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		What's Old - Archived stories from the "What's New" section [  July - December 2009  |  January - June 2009  |  July - December 2008  |  January - June 2008  ] [  July - December 2007  |  January - June 2007  |  July - December 2006  |  January - June 2006  ] [  July - December 2005  |  January - June 2005  |  July - December 2004  |  January - June 2004  ] [  July - December 2003  |  January - June 2003  |  July - December 2002  |  April - June 2002  ] Open letter to Quentin Davies - Thursday 28th June 2007 Little purpose is served by recriminations after a defection such as yours, and I had not intended to contact you.  However I cannot allow your reported comments to go unchallenged, where you say that David Cameron came to office "committed to break a solemn agreement with the EPP". Farmyard Flatulence - Letter - Thursday, 28th June 2007 UK farmers are facing a new round of EU lunacy.  They've had to cope with the most difficult decade ever, with BSE, Foot and Mouth and the rural payments fiasco.  Now the EU is blaming farmers for global warming, because of methane emissions from livestock. Davies lets down Grantham voters - Wednesday, 27th June 2007 The two Conservative MEPs for Lincolnshire and the East Midlands have expressed their surprise and regret at the sudden defection of Quentin Davies, who has been MP for Grantham and Stamford for twenty years. The EU Constitution by any other name - Tuesday, 26th June 2007 An analysis of the deal agreed by EU leaders at today’s summit suggests that almost all of the contents of the original EU Constitution are to be reintroduced in the “new” version of the constitutional treaty. Where's our Referendum - Friday, 22nd June 2007 "Where's Our Referendum?" That's the message that went to Westminster today, in letters two feet high as an ad-van carrying the demand "Don't let them sign away more powers to Europe!" rolled up outside the Houses of Parliament at 10:00 a.m. Blair Must Veto Proposals but it is up to Brown to Ditch Treaty - Tuesday, 19th June 2007 It is now becoming clearly apparent that the position facing Blair before the Summit on 21 June will substantially differ from the situation facing Brown after Blair’s departure on 27 June. During the approaching negotiations, Blair must veto proposals for the Treaty in all the key areas in order to lay the path for Brown’s reform of the relationship between the UK and the EU. Revived EU constitution - Daily Telegraph - Tuesday, 19th June 2007 In his article today on the CBI's warning regarding the revived EU Constitution, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard quotes the old Labour line about the Charter of Fundamental Rights "having no more legal force than the Beano". If only that were true. British police must share data with all EU police forces from today - Thursday, 14th June 2007 The first shot of a constitution climb-down sounded today as Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, confirmed that the Prüm Treaty would now have EU force. The Prüm Treaty will be implemented in all Member States allowing mutual access to each others' DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration information systems. Fight to save British barometer lost - Friday, 8th June 2007 The Environment Committee in the European Parliament has reversed its previous position and voted to support the European Commission and Member States' proposal to ban the production of new mercury barometers following a two year phase out period, East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer said today. EU mobile rate cap cuts both ways - Wednesday, 23rd May 2007 May 23rd - The European Parliament in Strasbourg has today voted to place a cap on the cost of mobile 'phone "roaming" -- that is, the charges for international calls. This is being spun by the EU as a huge benefit which Brussels is bringing to European phone users. Roaming costs will generally be about halved. Leics Samaritans doing ‘wonderful job’ - Wednesday, 16th May 2007 Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for Leicester today praised the ‘wonderful job’ Leicester’s branch of the Samaritans are doing on behalf of the people of Leicestershire on a recent visit to the city’s local branch in Elmfield Avenue, Leicester. Brown must keep Labour promise on referendum - Thursday, 10th May 2007 Following the public resignation of Tony Blair today and the expected handover of power to Gordon Brown over the next few weeks, East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has urged Mr Brown to stick to Labour’s manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the future of the EU. Commission's white paper should cover hunting - Tuesday, 8th May 2007 Last night I attended a meeting of the European parliament's Sports Intergroup, where Commissioner Jàn Figuel talked about the Commission's up-coming White Paper on sport. I took the opportunity to ask