David Lindsay (Free subscription) | yesterday
Tony Blair was no enthusiast for Proportional Representation. He gave it to new bodies to indicate that he didn't think they mattered. But his introduction of the party list system for Strasbourg, while certainly having that motivation, also had another. The old European Parliamentary Labour Party had been a rich seam of dissent over many long years. Almost all of it was duly purged. To that end, the...
Stigweard1 Muses (Free subscription) | yesterday
I'm an instinctive Conservative voter but come the next general election I'm not sure yet who I'll vote for. I've never voted Labour and I am unlikely ever to do so. Similarly, I've never voted Lib Dem either and don't propose to start doing so. But neither am I yet certain I'll vote Conservative. While I support many of their current policies I am more than a little disappointed that we won't get...
倫敦藝術大學台灣資訊網 (Free subscription) | yesterday
台灣護照持有者 明年”可能”可以入境申根國免簽證 British MEP Charles Tannock has been successful in his long-running campaign to make it easier for the Taiwanese to visit Europe. It follows news that from January 1 Taiwan citizens are set to enjoy visa-free status when...
Next Left (Free subscription) | yesterday
An interesting report on Think Progress flags up the growing discord between populist right-wing commentator Rush Limbaugh and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in what could prove an important schism within the US right. This time the occasion is a blame game is over the Democratic victory in a safe Republican congressional district , after a heated schism in which prominent movement conservatives...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
You may not share Daniel Hannan's rightwing views, but at least he has the courage to stand up for his Eurosceptic beliefs In the years since I first met Dan Hannan I have grown used to all sorts of labels being attached to his name – "loony" seems to be a favourite of the left, while even David Cameron called his views on the NHS " eccentric ". Now he is being accused of...
Campaign For Liberty Blog (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
By Matt Hawes As part of our Operation Health Freedom series , British MEP Daniel Hannan talks about the National Health Service (NHS), England's publicly-funded health care system, and looks at why it is so difficult to reform such a system once people get used to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5vSkpIFByk Click here to view a version without edited clips.
Next Left (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
I think we can all agree that it has been a pretty good week for the Eurosceptic cause. James Forsyth of The Spectator explains : The main reason for this is that the Euro-sceptics are quietly confident. The overwhelming mood among those I have spoken to is that Cameron either has to get the powers back he said he would and show that his measure to prevent any further transfers of sovereignty are effective...
Working Class Tory (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Another interesting thing to emerge from the David Cameron interview I pointed out earlier is his religion: "I've a sort of fairly classic Church of England faith, a faith that grows hotter and colder by moments but...I suppose I sort of started life believing that one's individual faith was important, but actually the institutions of the church were less important. "I do think that organised...
Stylefinds (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
photo courtesy of Davis Chu Terminal City Club played host to the Opening Gala of Vancouver Fashion Week on Wednesday. Each participating VFW designer was present with at least one model dressed in something from their Spring/Summer 2010 collections. photo courtesy of Tony Tsai: Italian designer Elena Vera Stella with model photo courtesy of Tony Tsai: Lav & Kush designer Angela Saxena with model...
Musings from Medway (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
News has come to this blogger that the Conservative PPC for Rochester & Strood, our very own Mr Reckless is sporting a mysterious black eye. Wild rumours have veered from the sublime to the rediculous. A bust up with an over zealous Cameroon staffer at CCHQ over All Womens Selections ( Ed Llewellyn') ; indeed perhaps? An encounter with a Labour voter in Chatham whilst campaigning with Tracey Crouch;...
Vino's Political Blog (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
I haven't seen the word 'Poujadism' used for ages - and only then in reference to the historical conditions of the French Fourth Republic. In this article on Daniel Hannan , though, Dave Ostler argues that the view Hannan articulates is one of proto-Poujadism. He makes particular reference to Hannan calling for the "paraphernalia" of direct democracy. He sees this as a call for populist referenda...
Graham Pointer's Blog (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
David Cameron, the Leader of the Opposition, has announced that the Conservatives would not hold a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. And, to be fair, this is the pragmatic route. It is done and dusted- as he notes, it now becomes part of the law of Europe, and the changes it introduces will not simply vanish because we have a referendum. His comparison is with a referendum to stop the Sun rising....
Bloggers4UKIP (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Daniel Hannan, last of the eurosceptic Tory MEPs, has resigned from the front bench following David Camoron's pathetic betrayal of his party and the electorate of the promised Lisbon Treaty referendum.He says:I want open primaries, popular initiative procedures, elected sheriffs, self-financing councils, an end to quangos, recall mechanisms and, yes, referendums – lots and lots of
Britannia Radio (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
The Federal Union blog05 November 2009Six pledges by David CameronThe speech by Conservative leader David Cameron yesterday dropped the previous commitment to a referendum on the Lisbon treaty and replaced it with six pledges that he aims to achieve in the course of the next parliament. (Read the speech here.) Arch-opponents of the EU like Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer have protested about the
Ellee Seymour (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
It seems we could lose our right to a cash refund on shoddy goods as there are plans afoot to harmonise EU legislation as refunds are not offered in other European countries. My MEP Robert Sturdy has objected to European Commission plans which would abolish consumers’ rights to a refund for faulty goods, bringing legislation [...]
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