Travel and transport
The September Strasbourg Plenary session is the first normal or routine one of the new parliament but it does not quite feel it.  Travel is a perennial obsession of MEPs, trying to find the best route and mode of transport, but this time my journey went smoothly enlivened only by a discussion with my fellow traveller (of another party) about the complexities and increased administrative burdens of the new system of travel expenses reimbursement.  Transparency is good but it comes at a price. 

Vice President saga
For me the early part of the week was overshadowed by the latest development in the Edward McMillan-Scott saga.  To recap, he stood for election as one of the Parliament’s Vice-Presidents as an independent, ie not the official candidate of the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) Group.  He is a well-known, long-standing and respected MEP and was elected by attracting votes across the board.  The candidate from our group, a Pole called Michael Kaminsky, did not fall into either category and was not elected. 

Group crisis
The rejection of Kaminsky by the rest of the Parliament provoked a crisis in our group as it upset the political agreement that the UK delegation, we Conservatives, would provide the Group Leader candidate, while the Poles as second largest delegation would provide the Vice-President candidate. 

Group Leadership
The outcome was the Poles insisted on making Kaminsky the leader of the Group as consolation for their perceived humiliation.  This was one instance of greed followed by another and the losers were both the UK delegation and the ECR because we lost the Group leadership and the Group lost a Vice-President (and voice on the Bureau of the Parliament) because EM-S was expelled from the Group.  And on the Monday of this Strasbourg week, he was also expelled from the Party. 

Further down the pecking order
There was a further negative consequence of his departure from our ECR Group because it made our numbers in the plenary one less than the Greens and that means that we come after them in the pecking order on my committee for getting reports etc, despite having the same number of voting members on the committee - another sign of our becoming marginalised. 

Opportunity lost
What irks me about this is that there were a number of parties and MEPs who were willing to join our group at the outset but were ruled out by London because of disquiet at their connections or attitudes.  This rather fastidious approach ruled out maybe 15-20 extra members who would have made us clearly fourth largest group chasing the Liberals and prevented UKIP from forming their group into the bargain.  If London was willing to hold its nose, figuratively speaking, over linking up with the Poles, why not do the same for these others?

Out of proportion
Politics is a funny business with all sorts of quirky asymmetries.  For example, the Group Leader, Mr Kaminsky, seems more conspicuous by his absence than his leadership.  I understand he is more focussed on his position in his domestic political scene and on demonstrating how pro-Israeli he is in order to counter suggestions of anti-Semitism.  For example, compare and contrast the way the Party has treated Edward McMillan-Scott with what the likes of others in our delegation have got away with through skilful sophistry.  EM-S clearly lacks friends in high places to cast a forgiving eye. 

Business as usual
The rest of the week was more or less as per usual with lots of meetings to do with delegation (ie Conservative MEPs), group, committee (ie co-ordinators) and legislative (ie a trialogue with the Council and Commission on the labelling of tyres) business as well as plenty of appointments with lobbyists and interest groups on a variety of topics. 

Sinister undertone
There was, however, an undertone of people asking how is the new group but meaning has it started breaking apart yet.  One has the sense of being circled by a hungry pack of wolves waiting for an opportunity to cut out the weakest link and thereby break down the rest of the group into fragments.  This may have been compounded by a modicum of anxiety over the result of the Irish second referendum.  However, I would be astonished if they don’t vote yes after all the sweeteners they have been given. 

Irish Referendum
If they do vote yes, then David Cameron will have to think carefully what “not letting matters rest” there actually means.  I am glad that is a matter above my pay grade! 

Sail, Sun, Sea and Semaphore
The week closed on a quite different note for me with an appearance at Southampton Boat Show to talk briefly about my father’s achievement circumnavigating the world at the age of 65.  I also took part in a brief demonstration of semaphore (thankfully there was a crib because my sailing experience doesn’t go back that far).  And the sun was shining!

