Danish paper sorry for Mohammad cartoons

In a lengthy statement the editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten admitted that the 12 cartoons, one of which depicted Mohammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban, had caused "serious misunderstandings". Carsten Juste said: "The 12 cartoons ... were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims, for which we apologise."



Well, here is my cartoon, no misunderstanding here.



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Conservative Ball

TOOTING CAMERON, the Conservative leader, has triggered his first internal revolt by trying to impose a lifetime gagging order on all the party's employees. The Times

One employee, who declined to be named, said: "Some of us are outraged and a lot of people are refusing to sign it. We all have contracts of employment already and there is a reference in them to confidentiality. This is a threat."

Epidural Required

EU Serf has started a campaign at Right Links in order to support the Conservative Leadership in their moves to leave the European Peoples Party group in the European Parliament.

It appears some of the Conservative MEPs do not like the idea, which is why they must be shown that the party and its supporters are fully behind David Cameron in this.


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The sound of New Europe

Mrs Vike-Frieberga, lets rip on Old Europe.

While the Euro Elite's were being serenaded by Mozart in Austria this weekend, the president of Latvia was invited to sing a Song for Europe.

"What is it that Old Europe is worried about, with respect to New Europe? That we are friendly with America? All that we have asked is to be part of Nato, and part of the security umbrella that Europe has enjoyed for half a century."

"I am amazed by the speed with which Europe has forgotten that it was rescued during World War Two when the Americans entered the fight. The contribution of the trans-Atlantic link to European security is something that Europeans have long taken for granted…………."By the way I'd like to remind people here that when you see row upon row of white crosses in the fields of Flanders and North of France, those are also Canadians, thousands of Canadian soldiers who died for the freedom of Europe, for the freedom of the Netherlands, of France, and of Italy.



Read full article here
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good wishes to Skip Maheno

Maori Spokesman contacts the No Campaign.

I notice the comment section has been removed from the Neil Herron blogspot. (why?)

E-mail to Neil Herron

With regards to Maori Spokesman, Skip Maheno, perhaps you can point him in the direction of the case of Lance Paul Larsen vs. The Hawaiian Kingdom

I have not researched the in's and out's of The Treaty of Waitangi, but there are similarities with the Lance Paul Larsen arbitration case, particularly with regard to the provisions of Article 27 of the Vienna Convention.

"A party may not invoke the provisions of its internal law as justification for its failure to perform a treaty".

Hawaiian Kingdom Arbitration - Memorial of Lance Paul Larsen

Although the Vienna Convention is not applicable to treaties concluded before its entry into force (27 January 1980) it is applied (de facto)to those too, since it incorporates, at least to a large extent, customary rules which were already applicable before that date. Moreover, the Vienna Convention applies only in the absence of other applicable agreements and is therefore of subsidiary character.

Please pass on my good wishes to Skip Maheno
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Now build me a Pyramid

School leavers should be forced to do three or four months of community service, David Cameron, the Conservative leader, said yesterday.

In a speech to voluntary group leaders, he said he did not want to bring back National Service but wanted young people to have the same feeling of achieving "something we all did together". The Daily Telegraph


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"Don't do evil"

(click image)

Google will block politically sensitive items on its new China site, bowing to conditions set by Peking.

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“The Sound of Europe”

This comming week will see the opening of the Austrian EU Presedency production "The Sound of Europe"


(click to enlarge)

On the 27th 28 of January, together with the European Union Commission, more than 300 personalities from the world of politics, science, arts and the media will deliberate on prospects and proposals for making progress on the European project in view of global challenges. The unease and scepticism people express about Europe will also be addressed, and the underlying causes analysed.

The closing debate on Saturday, 28 January, with the participation of leading European politicians, is entitled “Conducting Europe” and will be broadcast live on ORF2 from 11.00.

Scots admire failure

The Scotsman It is regrettable but typical that Scotland should choose a loser, albeit a glorious one, as its hero. One hundred years ago, Scots admired success but now they admire failure: (Michael Fry)

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Google

Google is resisting Bush Administration attempts to force it to hand over records about the behaviour of millions of people who use its search engine.

(click on the image)

Civil liberties groups said the request highlighted the potential for governments to seize online databases and use them to spy on people.
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Mistaken Identity

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Go Forth and Divide

Gordon (enron) Brown, Prime Minister of Scotland, Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain, Defender of Britishness.

"Gordon said 'jump' and Jack asked 'how high?'

It seems, that a local by-election is taking its toll on devolution.

So who really runs the Scottish Executive? The Scotsman

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“I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken”

I have pinched this from THE FREEDOM ASSOCIATION web site. All I have done, is embellish it with colourful highlights and added my cartoon.

