Benazir Bhutto

I am shocked by the death of Benazir Bhutto. We first became friends when we were students together at university, when she at times seemed almost carefree, enjoying life, still called "Pinkie" by those who had known her at Harvard, yet showing acute political antenae, even for student union elections.

Later, whenever we met, we reminisced about those times which must have seemed to her to be so distant from the harrowing, dangerous life she followed after entering politics after the assasination of her father, to whom she was very close. Further tragedy was to follow: the deaths of both her brothers, five years in jail, mostly in solitary confinement and in recent years exiled by the military after two terms as Prime Minister.

Just this summer, when clearing out my attic, I found old notes and postcards she had sent me. It is less than a year since I introduced her at a meeting in Leeds civic centre. Now, I shall never be able to talk to her again.

She was acutely aware of the risks she was taking upon returning to Pakistan. She had invited me to join her on the flight back. She courageously hoped to restore democracy and win against both the military and the fundamentalists. In the end, her enemies proved too ruthless, brutally killing her and many others, and risking the descent of Pakistan into viscious civil conflict.

A clutch of good-news stories

A flurry of EU activity just before the Christmas break will probably not get the publicity it deserves.

First, on 20 December, EU environment ministers agreed to include airlines in the Emmission Trading Scheme as of 2012. Airlines will have to meet pollution-reduction quotas either by reducing their own emissions or buying credits from other industries.

All airlines coming to and leaving the EU's 27 member states - not just intra-EU flights - will be included, which will guarantee another clash with the USA.

The decision comes just after the international climate change meeting in Bali last week in which the EU took a strong position in persuading other countries to commit to long-term environmental targets. Hilary Benn, Britiain's Environment Secretary, said "This is a bold step by Europe - in the week after the Bali agreement - which shows the EU leading in the fight against dangerous climate change."



The same week, the European Commission finalised its proposals (which must now come before Environment ministers and the European Parliament for approval) to force car makers to make greener cars from 2012 or face fines. Under the plans, cars should emit an average of 130 grammes of carbon dioxide in four years time or be subject to fines rising to €95 per gramme over the limit. Practically it is expected to mean that big gas-guzzling cars will become more expensive while smaller more efficient cars will be relatively cheaper, and have thus been strongly resisted by the manufacturers of large cars.



On another front, that of consumer protection, Neelie Kroes, the EU’s Competition Commissioner, has threatened to fine MasterCard for breaching EU competition law. This follows an extensive investigation by the Commission into competition in the financial services sector.

The Commission criticised MasterCard because of the fees it charges consumers who make cross-border transactions on credit and debit cards in other countries. The fees - known as multilateral interchange fees - apply to both MasterCard credit cards and Maestro debit cards and range from 0.4% to 1.2% of a transaction.

"Consumers foot the bill, as they risk paying twice for payment cards - once through annual fees to their bank and a second time through inflated retail prices paid not only by cards users but also by customers paying cash" said Neelie Kroes. She pointed out that the fees also make it more expensive for retailers to accept cards and that these costs are inevitably passed on to customers

The Commission has informed MasterCard that they have six months in which to get rid of the fees, otherwise they will be fined daily fees worth up to 3.5% of global turnover, which translates into fines of £4.5million per day.



Finally, the EU's borderless ("Schengen") zone expanded to nine mostly eastern European countries at midnight on Friday (21 December) in its biggest enlargement so far. Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - which all joined the EU in 2004 - are involved. Land and sea border checks between them and the other Schengen countries are now abolished, while air borders are set to follow on 30 March 2008.

Practically it means that as of today, people can travel hassle-free between 24 countries of the Schengen area without systematic border controls - from Portugal to Poland and from Greece to Finland. Celebrations were held throughout Friday on several border points to mark the occasion. Britain's and Ireland's position outside this area remains unchanged.

Facetious Farage ignores the facts

I laughed when I saw that Nigel Farage had put out a press release complaining that there was insufficient television coverage of his attempt to disrupt the ceremony signing the Charter of Fundamental Rights last week in Strasbourg. He considers this to be an act of censorship - though from what I saw of the written media, his little protest got ample coverage, even on some front pages. In terms of censorship, let us not forget, it was he himself and his allies (including Mr Le Pen's Front National, various right-wing Polish parties and several British Conservatives) who were trying to shout down the Portuguese Prime Minister so that he couldn't be heard and to disrupt parliamentary proceedings - behaviour that in any national Parliament would have led to their suspension.

In a similar vein, it was strange to see that Bill Cash has complained of "the deliberate playing down of these arguments in the media" - referring to Eurosceptic arguments in the British media! Does the man live on another planet?

