Overseas Aid And Eu Funding

[Stephen]

Malcolm you would be welcome on the bus its headed to Norway or Switzerland as they seem to trade freely with Europe with out being member states.

They have to pay the EU for that right though. Switzerland in particular, with no border controls with the EU had to pay towards the costs of admitting the 10 new EU nation states when Poland and the Czech Republic etc. joined. In other words Switzerland's right to trade freely with the EU was dependent on allowing the EU to add 10 more states to those allowed to cross its border without a passport, without the ability to veto any of them, and having to pay for the privilege.

I tend to agree with Malcolm on this - in favour of the idea of the EU but think the reality needs change for the better.

The European Court of Human Rights by the way isn't part of the European Union, it's part of the Council of Europe and Norway and Switzerland are both members.

[Malcolm Robinson]

New poster Pete.........

[Pete]

New poster Pete.........

Its in my front window Malcolm, the poster that is. The euro, well it was domed before it got off the ground thank goodness we did not join it.

As far as Europe is concerned and I have read all the arguments on here for for being a member, well my position has not changed the faster we get out of there the better and the quicker we get our soverenty back.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Pete

[Malcolm Robinson]

This is supposed to change your mind Pete.........

http://www.the-eu-and-me.org.uk/

[Pete]

This is supposed to change your mind Pete.........

http://www.the-eu-and-me.org.uk/

Thats a better read than any telivision comedy show Malcolm, it was hilarious from the very first statment, Nah I will stand on the position that I have taken, to quote Mrs T, I am not for turning. By the way Malcolm I wear the badge everwhere I go.

Edited November 24, 2010 by Pete

[Malcolm Robinson]

Pete,

What you mean that dissertation into EU philanthropy hasn't changed your mind. I wonder how much it cost to produce?

Thinking about it, this whole issue probably sums up current social/political feelings by huge numbers of the electorate. The political class look far too remote from Mr and Mrs Joe Public and their cosiness to big business emphasises a feeling of being led by the nose rather than persuaded by valid argument. The EU being the epitome of autocratic and egotistical governance.

I think it's a pity because I support the idea it's just the way it has been allowed to roll out!

[Pete]

Pete,

What you mean that dissertation into EU philanthropy hasn't changed your mind. I wonder how much it cost to produce?

Thinking about it, this whole issue probably sums up current social/political feelings by huge numbers of the electorate. The political class look far too remote from Mr and Mrs Joe Public and their cosiness to big business emphasises a feeling of being led by the nose rather than persuaded by valid argument. The EU being the epitome of autocratic and egotistical governance.

I think it's a pity because I support the idea it's just the way it has been allowed to roll out!

Malcolm, I see nothing wrong with a common market but it has become more than that. London used to be the capital of this country but I feel that has been replaced by Brusells. We have just had an election and I voted at that election but what was point as it seems that laws are made and passed by Brusells and not by our elected MPs

The poster will stay in the window and the badge will be proudly worn on the chest until GB becomes indepenant once more and the Union Jack flies proudly hosted high across this wonderfull land.

[Malcolm Robinson]

UK contribution to the EU Common Agricultural Policy…….. £17 billion in 2009.

Total value of UK agricultural output………£15.5 billion per annum. (Actual profit figure £4 Billion!)

UK contribution to the EU Common Fisheries Policy…………….…£3.3 Billion.

Total value of UK fisheries output (2008) ……………………………... £629 million!

Landed fish and shellfish Uk fisheries…………………………….………. 588,000 tonnes.

Dead fish which are dumped into the North Sea every year…… 880,000 tonnes.

Defra opening statement….

'Global fish stocks are under pressure and fishing is threatening or damaging marine ecosystems'.

I am not even going to comment, the figures speak for themselves!!!!!!!!!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Over five years each MEP can basically claim at the least a subsistence allowance of 117,000 Euros, staff allowance of 489,840 Euros, office expenses of 243,120 Euros, travel expenses of 60,000 Euros and an accrued pension of £350,000.

This does not include the MEP salary of £63,291, which is set to increase to £73,584 after the European Parliament elections in June 2009.

So each MEP for a parliamentary term…………….about 1.5 million Euros!

And there are to be 751 of them so……………………1.1265 Billion Euros!

Remember this is just the figure for MEPs this doesn't include fulltime official EU staff of which there are some 32,140. For some reason I can't find an average wage for them?????

[Keith Scantlebury]

I used to work for an A.I. [cattle breeding] company and part of the job was to take farmers to Europe, mainly Italy but also France,Holland and Germany.We would take them to the major Holstein shows in each country, but we would visit many farms so that they could inspect the progeny of the bulls we used. No matter which country we were in ,when the C.A.P. was mentioned, the "european" farmers would

physically laugh out loud at their U.K. contempories. Without exception they would tell us that U.K. farmers are too soft, and too afraid of our own government and we are only too content to be the beating boys of the E.U.

The same applied to quotas. When we would stick as close as we could to our allocated milk quota, the Italians [among others] would carry on producing milk regardless. This country would spread the superlevy among the U.K. producers and they would simply cough up. The Italians would simply tell their government to get stuffed and the government would just pay the superlevy and the farmers would carry on producing milk regardless.[and get paid for it]

I think being called the beating boys of the E.U. is quite a polite description of us. Please feel free to post more accurate descriptions of us that would amuse our european partners.

Edited December 11, 2010 by keith

[Malcolm Robinson]

I have spoken to quite a few French farmers and when I asked what they thought about EU rules which should have stopped them doing what they were actually doing they all said they only stuck to the EU rules which made economic sense for them!

Also speaking to a cross section of continental businesses, small local ones mainly, they said the same, the EU is there to provide them with profit not regulation!

I have long since thought we must have some deep ingrained masochistic tendency within the British psyche because it seems we are the only member state beating ourselves over the back with EU regulations!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Maybe this is apt...........

[Keith Scantlebury]

I have spoken to quite a few French farmers and when I asked what they thought about EU rules which should have stopped them doing what they were actually doing they all said they only stuck to the EU rules which made economic sense for them!

Also speaking to a cross section of continental businesses, small local ones mainly, they said the same, the EU is there to provide them with profit not regulation!

I have long since thought we must have some deep ingrained masochistic tendency within the British psyche because it seems we are the only member state beating ourselves over the back with EU regulations!

Yes Malcolm, would this be the French farmers that would be at the port with their second best tractor helping the French fishermen to blockade the said port in protest against the E.U. regulations that dont make economic sense to them. While they are doing this, farmer Smith who lives and works in beautiful Devon is sitting at the breakfast table, shaking his head, reading about "The froggy militants" spoiling it for all of us, then sends his wife off to the post box with a cheque to pay his fine for working too hard the previous year. Now, which one of those need their heads read.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Yes Malcolm, would this be the French farmers that would be at the port with their second best tractor helping the French fishermen to blockade the said port in protest against the E.U. regulations that dont make economic sense to them. While they are doing this, farmer Smith who lives and works in beautiful Devon is sitting at the breakfast table, shaking his head, reading about "The froggy militants" spoiling it for all of us, then sends his wife off to the post box with a cheque to pay his fine for working too hard the previous year. Now, which one of those need their heads read.

Happy birthday Keith, Hope you have a good'un.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Happy birthday Keith, Hope you have a good'un.

Thanks Malcolm.

[Malcolm Robinson]

There are moves afoot to try and get some large scale alterations to the European Union bill and so force a referendum.

Will Dave stick to his promises now............????????