Iceland's EU membership grows more likely

It looks increasingly as though Iceland is going to apply to join the European Union, with this fascinating report that they expect to do so within the next couple of months with a view to membership in 2011. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has even gone as far as suggesting that Croatia and Iceland could join the EU at the same time.

Following the collapse of Iceland's ruling conservative government at the start of this week, a temporary centre-left government has taken over until elections take place in May. The new Social Democrat government is pro-European and will make EU membership a central theme of their campaign.

The second question for Iceland is whether they will also apply to join the euro. Their currency, the krona, has been ruined by the financial collapse, and support amongst Icelandic public opinion is actually stronger for euro membership than for EU membership. However, while it is difficult to see any significant barriers to Iceland's membership of the EU - they are a country of roughly 300,000 and have a small economy which, aside from a sizeable fishing sector, would not be difficult to integrate (indeed, they already apply most EU single market legislation) - their interest rates are at 18% and they would fall foul of the strict rules laid down in the Maastricht Treaty that govern whether a country is able to join the Eurozone

If Iceland's membership would be popular with virtually all EU countries it would be a bitter pill for the staunchest British eurosceptics to swallow. It is difficult to believe that, until recently, the likes of Dan Hannan used to cite Iceland as an example that showed Britain could prosper outside the EU.

A blog on blogging

Yesterday I took part in a panel organised by 'Think About It' on blogging, bringing together nearly 100 people who blog on European matters. I was invited as I was the first ever MEP to start a blog. Here is the link to their new blogging portal which connects over 280 blogs on EU politics. Enjoy!

www.bloggingportal.eu

Join the 8 hours campaign

I have joined forces with Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen to launch the 8 hours campaign to put a maximum limit on the transport of animals for slaughter.

Animals for slaughter are currently protected by some EU legislation which does require that they are given suitable amounts of water and breaks but it is not enough. Of particular concern is the trend of transporting animals for slaughter for days at a time. This is completely unnecessary and a maximum limit of eight hours is a reasonable objective that stands a realistic chance of being made into law.

But if this is going to happen we need your help! Please sign up to the eight hours campaign on the website (www.8hours.eu) and show your support by joining the Facebook group.

Open Europe and 'biased propaganda'

Dropping into my inbox this week was an invite to attend an Open Europe event called ‘EU communication policy: biased propaganda?’.

A bit rich!

Despite styling themselves as an ‘independent think tank’, Open Europe consistently produces what can only be described as biased propaganda. By misleading and using selective quoting Open Europe, with a helping hand from the media, very successfully manages to misrepresent EU policies and structures on a regular basis.

Its polls, normally designed to highlight how unpopular the EU is, are so loaded they are essentially worthless, something journalist David Rennie pointed out a couple of years ago when he was working for the Telegraph.

They are of course of course perfectly within their rights to do this (and they certainly do it very effectively) but when they are so far removed from balance and objectivity themselves it is absurd for them to call into question the balance and objectivity of anyone else.

Debate on Britain and the euro gathers momentum

It is encouraging to see that the debate on whether Britain should join the euro is gathering pace. E4U launched this book with contributions from Will Hutton, former member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Willem Buiter, and BP Chairman Peter Sutherland and website last week. Let’s hope it continues to gather momentum on this important issue.

Eurosceptics block reform so able to continue attacking EU

Sadly, the Written Declaration (the European Parliament's equivalent to an "Early Day Motion" in the House of Commons) calling on governments to allow the EP to hold all its sittings in Brussels, just failed to gather the target of 300 signatures that its authors had set themselves.

I was dismayed to discover many British MEPs had not bothered to sign the Declaration to reduce the time-wasting and costly junket to Strasbourg. Whilst British Labour MEPs supported the Declaration, the other UK political parties remained divided on the issue. A number of Tories, some Liberals and one of the two Greens failed to sign the Declaration. Most surprising of all, the leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, refused to sign (despite emailing me personally to say "for once, I think you may be right") as did four of the other 11 MEPs elected as UKIP in 2004.