No surprises as papers produce myth-laden stories

Must of the British press was again displaying its utter contempt for factual analysis, truth and objectivity in its reaction to the signing of the EU Reform Treaty in Lisbon. Just look at the following lies and distortions:

* "Armed police from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands will be able to come over here and take away British citizens" (The Sun, 18th December, Fergus Shanahan)
* "Britain ceased to exist politically on Thursday" and "ceased to exist in most other ways years before" (Mail on Sunday, 16th December, Peter Hitchens)
* "Mr Bean signs away our freedom" (Daily Express)
* "A further surrender of British sovereignty" (Daily Telegraph, 16th December, Michael Grove)
* "Another nail in the coffin of Britain's history" which "gave away more power to unelected Brussels bureaucrats" (Sunday Express, 16th December, Neil Hamilton)

And I could go on!

As revealed by former Telegraph correspondent David Rennie, these are invariably articles and headlines written in London rather than by Brussels correspondents for the papers in question. Their authors have neither read the texts nor verified their allegations. Their aim is colourful alliteration rather than factual accuracy or any meaningful contribution to political debate. But they all contribute to the drip-drip portrayal of the Union as being adverse to British interests, anti-democratic and incompetent, precisely the opposite of the reality.

Was it Watson wot won it?

The nailbiting finish to the Lib Dem leadership race has kept Westminster hacks on their toes up until Christmas. Congratulations are due to Nick Clegg on his victory.

I knew both as MEPs, but also Chris at university when he was in the Labour club on the anti-European far-left!

Interestingly, the result is close enough (511 votes, or less than one per cent) to suppose that the comments made by Graham Watson MEP, leader of the Alliance of Liberal and Democrat parties (ALDE) in the Parliament, in which he praised Clegg but worried that Huhne was not a team player, might have made the difference!

EU shows its influence in Bali

The unlikely deal agreed at the UN summit in Bali at the weekend was a welcome surprise after two days of bitter wrangling, not least a bitter stand-off between the European Union and the US, with the US delegation refused to sign any text until the eleventh hour.

The "Bali roadmap" will initiate a two-year negotiation process to finalise a set of emissions targets to replace the Kyoto protocol by the time of the 2009 UN climate change conference to be held in Denmark.

The process is an example of the clout of the EU when we have a united position. Already committed to unilateral emissions cuts of 20% by 2020, European countries were able to speak with authority and a common voice - making a deal more likely.

We did not achieve the holy grail of binding targets for cutting emissions but getting the US, who never ratified Kyoto and have, until recently, even denied the need to cut emissions to tackle climate change, to agree to a text stating that "deep cuts in global emissions will be required" is a damn good start.

My friend and colleague, Gary Titley, has announced that he will not seek to stand again at the next European elections in 2009. Gary, who is leader of the EPLP (the Labour MEPs) will have been an MEP for 20 years. His resignation letter is an excellent summary of the joys and frustrations of being an MEP. I therefore re-produce extracts (with his permission) below:

“During my time in the European Parliament, the world has changed dramatically. I have had a ringside seat as historic events have unfolded. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid in South Africa. The growth of the EU from 12 to 27 member countries. And, above all, I have seen Labour transform itself from a party that seemed to revel in the wilderness of opposition to one that is now enjoying its third consecutive term in government.

Over the years, I have been out on the campaign trail in nearly every corner of the UK and indeed, most parts of Europe. There have been many memorable moments, but one of the most unusual was addressing Guarani Indians in a jungle clearing in Paraguay. Personal experiences have been many and varied, from being mugged in Chile, becoming a sauna connoisseur in Finland to meeting some of the greatest figures of modern history (and David Beckham too!).

I feel that I can look back on my time in the Parliament with satisfaction at the things I have managed to achieve. There were all the many battles I fought to win EU funding for major flagship projects like the Lowry, the Imperial War Museum of the North and the Middlebrook complex in Bolton. There were the countless committees and delegations I have served on, chairing some, acting as a humble backbencher on others. Arguably though, my most important parliamentary achievement was paving
the way for Austria, Finland and Sweden to join the EU in 1995 and a decade, later, the former Soviet-bloc countries. We now live in a peaceful and prosperous Europe that is reunited after decades of division, a Europe where war is now unthinkable.

Within the party, it was a great honour to serve as European Parliamentary Private Secretary to the remarkable Robin Cook, after he became Foreign Secretary in 1997. The ultimate accolade, though, was being elected three times by my colleagues as EPLP Leader and being made a member of theNational Executive Committee. Not bad for a working-class lad from Salford!

