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The two hot topics
November Strasbourg session and the two topics on most people’s
tongues are the new EU appointments and, still, the Thierry Henry hand
ball issue.
New EU appointments
I am asked what do I think of the new EU Council President, Mr Rompuy,
and the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Baroness Ashton.
I find it difficult to reply because I think the whole business of
their selection has been a joke and an anti-climax after all the fuss
over the Lisbon Treaty. Furthermore it seemed too complicated to
explain the double meanings in English to which to the name of this
virtually unknown (outside his country) Belgian politician lend
itself.
Foreign Affairs Baroness
On the other hand most foreigners seemed to think it was quite a coup
for Britain to take this post so, again, I was in some difficulty to
say that our Prime Minister and our Foreign Secretary thought the post
was so important that the eventual candidate was the fourth choice and
made on a party political basis rather than on who might be the
strongest or most competent person from Britain to fill the position.
Superstate on hold
For the time being the more fanatic eurosceptics should take comfort
that the Leaders of the Member States were not tempted by the prospect
of a strong, centralising and charismatic leader emerging (well, that
is how some people view Tony Blair!) to usurp their powerful positions
in similar fashion to the cuckoo evicting all other chicks from the
nest. The superstate is on hold for the foreseeable future.
Parliamentary Passes
Closer to home another topic commanded a fair bit of our attention. A
colleague circulated an extract from the House of Lords debate on the
issue of Parliamentary Passes for MEPs. It is not widely known that
the House of Commons voted for a motion prohibiting the issue of these
passes to new MEPs and withdrawing them from any of us who had managed
to renew them after the election back in June. Purportedly on
security grounds but actually because Labour was desperate to prevent
the two newly elected BNP MEPs from gaining access to the Palace of
Westminster and the only way was to inconvenience the rest of us.
Labour heads in the sand
It has to be said that this action also reflects the attitudes of MPs
towards MEPs in general and the BNP was a handy excuse. I think
Labour only has itself to blame for the rise in support for this far
right party and I find their head in sand attitude of ignore it and it
will go away pathetic. But I have to admit disappointment with our
Conservative colleagues in the House of Commons who let this measure
through apparently without protest.
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Superior wisdom
Their noble Lordships are made of sterner stuff and to a man spoke in
favour of giving us Passes to their House and urging the MPs to think
again. I reckon a House of Lords Pass would be rather classier than
the other place but we must await developments. However you should
know that national parliamentarians, ie MPs, can get a pass to the
European Parliament on presentation of their national version and I
know of at least one of our MPs who has done just that.
The Intergroups
Moving on from such petty, parochial matters to something we have to
decide upon which gives a clue to MEPs political priorities. We have
to decide which intergroups to support. These Interest Groups are a
means of MEPs focusing on specific issues or sectors and holding
meetings to debate them. To be allowed to hold these meetings each
intergroup must get the support of a number of political groups. We
had a debate in our new group and a vote to determine our eight
priorities. Here are my eight preferences: SMEs (ie small
businesses); Disability; Hunting; Animal Welfare; Nuclear Energy; Sky
and Space (ie aviation and aeronautics); National minorities (I do
after all represent Cornwall and Gibraltar); and, finally, Tibet
because I think the Dalai Llama is a fine man and his people deserve
better than Chinese oppression.
Lobbyists and Interest
groups
However, talking of intergroups reminds me of one of the pledges we
made at our election campaign launch, namely to record all contacts
with lobbyists and interest groups and publish the list on our
websites. I have been doing this on a trial basis and it is already
something of a burden to my staff. I have many contacts with a wide
range of people and organisations covered by this description.
Administrative nightmare
Rumour has reached me of a proposal that we should complete a report
sheet for each one with all manner of detailed information. Whoever
thought up this dotty piece of administrative nightmare cannot have
any idea of how many contacts we have ranging from meetings by
appointment through casual encounters on the corridor, or in the
coffee bar, travelling or going round on constituency visits to the
100 plus representatives of industry that routinely attend my energy
forum events.
A difficult choice
If this proposal is implemented I may face a choice between refusing
all contact, not doing anything else except fill in forms or telling
the party hierarchy what they can do with the idea. Watch this space!
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