Djemila Boulasha Reseau De Transport d'Electricite
Simon Goodwin Daimler
Celine Domecq European Automobile Manufacturers Association
James Stevens Fleishman Hillard
Mr Ford  SHV Gas
Jose Lalloum  Logos Public Affairs
Francine Cunningham  Euro Commerce
Xavier R. Durieu Euro Commerce
Gerard Tremoliere  European Contact Group
Neil Sherlock  European Contact Group
Philippe Vandendaele  European Contact Group
Julie Vermooten  Colipa
Klaus-Dieter Axt ESMIG
Georges Cornet Tractebel Engineering
Tony Grecowestinghouse
Esa Härmälä EFMA
Kaija Kainurinne TVO Finland
Roxana Lesovici Norsk Hydro
Domenico Maggi ENEL
Fabio Marchetti ENI
Inga Posch EON Ruhrgas AG
Luc Resteigne Tractebel Engineering (GDF-SUEZ)
Santiago San Antonio Foratom
Elena Scaroni ENEL
Thomas Schneider GVST German Hard Coal Association
Steinar Solheim YARA S.A.
Vaclav Vocilka GIE
Roberto Zangrandi ENEL
Isabelle Babak Centre For European Energy Strategy
Patrick Charrault Ideas, Communications, Senses
Daniel Muether Federal Network Agency For Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post And Railway International Coordination Unit
Eero Patrakka POSIVA
Bertrand Rodrique Province De Namur
Colin Hamilton National Grid
Konstantin Staschus ENTSO-E
Ella Stengler CEWEP
Alessia Tanas ENI
Christian Thams Representative Of SHV Gas
Jehan-Eric Blumereau TOTAL
Sira Corbettta Lopez De Lietona BP Europe
Giles Dickson ALSTOM EU Delegation
Andrew Ford Representative Of SHV Gas
Carmen Gimeno GEODE
Gaël Glorieux EURELECTRIC
Zacharie Gross AREVA Brussels
Gunnar Jungk BP Europe
Matthias Lauber RWE
Gunnar Lorenz EURELECTRIC
Fabio Marchetti ENI Spa
Jane May GEODE
Jean-Claude Perraudin Commissariat À L'énergie Atomique
ENI Pirreda Marco Spa
Nicola Rega EURELECTRIC
Pertti Salminen Finnish Energy Industries
Santiago San Antonio Foratom
Pierre Schlossereurelectric
Magali Smets AREVA Brussels
James Stevens Representative Of SHV Gas
Alessia Tanas ENI Spa
Stefan Zeltner ENBW
Giuseppe Zollino Department Of Electrical Engineering
Herr Rechtsanwalt Bulgarian Political Adviser
Hans Jürgen Kaesler- Bulgarian Political Adviser
Catherine Pearce- EBB
Mr. Beckles And Mr. Harwood- Boeing
Argyraki Vassilia, EACI
Blanchard Loïc, DG MARE
Chodor Marzena, DG ENVI
d'Angelo Alexandre, DG RTD
Deschamps Georges, DG RTD
Dubolino Dario, EACI
Gillett William, EACI
Hercsuth Andrea, DG TREN
Howes Tom, DG TREN
Keinhorst Gerhard, DG TREN
Piontek Andreas, DG Research
Sanchez Jimenez Manuel, DG TREN
Van Erck Ron, DG TREN
Van Steen Hans, DG TREN
Vessia Oyvind, DG TREN
Wolfcarius Marie, DG TREN
Becker Markus, GE
Beitke Martina, BDEW
Bial Marcel, ENTSO-E
Bishop Nathan, Exxonmobil
Bjerborg Marie, Danish Energy Association
Blumereau Jehan-Eric, TOTAL
Borella Alessandra, ENI
Boyle Sinead, Euroheat & Power
Brodach Georg, ABB EUROPE
Burghardt Christopher, First Solar
