SAD NEWS ABOUT EUROFACTS

Keith Carson of Eurofacts selling June Press publications at a UKIP rally.

The sad news has been received that after fourteen years of ceaseless production a decision has been made to end the production of the extremely informative Eurofacts newsletter.

Eurofacts was a fortnightly eight page newsletter which reported on the EU problem, gave quotes from prominent people both in the EU and also the campaign against EU domination. As part of the June Press which sells a whole range of anti-EU books and literature, Eurofacts also gave updates of meeting and events around the country which was an invaluable service for those in the campaign who were organising meetings and events.

In a letter to its readers the Eurofacts editorial team stated: 

"Dear Subscriber,

eurofacts to cease publication

We are writing to let you know that, fourteen years after its founding, eurofacts will shortly cease publication. The last issue will be that dated 19th June 2009 and numbered Vol 14 No 17.

This is a voluntary decision, taken after much deliberation by the management team consisting of the two founders, Ian Milne and Keith Carson, and the editor Gerald Frost. The reason is that, in what is turning out to be a prolonged and deep recession, we are no longer confident in our ability to secure the substantial funding needed to cover the publication’s operating costs.

eurofacts’ unbroken fourteen-year track record comprises 330 issues, twelve pamphlets and fourteen Data & Historical Fact Sheets, with over 660,000 copies delivered to readers.

Recent polls show that British public opinion is more solidly eurosceptic than ever, something to which eurofacts has no doubt contributed.

Few publications are fortunate enough to have readers as intelligent, as faithful, as committed and as active as eurofacts. We are immensely grateful to all of you for your support and interest. The time will come - sooner perhaps than we expect - when our country once again becomes an independent self-governing democracy, and we are confident that eurofacts and its readers will be judged to have played a significant part in bringing that happy state about.

Once again, our sincerest thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Milne Keith Carson Gerald Frost

Chairman Managing Director Editor"

A sad loss to our campaign indeed, we will all miss this important source of information.

WHAT ARE THE LABOUR PARTY UP TO?

Melvin Ward, UKIP by-election candidate in Birmingham Lozells & Handsworth.

Lets see, I’ve stood for election in three general elections, I’ve lost count of the number of local elections I have stood or been involved in and I have worked in three European elections. During most of these elections I have got supporters to sign nomination papers as well as going around some areas asking residents to sign too where we don’t have any local UKIP members. So, when it comes to elections I tend to know what I am doing and have had a fair bit of experience.

In all those years of elections, after the nominations were signed and accepted by the elections office, I have never had anything like the telephone call I have had from a lady who signed the nomination papers of our UKIP by-election candidate, Melvin Ward, who is standing in the Birmingham Lozells and Handsworth ward.

This lady, who I approached while pounding the streets getting the ten required signatures, telephoned our UKIP office in Birmingham and seemed quite concerned. It seems that the Labour Party agent had written a letter to her asking if she had signed Melvin’s nomination papers. It looks like the Labour Party are now so desperate and obviously concerned that they may lose one of their safest wards in Birmingham they are having to resort to the dirty trick of trying to get their opponents knocked out on some sort of technicality.

It took me four long hours wandering around the area knocking on doors, chatting to people in their gardens, getting a lot of refusals, although everyone was polite and quite friendly despite the fact they did not want to sign – which was fine by me. However, if the Labour Party wanted to have a chat with me I could have told them in an instant that all is above board and that the elections office were content too. In fact, it’s a wonder the Labour Party has time to go around pestering people who have the freedom to sign the nomination papers of those they wish to support – I thought they would be far too busy sorting out their fiddled expenses!

LORD STODDART URGES PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR UKIP

Lord Stoddart, urges people to vote for UKIP on the 4th June.

As the European Parliamentary elections become ever closer, Lord Stoddart of Swindon who was a long serving Labour MP for Swindon, then Labour Peer and now an Independent Labour Peer, who usually spurns European Parliamentary elections, has decided to use his vote on 4th June for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and has encouraged other Labour voters to do the same.

 

In a statement confirming his voting intention Lord Stoddart said: “I am appalled at the refusal of the Government to tell the public the truth about the extent to which the United Kingdom is now governed by the European Union and that vital decisions affecting our interests are being taken by a gaggle of twenty six other nations, whose interests are often inimical to those of Britain.