UKIP is always quick to accuse the EU of wasting taxpayer's money, but given the chance to press for an end to the costly monthly travel to the French city, Farage and nearly half of his following prefer to retain the junket! It would appear that UKIPs claims to oppose waste in the EU are empty. They would prefer to retain the two seats in order to continue accusing the EU of waste!

Less surprising is that the elusive Kilroy-Silk was one of those who failed to sign the WD. Kilroy's absence from the Parliament is legendary, so he is probably of the opinion that this won't affect him too much.

Although this WD is of course not legally binding, if it had been adopted by the Parliament it would have sent a clear message to the Member States (who have the power take this decision). It is high time national governments revise the 1992 decision (at the Edinburgh European Council chaired by John Major) obliging Parliament to shift twelve weeks of the year to Strasbourg.

Clarke's return will re-open Tory wounds on Europe

The Conservatives’ apparent retreat from rabid euroscepticism has apparently continued today with Ken Clarke returning to the Tory shadow cabinet. Meanwhile, in a sign of the added importance the Tories are attaching to Europe, their shadow Europe spokesman Mark Francois has also been promoted to the shadow cabinet.

Clarke’s return to the front bench has been hotly debated by Conservative activists on Conservative Home, with many members dismayed that such an unabashed europhile is back. Among the choicest quotes are descriptions of Clarke as “divisive” and “overrated” while one describes the move as “two fingers to anyone in the Conservative party who is a eurosceptic". The Conservative affiliated Bruges group has also claimed that Clarke’s promotion signals David Cameron’s abandonment of a commitment to a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

The idea that Clarke will be silenced on Europe is surely fanciful, especially as shadow Business Secretary when most of of Britain’s trade is with its EU neighbours. Although Clarke has promised not to buck the party’s policy on Europe, he has consistently called for Britain to join the euro, is against Tory withdrawal from the centre-right EPP, and was one of just three Conservative MPs to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty back in March last year. He is also forthright in front of a microphone and it is surely only a matter of time before he criticises party policy. As Gordon Brown put it this morning, “it’s good to have someone in the Shadow Cabinet who is supportive of our policies on Europe, on VAT and probably quietly supportive of a number of our other policies”.

While most Tory MEPs will be happy to see him back, the likes of Roger Helmer and Dan Hannan, and the majority of Tory party activists will be spitting feathers. If Ken can’t keep quiet, Tory infighting over Europe will continue unabated.

Super Kali

Kali Mountford, last night announced that, for health reasons, she will stand down at the next election as the MP for Calder Valley. I was priveleged to be there when she announced her decision to the constituency Labour party. She will be sorely missed both in the Valley and in Westminster. It has always been a pleasure to work with her in campaigns, on issues and in helping our constituents. I join with many others in wishing her well for the future.

A fond farewell to Michel Rocard

After 40 years of public office, the last 15 in the European Parliament, my fellow Socialist MEP Michel Rocard announced his retirement this week.

Rocard served as French Prime Minister under François Mitterrand and famously got the better of Maggie Thatcher in an entertaining exchange about the single currency.

During a summit meeting with Thatcher he raised the issue of the single currency and Thatcher responded, "Not in a thousand years". Rocard said,"I'm delighted to hear you say that, Prime Minister - you're not opposed to the principle, it's just a question of the timing!"

Glenis Wilmott is the new leader of Labour in Europe

Congratulations go to my colleague Glenis Willmott, who has been elected the new leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party after a closely fought contest with Richard Howitt.

It is testament to the quality of the two candidates that only one vote separated Glenis from Richard with very little to chose between them.

I'm certain Glenis will make an excellent leader and has all the attributes to get the EPLP's views understood at home and in parliament. To learn more about Glenis there is a good BBC story here and you can also visit her website at www.gleniswillmott.eu

Glenis of course replaces Gary Titley, who has been leader since 2002, thereby just beating Barbara Castle as the longest serving leader of the Labour MEPs). He has stood down five months ahead of the next European elections, where he will also retire as an MEP. One example of the stability Gary provided is that during his seven year tenure, the Conservative delegation got through no fewer than five leaders!

Another swing to Labour in Yorkshire by-election

I popped over to Hull yesterday to help Labour’s Gary Wareing in his Drypool by-election campaign, which was caused after the Conservative councillor (who had previously been Lib Dem) resigned.

