Happy New Year

We would like to wish our readers a very Happy New Year and for all those right-thinking people out there that see the EU federal project for what it is, take heart: the Czech presidency of the EU starting tomorrow should be a very interesting one if President Vaclav Klaus has anything to do with it!

2009 is probably the last chance we have to stop the EU federal project. By the time the next elections come round, Ireland will have been bullied into ratifying the EU Constitution, eurosceptic political parties will be banned and dissent against Federal Europe will be outlawed.

Forget the eurofederalist LibLabCon coalition, UKIP is the only party committed to withdrawing from the EU, culling quangos and replacing the nanny state with a hands-off government.

Happy New Year.

Eric Pickles slams Conservative councils for wasting money

What else can one make of this? Eric Pickles Conservative MP was in the media yesterday to call for pay cuts for the most highly paid local council chief executives. But what’s this at the foot of the report about Eric Pickles and his proposals The Times? It’s a list of the eight highest paid local council chief executives.

I think you can guess what might be coming next …Yes indeed, let’s look at who runs these councils:

Bexley (Conservative)
Ealing (Conservative)
Hertfordshire (Conservative)
Kensington & Chelsea (Conservative)
Kingston upon Hull (Lib Dem)
Newham (Labour)
Suffolk County Council (Conservative)
Surrey County Council (Conservative)

Yup, that would be six out of eight of the top paying councils are Conservative-run. So in other words, much of what Eric Pickles is saying really amounts to, ‘look what an awful job so many Conservative councillors are doing wasting our money’.

Save our Pubs

PUBS around the country are at increasing risk of closure because of the smoking ban, warns the UK Independence Party.Paul Nuttall, UKIP chairman, said the ban on drinks promotions is an additional blow but the smoking ban is the major contributor to the closures.

He said nationally pubs are closing at the rate of 36 a week.Mr Nuttall, who is also the lead North West candidate in the Euro-elections, said: “Instead of trying to help the industry the government seems intent on its demise.

“Meanwhile drunkenness and alcohol-related violence, particularly among the young, is continuing to spiral.”He said people are buying booze at lower prices from supermarkets and off-licences, encouraging more people to drink.Mr Nuttall said: “Youngsters get tanked up on cheap shop-bought drink before they even go out for the night and then spend little in the pubs and clubs as they have already consumed much.”

Describing pubs as an “easy target” he said licensees should have a right to choose whether they have a ventilated area within their premises.He said: “This would be a properly ventilated room so that non-smokers elsewhere in the building would be unaffected. It is not uncommon to see pensioners shivering outside premises, including bingo halls, while they have a smoke. Is this any way to treat them?

“Some people argue that it is unfair that bar staff have to work in smoky conditions – but what about the staff who have lost their jobs because of the smoking ban?”

UKIP has now launched a Save the British Pub campaign in a fight to save pubs from closure.

90K Gravy Train for the LIb-Lab-Con

A QUANGO has today been criticised after it splashed out almost £90,000 on entertaining politicians.The taxpayer-funded North West Regional Development Agency ran up the tab on wine, food, venues, hotels and organising events at the three main political party conferences this year.NWDA officials - in charge of regenerating the north west -- spent £31,218 at the Labour conference, held in Manchester in September.

Their political entertaining bill was more £30,000 above any of the other eight RDAs. The figures show that they splashed out £67,671 on the wine, food and venues alone.Thousands were also spent on hotel rooms and conference passes.The figures were obtained under freedom of information laws by The Taxpayers' Alliance.

This is a serious misuse of public money ! "RDAs were not created to buy wine and canapes for politicians but rather to improve regional economies. "They have failed to do this, and instead use taxpayers' money to win over political support. Such behaviour only strengthens the case for their abolition."

Paul Nuttall, chairman of the UK Independence Party and north west MEP candidate, described the spending as `absolutely bonkers'.

He said: "Why should the taxpayer be shelling out so fat cat politicians can be wined and dined? In total over £285,000 was spent on the three conferences by all nine RDAs.

RDAs were set up by the government in 1999 to `spread economic prosperity' and `bring fresh vitality' to their areas by encouraging investment.

A spokeswoman for the NWDA said their figure was the highest among the RDAs because they had been the chair of all the agencies this year and had to organise extra events, and people should expect the same figure for next year as the Conservative conference was coming to town.

Lessons From Bootle

POLITICAL campaign skills picked up on the streets of Bootle will help form the centrepiece of the UK Independence Party’s strategy for the 2009 Euro elections.

Merseyside-born Paul Nuttall 32, Who is the youngest chairman of the party since it was created in 1993, hopes his youthful enthusiasm can push UKIP the largest Libertarian party in the UK to new heights.He wants to replicate the party’s electoral success in his home-town of Bootle to more than double its current nine MEPs to 20.

Mr Nuttall hopes to be one of them, topping the party’s candidacy list in the North West for the elections, having taken the place of retiring academic John Whittaker.

In 2006, he stood in Bootle’s Derby ward and took 21% of the vote, rising to the 38% he took this year.While he was in second place both times, he believes UKIP will take the seat in the next local elections in 2010.

He claims the secret to the increase in votes is a combination of hard work and “letting people know the facts”, telling people that many of the things they are unhappy about are driven by the demands of the EU. “More than 3,000 working groups [in the EU] will dictate 75% of the laws of our country,” he says.

The former Savio High School pupil has spent the past two years working in the European Parliament researching and learning the intricacies of the organisation, having previously lectured on politics.Since being made chairman of UKIP in September, he is now based again in the UK, living in Liverpool’s Hatton Garden with his wife, Linda, a PR expert who works in Manchester. “In many ways, I am pro- European. I have lived in Barcelona and Brussels, I just don’t like the EU.”

He says Britain’s ability to act independently in the world in order to best serve its citizens is severely hindered by its membership of the EU. “I think Britain would be better off out. If you like the EU you can vote for the other three parties. If you don’t like it then there is only one show in town.”

He baulks at the suggestion the party shares similar territory to that of the far-right party BNP, which many fear will gain a seat in the North West in the coming election.

“That’s bonkers. We have got nothing in common with the BNP.

“Yes, we do want to control immigration, but the issue is about space, not race like the BNP. “Race is not an issue with UKIP, we are a libertarian political party – live and let live.”

His passion for politics was fostered while studying history at Edge Hill, and he is currently working towards a PhD – although it’s deferred at the moment.In common with many UKIP members, he originally joined the Conservative Party, but defected in 2004 because of their “duplicitous” attitude towards Europe.

His political hero is Joseph Chamberlain, because he changed 19th century politics, realising the power of the mass media and professionalising it, says Mr Nuttall.

“He smashed the Liberals, and he smashed the Tories over free trade and protectionism. “He just had style as well,” he says, confessing he is also passionate about sartorial elegance, owning more than 300 ties.

The war on drinkers.

EU Tube shunned by net users

The EU's attempt to harness the power of the internet to promote European intergration has bombed disastarously.The European Union’s answer to YouTube, the internet video sharing phenomenon, has backfired, with audiences shunning many of the clips intended to promote pet subjects in Brussels. Eighteen months on from the creation of EU Tube many of the videos posted on the website have attracted only a few dozen viewers.

An EU Tube video entitled Controlling the Use of Chemicals in Europe has been watched 56 times. Another film, Better Rights for Temporary Workers, has attracted 70. EU Tube’s attempts to adopt street language have also misfired, with ventures such as a three-minute “euro-rap”, which urges young viewers “you gotta be a part of” a united Europe.

“Get on our team, you know what I mean,” the rapper sings, surrounded by teenagers brandishing the EU flag. “It’s the return of the blue. See I’m going to move across from Germany to Paris, oui. We get united and take a stand in solidarity. I speak in all ’hoods.”

