I had the pleasure today of attending the launch of the Centre for Women in Democracy - a new organisation based in the North of England working to increase the representation of women at all levels of public life. The Centre for Women in Democracy is the first think tank of its kind to be based in the North of England, whereas such things are traditionally based in London.

The event began with a fascinating speech by Jill Liddington, whose recent book, Rebel Girls: Their Fight for the Vote, tells of the struggle women from the Yorkshire region faced in their fight for suffrage in the beginning of the twentieth century. Next to talk was the Centre for Women in Democracy’s director Nan Sloane. Nan highlighted just how under-represented women still are at all levels of government and public life, quoting some very disturbing figures. Only 19.5% of MPs are female, 25.6% of UK MEPs are female, 27% of local councillors are female and perhaps more worryingly, just 2% of councillors are black and ethnic minority women. Last up was Hilary Armstrong MP, Minister for Social Exclusion, who spoke of the importance of women in politics and the barriers they face.

The European Parliament, which has over 30% female MEPs, is at least better than Westminster. Labour is well above average with 42% female MEPs. Unfortunately, the UK is let down by the Conservatives, who have just one female MEP (who has just announced her retirement), and UKIP who have none at all, together bringing the UK average down to just 25.6%.

For further information on the Centre For Women & Democracy please click here.

As expected the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted Ivo Belet’s report on the Future of Professional Football in Europe today.

The background to this was the report of the “Independent Review” of European football set up by the UK Presidency last year, on which I sat, which the European Commission is due to follow up with a White Paper on sport later this summer. The Belet Report is Parliament’s attempt to respond to the Independent Review and have its own early input into the White Paper.

Some quarters had been attempting to portray this as the "EU attempting to takeover football in Europe". In fact it is the exact opposite.

The report recognises that football is affected by existing European legislation, such as competition law, which was adopted for other purposes, and if anything, the football authorities need, if not derogations, then at least interpretations of EU law that will enable them to deal with the many problems facing football.

One of these is the linkage of wealth and sporting success and the concentration of both in the hands of a smaller and smaller number of clubs in almost every league across the whole of Europe. However, measures to counter this trend taken by the football authorities – such as the home-grown players scheme or the obligation to sell TV rights collectively with redistribution to all clubs – could risk being found to be incompatible with European law.

Sport is different from other economic activity and, where necessary, should be treated differently. For instance, the collective sale of television rights by leagues rather than individual clubs could be held to be in breach of free market rules, but as it is crucial to avoid the big clubs walking away with almost all the TV money, it is essential that leagues be allowed to organise collective marketing without being found to be in breach of the law.

The report also strongly supported the positive steps UEFA has taken to help restore competitive balance to the game, such as the home-grown player rule, limits on squad sizes and UEFA’s club licensing system.

It went on to outline steps to improve co-operation between clubs, fans and the police, measures which could help avoid future repetitions of the ugly scenes of police brutality that marred the Champions League match between Manchester United and Lille last month.

UEFA declared themselves very happy with the report.

One down point was an amendment tabled by Tory MEP Chris Heaton-Harris at the request of a lobbyist from Real Madrid. This deleted a paragraph outlining the damage the individual sale of television rights does to football. To read more about that, click here.

I also made a couple of speeches on the report, which you can read here and here

It was with some surprise that I received a letter from the “UK Internet Register” offering to list my website for a staggering £639 per annum, for a minimum three year period.

Of course the price was hidden in the small print and the company you place the order with is actually the DAD Deutscher Andressdienst GmbH.

From the outrageous price to the envelope they provide you to send the form back, this bares all the hallmarks of another branch of the European City Guide.

While there is currently no proof the UK Internet Register is owned by the same man as the European City Guide, it is unerringly similar.

Needless to say, should you receive one or know someone who has, do not sign it!

For your money you will get your website listed on a webpage (the address of which is also hidden deep in the small print), which is obviously nowhere near as effective as any internet search engine which will list your site for free.

Absurdly, the UK Internet Register do actually link to my website, which as you will know hosts a Stop European City Guide page and has plenty of blogs warning about companies that exploit small businesses with misleading contracts!

As always the Stop the European City Guide website and blog are on the case, and currently have a picture of the contract being sent out.

This is a reasonably recent mail-out so please spread the word of its existence and help ensure as few people as possible are conned by it.

