Speech in Strasbourg: What good are you Cathy Ashton? (Syria Debate)

 

 

In a dispute where Up to 70,000 people have been killed and a million refugees have fled the country since the crisis began two years ago, the question must be posed: what good are you, what is your highly expensive and ineffective EEAS achieving to alleviate the situation?

 

The answer is very little, just typical EU lip service. Well you are an expensive lipstick Mrs Ashton!

 

Your authority is highly questionable. You represent 27 nations who have different outlooks. You have been heavily criticised here today by members of all political groups.

 

Indeed, Mr Cameron said the UK was "still an independent country", when threatening to veto an EU extension on an arms extension.

 

Does that not make you redundant?

 

The situation in Syria is deplorable. His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales has today visited a UN refugee camp in Jordan and described the situation as heartbreaking.

 

Isn't it about time the EU did something useful and list Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation?

Speech in Strasbourg: 5th February 2013

Why are MEP's allowed to sign into Strasbourg on a Friday and collect their attendance allowances? There is no official business in Strasbourg on a Friday.

My Speech today in reply to EU Foreign Cheif, Cathy Ashton

When I listen to Baroness Ashton extolling the great successes of the European External Action Service (EEAS), I am reminded of the movie Forrest Gump.

Where a well-meaning but seriously challenged and naive young man finds himself at the centre of events, He was surrounded by the great and the good, but was never really sure what was going on.

 

We have seen in the Arab Spring, the faltering and sometimes painful transition to democracy for long-suffering peoples.

 The ongoing civil war in Syria.

Fears over nuclear proliferation.

The death of Gaddafi, and the return of Putin.

These are challenging times in which we are seeing relationships and dynamics redefined.

However, at a recent meeting an exasperated diplomat from the Middle East told me that he regarded the High Commissioner as being more hindrance than help.

We all understand that Baroness Ashton drew the short straw - her role is that of caretaker of an unformed entity,

History is unlikely to remember her in any great detail. But she once found herself elevated to the British House of Lords without ever having received a single vote in any democratic election.

And as Forrest Gump pointed out so eloquently, life is like a box of chocolates, we never know what will come next.

European Parliament to welcome in new President; Martin Schulz

I tweeted this morning about the news that will filter out of the European Parliament today:

Parliament voting for a new president, but it is a done deal behind the scenes. Schulz will win,voting is just window dressing in the EU

Current president Jerzy Buzek will finish his term in the Parliament, with Schulz taking over the role for the next 30 month stint.

Schulz has been an MEP since 1994 and is planning to make his role more political.

The whole notion that this is being voted on is nothing short of farcical. Schulz's appointment as President is guaranteed due to a deal being brokered between two of the EP's biggest groups - The European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)

The two groups hold enough MEP's to be able to form a majority to assure Schulz's win. The agreement meant that the five year period was split down the middle, with the outgoing Jerzy Busek taking the first 30 months and incoming Schulz taking the last 30 months.

Mr Schulz is being opposed by two MEPs, Nirj Deva and Diana Wallis, but it seems highly unlikly that they have any chance of being voted in today due to the strength of this deal.

It is also interesting that Mr Schulz was a vocal supporter of Cathy Ashton, someone I often debate with in Parliament. Schulz's approval of Cathy Ashton can be seen on this link http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/detail.htm?id=133315&section=NER&category=NEWS&request_locale=EN

Ashton chooses €12-million-a-year EU headquarters

Will the EUs spending spree ever end? Cathy 'No one has ever voted for me ever' Ashton seems to be spending the EU's increased budget already. It makes me feel sick to my stomach that my electorate (yes Cathy, people who elected me) are going to suffer the most awful of cutbacks while the EU still gets its increase.

Even more nauseating is David Cameron who has fallen for the ole used car salesman trick - 'Here we are guvnor, nice runner, yours for just under six grand' "Oh, I couldn't possibly pay that, what would her in doors say? how about 2,900?" all right, all right guvnor, DONE and you have been!

http://euobserver.com/9/31140