Daniel Hannan's warning to MEPs

Mr President,
Listening to this debate, I am reminded of Bertolt Brecht’s lines:

"Wäre es da Nicht doch einfacher, die Regierung Löste das Volk auf und Wählte ein anderes?" [Would it not be simpler to dismiss the people and elect another in their place?]

The peoples of two core, founding states have thrown your project out, my friends. I know it’s hard to accept rejection, but look at the figures. Fifty-five per cent French voters. Sixty two per cent of Dutch voters.

Now you might try to argue that the voters have got it wrong; that they are suffering from what Marxists call false consciousness; that they need better propaganda, and that it is up to us, the Euro-elite, to take a lead. To which I say: do your damnedest.

Current polls in the Netherlands show that 82 per cent of Dutch voters would now vote “No”: a tribute to the level-headedness of that brave people. But if you think you can turn them around, dear colleagues, be my guests. Doing so would at least prove your commitment to the democratic ideals you so frequently invoke.

Far more outrageous would to push ahead with the implementation of the contents of the constitution without popular consent.

Yet this is precisely what you are doing. Look at the number of policies and institutions envisaged by the constitution that have been, or are being, enacted regardless: the European External Action Service, the European Human Rights Agency, the European Defence Agency, the European Space Programme, the European External Borders Agency, a justicable Charter of Fundamental Rights.

None of these has a proper legal basis outside the constitution. By adopting them anyway, you demonstrate that you will allow no force, internal or external—neither your own rule book nor the expressed opposition of your peoples—to arrest the rush to political assimilation. You vindicate the severest of your opponents’ criticisms.

In the words of my countryman Oliver Cromwell, “I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken”.


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Tax, a soft shoe Schüssel

Wolfgang Schuessel the Austrian Chancellor, called for new taxes to finance a larger European Union budget, reviving a fight with low-tax countries like the U.K. over the EU's powers.

Speaking to Euro-MPs in Strasbourg, Schuessel said the idea would not be popular but it was necessary.

`It's absurd that short-term speculation can take place without being taxed,'' Schuessel told the European Parliament ``Europe needs a strong way of financing itself.''

And we all know what that means

Ireland, no Sovereignty in International Law

The Republic of Ireland have been told today, that the "International Law of the Sea" has no jurisdiction in the European Union. News & Star

Now, if that is not a loss of Sovereignty, then I will eat my hat

However, as Ireland, not being signatories to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, its hardly surprising that the Tea shop, dailed the wrong number.....

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The Duff/Voggenhuber Report (where are we)

A letter from the Presidents of the Austrian, Finnish and German national parliaments.

Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles
President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz
1047 Brussels
BELGIUM Vienna, 16 January 2006

Dear Mr. President,

Having received the latest draft for a report on the period of reflection, which shall be voted on by the European Parliament this week, we would like to communicate to you our opinion on those articles which refer to the national parliaments.

First of all we would like to thank the European Parliament for all its initiatives to promote the European dialogue on the future of the Union. We also highly appreciate that the European Parliament seeks the cooperation with the national parliaments with regard to the reflection period.

However, in article 13 of the draft it is proposed that “the European Parliament and national parliaments jointly organise conferences – Parliamentary Forums - in order to stimulate the debate and to shape, step by step, the necessary political conclusions”. In this regard we are not in a position to commit national parliaments to such a series of conferences or parliamentary fora. Due to the fact that 13 countries have already ratified the constitutional treaty and 12 countries have not, the national parliaments have very different approaches towards the debate on the future of Europe and there is neither a need nor a mechanism to find a joint strategy of national parliaments on how to engage in a lasting debate. Furthermore national parliaments do not have the resources to engage in such a broad and long lasting process of a series of conferences and parliamentary fora, and they would not like to be seen just as an appendix to the European Parliament in such a process.

Concerning article 16, where a first parliamentary forum shall be convened in the spring of 2006, we agree that such a conference of members of the European Parliament and members of national parliaments be held on 8/9 May 2006 as previously discussed. This shall be a single interparliamentary conference, aiming at an exchange of views on the status quo and the perspectives for the debate on the future of Europe. But we do not see any institutional or legal basis for drawing “comprehensive conclusions to the European Council”. Therefore, we can not commit national parliaments to enter in such a decision making process. As concerns further interparliamentary conferences, this shall be decided after the Spring conference and after the European Summit in June, possibly in the frame of the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments to be held in Copenhagen from 29 June to 1 July 2006.