 

“The only way to save our country from complete absorption into a single centralised European state is to leave the EU and, since not one of the major political parties supports this policy, UKIP is the only realistic alternative.

 

“Those Labour voters who value democracy and self-government can, by voting UKIP on 4th June, send a clear message to their own and the other traditional parties that the hand-over of powers has to stop and be reversed.”

WHAT! ANOTHER BRIGHT IDEA FROM THE EU

What is it with the EU and light bulbs?  No sooner than they ban ordinary filament light bulbs that gave a decent amount of light and replace them with so-called 'green' bulbs that are poisonous because they are full of Mercury - and are even dimmer than the average EU Commissioner, the next thing it gets up to is change the way the measure of the light from them is described.

Light bulbs for years have been rated by wattage, this was a nice easy way to know how much light the bulb would deliver.  A 40 watt bulb would be quit dim, whereas a 100 watt bulb gave a lot of light - hence it being so popular.  Sadly, the EU is proposing dropping the term wattage, the name of which was based on the Scottish scientist James Watt, to be replaced by the meaningless term 'lumens'.  A 60w bulb will become an 800 lm which is due to create great confusion.

Even now, after years of people being forced by the EU to purchase their petrol in litres rather than traditional gallons the majority of motorists don't actually know how much fuel they have purchased except by value.  Now the same thing is going to happen to our light bulbs, if you can call the useless EU enforced bulbs we have now light bulbs.

Yet again here is another bright idea from the EU that we don't want or need.  Here is an even brighter idea, let's get out of the EU at the speed of light.

FROM BLACK HORSE TO BLACK DAYS

When the global recession started and the banking crisis began, one bank was praised for doing everything right and looked strong as other banks such as Northern Rock had their worried savers queuing to get their money out before the bank went belly up, that bank was, of course, Lloyds TSB.

As other banks began to crumble Lloyds looked a strong bet, and with some encouragement from the Government, plus a nod and a wink from Peter Mandelson, the Trade Minister, Lloyds TSB merged with Halifax Bank of Scotland. We were all informed at the time that this was a good move and both banks would benefit. 

Sadly, this was not so and Sir Victor Blank, the Lloyds TSB chairman who promoted the idea of the take-over to Gordon Brown at a cocktail party, was forced to resign as the whole deal went pear shaped. As soon as it was announced he was to quit as the chairman shares in the bank began to climb, only to plunge again by around thirty per cent when Sir Victor revealed in a letter to shareholders that the European Commission could well demand the break up of the bank under its competition rules.

It would seem that Gordon Brown and the Government was so desperate to dump the problem of the Halifax Bank of Scotland and to avoid nationalising it, they virtually tore up the competition rule book to rush the deal through.

The merger of the two banks made the new merged bank one of the largest on the High Street controlling thirty percent of both the Mortgage and saving markets.

Sir Victor Blank wrote that the EC could move in and force the bank to shrink. How the EC deals with this matter is speculation at this point in time, some predict it could force the bank to sell off ‘non-core’ assets, which would not be too disastrous for the bank, however, the EC also has the power, due to successive British Governments surrendering their right to govern to the EU, to force the bank to sell off its ‘core-assets’ such as overseas operations.

There is speculation that the bank may have to sell off constituent parts of HBOS - its Halifax or Bank of Scotland divisions or its Scottish Widows insurance arm.

It would seem that the normal due diligence before any major take-over had not been fully completed. Because of the fiscal problems this has created for the bank the Government has been forced to prop up the bank with state aid which has set alarm bells ringing in Brussels which will not hesitate to interfere in British affairs. The Lloyds TSB sign has gone from a romping black horse to a sign of black days ahead under EU orders.

GOING, GOING, GORBALS

The Houses of Parliament, its members are under siege.

After one hell of a lot of pressure Gorbals Mick, otherwise known as Michael Martin the Speaker of the House of Commons, has finally announced his resignation as Speaker and from Parliament. He is the first Speaker in three hundred years to be shoved out.

