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		Straight Talking - October 2009 Love Europe. Hate the European Union Roger Helmer's electronic newsletter from Strasbourg Please feel free to distribute this newsletter, or to quote from it. It is primarily written for Conservative Party members and activists in the East Midlands, but may also be of interest to others concerned about developments in the EU. If you receive the newsletter second-hand and want to go onto the e-mail list (or if you want to be deleted), please e-mail me on . Alternatively you can subscribe with this form. Conservative Party Conference '09 is a Huge Success! First it was the LibDems, whose leader Nick Clegg strutted around stage informing of us of the grand job his cabinet would do were they to win the next election, and we all looked upon him with the sort of indulgence normally reserved for listening to small childrens' grandiose tales of life on the playground. Then it was the turn of Labour, and from Brighton emerged gloomy pictures of a party who knows its time in power is drawing to a close. And finally, on a bright, crisp, autumn day in Manchester, the Conservatives came flocking. A feeling of bonhomie was felt throughout the town centre, and even the BBC attempting to create a row over Europe could not dampen the atmosphere. On the contrary, as the Party cheered and gave spontaneous standing ovations during David Cameron's speech, most notably when he talked about helping those most in need in our society, the Party showed itself to be united; optimistic but not complacent; and above all, the only party in Britain currently willing to make those difficult decisions that will ultimately bring a better quality of life for all in Britain. The Freedom Zone at Party Conference This year I was again delighted to be part of The Freedom Zone in Manchester. One of the great strengths of the Freedom Zone is that it provides a forum for exactly the kind of debate which is now often lacking in the Conference proper, where heretical views can be dissected, and topics that might otherwise pass with little comment can be given an airing — topics like the EU, and climate change, and political correctness. The programme was supported by a great range of centre-right organisations in and around the Party — or as I like to put it, “On the Conservative wing of the Conservative Party” — plus others who share our perspective without necessarily having a specific party affiliation. We had a full programme of meetings throughout the two days, with organisations participating including Conservative Home (Tim Montgomerie); The Taxpayers’ Alliance (Matthew Elliott and Mark Wallace); The Free Society; Conservative Way Forward; Big Brother Watch; Conservative Friends of Israel; Conservative Future (Michael Rock); and the Sunlight Centre for Open Government. Enormous thanks are due to all our co-sponsors and speakers, but especially to the staff of the Freedom Association, who worked their socks off: Director Simon Richards; Admin Manager Jane Broadhurst; and our hard-working and enthusiastic intern Christiana Hambro. Well done all. The Freedom Association in Wells On Saturday 17th Oct I spoke at a Freedom Association Somerset Branch dinner at the Swan Hotel in Wells, where the guest of honour was Christopher Booker. We also had Sammy Wilson MP, the DUP Stormont member and former Environment Minister in the Stormont administration -- and a staunch climate sceptic. He had made a special journey across from Belfast to hear Christopher speak. It was a remarkably successful dinner -- thanks to Branch Treasurer Cllr Ron Forrest and Branch Chairman Ewen Stewart -- and we had a lively debate on climate change. See the photo. Christopher Booker was (at least until recently) the only serious journalist in the UK prepared to put his head above the parapet to challenge the Great Carbon Myth. He has just published a new book "The Real Global Warming Disaster: Is the obsession with Climate Change turning out to be the most costly delusion in history?". I haven't had an opportunity to read it yet, but if it's at all like his last book, "Scared to Death", it will be well worth reading. You can also see a video of his speech to the assembled diners at www.youtube.com/user/simontrichards, or by clicking on these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Quote of the Month # 1 "The best way for businesses to pay more tax is to become more profitable." - Rt. Hon. Ken Clarke MP New ECR Website is Launched We in the European Conservatives and Reformists are proud to announce the launch of our new website at www.ecrgroup.eu. On it you can find a range of information on what our members are up to, our history and aims, speeches that we have made, and much much more. You can also use it to get in contact with us, should you so wish. CFPS's Mini-Documentaries on Big Government The US Centre for Freedom & Prosperity has produced