One visitor, Opaz, writes: “It’s like Nazi Hitler Youth propaganda with aggressive music. Be a part of what? The destruction of our nations, homelands and security so that the rich can own and control us. Overlords of EU go to hell!”

EU Tube also displays a bizarre 30-second animation featuring an amorous chess piece and a condom to illustrate safe sex. “Chess love – safe sex is a game for two,” the video concludes.

The channel was perhaps seeking to emulate the success of one of its most popular videos: a three-minute series of clips of people having sex, ending with the words “Let’s come together”. The video, intended to promote the Brussels film subsidy, received more than 7.1m hits.

EU Tube is funded out of a €207m (£196m) communication budget from Brussels. So far the channel has attracted 7,391 subscribers. The community has a population of 500m. The website is one of dozens of examples of EU marketing documented in a 160-page dossier compiled by Open Europe, the eurosceptic think tank.

The report claims the EU is spending €2.4 billion a year on lobbying, press officers, advertising and other types of “propaganda” including scholarships. It also says the EU sends out more than 1m promotional brochures, balloons and pens each year.

Other schemes funded by the taxpayer included:

— An event for young people on the Isle of Wight, justified on the grounds that students there might have below-average contact with their European peers: “This can make them seem insular and antiEuropean.”

— A film featuring young people waving EU flags to the tune of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, in support of the Young European Federalists.

— Funding of €7m to enhance public awareness of the common agricultural policy.

Lorraine Mullally, director of Open Europe, said: “Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for vain PR exercises to make us love the European Union.”

A spokesman for the European commission in London said: “This is not propaganda, we are simply providing information.” He added that the commission “did not recognise” the €2.4 billion figure.

HT:Robert Watts and Georgia Warren

Merry Christmas

We would like to wish our readers a Merry Christmas, we'll be back in a few days.

Mr Nasty

Nicolas Sarkozy is refusing to attend the ceremony in Prague at the New Year to mark the handing over of the EU Presidency from France to the Czech Republic.

His intention appears to be to make the Czechs look illegitimate as leaders of the EU. Sarkozy has just spent the last six months posing as some sort of elected full-term president of Europe. He even wanted the Czechs to let him continue in office after their turn in the EU Presidency came. But the Czechs refused to treat him as anything other than what he was: a politician whose country held the six-months EU Presidency only because its number came up in the take-a-ticket-and-wait queue.

Sarkozy won't forgive the Czechs for their insult to his pretensions. Such bad form from Sarkozy is of course entirely predictable. He is a Frenchman, not a Gentleman --which is something the Irish need to keep in mind when they are pondering what his word, what his 'guarantees' are worth over the Lisbon Treaty.

At the European summit earlier this month, the compliant Irish Government rigged up a list of 'concerns' which they presented to Sarkozy and the leaders of the other EU states as the reasons the Irish voted No to the treaty. Sarkozy assured the Irish that 'legally binding guarantees' would be given to cover the issues if they would vote again on the treaty, and vote Yes.

When members of the majority No vote in Ireland pointed out that declarations and political guarantees carry no legal weight, that the only thing legally binding is treaty law -- and the EU members were unwilling to write the guarantees into the Lisbon Treaty -- the Irish were told that the guarantees could be added instead to the accession treaty for Croatia, to be ratified in 2010.What Sarkozy, and his collaborators in the Irish Government, kept very quiet was how far off track the accession of Croatia has gone. Brussels knows 2010 is looking pretty unlikely now, but they are not saying much about it.

The problems go all the way back to the break-up of Yugoslavia: Slovenia, which is a member of the EU, is refusing to accept Croatia's version of just where their common border lies. Slovenia says Croatia must give in on the dispute, or it will block accession. Croatia says it will not give up national territory in order to join the EU. Then there are further disputes between the two on things from fishing rights to a nuclear power plant.

The European Voice points out that there is also the continuing trouble over Croatian cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal, and Croatian worries that membership of the EU will mean an end to state aid for their shipbuilding industry, a sector that counts for 15 percent of their exports. All these are reasons to delay accession, but if there are further delays, 'support for accession could evaporate, some fear. Only 29 percent of Croats give an unequivocal Yes to EU membership, the lowest figure in any former communist state that has sought membership.'

'This lack of enthusiasm runs deep. Croats are now tired of the integration narrative. They are relatively rich. For 15 years, they have travelled largely visa-free across Europe. They are not desperate enough to view EU membership as a panacea.' All of which means -- wonderfully - that the Croatians' own referendum on accession to the EU could result in a No vote. That would mean that the accession treaty, and the Irish guarantees attached to it, would tank.

Though by that time the Irish would have been fooled into a second referendum on Lisbon next autumn, and possibly bullied into a Yes vote. If that happens, they will find out just what it is worth when a man such as Sarkozy gives his word.

Bob Pledges Support For React

Last week, Dr. Bob Spink ,UKIP MP for Castle Point in Essex, joined staff and volunteers of the charity React (Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with potentially Terminal illness) at a drop-in session, hosted by MP Susan Kramer, at the House of Commons in Westminster. React was delighted to have the opportunity to introduce MPs to its work assisting children with potentially life-limiting conditions.

Last year, React responded to requests from 1,232 families caring for a terminally-ill child but there are many more children living in Essex who need help. Working closely with medical and social care professionals, the charity can provide any specialist, domestic or educational equipment which is considered to be a ‘basic, essential need’.

At the event, Bob Spink pledged his support for React’s cause and spoke strongly of his willingness to help within his local community.Bob Spink says: “It is essential that children born with life-limiting illnesses are given support and I have long campaigned for children's hospices winning an extra 27 million a few years ago from Prime Minister Tony Blair for them. I encourage everyone to become involved in this worthy cause.”

Vicky Andreas, Director of Client Services at React, says: “We’re delighted to have Bob Spink’s support in our quest to improve the lives of terminally-ill children. Families caring for children living with a life-limiting illness are often not given the necessary assistance they require and community support is vital in helping us to change this.”

With the help of Bob Spink, React hopes to engage the community in both fund and awareness raising activities, ensuring that all the children in Essex that need React’s help have access to their services.

Euro behind Greek riots

The credit crunch has, of course, resulted in the usual group of EU-obsessives calling for Britain to join the euro.Interestingly, they never name the specific rate at which they think we should join, or would be allowed to join at - a rather critical piece of information around which all arguments about the economic implications of such a move would rotate.

Nor do they explain how, exactly, we would be economically better off by joining - putting to one side the enormous constitutional/anti-democratic implications of taking this extreme course of action.Presumably, the euro-obsessives are not seriously suggesting that it would be to our advantage to lose the capacity to set our own interest rates, or allow the pound to fluctuate according to the specific requirements and features of the UK ecomomy?

Floating exchange rates and adjustable interest rates are safety valves that Britain would be crazy to abandon.

One eurozone country that is providing a real-world example of what can happen when your government passes all key macro financial control to the European Central Bank is Greece.The continuing riots in Athens and elsewhere - while they may have been originally instigated by anarchist groups in response to the shooting by police of a fifteen year old youth - have grown in size because of the poor state of the economy and rising unemployment.

The Greek government is virtually powerless to tackle these underlying economic problems. The only option left to them to try and stimulate domestic economic activity has been to drive down real wage levels at a time when the lower paid - those still in jobs that is - have already seen their living standards reduced. In part, of course, because of the significant price rises that have accompanied the transition to the euro.

In properly constructed, national currency unions central government has the means to redistribute money to those regions that are particularly suffering during a recession. But because the EU currency has been established without a massive treasury behind it, Greece will not be in receipt of fiscal transfers from the taxpayers of other euro member countries.German chancellor, Angela Merkel has made it very clear that she has no intention of using her taxpayers' money to bail out debt-ridden countries like Greece, Italy and Spain.