The problem was not so much him, but the very fact he was elected into a position of such responsibility in the first place - this was akin to making Rab C Nesbitt Speaker as both sound the same and by the seems of things have the same intellect. 

At the time of his election there were other Parliamentarians in the running who were far more capable of doing the job, not least the Member for Aldridge Brownhills, Richard Shepherd who in the last few days have proven himself.

You almost have to feel sorry for poor old Gorbals, although he clearly was not up to the job he has unfairly become the scapegoat for the MPs who have been caught with their sticky little paws in the taxpayers till.  At least UKIP supporting Bob Spink

pointed this out and that a large number of MPs should be looking to themselves rather than turning against the Speaker. He then very graciously thanked the Speaker for his work.

One of the problems we face now is what happens next.  Parliament is full of customs and tradition which the New Labour modernisers hate and despise, the problems to beset the Houses of Parliament now gives them the perfect opportunity to tear out every vestige of the old system to be replaced with a modern system that will have no bearing on how Parliament works, the position of out Monarch in Parliament and as the Labour Party has been out to do since Tony Blair was first elected in 1997, totally undermine the power of Parliament to hold the Government to account.  This has to be avoided at all costs.

We may have a situation where we are seeing the going, going of Gorbals Mick, but we have to ensure everything Parliament stands for is not thrown out too.

CAMPAIGN LIFT OFF

Reminder to myself, I must write a letter of grateful thanks to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, I will have to thank them for having such a load of fiddling MPs in Parliament - they are doing wonders for the UKIP campaign in these European elections.

Wherever we go on the campaign trail we are hearing the same comment from people, which to sum up is on the lines of: 'Bloody MPs, what a bunch of crooks!  You will be getting my vote its the last time I will vote Labour/Tory/Liberal Democrat.'  There is certainly a wow factor coming into this election.

On Saturday 16th May we took our West Midlands UKIP election campaign to Shrewsbury and people telling us that we had got their votes.  While out pounding the streets delivering leaflets I took a call from one of our younger members who was in the middle of Tamworth,

he was gob-smacked with the response they were getting from people in the town, all saying they intend to vote UKIP - this election is nothing like any other I have been involved with.

As Parliament implodes, MPs bleat that it is not their fault but that of the system, knives are being drawn against Speaker Martin and good old Lord Tebbit is more or less telling people to vote UKIP, for the first time since Cromwell we could be in for a real political revolution in this country - roll on the 4th of June now we have campaign lift off.

EURO HUSTINGS

Mike Nattrass MEP, a lone voice at the hustings.

This evening our Walsall group of UKIP campaigners attended a European election hustings organised by Chris Towe of the Chamber of Commerce - and what an intertesting evening it was.

Lined up on the top table were three MEPs, Tory Malcolm Harbour, Liberal Democrat Liz Lynne, UKIP Mike Natrass and one Labour Councillor whose name I have forgotten.  It seems the Labour Party MEPs are far too busy and important to lower themselves to being grilled by the electorate.

What a revealing evening it was too,  Malcolm Harbour and Liz Lynne were having a Euro fanatical love in and agreeing with everything the other said - especially when they were waxing lyrical about the EU - if such a thing is possible.  It was blatantly obvious the Labour chap hadn't got a clue about the EU or what he was chuntering on about, but as the other two were pro-EU he must have thought that was to right thing to do too and agreed with every idiotic thing they came out with, and the lone EU-sceptical voice was our UKIP MEP and good pal, Mike Nattrass who held no punches back when it came to having a go at the EU.

The other three were trying to inform us how we have to be in the EU to have influence and how by being there we can make sure that its daft directives and rotten regulations are made with us in the UK in mind - who do they think they are kidding?  Mike soon sorted them out on that score, as I did too by reminding them that when Tony (its getting better) Blair was elected on a massive mandate from the British electorate in 1997, in order to honour one of his manifesto promises he had to go cap in hand to the EU and ask if he could have permission to reduce VAT on domestic heating.  As I pointed out in no uncertain terms, this is not democracy - it was a bloody insult!

