A Europe Of Treaties?

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Simon Phipps

I am no fan of elitist bureaucracy, but I am not a euro-sceptic. I am convinced the European Parliament and the civil service around it is close to the best available compromise for this part of history.

Without getting too starry-eyed about it all, I would especially prefer the European Parliament to continue to exist. Without it, european economic strategy would be negotiated between civil servants supporting national cabinets in treaty-making, using opaque and unaccountable processes. The Parliament gives us a real opportunity for scrutiny – and a democratic veto through our elected representatives – on each European policy issue, which change-by-treaty would not give us.

If we want a Europe where treaties like ACTA and TPP are the democratic norm, scrap the European parliament. If we want all the change that happens to be done in whatever the post-tobacco equivalent of smoke-filled rooms is, scrap the European Parliament. And, for the benefit of the raving right in the UK, if you want the UK’s primary trading market to be controlled invisibly via undocumented and unaccountable negotiations between the political lackeys of plutocrats, vote for the UK to “leave” the EU.

This is not to say it’s got everything right, but scrapping it or withdrawing from it passes control back to unaccountable treaty-negotiating mandarins and the corporate lobbyists who direct them. Britain can’t leave Europe. But it can choose to longer have a say in how it works.

Filed under: Transparency | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Elections In Middle Earth

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Simon Phipps

The Middle Earth elections are over and there’s a new alliance of elves and men in control, but all I can find on local TV is news of Tom Bombadil crushing Bilbo in Hobbiton.

I’ve been watching the BBC, and every single item of reportage has used a local political lens. We have heard guesses about next year’s UK elections, chest-beating from leaders of local parties, cameos of local politics in other countries to show what’s happening here is just like what’s happening there. But there’s little mention and absolutely no analysis of the power shift in the actual “political parties” of the European Parliament (with names like EPP, ALDE and S&D) and no useful indication of the actual consequences to the UK of the decisions its people have taken.

This is no surprise; neither the campaigning political parties nor the pre-election media ever mentioned the real politics of the European parliament, so how could anyone vote about it? Instead, the whole election has been portrayed like a mock election at a school. All comment asks what this means for Hobbiton; no-one is asking who’s running Middle Earth.

My take from the European election results is the UK has voted to remove many of its experienced politicians from Brussels and to leave the EPP and S&D to run the show. By promoting UKIP, we now have eleven fewer elected representatives working on our behalf to improve the UK’s position as new policy evolves, and even if they did suddenly decide to represent us — instead of voting in favour of things like the ivory trade and against flood prevention “to make a point” — they have no parliamentary colleagues they are willing to work with among the other nationalist parties to produce change.

The same story in other countries means the intact set of experienced political operators is from Germany, and the dominant influence from the UK will come from Labour acting within the S&D party who came second in the election. The UK’s ability to influence has been dangerously harmed and the euro-sceptic influence has moved even further from the levers of control (the UK’s Conservatives had already quit EPP by forming a new minority party) leaving pro-europeans from EPP, ALDE, Greens and S&D in control.

Meanwhile, xenophobic parties from across Europe will be funded with millions of new euros as their no-show no-work MEPs collect default allowances and feed their party with money (assuming they don’t just keep it). There may be fewer jackboots and more smiling populists, but the mantle has been handed over.

Instead of explaining all this, the UK’s news media talk as if UKIP has “won the election”, talk about local politics elsewhere in Europe and give no indication of the actual balance of power in the European Parliament. This is the real political bias problem.

By treating the European elections in purely parochial frames, voters have been given no information about the true consequences of their votes and as a result have voted like it’s a national election. No-one is being told about the true power-brokers or the future of policy. Instead, the news media have betrayed their audience and created a situation where the UK’s influence in Europe — which will remain the market maker for our economy and jobs — is further diminished. I have complained to the BBC that their coverage has been parochial to the point of abuse; you could too…

Here are the actual results:

EU Election Results 2014

As of June 9, 2014

Filed under: Zeitgeist | Tagged: , | 7 Comments »

✍ By Its Fruit

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Simon Phipps

Tree stump with bracket fungi§ Where are all the bad laws coming from?

One of the worst things you can find in your home is the surface signs of fungal growth, especially the fruiting bodies of “dry rot”. The fungus itself is bad enough, but its appearance tells you something even more worrying; that the structure of the building is riddled with an invisible infection. The first thing you see is the terrible fungi; they tell you it’s time to treat the infection.

For a considerable time, we have been seeing the “fruiting bodies” appearing all over the world’s legislatures. Country after country has seen smart politicians attempting to introduce laws that are complex for the average citizen to understand. They sound plausibly necessary when famous musicians or media impresarios call for a cure for “theft” and beg us all to think of them, in rags on the streets in retirement busking to live because organised criminals with baby faces have stolen their birthright. Continue reading →

Filed under: ACTA | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

✍ Contact Your MEP!

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Simon Phipps

§ A very important issue is now open in the European Parliament. As former MEP David Hammerstein writes, a cross-party group MEPs (a conservative, a liberal and two socialists) has proposed a written declaration by the full Parliament setting parameters for the acceptability of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA.

Here is the text:

Written declaration on the lack of a transparent process and potentially objectionable content concerning the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)
The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. Whereas the ongoing negotiations concerning the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
B. Whereas the co-decision role of the European Parliament in commercial matters and its access to negotiation documents guaranteed by the Lisbon Treaty,

1. Considers that the proposed agreement should not indirectly impose harmonisation of EU copyright, patent or trademark law. The principle of subsidiarity should be respected,

2. Declares that the Commission should immediately make all documents related to the ongoing negotiations publicly available.

3. Takes the view that the proposed agreement should not force limitations upon judicial due process nor weaken fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

4. Stresses that the evaluation of economic and innovation risks must take place prior to introducing criminal sanctions where civil measures are already in place.

5. Considers that Internet service providers should not bear liability for the data they transmit or host through their services to an extent that would imply prior surveillance or filtering of such data.

6. Points out that any measure aimed at strengthening powers for cross-border inspection and seizures of goods should not harm global access to legal, affordable and safe medicines.

7. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments of the Member States.

If the written declaration is signed by the majority of EP members it will become the official opinion of the European Union’s elected representatives. This declaration needs to be physically signed by the majority of the Members of the European Parliament within three months. Please contact your MEP now (British voters can use WriteToThem) and ask them to sign.

Filed under: ACTA | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on ✍ Contact Your MEP!

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    All views expressed on this blog are those of Simon Phipps and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other entity, including current and former employers and clients. See my full disclosure of interests.

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