Dear Mr. President, we attach great important to this interparliamentary conference in spring 2006, and we very much appreciate the European Parliaments readiness to cooperate with the national parliaments in the debate on the future of Europe. Finally, we would like to reassure you that we fully respect the complete autonomy of the European Parliament in adopting a report on the period of reflection, however, we wanted to let you know our opinion on the issues concerning national parliaments.

With best regards,
Andreas Khol President of the Nationalrat
Paavo Lipponen Speaker of the Eduskunta
Norbert Lammert President of the Bundestag

Hat Tip UK Freedom, Bloging from the very heart of Brussels
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eiro, euras, evro, ewro or Euro

Latvia, which is due to adopt the euro in 2008, has said it will call the euro the “eiro” because the “eu” dipthong doesn’t exist in Latvian. Joining the Baltic EU newcomer in its linguistic rebellion are neighboring Lithuania, which has opted for “euras”, Hungary, which wants the “o” to have an accent, Malta, which prefers ewro, and Slovenia evro.

The dissent over what to call the euro came to light shortly after the EU expanded by 10 members in May 2004. It was then that EU officials found that there had been translation errors in the Council regulation calling for the single currency to be called by a single name.



Hmmmm, For every 100 people in the European Union…

47 speak English – 13 as a mother tongue
30 speak German – 18 as a mother tongue
23 speak French – 12 as a mother tongue
15 speak Italian – 13 as a mother tongue
14 speak Spanish – 9 as a mother tongue
10 speak Polish – 9 as a mother tongue
6 speak Dutch – 5 as a mother tongue
6 speak Russian – 1 as a mother tongue

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A sign of things to come

Demonstrators have attacked the European Parliament building, smashing windows and clashing with police, in scenes reminiscent to the storming of the Bastille in 1789

However, the State Police didn't withdraw to the Champ de Mars, instead they used water cannons and tear gas to try to keep back crowds armed with rocks and logs. The protesters gathered in Strasbourg to protest against plans to open up European port services to greater competition.



Next time they may have found the 32,000 rifles, complete with the ammunition
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Treaty of a "Federal" UK

On this day in 1706 the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England was ratified in the Scottish Parliament. The Treaty decreed that the two countries, at the time still considered by many to be arch enemies, should become one kingdom, with the same monarch, and equal trade and economic rights.

On this day in 2006 English MPs call for bar on Scottish MPs voting on English matters

Conservative Lord to publish draft bill seeking creation of English parliament.

Kenneth Baker, the former Conservative home secretary, will publish a private member's bill in the House of Lords, seeking to establish a full English parliament. The draft law will call for Westminster to become a "federal" UK parliament and the creation of entirely separate English legislature. Lord Baker, a persistent critic of the devolution settlement, is being supported by Sir John Major, the former prime minister.

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SUPPORT ROBIN

CAN YOU SUPPORT ROBIN IN LONDON ON THE 19th JANUARY 2006?

Robin De Crittenden, who has recently been making the news for refusing to pay a parking fine due to the fact fines cannot be levied without the right to trial, will be attending the Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, in London on Thursday, 19th January. The hearing is aimed at forcing John Prescott to give evidence in another case which Robin is fighting.

Many EU-sceptics, myself included during 2004, have tried to bring cases of misprision of treason against certain individuals for handing sovereign powers to the EU by signing the various EU treaties. All have failed for one reason or another. However, Robin is trying another approach. Rather than accusing the Government of treason and trying to prove it, by refusing to pay his road fund license on the basis that giving money to traitors is illegal in British law. It is up to the Government to prove it is not guilty of treason. John Prescott was the Minister in charge of the DVLC in 2003 at the time Robin was prosecuted for not having a tax disc.

As many campaigners as possible are welcome to attend to give Robin much needed support. As the court does not give a hearing time until the day before, Robin is asking all supporters to meet at 10 am in the foyer of the Waldarf Hilton Hotel, Aldwich, WC2B 4DD. Please come along if you can, Robin needs as much support as possible.

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A parliamentary prayer

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem!

We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from Every sin and set us free. Amen!"

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The Life of Brian

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Cameron threat to sack pro-Euro Tory MEPs

David Cameron is preparing for a showdown with Tory MEPs by vowing to de-select those who refuse to sever links with a federalist group in the European Parliament. The Daily Telegraph

An interesting situation can arise here. There are no individually elected Tory MEP's in this country, if they are deselected, then they are no longer a Conservative MEP. (By not following the Party line they will been deemed to have resigned) In law, there is nothing to stop the next Tory candidate from the list system, becoming the next Conservative MEP.

Following the 1997 general election the Labour Government introduced the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, changing the system by which Great Britain's MEPs are elected from First Past The Post to a closed ‘list’ system of PR.