Just like in December’s by-election in Bingley, Labour’s share of the vote once again rose as the Conservatives (who finished last) and Liberal Democrat’s both fell.

In the end, Gary finished second behind the Lib Dem candidate but gained a swing of 9.8% from the Lib Dems to Labour since the local council elections last May.

Here are the figures (pinched from Luke Akehurst’s ever reliable blog) Drypool Ward, Hull City Council. LD regain after their cllr defected to Con. LD 1306 (52.3%, -11.6), Lab 891 (35.7%, +8), NF 184 (7.4%, +7.4), Con 117 (4.7%, -3.6). Swing of 9.8% from LD to Lab since 2008.

Shedding some light on the right wing paper’s panic over lightbulbs

Much hysteria about lightbulbs this week, as it was announced major stores were running out of 100 watt incandescent lightbulbs after retailers voluntarily agreed to stop selling them ahead of an EU ban on the sale of them from September.

The right-wing papers mourned the passing of the 100 watt bulb as if electricity itself was going to be phased out and replaced by candles, rather than by a more environmentally friendly, efficient and cost effective replacement as the Express's headline "EU's barmy idea to ban lightbulbs" suggests.

The Daily Mail began its report with, "Millions of Britons are finally waking up to the fact that their beloved light bulb will disappear for good after 120 years" as if the 100 watt lightbulb is revered as some kind of national treasure, only discussed with tear-stained eyes, a lump in the throat and accompanied by a stirring rendition of Jerusalem.

And depsite the Mail's headline, "Revolt! Robbed of their right to buy traditional light bulbs, millions are clearing shelves of last supplies", the comments section of their webpage suggests most people don't really care or are in favour of the newer lightbulbs. In fact such is the extent of the Mail's misjudged mania over the bulbs, readers take to mocking the story for its lack of logic and scant regard to facts.

The Mail reports that supermarkets and hardware stores are running out of the bulbs. Well of course they are, that's what they are trying to do! It is perfectly logical that 100 watt bulbs will be harder to find as stocks diminish. The fact the paper itself has 25,000 free 100 watt lightbulbs to give away hardly suggests they have become impossible to source items.

Then there is the implication that 100 watt light bulbs are cheaper. They may well be cheaper to buy but energy efficient bulbs last far longer and reduce the amount of electricity used, so in fact work out significantly cheaper.

The Mail's flag-waving about "Britons" and "their beloved lightbulbs" alongside the usual fingerpointing at the EU is made to look ridiculous by their accompanying piece entitled, "What Happens Overseas", which reveals that Cuba, Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Venezuela and Switzerland have already or intend to ban 100 watt bulbs.

There is no doubt the odd person who is unhappy that, eventually, they will not be able to buy 100 watt incandescent lightbulbs but if we are to combat climate change then these are the sort of small changes we have to make. The fact you can save £7 of electricity per energy efficient bulb each year highlights this is not just an easy way to reduce the amount of energy we use but an easy way of saving some money. And somehow I doubt that at the current time few people will be planning to "revolt" about that.

Weaker pound can help Yorkshire & Humber’s economy

The soaring value of the euro (and corresponding drop in the exchange rate of the pound) has been given extensive coverage in the media but it is not entirely bad news.

Because the EU budget is calculated in euros it means that the value in pounds of the EU regional funding we receive has suddenly risen dramatically. In 2009, Britain is set to receive around €3 billion in structural funds, worth approximately £2.2 billion this time last year. With the pound having lost around 25% against the euro since then, the amount, at the present exchange rate, would be around £2.85 billion - an extra windfall of over £600 million.

Yorkshire & Humber receives a significant amount of this, and should consequently be a beneficiary of this extra European money. What is imperative now, is that the government, our region’s development agency (Yorkshire Forward) and businesses make sure they make the most of this windfall by spending it on job-creating investments, training programmes and regeneration projects.

Another benefit in the rise of the euro is that its higher value means that there is a corresponding increase in the purchasing power of our main export market. This increases export opportunities for local firms to the eurozone. Again, Yorkshire & Humber is particularly well placed to take advantage of this, with the Humber ports our export highway to the continent.