it was as bad as they come. It stated:

"UKIP CANDIDATES ARE REAL PEOPLE, NOT CAREER POLITICIANS!"

Their lead candidate was a Tory until after the 2004 Euro elections, then he saw a chance. He has been a student for many years, only putting his PhD studies on hold to become a UKIP/Independence and Democracy Group researcher in the European Parliament. His 'work' as a lecturer was part of his PhD studies. Hardly a brickie or a postie.

Has he done any other work? Not that I know of, and I have known him since he joined UKIP in 2004.

No 2 candidate Michael McManus is described in the UKIP leaflet as "a former charity fundraiser". Well Michael, you certainly worked as a researcher for the Directory of Social Change in Liverpool briefly after your studies, but how much money did you raise? And who for? As far as I'm aware the DoSC doesn't raise any funds.

I understood Michael worked as a "researcher" for the Directory of Social Change in Liverpool. Before, guess what? Yes, he became a researcher for the UKIP/Independence and Democracy Group in the European Parliament. Hardly a brickie or a postie.

But then again, MEPs are worthless costly parasites. Politicos go from school to university, to Westminster/Brussels gravy train. They are all sponging parasites-unless they are UKIP.

Then that's different!

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!

EU Election Coming Up!

You can tell there is an election coming up, the politicians come out with nice soothing platitudes. Today it's Lady Mandy claiming to have saved the British opt-out from the EU working time dictat. Guess what? EU elections on June 4th!

If ever 'don't vote it only encourages them' applies it's to the EU elections. Let's face it they ignore referenda that go the wrong way so voting in meaningless elections changes zilch.

Abstain on June 4th, then at least you will have a clear conscience. If you vote all you have done is helped put a snout in the EU trough, gorging on our taxes. No matter what party they represent!

UKIP And The Gravy Train

As I said here, one of the reasons I left UKIP was because they still do not take British parliamentary elections seriously enough. No number of MEPs will get Britain out of the European Union, it's Westminster where it will count.

If anybody had any doubts about this then here is a quote from Party Chairman, Paul Nuttall, at the launch of the Party's North West campaign:

“This is a European election where people can register a protest against the EU, so we are asking Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat supporters to ‘lend us your vote’ for this election.”

So, the UKIP message is clear. Lend us your vote to get us on the gravy train. But don't bother at the general election, where it really counts.

North West MEPs In Catfight

I've been in debates with both Chris Davies MEP and Den Dover MEP (aka 'Ben' Dover). Davies represents the Liberal Democrats, Dover the Tories.

I can't say either struck me as a political superstar but of the two Dover was much more personable and civilised. Davies came over as a bit of a weasel, smug, patronising and a head full of candyfloss rather than grey matter. So seeing Davies bitching at Dover's plight has given me a giggle today. Especially this quote from Davies in the Telegraph:

"Most people regard Dover as no better than a thief, a crook who should be in jail."

That's funny Chris, because that's where a growing number of us think all MEPs should be, including you.

If you want to read about Dover's current circumstances, which may rock further your faith in politicians, then here is the Telegraph article in full.

But, before you run away with the idea that Chris Davies is a deeply principled, law abiding chap, remember he got himself arrested, on purpose, with a tiny bit of cannabis in his posession. Full story here.

Ever think the lunatics have taken over the asylum?