The member states of the EU celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome with the signing of the Declaration of Berlin on Sunday. The Declaration was one of many events to celebrate 50 years of European unity. Capital cities across the EU have seen ceremonies and street parties and in the UK football fans were given a special treat as some of Europe’s greatest footballers took part in a Manchester United vs Europe XI charity match.

The adoption of the Declaration of Berlin by the EU member states is part celebration of what has been achieved in Europe in the last 50 years, part acknowledgment of the challenges still faced by European countries and part commitment to overcoming those challenges by continuing the close cooperation between the EU states that has brought Europe so much success in the past. The Declaration celebrates the peace and prosperity that Europe has experienced due to the Union, the freedoms and rights enjoyed by EU citizens and the cultural diversity of the nations. The member states agreed that the EU should remain committed to protecting its citizens from organised crime and terrorism, and should continue its good work tackling environmental challenges. To read the full text of the Berlin Declaration click here.

The declaration was somewhat vague on EU enlargement to admit Turkey and the Balkan states, referring only to its 'openness'. The Pope and Poland had raised concerns over the declaration on the grounds that it made no reference to the Christian values they believe the EU was founded on (although Poland has given its support for the Berlin Declaration). Fortunately, other countries faced down this attempt to make Europe seem linked to religion.

Sat in Bolivia awaiting the start of another busy day. Through a surprisingly good phone line, I check in with my office and am told the Independent is a sight to behold! Placed around a huge EU flag on the front page are 50 reasons to love the EU, with page two and three also dedicated to its benefits.

Denis MacShane has a column entitled “Why I’m an unashamed enthusiast for Europe” while the paper’s editorial also sings the EU’s praises.

The current edition of Time (using a very similar approach to the Independent) and the Economist also have a special 50th anniversary editions out now.

Had a message from the Jeunes Européene Fédéraliste, whose British section is the Young European Movement, telling me about all their activities. A refreshing change from the Eurosceptics!

JEF’s day of action against Belarus was on Monday with an event in York. For more on that click here.

They are also planning events for next weekend's celebrations in Berlin, with more information at www.5to12.eu

The recent defection of two maverick Tory peers (Lord Pearson of Rannoch and the magnificently named Lord Willoughby de Broke) to UKIP led to some rather extravagant claims that the Tories were about to haemorrhage support to UKIP. Lord Pearson added that his defection was in protest at the Conservatives' lack of a "sufficiently Eurosceptic policy".

However, although it is true that a section of the Tory party are angry at David Cameron's failure to deliver on the only promise he made during his party's 2005 leadership race - namely, withdrawal from the centre-right European People's Party grouping in the European Parliament - the reality is that more Conservatives have been unhappy with their party's hostility to Europe.

This has been reflected in the pattern of defections of Tory politicians during the past decade or so with far more defections from disillusioned pro-Europeans than Europhobes. Whilst two unelected peers have gone to UKIP, no fewer than 12 elected MPs and MEPs have switched their allegiance to Labour or the Liberal Democrats. Furthermore, during William Hague's tenure as Conservative leader, two of its MEPs (John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly) and a former candidate for the party leadership - Sir Anthony Mayer - set up a breakaway Pro-Euro Conservative group in protest at their party's rabid Euroscepticism.

Switching to Labour were MPs Peter Temple Morris, Alan Howarth, Shaun Woodward, Peter Thurnham and, most recently, the highly respected former Minister Robert Jackson. The latter defected to Labour shortly before the 2005 election in view of his party's "dangerous" views on Europe, adding that "the Conservative Party's hostility to Europe has hardened to the point at which it advocates the unilateral denunciation of Britain's treaty obligations." Shaun Woodward and Alan Howarth have since served as government Ministers since abandoning a party that had become increasingly right-wing and extreme on Europe.

The Liberal Democrats have also been a haven for Europhile Tories. This trend was started by Emma Nicholson's defection in 1995 and she has since been followed by Keith Raffan MP (who later served as a Liberal Democrat member of the Scottish Parliament between 1998 and 2002), John Stevens MEP, Bill Newton Dunn MEP, Hugh Dykes (now Lord Dykes and a front bench Lib Dem spokesman on foreign affairs), Peter Price MEP and James Moorhouse MEP.

