Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The President of Romania foresees a European Union with a massive 28 nation states by 2018, and has discussed such an expansion with David Cameron.
This would be devastating for a number of reasons. Firstly, it would lead another wave of mass immigration from countries like Turkey. More broadly, it would see another power grab in Eastern Europe, as the EU would effectively turn the whole of Europe into a democracy free zone.
Presumably there would be referendums and this is what British Eurosceptics, more specifically those in UKIP, must get involved in. While the Conservatives claim to be critical of the EU, they want Turkey to join the EU and would promote membership as a positive thing as would nearly all establishment politicians from nearly every country.
The EU fanatics desire for total control over the European continent is unrelenting. It is these battles that must be fought by an international Eurosceptic group. Suddenly a Pan European Party sounds like a damn good idea to fight with, doesn't it?
Monday, 6 June 2011
Pan-European Parties: a battle of pragmatism vs. conspiracy?
Ever heard of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists? No? You might be surprised to hear then that it comprises of two national Prime Ministers and eleven political parties EU-wide including Britain's co-governing Conservative Party.
That is perhaps testament to the fact that Pan-European Parties really matter very little. Even as a politico I'd only recently even heard of the fact that the Tories, Labour and LibDems are all in Pan-European Parties. They certainly seem to benefit though - the Tories have a think tank funded to the tune of £500,000 per year as a result.
It seems to me that these would be the type of resources UKIP, a far smaller and less wealthy Party, could do with. Surely bringing in such resources and funding via a PEP would be one tangible thing that UKIP MEPs could help deliver? Well, maybe. But maybe not.
In true UKIP democratic style, it is going to a ballot of the membership. I'm not entirely sure this was necessary: if Nigel Farage had stood with a commitment to form a PEP in his leadership campaign, would he really have ceded much of his 60% of the vote? I somehow doubt that.
Having watched a live hustings debate yesterday over the PEP, I must say it came across as a debate of pragmatism (use the EU's own resources against it for a think tank and potential membership referendum fund), versus ideological purism (the EU is a conspiracy and thus anything we have to do with it gives it a grip over us).
The truth I think is that the latter argument has already been proven to be nonsense. If UKIP hadn't taken up its MEP seats in 1999, 2004 and 2009 as some wanted then it'd be dead in the water by now. People vote to be represented properly, and MEPs have meant resources and media exposure. The formation of the Ind/Dem and now EFD Groups in the European Parliament have seen UKIP speeches mainly from Nigel Farage go viral and bring in hordes of young UKIP members who cite such speeches as their initial spark of interest into the Party. I imagine the vast majority of UKIP voters would be screaming for UKIP to do anything it can to claw back British taxpayers money to give a greater voice, potentially based in Westminster where the national media await, to the pro-withdrawal cause.
Those who stand against PEPs are of course entitled to be so; but surely such logic extends to not taking up seats in the European Parliament, not voting on EU issues, not sitting on EuroParl committees, not using EU money to fund offices and staff and of course, not using the money the EU takes from British taxpayers to fund an MEPs own wage and expenses? If joining and forming a PEP is playing into the EU's hands, how is making one minute speeches to an empty European Parliament not? Both are a matter of having a voice heard within the EU's system as long as we remain inside it. A voice that wants out.
If we had taken such a purist route of rejecting using the EU's own resources (read: our cash) against it, then I'm fairly certain the Party wouldn't be picking up close to 1 million votes in General Elections or picking up Councillors up and down the country. I think on balance, UKIP joining a Pan-European Party could bring in some much needed resources and would aid Eurosceptic groups right across the continent. And if I'm wrong and the introduction of PEPs is all a big conspiracy, I'm sure we can dissolve it and leave if we like.
One thing is for sure: I'm pretty much certain that the EU would love for UKIP to stay away from a PEP and the chance to gain crucial resources to promote its message further. Will a conspiratorial approach play into their hands or will cooler heads of pragmatism prevail?
That is perhaps testament to the fact that Pan-European Parties really matter very little. Even as a politico I'd only recently even heard of the fact that the Tories, Labour and LibDems are all in Pan-European Parties. They certainly seem to benefit though - the Tories have a think tank funded to the tune of £500,000 per year as a result.
It seems to me that these would be the type of resources UKIP, a far smaller and less wealthy Party, could do with. Surely bringing in such resources and funding via a PEP would be one tangible thing that UKIP MEPs could help deliver? Well, maybe. But maybe not.
In true UKIP democratic style, it is going to a ballot of the membership. I'm not entirely sure this was necessary: if Nigel Farage had stood with a commitment to form a PEP in his leadership campaign, would he really have ceded much of his 60% of the vote? I somehow doubt that.
Having watched a live hustings debate yesterday over the PEP, I must say it came across as a debate of pragmatism (use the EU's own resources against it for a think tank and potential membership referendum fund), versus ideological purism (the EU is a conspiracy and thus anything we have to do with it gives it a grip over us).
The truth I think is that the latter argument has already been proven to be nonsense. If UKIP hadn't taken up its MEP seats in 1999, 2004 and 2009 as some wanted then it'd be dead in the water by now. People vote to be represented properly, and MEPs have meant resources and media exposure. The formation of the Ind/Dem and now EFD Groups in the European Parliament have seen UKIP speeches mainly from Nigel Farage go viral and bring in hordes of young UKIP members who cite such speeches as their initial spark of interest into the Party. I imagine the vast majority of UKIP voters would be screaming for UKIP to do anything it can to claw back British taxpayers money to give a greater voice, potentially based in Westminster where the national media await, to the pro-withdrawal cause.
Those who stand against PEPs are of course entitled to be so; but surely such logic extends to not taking up seats in the European Parliament, not voting on EU issues, not sitting on EuroParl committees, not using EU money to fund offices and staff and of course, not using the money the EU takes from British taxpayers to fund an MEPs own wage and expenses? If joining and forming a PEP is playing into the EU's hands, how is making one minute speeches to an empty European Parliament not? Both are a matter of having a voice heard within the EU's system as long as we remain inside it. A voice that wants out.
If we had taken such a purist route of rejecting using the EU's own resources (read: our cash) against it, then I'm fairly certain the Party wouldn't be picking up close to 1 million votes in General Elections or picking up Councillors up and down the country. I think on balance, UKIP joining a Pan-European Party could bring in some much needed resources and would aid Eurosceptic groups right across the continent. And if I'm wrong and the introduction of PEPs is all a big conspiracy, I'm sure we can dissolve it and leave if we like.
One thing is for sure: I'm pretty much certain that the EU would love for UKIP to stay away from a PEP and the chance to gain crucial resources to promote its message further. Will a conspiratorial approach play into their hands or will cooler heads of pragmatism prevail?
Labels:
European Union,
Pan-European Party,
UKIP
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