Which means, when a seat becomes vacant as a result of the death or resignation, of an MEP elected on a party list it is filled by the next eligible person from that list. Where the list has been exhausted or the vacancy arises as a result of the death or resignation of an independent candidate a by-election will be held.

I think that this could be challenged in the courts.

The First Protocol, Article 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 states: The High Contracting Parties undertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by secret ballot, under conditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the people in the choice of the legislature.

Elected Conservative Party MEP's not following the party line, does not ensure mine or the peoples (who voted Conservative) choice of legislature.

It should be remembered, that the Conservative Party, as the Official Loyal Opposition, is in Law, a public Authority.

Section 6. - (1) Human Rights Act:- It is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with a Convention right.

Just hope the next one on the list is a Eurosceptic

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Missing in Action

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Chirac V Merkel

French plans to break the EU’s constitutional deadlock have put the country on a collision course with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

French President Jacque Chirac’s plans to ratify the less controversial parts of the treaty “in the framework of the current treaties”, has been rejected by Merkel. Berlin insists that ‘cherry-picking’ aspects of the text would “seriously damage the overall balance” of the constitution.

Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said “I don’t want to see any new dividing lines running through Europe," eupolitix.com

Finger still in the Dyke

Federalist hopes of reviving the draft European Union constitution were snuffed out yesterday when the Dutch foreign minister, Bernard Bot, said the treaty was "dead".

He swept away months of euphemisms and half-truths, as European leaders struggled to avoid being the first to declare an end to the constitutional project, after its rejection in referendums by French and Dutch voters.

Earlier this week Wolfgang Schussel, the Austrian chancellor, insisted that the constitution was "not dead, but in the middle of a ratification process".The Daily Telegraph


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'Totgesagte leben länger'

Have you ever heard of the saying 'Totgesagte leben länger' (Those declared dead live longer)? This should become the motto of the Austrian Presidency of the EU.

When a simple "NO" Na, Non, Nee, Nein, Nej, Ne, Nei, Oxi, Não, Ei, Ní hea, Ále, Naamik or even nyet, is not quite enough,

Here is a useful resource when communicating with the European Union

"No" in over 520 languages

Does anyone know Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel e-mail address?

Anschluss Airlines

Finnish president Tarja Halonen is surprised by Austria’s plans to revive the Constitution, saying her Austrian colleagues failed to mention their intentions despite Helsinki taking over the presidency from Vienna in the second half of 2006.

Ms Halonen’s statement comes just after the Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schussel said that his country, currently at the helm of the EU, is aiming to resuscitate the debate on the EU constitution under its presidency.

I have been thinking

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End of Period of Reflection

Austria aims to revive EU constitution

The end of Britain's presidency of the European Union last week has unleashed a barrage of demands from political leaders who want their favourite elements from the draft constitution to be "cherry-picked" from the moribund treaty and given independent life.

The demands, emanating from France and Germany, came just as Austria, the new holder of the rotating presidency, signalled its enthusiasm for the constitution and its willingness to start work on reviving it, despite the fact that it was rejected by voters in France and Holland last year. The Daily Telegraph


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Ming the Merciless

Quicker than you could say "Flash", Lib Dims, ex Olympian "Ming" slips on his running shoes and sprints for the leadership of Planet Mongo


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There off

Brat breaths Lava

The EU summit due to take place in Austria in June is supposed to evaluate the period of reflection that began when the ratification process failed in the Netherlands and France. During its EU presidency, Austria says that it wants to signal to the other EU25 member states how to deal with the document.

However, Pavol Hrusovsky the Slovak Parliamentary Chairman and governing-coalition Christian Democrat (KDH) party leader says that he considers the EU Constitution to be a worthless document. News Agency of the Slovak Republic

"I don't see any point in promoting the ratification process. This isn't the way to create an atmosphere of mutual understanding in Europe. I think instead that it could again create an atmosphere of major conflict and misunderstanding,"

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UK 'broke budget deficit rules'

The UK is to be reprimanded after breaching the European Union's (EU) stability pact, under which budget deficits should not exceed 3% of GDP.The BBC



The Treasury disputes the European Union commission's estimates, arguing that the chancellor remains on course to meet his "golden rule" over the economic cycle.

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Dear Anoneumouse.......love David

Subj: RE: I will withdraw the Conservative Party from the EPP by Christmas. (Frimley 23/11/05)
Date: 06/01/06 13:35:26 GMT Standard Time
From: CAMEROND@parliament.uk
To: Anoneumouse@aol.com

Thank you for writing to David Cameron - he's asked me to thank you and to say that he appreciated what you had to say.