Liz Lynne tried to play the really devious and dirty trick of saying that one of UKIP MEPs was in prison for fraud against the EU.  Mike soon took her to task with that one as she was obviously referring to Ashley Mote.  This nasty little tactic is being overused by all those who know they are about to be trounced by UKIP and have become so desperate they are deliberately lying to try to discredit UKIP.  In fact, as Mike had to remind the Lib Dim MEP, Ashley Mote was never a UKIP MEP.  He was elected on the UKIP ticket and it was discovered before he took his seat in the EU Parliament that he had a fraud case pending against him, which was nothing to do with the EU.  Because of this and the fact he had given false information on his initial UKIP paperwork which asked if there were any criminal cases pending against those applying to be a UKIP MEP, Ashley was promptly dismissed from UKIP and took his seat as an independent.  Of course such realities do not count when you have to lie and deceive to remain as an MEP.

All in all the night was a good one and mike took no prisoners in the battle for British freedom and democracy, it improved greatly when we all finished up in the Lyndon House Hotel for a pint or two after the event.

WELL, THEY WOULD SAY THAT WOULDN'T THEY?

Peter Roberts of the Driver Alliance.

The Drivers’ Alliance today reacted with profound scepticism to a report claiming that congestion charging in big cities would be good for business.

The report was drawn up by AECOM, formerly Faber Maunsell AECOM, which was responsible for ex-London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s London congestion charge.

Peter Roberts, CEO of the Drivers’ Alliance, said: “We take a cynical view of reports such as this. In the famous words of Mandy Rice-Davies, ‘Well, he would, wouldn’t he?’

“Yet again we see vested self-interest in the arguments surrounding Congestion Charging and Road Pricing.

“It is unbelievable the CBI would support this research knowing that many of their own members working in areas affected by Congestion Charges are suffering as a result of its introduction.

 

“When new London Mayor Boris Johnson consulted the public in an open and honest way, he found a huge majority opposed to the Western Extension of the London Congestion Charge. He had the courage to listen to the people and did the right thing by scrapping it.”

The AECOM report was funded by the Commission for Integrated Transport, the Confederation of British Industry and the Freight Transport Association.

Mr Roberts said: “The Drivers’ Alliance is opposed to Congestion Charging and Road Pricing and is deeply suspicious of a report written by a company involved in the consultation and installation of Congestion Charging schemes funded in part by the Commission for Integrated Transport, an organisation specifically looking to promote the advance of public transport.

“After an overwhelming public rejection of Congestion Charging proposals in Manchester, where a referendum showed 79% rejecting the charge and in Edinburgh where 74% were against it, along with the removal of the Western extension of London’s charging zone following a public consultation where 86% of businesses wanted to see it removed, it is unbelievable that organisations like the CBI, and FTA are prepared to fund dubious research in support of charging.

“Businesses were actually damaged when the London Congestion Charge was introduced and business rental values fell. This is the real world, not a theoretical piece of research from a company likely to profit from Congestion Charging.”

Mr Roberts added: “This is an old-fashioned stitch-up. Decide on the verdict, hold a trial, deliver the verdict you first thought of and then impose the sentence – which, in this case, would be heavy new taxes on businesses and individuals. We remain completely unconvinced.”

LORD STODDART TELLS THE GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE ON THE EU

Lord Stoddart of Swindon, long standing anti-EU campaigner.

The independent Labour Peer, Lord Stoddart of Swindon has raised temperatures in the House of Lords by putting an oral question to the Government followed by a supplementary question (Lords 11.5.09) in which he pointed out that a recent BBC survey, for the Daily Politics Show, of citizens’ attitudes toward the EU showed that 55% of respondents wanted Britain to leave the EU and 84% wanted a referendum before the transfer of any further powers to the EU.

 

Lord Stoddart asked the Government whether it had undertaken its own survey and in his supplementary question he said:  “Is it not about time that the Government listened to the British people, stopped transferring further powers to the EU and conducted a serious investigation into whether the United Kingdom would be better off out?”

 

Lord Stoddart was supported in the debate by UKIP’s Lord Pearson of Rannoch who pointed out the long-term objective behind the EU - the replacement of national democracies.  He also highlighted the fact that the lawmakers in the EU cannot be voted out of office.

 

In response, Lord Malloch-Brown for the Government rather unconvincingly fell back on the use of focus groups which he said had “….helped us better understand people’s level of knowledge about the EU and the types of EU activity they were interested in.” He also said it was clear that the Government needed to “go on trying harder” to persuade the British people of the benefits of being in the EU.