Moreover, UKIP's failure to attract Conservative politicians is not because of a lack of effort. UKIP has assiduously courted defectors, sending emails to local councillors of all parties and has written to all MPs in a desperate bid to attract new supporters. They have consistently attempted to convince disillusioned Tories to defect. Although some Tories don't hesitate to work closely with UKIP (to the extent that their loyalty to the Conservative party is sometimes questioned) Bill Cash, Douglas Carswell and Philip Davies in the House of Commons and Roger Helmer and Dan Hannan in the European Parliament, have not wanted to risk losing their seats.

Comparing the number and abilities of the pro-European defectors with those attracted by UKIP, which, incidentally, include disgraced former MP Piers Merchant who is now UKIP's Chief Executive (!), merely reveals the hollowness of Farage's claim to have attracted "many senior Conservatives".

Taking a welcome break from wasting everybody's time with his bizarre claims about Marks and Spencer's "distorting mirrors", former UKIP MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk has been campaigning to increase the availability of cancer drugs Velcade and Tarceva in EU member states.

Quite legitimate and, indeed, laudable for Kilroy-Silk as an elected representative to raise this matter. However, he might bear in mind that decisions on the licensing of medicines are essentially a matter for individual countries, something that he was, presumably, fighting to maintain when he campaigned at the last European elections on a platform of opposing the EU having any powers whatsoever.

Moreover, last month Kilroy called on the EU to establish a system whereby health professionals who are banned from working in their own countries be put on a list so that they can be banned by all EU countries. Have Kilroy's three years as an MEP turned him into a Euro-federalist - I'm beginning to wonder?!?

The Europe XI ended up losing 4-3 in last night’s match Old Trafford which celebrated the 50th anniversaries of the Treaty of Rome and Manchester United’s first foray into European competition.

With all the proceeds going to charity and 74,343 in attendance the scoreline was never the point but, even as a Liverpool fan, I’m happy to admit that the choice of Manchester United for the match was an appropriate one.

The European Cup actually started in 1955 with then champions Chelsea supposed to be England’s inaugural entrants but, with the draw already made, the Football Association and Football League pressured them into pulling out.

It wasn’t until the 1956-1957 season that an English club played in the competition, with Manchester United ignoring all pleas to the contrary, and by doing so blazed a trail for English clubs to follow them very successfully.

The early attitude of the English authorities, who were decidedly uneasy with competitions abroad (also demonstrated by England’s refusal to enter the World Cup until 1950), mirrors Britain’s general apprehension towards the continent, which is why Manchester United’s determination to embrace Europe should be acknowledged; in their own way they have made a very real contribution to European integration in Britain.

Though they still get far too many penalties at Old Trafford!

My friend John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Congress, gave an excellent speech to the All Party EU Group last night to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Some of his remarks about the need to emphasise the benefits or our EU membership were highly pertinent. It is easy for Pro-Europeans to be cowed by the shrill "little Englander" brigade who label anyone who questions their distortions and prejudices about the EU as a euro-fanatic. Instead we must put across the message of the many (too often unrecognised) benefits the EU has delivered for our citizens. Just in terms of work place rights, some obvious examples include: four weeks paid holiday, protection for migrant, fixed term and part-time workers, worker participation, equal pay for women and anti-sex discrimination legislation. These are now enshrined in common rules for our common market and apply across Europe.

As John points out, the EU has been a positive force in enshrining the values of social inclusion and solidarity alongside economic growth in a way that is clearly differentiated from the US model which allows private wealth and public squalor. The social vision of Europe is too important not to be fought for.

The LME website has full text of John's speech, which you can read by clicking here.

Not just UKIP Eurosceptics in trouble this week, but Tory ones too. Roger Helmer MEP had recently been getting some stick in his local press for ranting about all kinds of supposed evils of proposals for European legislation, which he then failed to oppose in the European Parliament. His rather lame excuse was that he had better things to do with his time. This has provoked one irate constituent to write in to the Derby Evening Telegraph this week to say: "No sooner have the Tories accepted Roger Helmer back into their ranks, than he admits in your paper that he has 'better things to do' than use his time in the European Parliament to oppose proposals for European legislation that he does not like. What, then, is the point of electing him?"

The first European summit of the year concluded today with national governments agreeing bold targets to combat climate change.
Member States have ambitious plans to generate 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

EU countries will also aim to reduce carbon emissions by 20%, increase the use of bio-fuels to 10% of transport fuel and will also consider banning filament light bulbs in private homes and offices by 2010.