whether the White Paper would address only modern commercial sports like the Olympic sports and football, or whether it would also include traditional and cultural sports like hunting. Roger Helmer MEP elected new TFA Chairman - Wednesday, 25th April 2007 At a meeting of The Freedom Association (TFA) Council on 23rd April, Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, was unanimously elected the new TFA Honorary Chairman. Roger said, "It is a huge honour to become the Honorary Chairman of an organisation with such campaigning pedigree thatstands for Jeffersonian principles, such as individual liberty, personal responsibility, the free market, strong national defence, low taxation and the small state. MEPs help High Peak Conservative - Wednesday, 25th April 2007 High Peak - Both of the Conservative MEPs for the East Midlands have been in the High Peak in the last week to lend their hand to campaigning for the local elections in May. Roger Helmer was the first to visit, when on Thursday April 5th he came to Buxton to work with High Peak Parliamentary candidate Andrew Bingham and to address a public meeting in the Old Hall Hotel about the Pavilion Gardens. Happy St George's Day - Monday, 23rd April 2007 Northampton – Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for Northampton was in town yesterday to take part in a day of St George’s Day celebrations and festivities. The St George’s Conservative club based in St George’s Avenue, Northampton held an open ‘drop in’ day to celebrate England’s patron saint, where local residents could enjoy music, food and entertainment. Conference challenges climate hysteria - Thursday, 19th April 2007 At a packed Conference in the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday, a heavy-weight panel of scientists, economists and politicians challenged the current global warming consensus and questioned both the dubious science and the deeply damaging economics of proposed policy measures. Backing for UK’s duty free victims - Monday, 16th April 2007 Eight British citizens who were victims of the arbitrary seizure of their vehicles, cigarettes and alcohol at British ports by customs officials who claimed they were smugglers have got the backing of the Petitions Committee in the European Parliament in their claim for compensation. Local MEP lends a hand in Gedling - Thursday, 12th April 2007 Conservative MEP for Nottinghamshire, Roger Helmer was in Gedling last week to help support the local Conservative party’s campaigns ahead of the forthcoming local elections in May. Mr Helmer, who joined Bruce Laughton, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Gedling, went out onto the streets of Gedling to meet local residents and discuss their issues and concerns for the area. ‘Climate change? Maybe - Wednesday, 11th April 2007 East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has today announced that he is to host a ‘Counter Consensual Climate Conference’ in Brussels following the eruption of a new widespread debate on the subject of global warming. The recent screening of Channel 4’s hit documentary ‘The Great Global Warming Swindle’, has led many to challenge the conventionally alarmist position on climate change. Counter-Consensual Climate Conference - Notts Evening Post - Wednesday, 4th April 2007 Steve Barber (Letters to the Editor, 2nd April) challenges me to attend his global warming debate, and a screening of Al Gore's climate propaganda film, in Beeston on April 24th.  I should be delighted to rise to his challenge, except that I shall be in Strasbourg that day for a plenary session of the European parliament. ‘Keep the Crown’ say MEPs - Wednesday, 28th March 2007 East Midlands Conservative MEPs Roger Helmer and Chris Heaton-Harris have today criticised a European Union ruling that could see the end of the much-loved traditional crown stamp on our pint glasses. From now on, only the European CE mark, which stands for Conformite Europeenne and certifies that the item in question confirms to EU standards will be permitted on new pint glasses used in pubs and clubs across the UK. Ex-whisky trade MEP celebrates European spirits - Tuesday, 27th March 2007 Roger Helmer MEP (East Midlands) spent part of his career marketing Johnnie Walker and other United Distillers/Diageo spirits products in Korea and South East Asia  So he felt a certain nostalgia when invited to join a dinner organised in Brussels by the European Spirits Organisation CEPS. The dinner was organised to enable the industry to brief MEPs on a range of regulatory issues which may affect the trade. Market access does not require EU membership - Daily Telegraph - Saturday, 24th March 2007 Philip Duly (Letters, 23rd March) says there would be “devastating economic consequences” if Britain left the EU. “It is inevitable that the EU would erect tariff barriers”, he says. He is wrong for two reasons. First, in the worst case that the EU applied its Common External Tariff against