The Kinnock dynasty grows apace.

Now it is the turn of Mrs Stephen Kinnock to hit the limelight. The Daughter in Law of Lord and Lady Kinnock, and wife of their son Stephen, has hit the political big time by becoming the leader of the Socialist party in Denmark. The former MEP, Helle Thorning Shmidt, is best known in Brussels as the daft bint who concocted the Vibrations Directive. This absurd piece of legislation is known colloquially as the vibrator directive. It means drivers of tractors, forklifts, JCB's, bulldozers and dumpers will be restricted to 2 hours driving per day not to mention the poor restrictions on the sex industry, once the inevitable derogations run out.
However she has come to power in a divided and defeated party. No doubt a quick phone to the noble Baron will provide her with numerous tips.
My own Helle, is to avoid Sheffield like the plague.

Sign up to Europe and get a ministerial Mercedes.

Another snippet from Denmark today's FT (sub Required) about the results of the Danish election.

The re-election of PM "Fogh" Rasmussen, on what can only be described as an Atlanticist ticket can only be a good thing. But his Venstre Liberal (54seats - down a few) party can only form a government with the Conservative Party (24 seats -about the same) and the Dansk Folkeparti (19 -up 3)
What is interesting is that whilst the Consetrvatives will of course get Cabinet posts for their support he has,
"has ruled out a formal government role for his anti-immigrant Danish People's party ally despite its strong showing in Tuesday's general election, because of its opposition to the European Union constitution".

Many people, including your correspondent, have problems with the Folkepartie, not least over their belief that if the child of immigrants commits a crime the whole family should be deported. But it is not their racism that is important here. Just their Euroscepticism.

This of course has echoes of the situation in Austria, when Haidar's FPO were accepted into the governing coalition. Not because they had toned down their anti-immigrant rhetoric, or had apologised for talking to former SS types. No they became acceptable because they dropped their opposition to the European Union.

I just note these things of course, because as everybody will tell you, it was Europe that fought against fascism, Europe that promotes values of tolerance, Europe that fights against xenophobia.

Update

Ignorant blighter that I am has just found out that my reading of Danish was incorrect, iot seems that Helle is favourite to take over the socialist party - as the reform candidate´.