So, the Greek government is in a real bind with no room for manoeuvre, have been turning down the lid on the economic pressure cooker, and now we are seeing the public response.Similar unrest is predicted soon for Spain, where the economic situation is also highly precarious. Ireland is also in an increasingly bad way.

What the electorates of these and other crisis-ridden euro economies will soon realise is that kicking the incumbent 'government' out of office and replacing them with the 'opposition' will make very little difference, as the main levers of economic control have left the country for good.The incredible political and economic implications of the euro have not yet sunk in among the peoples and the media classes of the Eurozone members. They soon will and then things will get very interesting. And potentially very nasty.

You mean I have to pay for that ?

Pity poor Richard Corbett. The Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the euro wonk's wonk in chief found himself a little embarrassed on his way back from Strasbourg last week.A conductor approached him, asked for his ticket and informed him that he had a penalty fare to pay as he was travelling without a valid ticket.

You see this was the section between Luxembourg City and the town of Arlon in Belgium.MEPs receive free first class transport on the Belgian national carrier SNCB. - convenient for Richard as he commutes from his pad in Antwerp.

However this does not cover the cross border aspect of the trip, that is Arlon to Strasbourg. So it appears that Richard had paid the Luxembourg/Strasbourg aspect of the trip, but not the Belgium Luxembourg section.

In First class, this amounts to just over 15 Euro. Not a lot, and an easy mistake you might say. True, true, but hold on.Mr Corbett, being the wonk's wonk knows, and he would not demur from this about as much about the rights and wrongs of MEP'dom than any other.

He has also taken this trip ever since being elected in 1996. So that 15 euro one way does start to look quite a wheeze, 30 euros each round trip. Corbett being a conscientious chap would rarely have missed a visit, so that is twelve a year over the last 12 years. Sum total? Approximately 4,300 euros. Not a great deal I know, but for one of the great finger pointers of the Parliament quite an oversight.

Now, it could well have been a one off, I really don't know. But maybe we should be told?

HT: EX

Free Christmas ride home for EU workers

The European Union’s institutions in Brussels are squandering millions of Pounds of British taxpayers’ money by paying for their employees’ Christmas travel expenses at a time of economic crisis.

Hans-Peter Martin, an independent member of the European Parliament from Austria, wrote to the press denouncing this “shocking privilege.”

“The money would be better spent financing meaningful social projects,” Martin wrote.

Last year, the European Commission and the European Council jointly spent just under 47 million Euro (USD 65 million dollars) to pay for the Christmas travel arrangements of their 22,800-odd employees. Once a year, EU employees are given a lump sum covering their travel arrangements. The amount varies according to how far they need to go to reach their country of origin. The payment also covers their espouses and children, and no receipts need to be submitted, as long as the travelling takes place within the EU.

A spokeswoman for the commission said her office had already addressed such concerns to MEPs in February. “Like most international organisations or foreign services in the (EU’s) member states, the Commission pays staff a travel allowance once a year. This is foreseen in staff regulations,” said Valerie Rampi of the commission’s administrative unit.

Rampi said the amount spent by the commission, which employs about 20,000 people, totaled 42 million Euros in 2007, with the remaining amount being paid out by the council. This works out at about 2,100 Euro per employee. Any changes to the rule, in place since 2002, would have to be proposed by the Commission and approved by EU governments, and what do you think the chances of that is ?

Swiss economy benefits from being outside of EU

This report on the Reuters website makes interesting reading.

According to experts, the Swiss economy looks like it might be one of the few winners in the global recession and not being a member of the EU is one of the big reasons why.

Switzerland has taken advantage of the access it has to cheap, skilled labour from the EU and the EU's internal market without being shackled by EU regulations.

Swiss interest rates were kept lower than the eurozone rate helping to keep the economy growing while the eurozone finance ministers argued with each other about what they could do to interest rates without making millions of people unemployed and the Swiss government bailed out the bank, UBS, in record time without having to worry about breaking EU regulations. The pound has nearly halved in value against the dollar while the Swiss franc has increased in value.

So they have access to the EU's internal market and cheap labour but they don't have 75% of their laws made by foreign politicians and they don't have to give billions of pounds a year to the EU for the privilege. Someone's getting a bum deal and it sure as hell isn't the Swiss!

Conservative Party membership slumps

Party documents show 40,000 supporters have left since David Cameron took over as leader three years ago.The slump has ACCELERATED over the past year with the constituencies of Shadow Cabinet members among the worst hit.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has lost an incredible 240 members in the last three years. Osborne—rocked by the Yachtgate scandal over his alleged talks with a Russian billionaire about a possible party donation—lost 69 constituency members in the past year.

Also badly affected is Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, whose constituency membership fell by 267 in just one year.Overall, Tory Party membership has fallen from 290,000 to 250,000 in the three years since Cameron took over.

The ageing membership is dying off and the party is failing to attract youngsters.
Yet Labour has managed to stabilise its membership decline. When Tony Blair won the 1997 election the total number of members stood at 405,000.

In the decade after that victory, membership halved, returning to the level it was before Blair took over.However, since Gordon Brown became PM last July the decline has halted and Labour has managed to entice 10,000 new members. Read the full story here

Democracy comes at a price

Last week the island of Sark in the Channel Islands held its first ever election for the Chief Pleas, the parliament of Sark. Sark is a Crown Dependency and is therefore not part of the UK or the EU but the elections were held to comply with the EU Convention on Human Rights.

Until last week Sark was a feudal state with the unelected Seigneur as head of the Chief Pleas which was itself comprised of the tenants of the original 40 quarantaine. The Seigneur will continue as the feudal lord of the island but the island's government will now be elected.

Progress has its price, however. The Barclay brothers, owners of the Torygraph and the Ritz hotel, are a bit pissed off because their candidates did badly in the election. They own the island of Brecqhou, one of the quarantaine and are a law unto themselves. They regularly break Sark law, driving cars and using helicopters and have been accused of tax evasion. They have even tried to claim independence from Sark.

In retaliation for not voting for their candidates, the Barclay's have closed their businesses on the island and put 140 people out of a job. The island only has just under 500 inhabitants, no social security and residents aren't entitled to claim benefits from the British government.

So that's another economy devastated and half the working population of Sark out of a job because of Federal Europe. But hey, at least they get to put an "X" next to a name every few years.

WHO CONTROLS FINANCIAL SERVICES?

Professor Tim Congdon used to be, between 1992 and 1997, an economic advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Despite such an establishment position, Professor Congdon agrees with UKIP that Britain needs to disengage from the European Union and pursue an independent future better suited to its own interests.

In a recent pamphlet, Professor Congdon looks at the Northern Rock affair and how the law in this area, like so many others, is now set by the European Union. He identifies the Takeover Directive, the Market Abuse Directive, the Directive on deposit insurance and EU state aid law as four areas where "the European dimension was [arguably] fundamental".

A Takeover Code was introduced in 1968 and was a home-grown framework for the orderly and honest conduct of company takeovers in the City of London. In 2006, an EU Directive, the Takeover Directive, replaced the Takover Code. During the Northern Rock affair the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, thought at one stage that the Takover Directive prevented the Bank from organising a rescue operation for the company. Professor Congdon notes that it is uncertain whether the Takeover Directive did prevent action but that its existence prevented or delayed the sort of pragmatic actions that the Bank would have taken in the past.

Secondly, in the case of the Market Abuse Directive, King felt that "covert lending" was the way to proceed with Northern Rock. This behind-the-scenes method of support had been used in previous crises before the Directive came into force. However, rightly or wrongly, King hesitated, concerned about legal advice that such covert lending could be illegal under the Directive.

Thirdly, Professor Congdon mentions that, in 1994, an EU Directive made bank deposit insurance compulsory throughout the EU. The minimum level of insurance was then 20,000 euros. This may possibly not have been a factor in the case of Northern Rock but it shows, yet again, the extent of EU legislation.

