Labour MEP for Yorkshire & Humber
An interesting ICM double opinion poll was published yesterday with voting intentions for both the national and European elections. The differences between the two are instructive. Given the proportional system used for voting in the European elections, it’s not surprising that smaller parties score more highly there. Conversely, the main parties logically have a lower score. But here’s the thing: […]
Campaigning over the last few days has reminded me of how wonderfully varied Yorkshire & the Humber actually is. This weekend, from Bradford to Beverley, from Hull to Holmfirth, from Selby to Shipley, and from York to Yeadon, is itself an illustration. Add recent days from Scarborough to Skipton, Wortley to Wakefield, Barnsley to Bramley […]
After the gifts given by Nick Clegg and Maria Miller to UKIP last week, I was half-expecting more UKIP support when I was campaigning in Beverley and in Hull today. In fact, there seemed to be very little. By contrast, large UKIP billboards are appearing in fields and (not always legally) on public ground, financed […]
Having been involved in Brussels in the negotiations on the EU’s new seven-year budget framework, it was fascinating to get an insight into a local community’s plans about how to make good use of it here in Yorkshire, when I attended a consultation workshop held in New Wortley Community Centre earlier this week. Part of […]
When we can’t trust the mainstream media or even our own government to talk straight on European issues, whom can we trust? A strikingly well-informed and constructive policy briefing on the importance of European issues was jointly published yesterday by the UK’s free churches (Methodists, Baptists and United Reformed). The briefing provides a Christian perspective […]
The EEF, Britain’s manufacturer’s organisation, has just published Europe – A Manifesto for Growth. In the words of their Chief Exec, Terry Scuoler, We strongly support Britain’s continued membership of the EU. And not unreasonably, they have their own set of proposals for the future of the union, focusing on policy and delivery. This is a […]
Discerning readers may have noticed that I was little less active on this blog and social media for a few days recently. I took some time out from campaigning because of the death of my mother. I want to say a big thank you to all those who sent me such kind words, many of […]
I was invited to write a piece for the grassroots policy site LabourList about the various positions of Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg on the EU: But if one wing of the coalition at least recognises that Britain’s best interest is to stay in the EU, what about the other? The position that […]
Did anyone else notice a curious change in rhetoric from Nigel Farage in the BBC debate the other day? UKIP has always painted itself as the heroic defender of British business interests, fighting back with the sword of patriotism against modern-day European aggressors. Of course, British business has been staunchly unequivocal in its support of Britain’s […]
Another day of Labour doorstepping with local candidates and party activists — this time in Guiseley, Menston and Farley in the Pudsey constituency. Our prospective candidate for Westminster next year, the excellent and hard-working Jamie Hanley, joined me and a team of local activists, including local election candidate David Bowe, a former colleague of mine […]
Morning in Morley, first at a Co-op open meeting with Ed Balls, taking questions from the public, followed by a leafleting round with a huge team of supporters. Then, after enjoying Ed’s delicious lasagne for lunch, a further round of leafleting in Outwood. Altogether, 10,000 letters delivered to households in the area. Anyone in political life […]
A lot of eurosceptic arguments flow from a basic narrative which goes something like this: “75% of our laws are imposed on us by an unelected giant bureaucracy in Brussels, stifling our businesses in red tape and costing us billions of pounds a day. We thought we were joining a free trade area, but it […]
MEPs in the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly today to scrap mobile phone roaming charges across Europe. Assuming this decision is confirmed by elected governments when they meet in the EU council, from December next year it will cost no more to make or receive a call, send a text or use mobile data when abroad […]
This evening sees the second installment of Nick Clegg’s debate with Nigel Farage on the subject of Europe. Once again, I’ll be live-tweeting the debate as it happens. You can follow my tweets on Twitter, or follow the hashtag #europedebate for the whole conversation. There’s been an interesting discussion since last week’s radio debate on whether […]
I was disturbed to see a couple of days ago that UKIP have upped their anti-EU propaganda campaign and are now sending direct-mail letters, packed with frightening myths, to British small businesses in a thinly-veiled attempt to scare them into switching their vote in the upcoming election. This bizarre letter, sent to MOT testing centres […]
One of the issues that concerns many British people is animal welfare. During my time as an MEP, I made this issue a priority, and conversations with voters during this election campaign has confirmed to me that the topic is still close to many people’s hearts. As with many significant political issues, animal welfare rules […]
How will Clegg fare against Farage today? Attention to detail on European matters has never been Clegg’s strongpoint, and Farage will throw loads of clichés at him which need sound factual knowledge to rebut. If he can do so, fine (though he will also start with the handicap of his unpopular coalition tag). Farage is […]
British businesses are not the only ones suffering from Cameron’s attempted blackmail over Europe. It seems government officials themselves are getting so worried about the UK’s under-representation in the EU institutions that they are buying pseduo-advertising space in the Guardian to try and reverse the trend: British officials have played a crucial role in shaping […]
I spent the morning on the doorsteps of Horsforth, with Mary Creagh MP, prospective MP candidate Alex Sobel, and over a dozen party members. Then I made my way to Scarborough for the Yorkshire & Humber Cooperative Party conference on the subject of speaking up for the North. There was an excellent analytical speech by […]
A packed, lively, powerful and emotional event at the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign fundraiser in Rotherham. The organisers, led by Emma Wallis, did a brilliant job. Having supported the Hillsborough families in their struggle for truth about the behaviour (and subsequent cover-up) of the very same police force in that same decade, I was […]
A hectic mixture of speaking engagements today. First a hustings debate with candidates from other parties (Conservative, Lib Dem, Greens, and a no-show from UKIP) at Leeds Trinity University with their journalism students. They cast votes in a ballot box after the debate, and I was delighted to see the result: LAB 25, CON 6, […]
Agriculture is important for Yorkshire & Humber. There are over 12,000 holdings, and nearly two thirds of them are small farms of less than 100 hectares (250 acres). Over a fifth are grazing in Less Favoured Areas/Areas of Natural Constraint. Overall, farming has bucked the trend during the recession. According to the National Farmers Union, […]
Nice afternoon debating at the York Older People’s Assembly with Green, Lib Dem, and UKIP candidates. The Tories didn’t show up. Another puzzling feature was that, although the lead UKIP candidate for Yorkshire & Humber (a certain J Collins) was in the room, she was replaced for the debate by Roger Helmer, an East Midland […]
In yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph, David Cameron wrote a piece outlining his professed intentions about Britain’s future in Europe. The article is particularly irresponsible in its first section, where Cameron (or rather, I suspect, his ghostwriter) deliberately conjures up several eurosceptic myths which he knows full well are either highly misleading or downright false — but […]