 

Lord Stoddart commenting on the debate said:  “It was disappointing to see the Government trying to hide behind focus groups, which we all know only canvass the opinions of a very small, carefully controlled sample and cannot provide a meaningful gauge of public opinion.  The fact is, the Government has consistently shown that it is not interested in public opinion on the EU and arrogantly continues to pursue pro-EU policies which are inimical to British interests and threaten both our economy and our democratic heritage.”

The full text of Lord Stoddart’s questions and the ensuing debate is below.

 

 

Hansard 11.05.09

EU: UK Citizens’ Attitudes

Question

2.37 pm

Asked By Lord Stoddart of Swindon

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have commissioned a recent survey of the attitudes of United Kingdom citizens to the European Union; and, if so, whether they will publish the results.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): My Lords, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently commissioned some focus group work which does not provide any quantitative results like a survey but has helped us better understand people’s level of knowledge about the EU and the types of EU activity they were interested in. We will publish information from the focus groups on the FCO website.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that Answer, but has he seen the poll by the BBC’s “Daily Politics” in March which showed that 55 per cent of people wanted to leave the EU; 64 per cent were against scrapping the pound in favour of the euro; and 84 per cent wanted a referendum before the transfer of further powers to the EU, confirming the overwhelming demand for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty? Is it not about time that the Government listened to the British people, stopped transferring further powers to the EU and conducted a serious investigation into whether the United Kingdom would be better off out?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, all in this House would expect a Minister of this Government at this time to say that we should never put our faith in opinion polls. I am glad the noble Lord has pointed out that this was not a British Government poll. It remains a clear fact that this Government have not been able to persuade all the people of Britain of the benefits of membership of the European Union and will have to go on trying harder.

11 May 2009 : Column 810

Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, can the Minister confirm that those responsible for administering the EU school milk supply refuse to supply school milk to British schools unless they advertise and eulogise the EU?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the noble Baroness has stumped me. I was not aware of this and I will be very happy to look into it for her.

Lord Dykes: My Lords, is it not extraordinary that attitudes are so positive in percentage terms when successive governments have never sought to explain or defend the EU properly until last year, mercifully, with the British Government now defending the Lisbon treaty? They are explaining it properly for the first time since Edward Heath—many years ago. There are 1 million British companies now in the EU doing business; nearly 2 million Brits living in other EU countries, including Spain; 3.5 million jobs directly linked to membership of the EU; and 50 million individual journeys to EU countries, mostly on low-cost airlines, were taken last year. I know that the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, is independent Labour but why is he so nervous and old-fashioned?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the noble Lord has asked his question and answered it. The case he makes is persuasive.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, has the noble Lord read that enduring masterpiece by Christopher Booker and Richard North, The Great Deception, which clearly shows that the big idea behind the project of European integration has always been to replace national democracies with rule from Brussels, which also turns out to be corrupt? Is it therefore any wonder, now that they are waking up to it, that our people do not like not being able to sack those who make most of their unwanted law? However unpopular the system is down the other end and in this House, at least the British people can get rid of them. They cannot get rid of their law-makers in Brussels.

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, we are on the eve of the European elections and the Commission is renewed every term, so there are plenty of accountabilities in Europe, too.

Baroness Ludford: My Lords, does the Minister agree that if we ask people, “What can Europe do to improve your lives in tackling cross-border crime, upholding civil liberties, dealing with climate change in the world and delivering economic security?”, we get much more positive answers than if we concentrate on the institutional framework? As an MEP I am very conscious of 4 June, when people can chuck me out or vote me back in if they so wish.

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the focus group research to which I referred in the original Answer has confirmed exactly that point made by the noble Baroness. When Europe is not an abstraction but is about the services, benefits and projects it brings to specific British communities, there is a much higher level of support for it.