Lastly, during the rescue, the Bank of England was concerned that loans from the Bank to Northern Rock might count as state aid under EU law. If this were the case then conditions would be attached to the loan - for example, that it should be repaid within a certain time - that could seriously affect negotiations for the takeover of Northern Rock by other companies.

So there we have it. A situation where, free of EU law, the Bank of England could have acted quickly and decisively but where, according to Professor Congdon, officials seemed to be more concerned about checking that they were acting in accordance with EU law.

Professor Congdon believes that, rather than have this situation continue, Britain should repatriate powers from the EU and even completely renegotiate its relationship to something more in tune with Britain´s needs.There will be a public meeting with Tim Congdon in January.

GIVE OUR COUNTRY A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND DOUBLE YOUR MONEY

GIVE OUR COUNTRY A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND DOUBLE YOUR MONEY .Christmas will soon be upon us but don’t forget to put our country on your Christmas List. By making a donation to the UKIP Eastern Campaign fund, you are giving the best Christmas present that the country could ask for. The time could not be better for your donation. Not only will we get best value from your donation because we get early booking discounts on many of our planned activities for the campaign.

Every penny that you donate to UKIP Eastern will be doubled by a sponsor who has pledged that he will match fund every single donation made, up to £5,000 before the end of December - Every penny counts so no matter how large or small, your donation now will make this a double Christmas present for your country.

Have a very Happy Christmas.

Peter Reeve Regional Organiser, UKIP Eastern Counties [email protected] 07792 290434

Please make cheques payable to UKIP Eastern Counties, send to : The UK Independence Party, 145 New London Rd, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0QT

UKIP MP Bob Spink call to scrap Christmas recess

Parliament's hardest working MP Bob Spink is calling for Parliament’s usual Christmas recess to be scrapped this year, so MPs can get to grips with the economic downturn.

Castle Point UKIP MP Dr Spink thinks the three-and-a-half week break is too long and says he will be working right through the festive holiday.

Dr Spink explained: “We live in extraordinary times and our constituents are upset when they are struggling to get two or three days off, we are taking a three-and-a-half week break.

“I understand MPs need time with their families like everyone else, but an e-mail went around last week, asking MPs if they wanted to go on a skiing holiday after New Year. I mean this isn’t the real world.”

The Spink told how he will be working right up to Christmas Eve and already had a busy diary between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

Dr Spink told us what he'd done over previous Christmas breaks, he said he had worked just as hard.

He added: “I took a week off last year and only a couple of days the year before.

“In tough economic times when people are losing their jobs, Government must be held to account.”

Farage confronts EU arrogance. MEPs Respond

UKIP London Meet UP Tomorrow- 20th December 2008

Date: 20th December 2008
Time: 15:30 - 21:30
Location: Counting House Pub
Street: 50 Cornhill Rd - EC3V 3PD
Town/City: London, United Kingdom

It's happening. Oh it's definitely happening!

Due to popular demand there will be a UKIP meet-up in London to celebrate everything we've achieved this year! A perfect chance to meet fellow members, share ideas, network or just let your hair down. This event is open to UKIP members and supporters alike. Represent your branch!

We'll be meeting at 3:30 pm inside the Counting House Pub in London and will follow it up with a good old razz for those of us who want to paint the town red (or rather purple and yellow)!

The meet-up is anything you want to make it. Whether you want a social chit chat, a major drink up or just curious to meet the faces of UKIP just come along.

John Tennant is flying over especially from Brussels Now THAT is dedication, so no excuses! Just to throw some names in to the equation of people who will be coming... John Tennnant, Paul Nuttall, Jonathan Arnott, Michael Heaver (YI member featured on Question Time).

So don't be shy, come along. Regardless of how long you can stay for or what time you can make it. Some won't be coming till 7pm after work, some are staying for a couple of hrs and some aren't going home till the early hours!

For more info please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected] or call/text me on 07731337709.

Pound is the oil of our economy !

For those of you who didnt know West Midlands UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass has had a Column in the Solihull Times Newspaper for a couple of months now. This has been great news for the local UKIP branch. 70,409 copies of the newspaper are delivered around the Borough each week. Below is Mikes column from this weeks paper which gets published under the heading ''Another crazy day in Brussels with Mike Nattress UKIP MEP'' for some reason I wonder why ?

Speaking on French radio and TV, EU Commission President Jose Barroso said the Euro in the UK is ‘’now closer than ever before’’. He said ‘’Some British politicians have already told me, ‘’if we had the Euro , we would have been better off’’

Why do UKIP (whose symbol is the pound sign) say the pound should never be surrendered ?

If we are to be part of a United States of Europe and politicians protest we are not, despite signing the Lisbon Treaty then the Euro is an obvious next step. However , if we are to remain independent, our currency is the oil that lubricates the engine of the economy. As the 5th largest economy in the world , the UK’s economic cycle is different to Europe.

We must retain our ability to set interest rates and taxation at levels suiting our world trading position and therefore need our currency which bestows economic independence , losing our currency will ensure our absorption into a United States of Europe but step - by - step politicians have allowed exactly that , behind the backs of the people for more than 30 years.

With the EU now making 75 per cent of our law and the chancellor admitting that he could not reduce VAT to less than 15 per cent with out EU approval , have we already been taken over ?

This must be a decision for the people , whose families have defended the independence of this island for centuries . EU , better off out ?

Working Time Directive will cost billions

Earlier today I wrote about the EU Parliament voting to abolish the UK's opt-out of the EU Working Time Directive. Predictably, the majority of MEPs voted to abolish the UK's opt-out even though it has nothing to do with their own countries.

Bizarrely, the European Parliament has voted against the European Council and European Commission and decided to include on-call in working time for the purposes of the directive.

So what does this mean? Let me put a personal perspective on this act of lunacy ...

I work for a large multi-national supporting a couple of IT systems for a government department that require 24 hour support. The systems are predominantly supported by myself and another person on-site during core hours of 8am and 6pm. To provide the 24 hour support, we take it in turns to be on-call at home and go into the office if something goes wrong.

From my employers point of view this decision by the European Parliament drops them in the brown stuff because they will have to employ another four people to provide 24 hour support for these systems.

From my own point of view this decision drops me very deeply in the brown stuff because being on-call supplements my income by several thousand pounds a year. With a wife and four children to support, I'm going to rely on tax credits to plug the gap.

As is so often the case with decisions emanating from our masters on the continent, the rights that they parade in front of us as examples of the benefit of EU membership aren't really rights at all, they're obligations. Workers in the UK currently have the right to refuse to work more than 48 hours per week but that's not good enough for the eurocrats who insist that workers exercise their "rights" whether they want to or not.

Abolishing the opt-out is going to cost the UK billions. The cost to the taxpayer alone is going to be huge in topping up wages and paying increased costs for PFI projects and contracts with private companies.

I wonder if this is another one of those obvious benefits of EU membership the British government talks about when anyone questions why we're paying billions of pounds a year to belong to the EUSSR.

UKIP MEP calls EU 'enemy of democracy and freedom of thought'

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg today (17.12.08), Jeffrey Titford, UKIP MEP questioned the democratic legitimacy of the European Union's proposed budget for 2009. He attacked the EU's 'arrogance' in assuming that it should be 'a global player' and demanded to know who had ever wanted it to play such a role. "I put it to you all that the EU has no democratic mandate whatsoever for the empire building outlined in this budget", he said. Mr Titford also attacked plans included in the budget for an EU trademark and an information campaign which he dismissed as 'brainwashing' because the EU would: "sell itself as the greatest benefit to humanity since penicillin rather than the grotesque enemy of democracy and freedom of thought that it really represents." The full text of Mr Titford's speech is as follows: Draft General Budget of the European Union 2009 – Strasbourg 17.12.08

Mr President

Arrogance is the word which keeps springing to mind when reading this lengthy report, because the text is redolent with it. For instance, clause 25 laments the fact that the funds available quote: ‘do not allow the Union to assume its role as a global player’ unquote. The same clause refers to the EU having the capacity to assume its role as a global partner’.