The deal allows for flexibility so the less developed countries will not have to contribute as much as those in the western half of the continent.

This is, by any standards, an important breakthrough on an issue in which Britain has been at the forefront. Securing EU-wide agreement on such a programme will not only make it more effective but will also help gain leverage to persuade the rest of the world to do like wise.

For more on the summit you can read the BBC’s report while the Guardian and the Times also have coverage on ther websites.

Ever since David Cameron put himself under pressure from both sides of his party by promising to pull the Tory MEPs out of the EPP in the European Parliament, the issue has been a constant headache for him. In a bid to end the confusion, he launched his Movement for European Reform in Brussels on Tuesday.

It is, Cameron claims, “a Pan-European campaign open to everyone”, albeit a campaign which has so far gathered the support of just one other party, the Czech Republic’s Civic Democrats. To put this in perspective, 235 different parties are represented in the European Parliament, with the abominable far-right Independence, Tradition & Sovereignty group attracting more takers that Cameron’s Movement for European Reform.

There has been plenty of debate in the blogging world about Cameron’s speech and intentions on Europe with the Nosemonkey/Europhobia blog providing a comprehensive set of links on the subject.

Another pertinent comment was Kevin Maguire in the Mirror: "Confused Cameron claims he'll concentrate on 'things that matter' To be honest, I can't recall a politician who's ever vowed to focus on 'things that DON'T matter'. But Cameron can't square his declaration with pulling his MEPs out of the centre-right EPP in 2009. The EPP grouping dominates the European Parliament and has real clout. His plan to ally them with nationalist nutters, including an idiot who denies global warming, will reduce the Tories' influence."

As far as I’m concerned, Cameron’s Movement for European Reform is a failed diversion. Far more important is his pledge to pull the UK out of the Social Chapter of the Treaty, which is the basis for the legislation which protects workers across the whole of the EU's single market.

Previously Cameron has been keen to claim that he supports a better work-life balance but this is completely contradicted by prioritising the UK’s exit from the Social Chapter.

EU social chapter legislation has given both parents the right to time off when a child is born or adopted, improved the rights of temporary workers, and provided for employees in large companies to be prperly informed and consulted. Should Cameron ever succeed in pulling the UK out of the charter (which is extremely doubtful) it would be the most vulnerable British workers who would suffer most.

Curiously, what the Tories usually object to is the Working Time Directive, which is not part of the Social Charter and was adopted when they were in government. At the time they did not oppose it - the UK government abstained in the Council of Ministers. Probably a bit too confusing for Cameron’s advisors!

It maybe grudging, reluctant and rather embittered but UKIP have apologised for repeatedly using the Jean Monnet quote that I pointed out to them (see blog entry 31 January) was completely fabricated (to the effect that Monnet advocated developing the EU in secret, keeping the public in the dark).

In a letter to the Western Morning News, UKIP’s Graham Booth, a regular user of the quote, apologised for his “mistake” and accepted to remove references to it in UKIP material. We’ll see if they do – Nigel Farage, their leader, has not even acknowledged a similar request.

Anyway, it’s good to get an admission from UKIP that they were telling lies. Not that the apology was anything but grudging. Booth goes on to claim that the fabricated quote effectively represents Monnet’s real views – despite the fact that I furnished him with a quote in which Monnet says precisely the opposite.

As his evidence Booth quotes a passage in a book by one Adrian Hilton, “The Principality of Power". But what is this supposed to prove? This is a single author’s opinion of what he thought Monnet believed, not what Monnet ever said.

I’m still slightly bewildered by Booth’s letter (which you can read in full here) but it is certainly an intriguing insight into the warped logic of UKIP (to the effect of "If he didn’t say it, he probably meant it anyway even if all his deeds and sayings show the opposite")

I'm sure there isn't a reader of my blog who isn't aware that UKIP are currently in complete disarray with allegation after allegation stacking up against them.

In short there are serious financial allegations against Tom Wise, while the party has also been accused of misusing European Parliament money. They also face losing over £300,000 of donations which were deemed impermissible by the Electoral Commission.

There is also the controversy of a party member reportedly refused a key seat because he was disabled while the Sunday Telegraph reported this weekend that a UKIP official had made a donation to the BNP.

I would be here all week if I went through all of UKIP's problems but suffice to say the following links portray the party in perhaps an even worse light that I thought possible.