British exports, the total duty payable by UK plc on exports to the EU would actually be less than our current net EU budget contribution. So even on this basis we should be Better Off Out. EU's Berlin Declaration: 50 years of failure - Friday, 23rd March 2007 Today the European Union celebrates its 50th Birthday with a huge street party in Berlin, which will set the tax-payer back by £1 million. It will also issue its heavily-trailed Berlin Declaration, celebrating the achievements of its first fifty years, and looking to the future. Helmer sets out vision for EU future - Wednesday, 13th March 2007 In a packed Strasbourg session of the European Parliament, East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has today criticised the proposed new Berlin Declaration and set out his own vision for the future of the EU. The Berlin Declaration, which is currently being drafted in secret by the German Presidency of the EU, is due to be signed by Heads of State and Government on 25 March to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. MEPs fight new plans for business regulation - Tuesday, 12th March 2007 In a debate on Corporate Social Responsibility in the European parliament in Strasbourg this week, Conservative MEPs made a strong pitch for a voluntary approach rather than more mandatory regulation. The parliament was considering a report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from Labour MEP Richard Howitt. Howitt had argued for a mandatory approach, covering a wide range of areas including employment, social and environmental policy. Carbon debt of the Strasbourg commute - Lincolnshire Echo - Friday, 2nd March 2007 Your article of Feb 15th criticises Lincolnshire MPs for "producing 11 tons of CO2 emissions" last year.  I'd like to know how they were supposed to do their jobs without driving to constituency events.  As an MEP covering six counties, I drive around 25,000 miles a year, and I estimate that 90% of that is directly related to my work. New podcast service launched by MEP - Thursday, 1st March 2007 East Midlands - Local Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has today come up with a novel way of getting his message across to his East Midlands constituents. Mr Helmer, who already distributes a popular e-newsletter to supporters in the region, was last month named as the most effective MEP at communicating with his constituents. He has now produced a series of short and snappy podcasts available as part of his new podcast service. MEP visits Leicester Grammar School - Thursday, 1st March 2007 On Friday Feb 23rd, Leicestershire MEP Roger Helmer visited Leicester Grammar School to talk to Lower Sixth students about European issues. The event had been organised through the think-tank Civitas, which maintains a Speaker Panel of authoritative speakers with a Euro-realist outlook. The session was chaired by the Head of Sixth form Mr Trevor Allen. MEP backs North West Leicestershire PO campaign - Wednesday, 28 February 2007 Roger Helmer, Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands, has thrown his support behind a leading local Conservative’s campaign to stop Post Office closures. Andrew Bridgen, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for North West Leicestershire, has collected more than 1,700 signatures in support of saving Post Offices in the constituency. Letter to the Editor - Nottinghamshire Evening Post - Monday, 5th February 2007 Peter Valentine (Letters, January 26th) praises the European parliament (EP) for investigating the issue of CIA "rendition flights", and criticises our parliament for failing to do so. I know a little about this, as I am a member of the EP's CIA Committee. I have attended many of its meetings, including a three-day visit to Washington, and heard much of the "evidence". Local MEP Roger Helmer signs manifesto - Friday, 26th January 2007 The European Parliamentary Cervical Cancer Interest Group (CCIG) and the European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA) have today launched the first European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (ECCPW) to raise awareness of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented in Europe. Letter to the Editor - Nottinghamshire Evening Post - Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Contrary to Jon Beresford's letter of Jan 3rd, I have no difficulty at all in understanding why China emits more CO2 than the UK. I also know that China is building dozens of new and dirty coal-fired power stations every year. Letter to the Editor - Leicester Mercury - Wednesday, Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Collis Gretton (Mailbox, 2nd January) is looking at the euro through rose-coloured glasses. If the euro is "the high point for the EU", then heaven help us. We already have a dangerous house-price boom in the UK. If we joined the euro, we should be stuck with a lower interest rate, and inflation would run out of control.