Who ever wanted the EU to have such a role? Why does it have such an inflated sense of its own importance? Certainly, no one in my country has been given a vote on the development of the EU as a global player. We were told it was a common market and would provide cheap wine and nice holidays.

I also note that the global player wants its own trademark for use in all communications with the masses and wants a major information campaign for the 2009 European election campaign. For ‘information’ read ‘brainwashing’ because the EU will no doubt sell itself as the greatest benefit to humanity since penicillin rather than the grotesque enemy of democracy and freedom of thought that it really represents.

The aforementioned arrogance spills over into everything it touches. There is no better example than the disgraceful and disrespectful treatment of President Klaus, a head of state, at a meeting in Prague recently by members here.

I put it to you all that the EU has no democratic mandate whatsoever for the empire building outlined in this budget.

EU to cause Winter heating crisis for thousands of pensioners

"The EU's climate change package debated yesterday (16.12.08) in the European Parliament is not merely wrong but potentially lethal", said Jeffrey Titford, the UK Independence Party MEP for the Eastern Counties.

"With December in Britain already being described as the coldest for thirty years, and significant hikes in fuel bills already in place, the idea of the European Union adding enormous increases to carbon taxes, via its 'Cap and Trade' system, is not merely misguided but downright dangerous.

"Figures from the Office for National Statistics, tell us that during last Winter in the UK we lost 22,400 pensioners over and above the statistical norm - what they call 'Excess Winter Mortality’. A significant proportion of these will be from the Eastern Counties. Of course, what we are really talking about here is not just another statistic but people's loved ones - parents and grandparents".

According to Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern: “It is a national scandal that we have a higher number of excess Winter deaths than every other country in Europe . With this Winter set to be colder than the last‚ the numbers are likely to rise". He added: "The impact of increased energy bills is causing thousands to risk their health by cutting back on heating".

The uncritical acceptance of the climate change agenda by the EU is causing major shortfalls in our energy generating capacity as coal fired power stations are forced to close. According to the CapGemini Report, the European Energy Markets Observatory, published in November: “ From 2013, 100% of the Emission Rights will be auctioned to the power sector, which currently gets most of them free of charge. This change will result in tens of billions of euros/pounds in extra cost for the utilities, which will certainly be passed on in the electricity prices".

" Britain cannot afford these extra costs, which are being driven by an outmoded and scientifically dubious panic about climate change. Worse still, what is bad for Britain could be fatal to thousands of pensioners", said Mr Titford.

End this madness Join us Today

EU vote on Working Time Directive

MEPs are voting later today on whether to abolish the UK's derogation on the Working Time Directive that allows workers to choose whether or not they want to work more than 40 hours per week.

The EU is a socialist behemoth and naturally supports abolishing the rights of workers to decide how many hours they work but in the real world businesses and workers are worried. For some people, working long hours is the only way to pay the bills.

In the soviet dream-land occupied by most European politicians, a brain surgeon and a road sweeper should get the same pay but on planet earth that's not the case and it's never going to be the case and so tens of thousands of people have no choice but to work long hours to put food on the table.

The latest estimate is that there may be up to 3 million unemployed people in the next year or so as businesses cut costs and shed jobs to cope with the global recession. Employing more people to do the same amount of work as their current workers is simply going to drive a thousands of employers out of business. The cost of an employee isn't a simple calculation of x pounds multiplied by the number of hours they work, there are insurances, admin costs, equipment costs, etc. for every employee before they even do an hours work.

Struggling companies don't need these extra costs. If the EU is serious about wanting to tackle recession then the last thing they should be doing is increasing the burden on employers.

Q&A with Bob Spink

UKIP's Dr Bob Spink MP very kindly agreed to do a Q&A session for Bloggers4UKIP and here it is, unedited and straight from the horses mouth:

1. It's now been 8 months since you left the Conservatives and joined UKIP. Do you ever regret making the move? Do you think you still stand a good chance of getting re-elected?
   
   No regrets and as an Independent, I have a decent chance of winning, but my excellent constituents will decide that. The Tories told lies when I resigned, I sued them, they admitted lying and the overall costs and damages were around £200,000. I am well rid and Cameron is not Prime Minister material.
   
   Even though I am Independent, since I refuse to take a party political whip in the House, I am an enthusiastic and totally committed UKIP member.
   
   
2. What was it that attracted you to UKIP in the first place?
   
   The European question (and UKIP is the most honest political party and has the best Leader).
   
   
3. Do you think the Conservatives will ever become a eurosceptic party again?
   
   I don’t know, I hope so.
   
   
4. It's well known that the majority of the Conservative Party membership are eurosceptic but their party leadership have different views. Why do you think UKIP hasn't attracted more high profile Conservatives? Do you think their jobs are more important than their principles or do they genuinely believe that they can change their party from within?
   
   Ask Redwood, Hague, or the rest of them why they have become Tory Euro-friendly front bench poodles!
   
   
5. How do you think the launch of Libertas will affect UKIP? A lot of people - myself included - believe that the Conservatives will lose most votes to Libertas. Do you agree?
   
   It is possibly so, since Libertas want to stay in the EU like the Tories.
   
   
6. In the vote on 42 day internment of terrorism suspects you voted with the government and against UKIP policy. Having seen one of your colleagues, Damian Green, being on the receiving end of an abuse of anti-terrorism powers, do you still believe that the government and the police can be trusted with the power to detain people suspected of breaking anti-terrorism laws for 2 months without charge?
   
   As I say, I don’t take a party whip I just do what is right and I don’t give a damn about party hacks tearing their hair out. I could be wrong on any issue of course, but I am totally open and honest and my own man. There are a number of UKIP policies I would not support and I hope that goes for all your readers. Anyone who blindly follows a set of politicians without question needs their head examined.
   
   
7. You recently asked for yourself to be designated as an Independent in the Commons rather than a UKIP MP. A lot of UKIP members were concerned about this as it appears you are distancing yourself from the party. What were your reasons for doing this and would you describe yourself as UKIP again if there were other UKIP MPs?
   
   As you have seen, I don’t follow the crowd, I will do what I think is right at the time. As circumstances move on, so must we, or we fall behind. In short, never say never in politics.
   
   
8. The pound has now reached near-parity with the Euro, one of Gordon Brown's golden rules on dropping the pound and adopting the single currency. Can you see the British government moving to adopt the Euro soon and if so, do you think they will give us the referendum they promised or will they cheat us out of one like they did with the EU Constitution?
   
   Yes to them thinking about entering the Euro zone, no to a referendum.
   
   
9. What are your predictions for the combined EU/local elections and the next general election?
   
   Lets work hard for UKIP and wait and see.
   
   
10. Finally, a light-hearted one. If you were stranded on a desert island with one other person and one possession, who and what would they be?
    
    Nigel Farage since he is astute, reliable and good company, and a set of ear plugs for when I’d had enough.

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions for Bob and thanks to Bob for answering them. Hopefully this will be the first of many interviews with prominent UKIPpers.

Listen up !

The behaviour of European Parliament President Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering was denounced today by Nigel Farage UKIP leader.

"Not only were his actions anti-democratic, hectoring and bullying but he is incapable of even handed behaviour", said Farage.

He made his remarks after a heated debate after French President Nicolas Sarkozy had addressed the Chamber. Mr Farage accused Mr Pöttering of failing to discipline the behaviour of Green leader Danny Cohen-Bendit and UEN leader the Irishman Brian Crowley after they had insulted the Czech President Mr Vaclav Klaus.