two short documentaries on the inevitable outcomes associated with big government spending. The first video outlines eight reasons why unrestrained government spending will adversely affect any open market system. The second provides some concrete evidence supporting their conclusions. Both are worth a quick view. 200th Anniversary of the Harborough Canal On October 10th, the 200th anniversary of the opening of the canal, a major pageant was held to celebrate. No fewer than 18 canal-boats set off from Foxton Locks carrying a range of enthusiasts. Many of those on the boats were in period costumes, dressed as navvies or boatmen. I had the privilege of joining the horse-drawn boat half way along the journey, and on the boat I found a very dignified lady dressed as Queen Victoria — a nice but anachronistic touch, as Victoria did not accede to the throne until some years later. The work of an MEP can be arduous, with long hours and a heavy travel schedule (honest!). As I love to say when people ask “How is your job?” I’ve never worked so hard, nor had so much fun. Events like this are the icing on the cake. Read more about the canal on my blog, and see the photos page. Could the BBC be changing its tune on Climate Change? "Whatever happened to Global Warming?" asks the BBC's climate correspondent Paul Hudson in a recent article on bbc.co.uk, which begins with the incredible paragraph: This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998. Could it be that, with the general public becoming increasingly aware that the world has cooled in the past decade, the BBC are backpedalling furiously in an attempt not to look foolish? And it's not just the BBC. The Sunday Times carried a big article (Oct 11th) entitled "Everything you thought you knew about Climate Change is Wrong" Correspondence from a Constituent Every now and then, in amongst our assorted post bag, we receive a really gratifying missive that assures me I'm on the right track. Recently I had this charming email from Duncan Church -- many thanks, Duncan, for taking the time to write! "Just a quick note to say thank for being one of the few MPs/MEPs who speak sense on Climate Change and the EU. Although I'm a resident of the W.Midlands not the E.Midlands I'm grateful for the work you are doing. Now, if only the rest of the party had the same view..." Duncan used the feedback form. Quote of the Month # 2 "The delivery also of the people into the subjection of a foreign power, either by the prince, or by the legislative, is certainly a change of the legislative, and so a dissolution of the government: for the end why people entered into society being to be preserved one entire, free, independent society, to be governed by it's own laws; this is lost, whenever they are given up into the power of another." - John Locke. Does that ring any bells? A Round-up of the Blog Labour’s assault on private education "Labour is pursuing its relentless, ideological, class-based assault on private education, and its chosen weapon is the Charity Commission, under its leftist chairman Dame Suzi Leather, who is almost a caricature of a New Labour place-man." The Common Fisheries policy: A Three-Way Disaster "The EU common fisheries policy is a classic example of one of those European policies which nobody can justify, and yet nobody can significantly change. It has been a disaster for consumers; a disaster for the industry; and of course a disaster for North Sea fish stocks and for the environment." The Wind Farm Scam "Even if you accept the theory of man-made climate change, wind turbines are a rotten way to reduce CO2 emissions, or to improve energy security. Wind farms are only viable with a complex structure of indirect subsidies, which amount to very nearly doubling the cost of electricity." I hate to say it but I told you so!... Ten years ago, this government should have been looking at long-term energy security, and facilitating a programme of nuclear construction. They should perhaps also have looked at prospects for mining UK Coal in the face of rising prices for imported fuel. They were utterly derelict in their duty. They failed to do these things, and we will all pay the price — literally. A straight answer Gordon Brown has posed a question: “Do people want a Party that tells you in advance they’re giving you an age of austerity?” How does Gordon expect us to reply? All David Cameron is doing is telling us how he intends to clear up Labour’s mess. Vaclav Klaus is a Star! The last man standing. The last free European. The little Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke. The only man standing for freedom and democracy against the might of the Brussels machine, while half a million Europeans are dragooned into a new polity which very few of them wanted, and for which very few voted. Twenty-six EU member-states have ratified the Lisbon Treaty, including, shamefully, the UK, where our Labour government simply ignored