Proud as I am of all those achievements, politicians are ultimately judged on what they do for their constituents. Shortly after I was first elected, I opened a fully staffed constituency office to provide an advice and information service to those who elected me. From there, I have dealt with thousands of cases. Some people I could do little to help. And other cases were quite bizarre, like the man who
complained about the stray dog that ran into his kitchen and ate the dinner off his plate because the back fence was down. I did manage to get that replaced and, for many more constituents as well, contacting their local ‘Voice in Europe’ proved to be very worthwhile.

There have been all the many hundreds of cross-border consumer issues I have dealt with, not least those where Britons have purchased properties abroad and then run into major problems. I have helped to re-unite families after decades of separation and assisted those with loved ones wrongly imprisoned abroad. And I have advised local trades unionists on how to forge better links with their continental counterparts.

Then there were the local firms who approached me about unfair competition in other EU countries. There were the groups who came along seeking recompense for the victims of Nazi oppression during the Second World War. There were the scores of enthusiastic young people, desperate for advice on how to make the most of all the exciting opportunities now available to them in the New Europe. And there were many more besides who came through my door, but they are far too numerous to mention here.

Despite having had an amazing twenty years, I have decided that 2009 will be the time to step down. The constant travelling inevitably takes its toll, particularly because of all the extra commitments that come from being leader. Furthermore, I can no longer tolerate shifting the Parliament lock, stock and barrel to Strasbourg one week a month.

I will of course be giving my all in the job until the curtain finally comes down. And then I will be able to look back on what has been has been an amazing journey since 1988 and that spring Saturday morning in Bury, when I faced nearly two hundred party members in that nerve-racking ordeal called a final selection conference. To those of you who voted for me then – thank you. To the many of you who have since then supported me, advised me, offered the hand of friendship – thank you. To my very loyal staff and the Labour Party staff – thank you.

Among the many adventures, thrills and sometimes mind boggling boredom I have been through, one thing that has always stayed with me is what the late John Smith once said - "The opportunity to serve our country - that is all we ask”. The greatest privilege of them all is to have been given that opportunity. I have been a very lucky man – thank you.

With the very best wishes

Gary Titley MEP”

Brown must show Britain is not a reluctant partner

Good to see the treaty signed by all 27 governments yesterday. Pity that Gordon Brown’s diary clash meant he arrived late, giving ample leeway for comments along the lines of "Britain, as ever, the last to join" or "Britain half-hearted again". Gordon will need to ensure that the rest of Europe doesn’t get carried away with such ideas.

Now the battle moves on to securing ratification. the European Parliament will vote on the treaty in February, based on my own report that I, together with Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, am writing for the Constitutional Affairs Committee. Then each national parliament must vote (only Ireland is holding a referendum because it is obliged to on any treaty revision by its own constitution). Every government seems confident that it will secure a majority, or even a large majority. But it only needs a single “no” to bring ratification to a halt and plunge the EU into another institutional wrangle.

A new low

The Parliament plenary session was marred today by some disgraceful scenes during the signing of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the Presidents of the Commission, Council and Parliament with a handful of (sadly, British led) MEPs behaving like hooligans.

Led by (needless to say) UKIP (clad in black shirts with banners calling for a referendum on the Reform Treaty) and joined by the Tory hard-right including Dan Hannan, Roger Helmer, Martin Callanan and Nirj Deva, this group shouted down and booed the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and President Barroso as they tried to deliver speeches on the importance of respecting basic human rights. In any national parliament (not least the House of Commons) such behaviour would have resulted in instant expulsion from the Chamber and suspension.

Such behaviour was both a disgraceful way to treat a visitor to the Parliament and also deeply embarrassing to myself as a British MEP to see the image of Brits abroad tarnished by a group of malcontents acting like football hooligans.

Vice-President of Parliament and fellow Yorkshire MEP Diana Wallis injected some welcome rationality to proceedings poining out that the Parliament had, the previous month, endorsed the Charter by over 500 votes to 84. The Charter sets out a range of civil, political, economic and social rights which, largely speaking, already exist at national level, but will, if the Reform Treaty is ratified, be binding on the EU institutions when formulating European legislation.

It is perhaps unsurprising that UKIP, who frequently resort to such bully-boy tactics when the democratic will goes against them, but shameful that MEPs from a supposedly serious party like the Conservatives would act in such a contemptible way.