The Guardian and Times both offer succinct and enlightening articles on UKIP's variety of problems while the Sunday Telegraph has a well linked series of reports on the current scandals. The Sunday Times also reveals UKIP attempted to cover up Tom Wise's embezzlement.

As for blogs UKIPwatch is on the money as ever, letting nothing get past its beady eye, while I also recommend the mysterious UKIP@home which pulls no punches in taking UKIP to task in a highly entertaining manner.

Some good news from Austria about one of the European City Guide’s (ECG) unscrupulous sister companies.

Regular readers will know the ECG, and a whole host of equally deceitful sister companies, con small businesses into signing up for what looks like a “free” listings service that turn out in the small print to be expensive contracts and lead to regular harrasment by debt agencies owned by the same group.

In January 2006 Construct Data Verlag AG, which Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger revealed was owned by the same person as the European City Guide in 2005, was taken to court by the Schutzverband gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb, which represents Austrian commercial enterprises.

The Schutzverband wanted Construct Data to stop sending out new contracts and prevent them from profiting from previously mailed contracts. With the writing on the wall Construct Data settled out of court.

While this means another of of the ECG-style companies again avoids an explicit court judgement, the settlement does mean Construct Data will cede to all of the Schutzverband’s original demands, which is a major blow to them.

Any Austrian companies that were scammed by Construct Data can now write to them and cancel their “contracts”, which should mean an end to the calls and letters from the debt collection agencies. Construct Data, who published, without a trace of irony, the Fair Guide, had plenty of victims in the UK and I would encourage anyone who is still being pestered for money by them to do the same.

Being sensible I have to add this could lead to a court case but it is extremely unlikely. After all, this whole episode with Construct Data again shows just how reluctant the ECG and its other companies are to go near a court. Beyond deception and bullying they are at a loss what to do.

For more information and who to write to about Construct Data’s Fair Guide visit the stopECG blog.

For those fluent in German you can read more about the case on the Schutzverband’s website by clicking here.

On the subject of the ECG, a constituent from Sheffield who works for a charity, copied me on their letter to the ECG, and what an articulate attack on the ECG it is! I reproduce the full text below.

Dear Sir/Madam

Re. Deutscher Adressdienst GmbH / Gravis Inkasso Gmbh / European City Guides / Meinolf Ludenbach

The sinister operations of the organisations associated with Meinolf Ludenbach have recently received significant press coverage in this country (see enclosed cuttings). We are fully aware of who you are and the type of scam companies you are. Therefore could you please remove our company’s name from your mailing list, cancel any supposed contracts we have with any of your companies and refrain from further harassing and threatening our staff. I have copied this letter to the fraud department of Interpol and Richard Corbett MEP who is leading the attempt to clamp down on your activities in the European Parliament.

Our lawyers have looked at the documentation you have sent to us and have firmly stated that nothing is legally binding as it was deliberately formulated to entrap lower level administrative staff into signing when they believed they were just correcting contact details. Should you wish to persist with any unsubstantiated demands for payment then we would be delighted to defend our actions in court. The StopECG collation have also agreed to support our defence and say that they would relish the chance to see your unscrupulous activities exposed in a court of law, like they were previously in Barcelona.

If you would prefer to avoid this then please refrain from contacting any of our staff again. If any one of them receives any further written or verbal communication from you then we will apply for a restraining order and then prosecute you for harassment.

On a personal note, can I also add that trying to rip off charities and then threaten their workers, who strive only to do good for the world, is one of the most unpleasant and downright evil activities I have ever heard of. I hope that all your employees feel completely shameful when they wake up every morning and I look forward to the day that justice catches up with you. Can I also say that we would gladly give away all our charity’s assets and declare the organisation bankrupt before I would give a penny of it to any organised criminal organisations, like those associated with Meinolf Ludenbach.

I trust that this concludes this matter.

Yours sincerely,

AN Other

As the issue of the the Constitutional Treaty gathers pace it is interesting to see the likes of Lord Kerr, formerly Britain's Ambassador to the EU, assert his support for the redevelopment of the treaty.

You can read his article, Pick the sweetest European Cherries, on the Financial Times' website here


I also have written a briefing for the LME website which discusses Britain and the Constitutional Treaty and considers many of the points Lord Kerr makes. Click here to read it.