A very brief post this evening. I'm still shivering after a chilly afternoon in Lurgan. It is worth observing, however, that Jim Allister, in his speech at the TUV conference, devoted his opening remarks to the Conservatives and Unionists, rather than the DUP. There is a New Force in unionism, it is seeking to involve Northern Ireland in national politics rather than move further down the road of Ulster...
This is a flavour of what the TUV leader Jim Allister has been directing at the DUP in his party’s annual conference address. According to Allister Peter Robinson consulted a doctor (joke) on the wellbeing of his party. Dialogue went as follows: “Is it political swine flu ? ” Peter asked. “No” said the doctor. “Your problem:TUV it is. TUVITIS”...
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...
The Swiss are to vote on whether Mosques should have minarets on them. I noticed that on Thursday's Question Time, Robert Kilroy-Silk's point that we were never given a vote on mass immigration was particularly strong with the audience, and this is, I suppose, one of the ways in which immigration, or the impact thereof, could be voted upon by the public - if we were given a vote about whether mosques...
Nine days and no blog. Many excuses - learning to cook, watching TV instead, going to the pub, trying to write something of substance, sleeping, reading, listening to music. Bad blogger. Tonight the question - is Robert Kilroy-Silk really Nick Griffin Lite? The right-wing extremist you could take home to your mum. Some of the things he said on Question Time tonight made the audience gasp. And tonight,...
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
Remember, remember that it's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. It's in Reading tonight about 15 miles from where I live but they didn't invite me on. Still at least that means I can host the chat! The panel will include the Welsh Secretary Peter Hain MP, the shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert MP, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner...
Conservative MEP's Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer quit their frontbench posts to concentrate on campaigning for a referendum on Europe after David Cameron said it was pointless to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty now it has been signed. The comments by a French government minister who branded the Tories' new European policy "pathetic" may even help them in the short term polls given...
"Do-nothing" Dave and his "settled" non-policy is coming under a little bit of attack says The Daily Telegraph . Roger Helmer dismisses Dave's finest hour, declaring: "What we have is an essentially cosmetic policy. We are installing a largely ineffective burglar alarm when the family silver has already been stolen." He goes on then to say: "But the British people...
Tory MEP resigns in referendum dispute Conservative East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer has resigned from the frontbench of the European Parliament after David Cameron ruled out a referendum. The Tory leader said a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was now pointless but promised a sovereignty law to limit EU influence if he wins power. Mr Helmer criticised the move as "cosmetic" and said he could...
And another MEP has resigned from the front bench over the new Conservative policy. ( BBC News: MEP resigns in referendum dispute ) Wow things must be really serious. Oh it's Roger Helmer. This is the equivalent of Dennis Skinner resigning the Labour whip. It's just the same old difficult names causing trouble again.
In a Tory Radio podcast Roger Helmer tells us why he cannot defend the current policy on Europe from the front bench, and why he still holds out hope for a referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer have stepped down from positions in the Conservative European parliament teams in protest at Cameron’s u turn policy on that referendum. Cameron must be cursing Europe as once again it opens up the factions in his party. He has also been publically mauled by Tebbit and spent most of yesterday looking very sheepish and uncomfortable as he defended his no referendum...
Dan Hannan has in the past caused quite a few headaches for David Cameron. Today he has added to that again after he and fellow Tory MEP Roger Helmer quit their front bench roles in protest to Cameron’s European U-Turn . Whilst Cameron has passed off Hannan as a ‘political eccentric’ in the past, and there is no doubt that is a kind way of putting it, he does represent a strong Euro...
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