David Cameron has made clear that it is his firm policy that the Conservative Party under his leadership will not remain a member of the European Peoples Party-European Democrats Group (EPP-ED) in the European Parliament, and will aim to form a new grouping which reflects more closely our views on the way forward for Europe.

The Conservative Party has a fundamentally different approach on the key institutional and constitutional questions relating to the future direction of the European Union, and it is natural that we should wish to ally ourselves with parties which share that view. But we intend to maintain close relations with other centre-right parties with which we agree on much, but not on these issues.

David Cameron has asked the new Shadow Foreign Secretary to take forward this process, with appropriate consultation of all involved. In seeking a new alignment within the European Parliament, the Conservative Party
will aim to continue to work closely with fellow centre-right parties in the European Parliament on the many issues on which we agree.

Many thanks again for writing.

Yours sincerely,

David Beal
Correspondence Secretary
David Cameron's Office
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

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The CON, I have served a bit in the Party

Never mind the "Blair Lite" tag, if David Cameron continues as he has started he will attract the label "Blair full strength".BBC News



He has used the NHS as the first big policy announcement and has moved to camp his legions firmly on the centre ground once seen as Tony Blair's private playground.

At this rate, he is probably loosing more of his existing voters than he will attract new.

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Alas poor Wolfgang, I never knew him

Have scientists found Mozart's skull? Researchers said they will reveal the results of DNA tests in a documentary airing Sunday on Austrian television as part of a year of celebratory events marking the composer's 250th birthday.

Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel recently talking about the EU Constitution said, Europe needed "some moments of fantasy and flexibility and new thoughts."

Well herr Chancellor, you need look no further than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "The Magic Flute", it is so lively with elements of fantasy and free-flying imagination.

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I couldn't resist this

(Google in Braille)
"Just click on the image"

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European Union, Democracy at work

The position left vacant by the death of East Midlands MEP Philip Whitehead is to be filled without a by-election. Mr Whitehead, who died suddenly at the age of 68 on New Year's Eve, was the only Labour MEP in the region. BBC

And here in lies the problem: "Party Politics"

Following the 1997 general election the Labour Government introduced the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, changing the system by which Great Britain’s MEPs are elected from First Past The Post to a closed ‘list’ system of PR.

Which means, when a seat becomes vacant as a result of the death or resignation from parliament of an MEP elected on a party list it is filled by the next eligible person from that list. Where the list has been exhausted or the vacancy arises as a result of the death or resignation of an independent candidate a by-election will be held.

It should be noted that European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 was one of 3 Acts (out of 4) which was forced through Parliament by NuLabour, using the Parliament Act 1949.

Question

AT THE NEXT EUROPEAN UNION ELECTION, what will you really achieve unless you vote INDEPENDENT

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Finnish EU scepticism

In a Finnish Broadcasting Company ( YLE ) radio programme today, Finnish President Tarja Halonen, who is standing for re-election, said; "Finnish citizens were disappointed with the European Union".

She added the union had not proved to be the provider of everyday security and employment as people had previously expected.

President Halonen was commenting on a recent YLE poll that suggests Finnish EU scepticism is on the rise.

Finland is due to take over the EU Presidency in July 2006

It will be interesting to see what the EU Propoganda Commisioner Margot Wallstrom has to say about this growing Eurosceptasim when she gets back off her holidays.

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The King of Britain

The unelected European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has been voted Britain's most powerful man in a BBC poll

The BBC political editor Nick Robinson writes in his blog, "voters may be using the poll to say Europe has too much power".

I say, the “Europe Union” has to much power and I didn’t vote.

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Scotland "the Belarus of the West"

Professor Niall Ferguson (historian) said Scotland's glory days were long over, leaving it a "small, sparsely-populated appendage of England".

Prof Ferguson also said the "ridiculous" Holyrood parliament building - which he described as a "risible and over-priced folly" - should be turned into a multiplex cinema or shopping mall, while Rangers and Celtic should "go where they belong": to "pretty near the bottom of the [English] Premiership".

The Scotsman

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Will Austria keep a low profile

Today as the UK’s disastrous EU presidency swans off into the sunset, Austria waltzes in and takes up the reins of the European Ass. Wolfgang Schuessel the Austrian Chancellor hopes to revive growth in Western Europe and continue EU enlargement, forge ahead with the EU constitution and win over a European parliament to approve the 2007-13 budget during his six-month presidency.

But will his agenda be swayed by an Austrian general election, which is to be held in the second half of 2006; Austrian voters have become the most euro-sceptical in the EU and rightly so. They were denied the opportunity of a referendum last year and the Harlot rode in on the back of the beast. Anschluss II

Oh well, Happy New Year
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