|
Unlucky for some
I tried a different route to Strasbourg in November; after all, change
can be a good thing even for a Conservative. Initial omens not
encouraging, delays on Jubilee line due to defective trains meant swift
change of plan but I made London City Airport in time. The plane,
a Swiss Airlines Saab 2000 for anyone who is interested, had a now
old-fashioned seat configuration with no row 13 – as I realised on
sitting down in row 14! I wonder how many people in this
increasingly godless age know why 13 is considered unlucky?
|
Three’s a crowd?
Tuesdays in Strasbourg week are usually my busiest. This time was
no different but compounded by my assistant Natalie, who normally stays
in Brussels and supports me from a distance, bringing our stagiaire or
work experiencer Jamie from New Zealand down so she could get a first
hand feel for what goes on. This throws me somewhat as I am used
to being on my own in the office, putting papers where I want, using the
computer, phone, voicemail and fax to suit myself and generally working
to my own rhythm. It was very nice to have them around (they read
this too you know!) but it did serve to remind me why I use “room rage”
as an excuse for not taking on any temporary staff for the week.
|
Wasting
parliamentary time
While we were addressing the quite
important issue of who will form the European Commission for the next
five years, a baying mob of Labour MPs were busying themselves at home
with something so important that it required the Parliament Act to
force it through against the better judgement of the House of Lords
after, we are told, 700 hours of parliamentary debating time. What
was this vital piece of legislation? It was the Hunting Ban Bill of
course. I suspect a majority of the population are bemused by this
old Labour obsession and the passionate response from the countryside
but it serves to remind us that old Labour is alive and kicking in all
its nasty, class envy, bossy, interfering ways. |
|
Planes, trains and
automobiles
Fortunately, the rest of the
journey went smoothly and I arrived in good time for the main task of
the day, chairing my fifth candidate commissioner hearing. By the
way, for the benefit of anyone who thinks MEP life is all about jetting
off to exotic (Brussels exotic!) destinations and living a life of ease,
my journey from Devon to London the day before by train took five hours
door to door and then London to Strasbourg via Basle took six hours door
to door.
|
Accounting for the day
A busy day means a
co-ordinators’ meeting to discuss the performance of Mr Peibalgs and
agree a draft letter of assessment followed by an exchange of views with
the FORATOM (European nuclear energy industry umbrella organisation) new
member states task force on nuclear issues. Then I attend the UK
Conservative MEPs’ bureau meeting wearing my treasurer’s hat (strangely
my offer to go through the management accounts line by line in some
detail is not taken up) before heading off to the Conference of
Committee Chairmen which is not the most exciting of events.
|
Green eyed monster
I rank this piece of Labour
spite on a par with their killing off assisted places at good schools
for bright pupils from less well off homes, their abiding desire to do
away with grammar schools (if all can’t have it then none shall have
it), and their curious love-hate relationship with the House of Lords
(they hate hereditary peers but they love to be a Lord themselves).
They preach anti-racism, anti-sexism and human rights while
demonstrating equivalent intolerance and discrimination against anything
they don’t like such as smoking, hunting, good schools based on
selection by ability, private schools, anything inherited, anything
traditional and so on. Such arrogance deserves a come-uppance.
|
|
New boy does his homework
The reason for the fifth hearing
was the shift sideways of our previous interviewee Mr Kovacs (the
Hungarian commissioner nominee from energy to taxation [because we had
found him not competent]) and a new candidate commissioner from Latvia
being put forward in his place. Mr Andris Piebalgs (which should
give you a flavour of the challenges of pronunciation presented by all
the new member states’ people) proved himself well prepared and
competent despite having only just over a week to do his homework.
|
Energy enough for dinner
Things pick up after that with a
full UK delegation meeting where we discuss how we should vote on the
new Commission. I have to leave early to speak to 50+ members of
AmCham – the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels making their
annual foray to Strasbourg. Then I’m away to act as joint host at
a reception for the English booth of interpreters (normally there is
very little direct contact through the ‘glass wall’ of the booth yet
they are vital to us and we provide them with work so there is plenty of
mutual interest). After that, my final event is to launch
proceedings at an European Energy Forum dinner debate. |
“Stand not upon the order of
your going, But go at once.”
I have drawn a parallel in the
past between Blair and the world of George Orwell’s (Blair’s namesake)
“1984” because of spin (newspeak) and bossy, interfering government (big
brother). I may be wrong. Maybe the real comparison is with
Cromwell, the Roundheads and a Puritan intolerant dictatorship (Blunkett).
Either way, we need rid of him and all his cronies as well as the nasty
old Labour types lurking behind him.
|