European Journal admits defeat

Encouraging news from the opposition camp – Bill Cash MP’s European Journal – the magazine which attempts to give academic credibility to the Eurosceptic cause, reports in the leader of its latest edition that the campaigns in favour of a referendum in order to oppose the new Reform Treaty have "failed to rouse anything more than a minor public interest in the impact that this treaty will have". It goes on to say that "the effective opposition to this treaty does not look good".

Indeed, in his own article, Bill Cash points out that the I want a referendum campaign has so far mustered just 30,000 supporters while newspaper petitions have mustered a further 137,000 signatures compared to the anti-Maastricht Treaty campaign in 1993 which gathered 500,000 signatures.

All of which leads me to give them one piece of advice: give up trying to make people think this new treaty is the end of the world as we know it. Most people just don’t believe you!

More Tory divisions on Europe

Tory divisions on the Lisbon (or "Reform") Treaty are hotting up. While the hardline Eurohobes are calling for a retrospective referendum to be held if the Conservatives ever return to power, this idea is repudiated by their wiser, senior figures. In the House of Lords debate on the treaty, Geoffrey Howe, who was Thatcher's Deputy Prime Minister, said:

"I say one word beyond that; a word to those who would urge leadership of my own party, when elected, after the treaty has been ratified by the parliamentary process, exactly as it was in 1972 and 1986, to set about having a referendum on the approval or otherwise of the treaty. That would be a profoundly mistaken move. It would be entirely wrong to consider embarking on that course which might involve deliberately repudiating an international obligation. It would be extremely damaging to our position in Europe since it would inevitably be interpreted as a first step towards withdrawal from the Union. It would be equally damaging to our own domestic agenda, to have the early years of a Cameron Government dominated by that problem, as the Labour Government of 1974 were, which is now some 30 years ago."

Danes set to rule out referendum

The Danes are set to become the latest country to rule out a referendum on the Reform Treaty, with the Danish ministry of justice publishing a report which concludes that a plebiscite is unnecessary because the treaty does not transfer new powers to the EU. This recommendation follows a legal review of the treaty.

Indeed, the report, which is influential but not binding on the Danish government, states that "it is the opinion of the justice ministry that for Denmark the Lisbon Treaty does not transfer new powers of the country's authorities to the Union", adding that "Danish ratification of the Lisbon Treaty does not raise additional questions in relation to the constitution". The final decision on whether to hold a referendum will be announced by the Danish government next week.

This is highly significant in that the Danish constitution states that any international treaty that transfers sovereignty from the national government must be agreed by a referendum before it can be ratified. The recommendations of the Danish justice ministry, which echo the views of the Dutch Council of State and the Czech government, expose the sheer inaccuracy of claims by Cameron's Tories and our Eurosceptic newspapers that the treaty represents a massive transfer of sovereignty to Brussels.

It is looking increasingly likely that Ireland, which is constitutionally required to hold referenda on any changes to the EU treaties, will be the only Member State to hold a referendum.

The Tories and Schengen

It is always pleasantly surprising to see pro-European Tories fighting back against their party's all-consuming Euroscepticism. Last weekend saw Christopher Beazley MEP joining his new colleague Saj Karim in supporting the EU Reform Treaty. More unusual, however, was John Purvis's recent letter to the Financial Times supporting British accession to the Schengen free movement area.

At present, the UK and Ireland are the only two EU members to not have signed the Schengen Agreement: both have an opt-out. As islands, who do not have land borders with mainland Europe, the two countries share a Common Travel Area with no systematic border controls between them. Ireland is thus unable to join the agreement without dissolving this agreement with the UK, and incurring border controls at its land border with Northern Ireland. However, the UK remains reluctant to surrender its own border controls and work permit system. Therefore, while the UK and Ireland cooperate closely within the Schengen arrangements on matters such as police cooperation, judicial cooperation, and tackling organised crime, there are no imminent plans to be full members of Schengen.

In Mr Purvis's words, however, "any business person looking to the Schengen market would be crazy to site his head office in the UK. His staff would spend most of their time wrecking their productivity targets in disorganised queues waiting for the four available HM Revenue and Customs operatives in their fancy new uniforms to let them cross the "UK Border" - emblazoned on the wall behind them. If it is bad enough for UK and EU citizens, it is even worse for American, Chinese, any other business people and tourists - "guests" to our country."

It finishes with "once in the Schengen area (and that is now well controlled) they will next year have over 25 countries they can visit without hindrance - but not the UK. Be warned, foreigner!"

All of this is a far cry from William Hague's claims that British membership of Schengen would see us lose control of our borders and be flooded with immigrants!