What to say?

Does this stack up?

According to the Council conclusions published today,

The climate is changing faster than expected and the risks this poses can already be seen. We experience widespread melting of ice, rising global sea levels and increased frequency, intensity and duration of floods, droughts and heat waves.

Now I am not an expert, but this seems to be patent, verifiable tosh.

Job creation scheme

James Bartholomew has dug up the Government's press officer list.

I wonder if there are any plans to slim the number come June?

(of course I do have an interest)

Interesting Stats from Ireland

The Irish stock exchange was asked by afriend how things have been gouing since the Yes vote.

The answer back from the ISEQ was as follows.

02/10/09 3,230.82
28/10/09 2,859.05
Difference = -11.5%

Yes to jobs, Yes to investment indeed.

According to the Irish Times,

Investors decided it was “get out of Ireland day”, according to one Dublin-based share dealer.
Overall, the Iseq index closed down 6.5 per cent, worse than the performances of other European stock markets on a weak day.
“We haven’t had a day as bad as this since the Lehman Brothers collapse last year,” one dealer said.

Oh deary me.

Single European Drunkard?

Plans to introduce a single harmonised booze policy hit an academic roadblock according to the Wine Information Council.

Experts told a meeting in Brussels that,

"Greek teenage girls drink almost three times less than their Danish counterparts; young Spanish consumers drink less alcohol, but more regularly than British youngsters, who drink in greater quantities, but less often".

Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology at University College, London told us,

"Pan-European policies are insufficiently sensitive to have a significant effect in different drinking cultures.
Furthermore, the literature suggests that the regulatory approach is simplistic, and sometimes counter-productive - punishing moderate drinkers and leaving problem drinkers unhelped."

"To be effective, solutions must be adjusted to local needs and cultural specificities" it said. "There is no single way to consume alcoholic beverages".

Of course nowhere else in Europe are transport plans explicitly organised by those in their cups, as GK Chesterton pointed out,

Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road,
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire,
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread,
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.

I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.

His sins they were forgiven him; or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.

My friends, we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,
Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.

Even the European Central Bank can see that the Hedge Fund Directive is dicey

It is a wonderful hedging version of Central Bankese, but it looks like ther are some concerns in Luxembourg.
So they start by not frightening the political horses in Frace and Germany,

" The ECB supports the intention to provide a harmonised regulatory and supervisory framework for the activities of alternative investment fund managers
(AIFMs) in the European Union."

But after that it the says,

"The ECB sees a potential risk of regulatory arbitrage between alternative investment fund managers, insurance companies and credit institutions, among which the proposed directive does not create a level playing field,"

Or in other words, if the EU pushes ahead with the Directive then business will sod off to places where the legislation doesn't exist.

Amusingly though it does want to ensure that central banks are exempt.

Milliband to be European Foriegn Minister?

Well that is the gossip dug up by the Guardian this evening. Weirdly though it would be appalling if it were to happen, I can see how the Europeans could see it as appealling.

1) Britain has to have one of the top jobs, mail to try to placate the UK's notorious scepticism.

2) If he got that job then Blair wouldn't become President. From what I hear Wiliam Hague's campaign is begining to bear some fruit. Brussels and the Chancellries of Europe are beginning to understand that as much as they dislike the Tories, making Blair President could spark all out diplomatic warfare with the likely incoming Tory Government. Though they could handle it (probably, they don't yet know how far they can push Cameron. He did in the end leave the EPP). However though it wouldn't be a "declaration of war" in the same way as the Blair appoitment, it would seriously piss off the Tories, particularly Hague who he has been winding up a treat over the Poles and Lithuanians in the CER.

3) He is as Iain Traynor points out "seen as the most genuinely europhile of senior people in the Brown cabinet".

Liz Lynne attempts satire

It really has to be satire, doesn't it?

"So let's have three cheers, one for democracy, one accountability, and one for the Lisbon treaty".

The bill for the EU will rise to £50 million a day

Here is Marta Andresen pointing out in pretty simple language what is going on with the EU budget this year.

What is astonishing in this time of economic difficulties is that the Council of Ministers asked for a 3% rise. The European Commission asked for a 4% rise, but the European Parliament, that circus of rectitude, has asked for and voted for a 10% rise. Which as Marta points out would push the daily cost of the EU up to a staggering £50 million a day.

The author of the report, one László Surján, a so called centre right politician from Hungary overules our doubts.

"He said the €120.5 billion suggested by council was not sufficient and that the figure put forward by parliament offers a "global solution" to all member states to cope with the downturn.

He said, "The budget for 2010 needs to be the answer to solving the economic crisis and to re-launching the European economy. Therefore, more money is needed, while respecting the principal of value for money."

Dare I said he would wouldn't he. After all his country Hungary are net recipients from the EU budget, recieving according to the European Commission figures for 2007, a mere 1.6 billion euros. What it is getting now with the downturn is anybodies guess

I am, yet again reminded of that great old saw of Milton Friedman's,

There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get.

Sort of sums up the Parliament's position.

Spot the difference

Between Item A
The Good Food Chinese Cantonese Takeaway in Kingsway, Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
and Item B
Baroness Scotland?

The Chinese restuarant has been busted,

The people - a 31-year-old woman, 37-year-old man and his 35-year-old fiancee - were found when Immigration officers went to the Good Food Chinese Cantonese Takeaway in Kingsway on October 16. The three were found to be from Malaysia and were all put on a plane to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

A fourth man, a 20-year-old Chinese failed asylum seeker, was also found and the UK Border Agency is now taking steps to remove him from the country. The business was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice and could face fines of
up to £40,000.