Caligiani Attilio, ENBW AG
Carlsson Mathilda, E.ON
Concas Giorgia, EREC
Conrads Claudia, ENBW AG
Coupaye Noel, GDF Suez
Davies Siân, CEWEP
Dieter Axt Klaus, ESMIG
Dürr Matthias, RWE AG
Egyptien David, RWE AG
Foresti Marco, EURELECTRIC
Garcia Martin Jesùs, IBERDROLA S.A.
Glorieux Gaël, EURELECTRIC
Gonsolin Florie, EUROPIA
Gross Zacharie, AREVA BRUSSELS
Héry Bruno, CEFIC
Jarita Christie, Hydro
Karel Lukas, Czech Power Company
Kiartzis Spyros, Hellenic Petroleum S.A
Krejcirikova Zuzana, Czech Power Company
Kubala Eva, Pgnig S.A.
Kurcz-Jenn Martyna, ALSTOM
Lasheras Fernando, IBERDROLA S.A.
Lauber Matthias, RWE AG
Lins Christine, EREC
Muller Isabelle, EUROPIA
Muth Josche, EREC
Naletto Simonetta, ENEL
Olejnik Marta, CEWEP
Padreca-Ceratti Douglas, EREC
Parrag Bernadett, European Turbine Network
Perraudin Jean-Claude, CEA
Ramaeckers Carine, Tractebel Engineering
Renard Veronique, ELECTRABEL
Salminen Pertti, Finnish Energy Industries
Schlosser Pierre, EURELECTRIC
Schnieder Harald, EUROPIA
Smith Eleanor, EREC
Sopranzetti Antonella, Exxonmobil
Stengler Ella, CEWEP
Tesnière Lucie, EREC
Trausch Sonja, SWM
Waz Katarzyna, Pgnig S.A.
Zangrandi Roberto, ENEL Spa
Arrowsmith Greg, EUREC Agency
Aspinall Wilfred, Former Member European Economic And Social Committee
Babak Isabelle, CERES
Baumeister Frank, CEETB
Charrault Patrick, Ideas, Communications, Senses
Chello Dario, Energy Charter Secretariat
Coulomp Paul, L'Interprofession De La Filière Bois Des Alpes Maritimes Et Du Var
De Cooman Chantal, APAG
El Gammal Adel, EPIA
Galeotti-Wulf Célia, ESTIF
Garofalo Raffaello, EBB
Gaupmann Gloria, Ebio
Geiss Jan, EUFORES
Grassi Giuliano, EUBIA
Hinrichs-Rahlwes Rainer, BEE
Jelitte Andrea, EREF
Latteur Hugues, OUEST
Limet Florence, EPIA
Loyen Richard, ENERPLAN
Manning Eibhilin, EUBIA
Mazzuchelli Paola, EUREC Agency
Moussy-Lièval Annie, Ministère Economie, Industrie Et Emploi - France
Novak Thomas, EHPA
Pérez Latorre Mariàngels, ESTELA
Pouffary Stéphane, ADEME
Pozdyshev Vassily, EUBIA
Sà Da Costa Antonio, APREN
Sanner Burkhard, EGEC
Sirkeinen Ulla, Confederation Of Finnish Industries EK Affairs And Development Of The Parliamentary Assembly Of The COE
Vagonyte Edita, AEBIOM
Viaggi Riccardo, EBC
Vierhout Robert, Ebio
Wilkes Justin, EWEA
Brian Seabourne E.On Uk (Chairman)
Cemil Altin Edf Trading
Jonathan Brindley Alstom
Bas Batelaan Scottish & Southern Energy
Claire Doherty Scottishpower
Gwyn Dolben Association Of Electricity Producers
Nigel Edwards Edf Energy
Rick Hemmings Pöyry Energy
Barry King Conoco Phillips
Tahir Majid Centrica
David Mannering Rwe Npower
Jane May Energy Networks Association
Brendan Murphy Association Of Electricity Producers
David Porter Association Of Electricity Producers (Ceo)
Lesley Queripel E.On Uk
Charles Unvala Rwe Npower
Jethro Van Hardeveld Apx
Gwyn Dolbin Aep