Farage described the actions of Mr Cohen-Bendit when he demanded that Mr Klaus handing an EU flag over Prague castle as the sort of actions "that could easily have been done by a German official of seventy years ago or a Soviet official of twenty years ago".

He pointed out that Mr Schulz had suggested that opposing the Lisbon Treaty would lead to fascism and that Mr Cohen-Bendit had accused opponents of the Treaty as "mentally ill".

Mr Pöttering then allowed German socialist leader Schulz to accuse Farage of telling untruths. Though Farage had the documentary evidence in his hands taken from Schulz's own web page the European Parliament President refused him the opportunity to clear the slander.

"This is a sham democrat, in a sham Parliament", said Farage, "Voices who support the project are encouraged whatever the veracity, while dissident voices are silenced. I suppose it was ever thus".

Bromsgrove UKIP candidate revealed

Steven William Morson from Aston Fields has been adopted as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the UK Independence Party’s Bromsgrove constituency association.

Steve who has been a member of the branch since joining the party in October 2006, and for almost all of this time he has served as branch membership secretary and website administrator.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted to be selected as the PPC for Bromsgrove and I will work hard, starting immediately, to win Bromsgrove for the party.”

Steven, who is 51, left an information and communications technology consultancy career to concentrate full time on politics and writing.

We wish him good luck!

Greece the first crack in the European Union ? - Lets hope so

Bloggers4UKIP on Facebook

Bloggers 4 UKIP now has a Facebook group.

If you like what you're reading here and want to show your support then why not join the group? You can also show your support by following the blog by clicking the follow button on the first hand side.

And while you're at it, you can join the Official UKIP group too! or follow us on Twitter

UKIP statement on Libertas Launch

Nigel Farage made it clear yesterday that there is absolutely no common ground on Europe between Declan Ganley's new party, Libertas, and UKIP.

Mr. Farage said that "Libertas has nailed its colours firmly to the David Cameron mast of wishing to stay within the European Union and try to reform from inside. Declan got one thing right, they didn't listen to the Dutch, they didn't listen to the French and they're not listening to the Irish over reform. So why do he and Cameron think they'll listen to them?"

"I think it will come as a surprise to many to learn just how pro EU Mr. Ganley is. When he says that Europe is too important to fail and that it is important to all our futures then you begin to see the true picture.

"UKIP remains the only party committed, absolutely clearly, to Britain leaving this political union and becoming a free and sovereign state once again. One where our laws are made by us for ourselves, rather than the vast majority being made in Brussels.

"Surprisingly Mr. Ganley is now claiming that when the Irish voted no in their referendum it was not a vote against the EU. I'm sure this will come as a surprise to many of those who did vote no. It will be interesting to see how Mr. Cameron and the europhile wing of his party deal with the possibility of their vote being taken by Libertas.

"What Mr. Ganley has done today is show that there is absolutely no common ground between our positions. He thinks that, along with the Tories, reform from within is possible. We know, as the Dutch, French and Irish situations have shown us, that this is not possible. Only by leaving can anything be made to change."

There is still only one party committed to an independent Britain and thats UKIP so on the 4th of June vote UKIP.

Our Country is being lost piece by piece we must act now to stop this duplicitous, undemocratic betrayal. Please join US, the only party that will put an end to this betrayal.

Is this the end of the Royal Navy asks Bloom ?

In the light of Operation Atalanta, the EU naval mission to the Horn of Africa designed to fight piracy, Godfrey Bloom UKIP MEP has called for clarity about the chain of command.

Mr Bloom says, "As with the real projection of naval force this week off the African coast no one, including very senior naval and military officers seem to know where the chair of command extends beyond Northwood, formerly NATO regional command centre and now the HQ of the EU operations".

He continued "So where does the buck stop? Under whose ultimate control is the naval task force? It is not under the NATO structure, nor presumably the Ministry of Defence and subsequently the cabinet and parliament?

This time it is just piracy. However what if there is an escalation in Iranian waters. Or other potentially hostile state power. I think we should be told. To that end I have asked a series of question of the Council of Ministers for clarification".

Godfrey Bloom, is a graduate of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, Military historian, an ex soldier returned recently of Arkitiri, Cyprus where a major logistics exercise was being carried out and questioned a range of senior British military figures about their new, EU chain of command.

UKIP Lord Pearson on Radio Five Live Tonight

UKIP's position and response to the launch of Libertas will be spelt out by UKIP's Lord Pearson on Radio Five Live tonight at 10pm.

Dorset UKIP News Issue 2

The 2nd issue of Dorset UKIP News is out now just in time for Christmas.



THIS ISSUE inculdes:
.Fat cat Politicians enjoy the credit lunch
• Bah Humbug! - The Christmas killjoys
• Mike’s Dorset Diary - Our county matters
• Paradise lost - A view from another country
• Spotlight - William Earl of Dartmouth
• Your Say - Where does the buck stop?
• Democratic death - The rise of the ‘Super-Quangos
• Cartoon corner - Another viewpoint
• Take part in our survey - Tell us what you think
and we’ll put the results in the next issue.

If anyone can help deliver the paper in Dorset please contact [email protected]

To read click here

If at first you don't succeed ...

From the BBC News website:

Irish ready to hold new EU vote

The Irish Republic is willing to hold a second referendum on the EU's reform treaty if given certain guarantees by the EU, a spokesman has told the BBC.

Those legally binding guarantees are to be discussed by EU leaders at a summit getting under way in Brussels.

The Lisbon Treaty has been on ice since being rejected by Irish voters in June.

The summit is also due to take crucial decisions on EU measures to tackle climate change, and to consider an EU-wide economic stimulus plan.

The mechanism for a second referendum is included in draft conclusions which are being presented by the current holders of the EU presidency, France, and which have been seen by the BBC.

According to the draft, the Irish government says "it is committed to seeking ratification" of the Lisbon Treaty by end of October next year.

An Irish government spokesman told the BBC that it was "seeking legally binding instruments to address the concerns of the Irish people", and that once it got those assurances, it would present "a roadmap for ratification", that would include another referendum.

The EU is set to offer guarantees that the treaty will not affect three main areas of concern to Irish "No" voters - abortion, Irish neutrality and taxation, says the BBC's Europe editor Mark Mardell.

Ireland is also likely to be able to keep its EU commissioner.

The treaty is aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged 27-nation EU.

It cannot take effect unless all 27 states ratify it. But Irish voters rejected it in a referendum and objections have held up its ratification in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Critics see the treaty as further evidence of a federalist, pro-integration agenda at work in the EU.

Even some of its architects say it is just a modified version of the EU constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

Credibility at stake

EU leaders will pore over and work on the summit conclusions before they are published on Friday.

They also face a major test of their willingness to tackle climate change, with a key agreement on cutting the EU's carbon pollution at stake.

Amid the economic downturn, Germany, Italy and Poland, among others, are fighting any deal that could cost jobs.

The "20-20-20" package, which also requires approval by the European Parliament to become law, commits the EU to cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels, and to raising renewable sources to 20% of total energy use.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pushing hard to clinch a deal before he hands over the rotating presidency of the EU to the Czech Republic at the end of the year.

"It is a question of credibility," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday.

"It would be a real mistake for Europe to give the signal that we are watering down our position, after all these years leading the efforts for a global solution."

He described the summit as "perhaps the most crucial European Council in recent years... and the most important in which I have participated as Commission President".

Employment worries

Germany and Italy have expressed concern that their industries could be put at an international disadvantage if the CO2 targets are too ambitious.

"If I see that Italian interests will be hurt in an excessive way, I will use our veto rights," said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday.

"There will be no climate decisions that will endanger German jobs or investments. I will take care of that," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Also up for discussion is the EU's $260bn (£175bn) economic stimulus plan.

With recession looming, there will be broad agreement on the EU-wide package to boost the economy, although Germany opposes calls from Britain and France to cut taxes, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.

