Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
I wrote yesterday that despite a seeming apathy by the Irish people to the Lisbon Treaty, the Irish media are full of it. The surprising thing is that there appears to be near unanimity in the press about what people should do.
Take yesterday's Irish edition of our very own Mail on Sunday. Now you would expect the MoS to be rabidly in the 'No' to the Treaty camp wouldn't you? Not a bit of it. Their main political collumnist, John Waters gives us his view in a full page article (accompanied with a picture of lovely Fine Gael campaigner Lucinda Creighton - who could say no to her, quips the caption) with the blazing headline.... 'The 12 reasons why this weary eurosceptic is going to vote Yes....'
And as in the MoS, so it is everywhere. The big businesses are plugging a Yes vote, as is the media and every political with the honorable exception of Sinn Fein and the smaller socialist parties. Whereas in the UK euroscepticism has been hijacked by a small cult on the right of the Conservative Party, in Ireland it is the left who rally against the big business clique that is the EU.
The lessons for us are simple. Whatever the rhetoric in the media and on the right, if it came to the crunch and a referendum was held in the UK, they would overwhelmingly urge a Yes vote. They know on which side their bread is buttered.
Still despite the heavy bias in favour of a Yes vote, the Irish economy is shuddering just like our own, and it is just possible the people of Ireland will wake up and next week say No to Lisbon.
I disagree with you about the 'hijacking' of this issue in the UK. I think it's merely that the 'right' has been much more vociferous. Otherwise, you're pretty spot on. I actually think the new battlelines are between 'libertarian' and 'authoritarian'. As far as I can tell, the EU 'project' is authoritarian in its design, and anyone who believes in the rights of the individual (on the 'left' or 'right') has a right to be seriously concerned.
That simply isn’t true and I do not appreciate seeing the word honourable and Sinn Fein in the same sentence .The position of Ireland is not at all like our own partly because they are the recipients of such huge bribes .
There are counter arguments to leaving the EU and they are economic set against the national principle but the view of the Conservative activist is uniformly sceptical . A solid case for economic life outside the EU has to be made to counter innate small c Conservatism but there is not a scintilla of affection or loyalty to Europe , the EU or indeed anyone who is not British. We are not troubled by “internationalism” the debate is only about what is best for us. We are also by instinct vastly less trusting of bureaucracy which is what you spend your life trying to enlarge .( From the best of motives no doubt )
On the left there are many who actively hate loyalty to country and wish to set up a rival; super power to challenge America. There are many who distrust nationalism and others to whom democracy is only ever a means to and end . Freedom is conceived in social terms nt as individual Liberty so the edicts of distant masters is less horrifying
As you share much of this progressive wish list Bob I have to admit I am somewhat amazed you are not a fan of the EU yourself . It is left of this country and super statist full of bossy ideas to make us all into poltically correct automatons . Yum yum yum
You ought to spell out your objections at some point .
PS You ( New Labour ) lied on Lisbon we did not , in what is admittedly a murky and compromised world we are whiter than you. Fact
Gary Elsby stoke said:
June 2, 2008 12:25 PM | permalink
And your conclusions are that the Great British Economy in a Global Economy in a Globalised world is because of the European Union?
June 2, 2008 11:12 AM | permalink
I disagree with you about the 'hijacking' of this issue in the UK. I think it's merely that the 'right' has been much more vociferous. Otherwise, you're pretty spot on. I actually think the new battlelines are between 'libertarian' and 'authoritarian'. As far as I can tell, the EU 'project' is authoritarian in its design, and anyone who believes in the rights of the individual (on the 'left' or 'right') has a right to be seriously concerned.