Whereas of course the good Baroness was described in glowing terms by Gordon Brown this week, thusly,

"At the same time you have the Attorney General who is the first black Attorney General and a very successful one at that."

Governors barred from Westminster

The little saga of Hariet Harperson and her tropes barring access to the Houses of Parliament to the 72 MEPs in order to block vists by the BNP to Westminster is of course ridiculous.

Unpleasantly socialist they may be, unapologetically racist they are, but to suggest that overcrowding is the reason is risible. Refusal to accept the verdict ofthe electorate more like.

Of course Westminster was happy to have the Sinn Fein MEP visit last time, an unapologetic suporter of the IRA. It also seemed happy to give office space to Mr Adams and his party workers, all of whom would no doubt pass all security checks with flying colours.

However what is ironic of course is that, aprt from one or two Cabinet Ministers, MEPs have more real power to effect legislation than MPs. So why would they want to visit Westminster? It would be the political equivalent of slumming it.

Ask a stupid question.

Greece has shocked the European Union by adjusting its expected budget deficit for this year to 12.5 % of GDP, twice what was originally predicted. The announcement was made at the finance ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday by Greek Finance Minister, Papaconstantinou.

He 'fessed up about how the former government manipulated statistics and accidentally forgot to imclude include government debts in its figures.

Commissioner Almunia said the EU must investigate why and how Greece adjusted its statistical data.

He asked what?

As if we don't know. They did so in order to fraudulently join the Euro. We all know this, and the approach was more than tacitly supported by the European elite. Why? Simple. Because it was a political imperative.

I wonder how much the investigation is going to cost? And I am prepared to bet that the Commission's investigation will discover that nothing wrong happened at all desîte the Greeks admitting that it did.

Aside
Interestingly this story was brought to my attention by the Parliament's Czech press cuttings service, whereas the Greek service fails to mention it. I wonder why?

Green shoots of localism, maybe

Well it must be something like that if this press release from the dreadful British Wind Energy Association,

"Figures revealed today at the wind industry’s annual conference in Liverpool show that local council approvals of wind farm applications have fallen to a shocking new low of just 25%."

I think I need to pick myself up from the floor, but this suggests that despite the bullying, bribery and propaganda, local authorities are beggining to see through the greenwash and represent the interests of their constituents.

Stranger things have happened (not many I grant you).

But the bleating, frighteningly anti-democratic bleating that is at their conference is almost self-parody, listen to BWEA Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery MBE,

“Winning approvals at appeal is second best for everyone, it is expensive, slow and cumbersome for developers and frustrating & confusing for local people. We need a fresh, new approach to local decision making where Councils are not unduly swayed by vocal NIMBY pressure groups but make their judgements on the facts.”

That'll be the people who they represent. You know Maria, the locals. The people who live there. The constituents. The public. The voters, you know them. The ones that fill your gob with taxes, ripped unwillingly from their pockets.

And who is this jumping on the anti-democratic bandwagon with unbridled glee and expansive expenses-stuffed girth? Why it's that vile hoodlum and autocrat John Prescott,

'"It is absolutely scandalous that three quarters of all planning applications for onshore wind turbines are turned down. We cannot let the vocal minority stop our move to a low carbon economy and stop us meeting our global emissions targets.”

Vocal minority eh, so how is that they win, despite the money and propaganda poured out by your goverment you hectoring apology for a night club bouncer?

Milliband stoops to stoop

Milliband's comments today in Foreig questions were illustrative of exactly what is wrong with this government, and sadly how weak Her Majesty's Opposition are,

"The future of this country depends on whole-heartedengagement in the EU, making Britain's case and ensuring that we arepart of a mainstream majority. This Government is proud to be alongside 27 governments, 26 opposition parties in saying that now is the time to put the Lisbon Treasty into practice and to ensure that it benefits all the citizens in Europe."

Of course the one thing that this devalued Goverment would never dream of doing is 'to be alongside' the wishes of its people, no it couldn't do that, but it sides with the political elites across Europe against their people.

"It is a great pity that the party opposite is stuck in the past."

But of course it is the elite that are stuck in their centrist sclerotic past.

However the Tories were hamstrung with Hague trying but failing to put his new EP Group behind him.

The best he could come up with uis that is was a"great pity" that the Government had broken an election manifesto promise to hold a referendum on EU reform.

A great pity!

I wonder why he was as weak as that? Is it because he knows that his own party will not be able to offer his much vaunted referendum, because he knows that it will be a fait accompli and he and his cohorts haven't the stomache or the bottom to take up the cudgels required for our freedom.

Milliband is offered an easy target, no matter how disegeous he is, because the Tories have nothing to say, nothing to add.

"We stand ready to have questions on Europe, of which there are none, and debates about Europe, which you are refusing to have."

The bugger is that Millband has a point. The Tories will do anything rather than have a debate about Europe.

What business is it of his

Watching BBC News today and they are streaming from the Speaker's Conference. John Bercow it appears, has invited the party leaders to speak about the make up of their candidates lists, as to their ethnic, gender, cultural, sexuality etc. and so on.

Accordig to the Beeb he had told them he was keen to influence the way that parties select their candidates to ensure equality.

I only heard Cameron, he was talking about introducing female only short lists for by-elections.

Hold on a moment though, what business is it of the speaker to put pressure to political parties on how they select candidates?

Concentrate on your job Mr Bercow and stop grandstanding. After all making sure that the House is run properly is