So, yet again the EU refuses to take no for an answer. The French and Dutch said no to the EU Constitution so they changed the name to the Lisbon Treaty and changed it so that it delivered its payload by amending existing treaties instead of replacing them with a new one. The Irish said no so they will be asked again. And again and again until they come up with the right answer.

There's only one way they'll take no for an answer and that's at the business end of a pitchfork.

EU tells UK to explain its tainted pig-feed problem

EU tells UK to explain its tainted pig-feed problem

Britain has until the end of Tuesday to tell EU food safety regulators what it will do about pork coming from Northern Irish farms that bought tainted animal feed from Ireland, an EU official said.

Animal feed contaminated with dioxins at levels about 100 times the maximum permitted in the European Union was delivered to 10 pig farms and 38 cattle farms - but no dairy farms - in Ireland and to nine pig farms across the border in the British province of Northern Ireland.

Irish authorities have ordered the food industry to recall all domestically produced pork products from shops, restaurants and plants because of the risk of dioxins in food. They have also said they will pull contaminated cows from the food chain.

British authorities have not taken any action so far.

"It's a UK decision (to take action)," an official at the European Commission said, but added that Brussels had the power to enforce export and trade restrictions if its food safety experts became concerned about any potential health risk.

"They have to provide detailed information by today at the latest as regards the UK government's actions for pigs and pigmeat products originating from nine affected farms in Northern Ireland," the official said.

Pork and processed products containing meat from the farms that received the tainted feed were shipped to 12 European Union countries and nine non-EU countries and territories. The Commission has praised Ireland for acting so swiftly, saying no more action was required at the moment.

Dioxins are by-products generated mainly through incineration by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. They can be absorbed through the skin or ingested through food, and long-term exposure to some forms can cause cancer.

The obvious answer to the EU is to go forth and multiply. The risk to human health from dioxins is through prolonged exposure to high levels of dioxins over a long period of time. The risk to human health from the use of this contaminated feed is effectively zero. The Irish government issued the recall because the level of dioxins in the products made it illegal, not because it posed a risk to human health.

Let's just take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The treacherous British government has ratified the EU constitution Lisbon Treaty and the Irish government has not. It is being reported that the EU has convinced the Irish government to hold another referendum on the EU EU constitution Lisbon Treaty seeing as how they came up with the wrong answer last time. Slapping a massive fine on the Republic of Ireland for allowing contaminated pork products to enter the food chain wouldn't help convince the Irish people that the EU is a good thing but they have nothing to lose by taking action against the UK government because we don't need to be convinced - we don't get a say in our relationship with the EU, the europhile traitors in government are signed up to the federalist agenda whether we want it or not.

Let there be light - and thanks to UKIP there was !

AT least one corner of Doddington is sparkling with Christmas lights thanks to the Fenland branch of UKIP.

When members found out the village would not be having lights this year due to the christmas scourge's at the local council it decided to do something about it.

The branch paid for the purchase and installation of lights all over the Three Tuns public house and gardens. On Friday there were celebrations for the big switch-on.

Len Baynes of UKIP explained that for a number of years the pub has been the unofficial headquarters for UKIP in the Fens.

He said: "We felt that all the support we get from Brian and Jenny Adams and the clientele at the pub deserves some recognition. A fully qualified electrician has been on hand to oversee the installation and it was great to see so many people at the switch-on.

UKIP Launch Campaign To Protect Britain's Pubs

A campaign to protect Britain's pubs is to be launched in Wigan on the 10th of December 2008 UKIP chose the town as venue for the launch of its Save The British Pub campaign and will roll it out nationwide if the event is a success.

UKIP is preparing for a public meeting at Newtown Labour Club.UKIP wants a change in the law to allow smoking rooms and also wants the Government to lower taxes on drinks. It chose Wigan because it believes there is great support for pubs in the town.

The campaign comes as the third Standish pub closed in as many weeks. Many traditional pubs are now boarded up across the borough.Wigan UKIP chairman Alan Freeman will chair the meeting and guest speaker will be anti-smoking ban UKIP landlord Nick Hogan.

UKIP have also invited Wigan MP Neil Turner to debate on the evening, although his office have said that with Parliament sitting that day he is unlikely to attend.

Mr Freeman said: "With Christmas and the New Year festivities just around the corner, now is the ideal time to launch. People who maybe haven't been out for a while, go out for a drink and are reminded how important pubs and clubs are in community life.

"I can't think of anything more wrong than the sight of 70, 80 and 90-year-olds having to stand outside in the cold because they happen to like a smoke.
"No wonder some have given up going out altogether, and are now suffering the consequences by being lonely and isolated. I go to Labour clubs and social clubs myself, and am very worried about what is going to happen to many of them.

"I'm a smoker myself, but I'm not saying it is good for you or for everyone. But I can't see what is wrong with having a ventilated room set aside in a pub or club for smokers."

Nick Hogan, who runs the Swan With Two Necks in Chorley, is the towns UKIP candidate in parliamentary elections.He has been in the pub trade for 20 years.

UKIP is now the "only hope" for Britain's pubs, and a recent poll in trade paper the Morning Advertiser, 68% thought that only UKIP could save Britain’s beleaguered pubs and backed UKIP's efforts to reverse the smoking ban and change the drinks tax rates.

Mr Freeman said: "We would revise the smoking ban to allow more choice, and we believe pubs and clubs should be able to choose to be smoking or not.

Newsflash, Heart attacks increase in Scotland.

UKIP Believes in freedom to choose for the public to smoke or not and the same in all public and work places.

Beware of swearing in this clip.

Marta Andreasen

The former chief accountant of the European Commission speaks to Kent News on why she wants to become a MEP for UKIP read here

EU NATIONALISM - EVIDENCE OF THE PLAN FOR A SUPERSTATE - MUST SEE!

Last Call For Activists

Following on from the successful leafleting days in Leamington Spa and Stafford, the next big UKIP leafleting day in the West Midlands is to be held tomorrow in Shrewsbury on Saturday the 6th of December, please come and join the team and help.

These days are really good, not only do we blitz an area with thousands of info packs on the day, it is also a good chance to meet up with other campaigners from all around the West Midlands, too. These events are good social events when we all meet up in a pub for lunch and have a chat about the mornings work.The meeting time is to be 9.30 am. If you can join in and for more details please e-mail [email protected]

Claims of fraud at EU "anti-fraud" body UPDATED !!

Paul van Buitenen, a Dutch MEP, is to publish new allegations about "irregularities at the European Union's anti fraud office" on the 9th of December.

Mr. van Buitenen says he has strong evidence of serious fraud at OLAF, the European Commission's anti-fraud body, but that the Commission is refusing to take action, reports the ANP news agency.

Last month, he handed over a 45-page report on the new allegations to officials in Brussels, but the Commission has refused to investigate, arguing that OLAF is an independent organisation.

"That shows a complete lack of backbone", ANP quoted van Buitenen, a former Brussels civil servant, as saying.

Revelations of corruption made by Mr. van Buitenen in 1999 led to the downfall of the entire European Commission.

You can Read van Buitenen's letter to Commissioner Kallas here.

Fingers crossed hey ?

They cannot stop meddling

Government interference in elections, manipulation of the media, taxpayers money being diverted to campaign funds - one would be forgiven for assuming that I refer to Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. But no, it is the European Parliament elections 2009 that I am talking about.

As a Eurosceptic, indeed a withdrawalist, of course I am expected to be critical of the EU institutions. Now, however, we have in our hands clear proof, courtesy of the vice-president of the European Commission, of the Commission's intention to intervene in next year's Euro-elections.

Of course, they would never admit to such an anti-democratic agenda, but here is the "smoking gun"..... I am pleased to let Mrs Wallstrom bury the Commission's honour and integrity with her own words!

