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A typical week
For a change this comes from parts of Europe other than Strasbourg
and is about a typical week in Brussels and Devon.
Paper battle
It starts in my London office on Monday morning with me doing battle
with paperwork, phone calls to Devon and Brussels offices and writing a
speech at the last minute to be delivered at a conference in Brussels
early on the Tuesday morning. Thankfully, the muse was with me and I
was able to fax my script to my assistant, Natalie, in Brussels before
leaving to catch the Eurostar in the afternoon.
Real and virtual mail
I reach the Parliament late afternoon and start to tackle the
accumulated paperwork. I am fortunate that Netia in Devon and Natalie
in Brussels screen and sift inbound email to eliminate the spams,
rubbish and worse before printing out the ones I need to deal with.
They go into a correspondence folder together with letters (real mail)
that have come in the post. In true high tech fashion, I write my
replies or instructions in long-hand on the hard copy for them to turn
into emails (virtual mail) or letters. In this way we keep each other
in the picture. Keeping the lights on
Tuesday morning I’m off to deliver my speech on what does security
of supply mean to the individual citizen at the Conference of European
Transmission System Operators (ETSO). The answer, by the way, is
keeping the lights on and electricity available all the time. Back to
the Parliament to meet the Australian Ambassador and representatives of
BHP Billiton the Anglo-Australian mining company. This is about REACH,
the chemicals regulation which is causing concern all round the world in
all sorts of industry. Activities of the EEF
Then I have to preside over a working Lunch of the Industry
Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) of the EEF (European Energy Forum).
As President of the EEF, I have to present a report of the past year’s
activities, future programme and the accounts. My offer to go through
the latter in detail line by line was not taken up! The Industry
Associate Members of the EEF are important and not just because their
subscriptions meet the running costs |
of the EEF but also because they
are a vital component in our debates about energy issues.
A shady socialist?
Wednesday morning I have an early meeting with the socialist shadow
on my security of supply report. We discuss the amendments to see where
we agree and where there may be difficulties. This is not a proposal
which divides left and right but there are technical aspects where
agreement on what is acceptable or not is helpful to know.
REACHing the World
Later I have a brief meeting with representatives of the Mobile
Manufacturers Forum before rushing off to the TV studios in the
Parliament to participate in a recorded panel discussion for BBC World
on the subject of REACH. After that I co-chair a mini-hearing on the
subject of mobile phone roaming charges (what I have to pay if someone
from the UK or another country, calls my mobile when I am outside the
UK) held jointly by the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Committee with my own Industry Committee. A full
agenda
In the afternoon, I have to chair a normal committee session. Well,
perhaps not quite normal as we have to vote on a couple of items
immediately (instead of at 10 am the following day) so that our opinions
may reach the responsible committees in time for their vote. Then we
have an exchange of views with the Luxembourg Minister who is President
in Office of the Council. All this puts pressure on an already full
agenda making it difficult to keep to time and give members the speaking
time they want when they want it. Stepping on the gas
After normal committee time, that is 15:00 – 18:30, we have the
co-ordinators meeting which is akin to a management committee discussing
and deciding on our business. Despite my best efforts in the chair, it
seems to be rather more discussion and we don’t finish until nearly 8
pm. Whereupon I must rush on to take the chair of the EEF dinner
discussion on gas security of supply. Everyone was being very patient
having had their first course so I was able to launch straight into the
business by introducing the main speaker. We had a good debate with
contributions from a number of MEPs and former MEPs and I was even able
to snatch a bite to eat. |
Electronic voting
Thursday morning we continue the Committee agenda discussing
things like efficiency in energy services, paediatric medicines,
storage of data for security purposes, trans-European energy networks
and my own security of electricity supply report. At 10 am we stop
the debate for votes which go on until nearly 11 am despite having
electronic voting facilities. I am getting used to looking at the
different combinations of hands up and calling the result correctly,
with an occasional electronic check.
Students and cream tea
Thursday afternoon I travel back to London on the Eurostar to
break my journey overnight before continuing by train to Exeter. I
much prefer travelling by train where possible. On Friday I have
quite a full programme starting with an exchange of views with a
lively bunch of students at Clyst Vale Community College. I was sorry
to leave because they were asking good questions which makes it more
interesting to me and because my reward was an early cream tea! Party politics and history
After that I rush (within the speed limit!) to meet Netia my Devon
secretary to deal with urgent matters of correspondence and plan future
travel arrangements. Then I’m off to Devon County Hall for a meeting
with fellow Conservatives about current issues. Then I drive to North
Devon to be guest speaker at the Barnstaple and District Chamber of
Commerce Annual Dinner where I have the pleasure of talking about my
ancestors and family local links rather than politics. Party
Politics and rugby
Finally, I attend the AGM of the Tiverton and Honiton Conservative
Association on Saturday morning before retreating to my television to
watch a feast of rugby.
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Helpful advice
along the way: -
My mother gave me lots of advice
and one piece which I try to apply as often as possible was always
praise and be nice to people first even if you then have to say
something they may not like so much. When combined with my first euro
constituency chairman’s urgings to smile more often, I have found this
to be very helpful in my dealings with people from other Member States
in the Parliament.
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Oozing charm from every pore:
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Of course, you have to mean it
otherwise you risk looking like an insincere grinning idiot a.k.a. Tony
Blair. He seems to be losing the plot in a number of ways but the one I
would highlight is the way he has lapsed into antagonistic politics with
personal attacks and political lies. This is a far cry from the heady
days of the all inclusive big tent approach 7 – 8 years ago. |
Food for thought: -
Knockabout debate between politicians is fun for us, a sort of verbal
warfare as a preliminary to having a drink together afterwards, but
doesn’t go down too well with most people. I have long reckoned the
best ways to persuade people about an issue are either making a joke
about it or posing a question to make them reflect.Positive attitude: -
I am glad my party has the intention of being positive about our policy
issues and I particularly like our rhetorical theme “are you thinking
what we are thinking” in addressing the electorate. |