its solemn manifesto commitment to a Referendum. Only the brave Czech Republic remains. And Klaus, though he has the support of 65% of the people in a recent poll, is facing flak from national politicians and commentators, and anyone who thinks they might stand to gain by fawning on the European institutions. Will he stick to his guns? Will he hold out until an incoming Conservative government in the UK comes galloping over the hill like the Seventh Cavalry? I understand that Cameron has the legislation drafted and may actually have a Referendum date in a General Election Manifesto. The UK papers of ratification could be withdrawn by our Ambassador in Rome within hours of a Conservative victory. I don't know whether Klaus will hold out. He's under extreme pressure, and he's not the man to make a key decision for his country's future according to our electoral convenience. But I know this. Everyone in Europe who believes in freedom and democracy owes him a huge debt of gratitude. So what hope is there for Britain? Our Party policy, repeated by David Cameron at Party Conference earlier this month, is to bring back powers from Brussels, especially in the employment and social policy areas. That will require a renegotiation of the treaties then in place, whether Lisbon has been ratified or not. To support your democratic rights, and President Klaus's brave stand, sign these petitions: • Petition of the Citizens of European Union Countries Against Lisbon Treaty Ratification • Support Vaclav Klaus! Stop the Lisbon treaty! High Drama in the Hemicycle Occasionally, just occasionally, we have genuine moments of high drama in the Hemicycle voting sessions. Today, we voted a proposal that was entitled "Press Freedom in Europe". A typical EU title, full of motherhood and apple pie. Who could oppose such a measure? Well we did, for a start. It was simply a plot hatched by the left to poke their finger into the eye of Silvio Berlusconi, the colourful and contentious Italian Prime Minister. They hate Berlusconi with a passion, because he's centre-right, because he's enjoyed considerable success, and especially because he owns substantial sectors of the Italian media. This was an attempt to clip his wings. Of course Mr. Berlusconi is less than a perfect model of rectitude, and a difficult man to defend. You may think he's a scoundrel (I couldn't possibly comment). But at least he's our scoundrel, more or less. And the political scene would be so much more grey and boring without him. But the proposal was also a sinister first step towards establishing Brussels control of European media. I and other colleagues have received numerous messages from media companies alarmed by the effects such a measure could have, and the idea of Brussels censoring the media is just horrifying. So our new group of the European Conservatives, in alliance with the EPP (who were sound on this issue at least) crafted a report which drew the sting and avoided the pitfalls. We lost it by 20 or so votes. Then came a proposal from the socialists and Greens, supporting the measure. They won by a similar margin. Then there was a series of amendments to the socialist proposal. We worked through them, losing each vote by a margin between ten and thirty. By this time the left were getting cocky. They derisively rejected proposed oral amendments from our side of the house. They greeted each success with hoots of joy. Our side was down-cast by the steady toll of failure. Then came the final vote on the proposal as amended, and for some inexplicable reason, we actually won by about ten votes. I'm still not clear why. Our side burst into rapturous applause, while the grim faces of the left told their own story. They had grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory. But all was not over. Because the composite socialist proposal had been defeated, we still had to vote five proposals from individual groups, any one of which could have reinstated the problems. Several of our colleagues, assuming that our win was the end of it, had left. But we beat off the first four votes. Then came the final vote on a proposal from the European Liberals. It looked touch and go, and I was alarmed to see that nearby UKIP members, who should have voted NO, appeared to be abstaining. Then after several nail-biting seconds the result came up on the electronic screen. The vote was tied at 338/338. But of course a proposal requires a majority. With a tied vote, the measure had failed to gain a majority, and fell. Total victory for our side was signed, sealed and delivered by the smallest possible margin, and we had ruined the socialists' Wednesday. Silvio owes us a drink. Conclusion That's it from Straz this month. We're now back in the full swing of things, so next issue will be coming in October. Don't forget to check this website and post a comment on my blog at http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com ROGER HELMER MEP