View here:

Any excuse

The press this week has been full of stories about Britain considering joining the Euro in an attempt to beat the effects of the global economic crisis. The latest debate was prompted by the President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, announcing on French radio that Britain was closer than ever before to signing up to the single currency.

Although I find this very worrying I sadly do not find it surprising because many of our politicians secretly (or not so secretly as is often the case), harbour a wish for Britain to step further into political integration with the European Union. The latest whisperings are another example of their contempt for the very anti-Euro British public whom they are meant to serve.

I do not agree that our decision regarding joining the single currency should be based on purely economic considerations; the Euro is not simply an economic tool – it is very much political and therefore the political implications of joining have to be considered within the argument. It angers me that the supporters of the Euro are currently trying to suggest that Britain would be better off as a member of the Eurozone, claiming it would have helped as the credit crunch bites harder and we enter into a recession.

Perhaps this argument would hold some economic weight if only Britain was struggling in these difficult times but the very point is it is a global economic crisis! Also if Ireland is any example then membership of the Euro certainly doesn’t prevent recession, mass job losses and a collapse of the housing market. And being part of the Eurozone means the country does not have the power or the flexibility to respond in the way best for that individual country.

Current times are hard and look like getting worse. This is a global phenomenon and there will be no easy solution. It is disingenuous for Europhiles to use this as an opportunity to champion their pre-conceived beliefs – but then those who long for a European federal super-state will use any excuse to further their cause!

Open Europe: The end of the opt-out from EU working time rules and what it could mean for Britain

Open Europe

Invites you to a debate:

"Kicking us when we're down? The end of the opt-out from EU working time rules and what it could mean for Britain"

Wednesday 10 December 2008
3.00pm to 4.30pm

Dundee Room, Ely House, 37 Dover St, London W1S 4NJ

With:

David Yeandle, Head of Employment Policy, Engineering Employers' Federation

David Coats, Associate Director of Policy, The Work Foundation

Alistair Tebbit, Head of EU and Employment Policy, Institute of Directors

Paul Sellers, Senior Policy Officer, Trades Union Congress

On 17 December, the European Parliament is due to vote on amendments to the EU's Working Time Directive, which could spell the end of the UK's opt-out from rules on maximum hours of work. To discuss what this could mean for British workers and the UK economy, please join us for this important and timely debate.

Places are limited. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Susannah Prins: 0207 197 2333 or [email protected]

Lets Talk Money

UKIP'S very own Professor Tim Congdon, CBE, will be giving a talk ,commencing at 7.30pm, in the Langdale Hall, Witney on the 30th of January to discuss the consequences of European monetary union; the way in which our membership of the EU may have contributed to the current banking problems; and the new pressures on Britain to join the Eurozone.

Whilst entry is free it would be appreciated that anyone wishing to attend informs David Phipps Chairman of the Witney Constituency Association so that we may cater for you, as after the talk and subsequent Q&A session we will be serving wine, soft drinks and nibbles. You can do this either by by e-mail: [email protected] or telephone: 07702 275544.

Professor Tim Congdon is one of Britain’s leading economic commentators and the founder of Lombard Street Research.

Between 1992 and 1997 he was a member of the Treasurer Panel of Independent Forecasters (the so-called ‘wise men’) which advised the Chancellor of the Exchequer on economic policy. In 1997 he was awarded the CBE for services to economic debate.

Tim is currently a member of the Shadow Monetary Policy Committee. His opinion and comments are frequently reported in the media and he is the author of a number of books – the latest being Keynes, the Keynesians and Monetarism.

EASTERN COUNTIES ACTION DAY

The next UKIP Eastern counties action day is to be the Woodbridge Street Fayre on Sunday 7th December - COME AND JOIN US!! Our normal action days, which are held on the third Saturday of the month, will resume in the New Year.Next year we are looking forward to not only the European elections, but also county and local elections. If anyone is interested in standing in the local elections please get in contact with us and we will do all we can to help you. ALL Members are welcome at our meetings and events, so please come and join us.Feel free to contact either myself, Ron Whitmore (Chairman) on 01986 872902(after 5.00pm) or email [email protected], or June Larter on 01728 747832 or email [email protected].

Other planned action days can be found here:

UKIP LONDON ACTION DAY

UKIP WESTMIDLANDS ACTION DAY

Kosovans say "in the EU, not under the EU"

The EU security mission to Kosovo, EULex, will begin deploying on 7th December.

The EU is sending 1,300 police officers, judges and customers officers to Kosovo to take over from a UN mission, UNMIK. The number will rise to 1,900 in the coming months.

What is interesting is the protest by several thousand Kosovans in their capital, Pristina, about the deployment. Kosovo has ambitions to join the EU - like a lot of poor countries in Europe they see the EU as a gravy train - but they are already wary of the influence the EU will have over them. One of the banners said "Kosovo in the EU, not under the EU" and the organiser of the protest, Albin Kurti, expressed concern at the EULex officials having immunity from prosecution.

Poland and the Czech Republic are both thorns in the side of the eurofederalists, constantly fighting to ensure that their voice is heard and that they maintain as much of their sovereignty as is possible as a member of the EU. Kosovo wants to join the EU and is already clearly concerned at being under the EU rather than in the EU. They're also concerned about EU officials having immunity from prosecution - something that EU officials are entitled to and one of the main reasons that corruption and fraud is at epidemic levels in the EU.

Kosovo will still pursue a pro-EU agenda because the alternative is either going it alone or aligning themselves with the Russians. They've burnt their Russian bridges and they've based their future plans on joining the EU and getting their hands on bucket loads of cash to pay for infrastructure projects. There's no Plan B.

A common theme throughout Eastern Europe it seems ...

UKIP - your anti-EU voice and choice.

When you just can’t win

As I recently noted here the French Presidency, motivated by its jealousy of the success of the English Premier League, is trying to establish a European regulator for sport. Bernard Laporte, the French Sports Minister and former international rugby coach, was reported to be complaining that the success of English football was getting out of hand and therefore required the EU to get involved as a means of ‘levelling the playing field’.

France has criticised the liberal financial rules in the UK which allow teams to borrow heavily to not only finance the huge salaries used to attract top players but also to be able to retain those stars by regularly increasing their wages. Other European countries have much stricter regulation which prevents them from being able to do the same.

EUobserver reported that Laporte stated during last week’s summit of EU sports ministers; "We see European competitions between participants of two or three nations…Where is the uncertainty in such a sporting contest?" Well Bernard, surely it is for those countries whose clubs are underperforming to buck up their ideas, not those countries with successful clubs to be punished for their victories.

It seems such a bizarre way to approach things, punishing the successful and thus approving the various systems that create substandard and uncompetitive teams. But then isn’t that the story of the EU; the UK is on a daily basis brought down to an at best level of mediocrity by the harmonisation of laws at EU level. Our competitive edge in so many areas has already been extinguished by our membership of the EU, and sport (along with many other areas) clearly faces a similar threat.

THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE - IN BRUSSELS

People used to think that Health was one of the few remaining areas where the EU didn't have much control.Think again. The NHS Confederation now has an office in Brussels and six people working full time lobbying the EU.

The NHS’s European office was revealed by UKIP MEP Roger Knapman in a letter to the Western Morning News. According to the Confederation's website the office was set up to inform NHS organisations of key EU developments and to promote the priorities and interests of the NHS to the European institutions. A more sceptical view is that it is all part of a plan for the EU to take control of health services in the 27 member countries.

The Commission has adopted a so-called White Paper COM(2007)630 final – Together for Health: a Strategic Approach for the EU for the period 2008-2013. As yet there are no directives but a number of policy decisions have been made. For example, Decision 2000/96/EC refers to a list of communicable diseases and Decision 2002/263/EC lays down definitions for reporting communicable diseases.