11 May 2009 : Column 811

Lord Tebbit: My Lords, the noble Lord said that the Government were trying to persuade British people that our membership of the European Union was a good thing. It is a very long journey. Could they start with one small step along that journey by wresting back from our European masters the power of decision over whether Danish meat or any other foreign meat can be described as British when it is brought here provided that somebody has put a plastic wrapper round it?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the noble Lord is more of an expert—indeed, there are many experts on the other Benches—on the food policies of Europe, most of which are driven by food and safety issues but also, I agree, by the complex labelling system. Again, I am stumped on an issue, and I shall have to get back to the noble Lord.

Lord Howell of Guildford: My Lords, the noble Lord is batting nobly for his department on this difficult issue. Should we not review thoroughly the whole approach of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the European case, to remove some of the lukewarm attitudes reflected in the devastating figures given by the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart? When the Foreign Office goes into bat on European issues, it should be rather more forward in promoting our links with the Commonwealth, which covers almost one-third of the human race. We notice that our French friends always turn up with arguments for the Francophonie but the British always seem to be phased by how to please the French and the Germans rather than how to promote our worldwide network of the Commonwealth. Could we have a little more vigour and strength in that department and then we might do better on Europe?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the noble Lord knows full well that I completely share his enthusiasm for the Commonwealth and, as he implies in his question, we recognise it is not an either/or situation. We are members of both these important networks, and the extent to which we can create links between them is good for Britain and for all our partners in both organisations.

Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde: My Lords, does the Minister agree that the only experience that British schoolchildren have had of losing milk was not from the EU but on the occasion when Mrs Thatcher—now the noble Baroness, Lady Thatcher—became known as “Thatcher, the milk snatcher”?

Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, I certainly agree with the noble Baroness that that is a much more memorable milk story than the one referred to today.

HOUSE OF DISHONOUR

Protesters outside Parliament.

As  the June 4th elections speed towards us it will be interesting to see exactly what the people of this country do on voting day.  Never before have our political leaders been held in such contempt by the electorate, the last time I can remember our politicians being on such a low was in the days of the Profumo scandal - even then it was not this bad.

Politicians for years have moaned that were they working in industry they would be paid considerably more and they tolerate their poor incomes because they want to do good, despite the fact the majority of people who worked in professions that actually produce something useful earn a great deal less but do not whinge about it.  But now the cat is out of the bag and it has been revealed by the Daily Telegraph that our elected representatives have been dipping into an expenses pot of of gold and using the system to make sure their nests are well and truly feathered.  

The frustrating thing is, now they have been caught with their hands well and truly in the taxpayers till, they are not saying sorry, but instead have the bare faced cheek to say the fault lies with the system, not them.  Now they are proposing the expenses system, which they set in place, be changed to remove the temptation away from them.  When the system was set up it was presumed that their Honourable Members would be above doing such things as ripping off the taxpayers, sadly we have no honourable Members left these days.  

If we want to let them know what we think of them the 4th June would be a good place to start, do it by voting UKIP and kill two corrupt birds with one stone.  Vote to leave the corrupt EU and vote to tell our corrupt politicians their days are numbered.

PUTTING PAID TO NONSENSE

Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader proving UKIP is a force to be force to be reckoned with.

It’s quite something when Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party takes note of one of your comments. This happened to me a few weeks ago when at a UKIP elections meeting in London a group of us were discussing some of the media’s negative outpourings about UKIP. I mentioned about being invited to do a debate on Matthew Revell’s Politics on the Show Wolverhampton Community Radio and how my Lib Dim opponent came out with this nonsense that UKIP was in a state of collapse, I referred to Mark Twain’s famous quote: “News of UKIP’s demise has been greatly exagerated.” Nigel seemed to like that comment.

When the powers that be, which maybe the pro-EU BBC, the left leaning press, or the Tory supporting Daily Telegraph all latch on to something they can use to undermine their common enemy, UKIP, they all pile in with the same old tosh irrespective of facts or any hint that one of their hacks has actually sat down and done a bit of research to verify what they are talking about. If they had done their job then they would have had the old journalistic problem of letting the truth get in the way of a good story. UKIP is far from finished and its teams of activists are working flat out for a good result on June 4th.

Some more of this tosh appeared on the letters page of the Daily Torygraph today (8th May, 2009), a certain Dr Spencer Fitz-Gibbon responded to comments about how to ensure the less than savoury BNP does not get any of its henchmen elected. He points out that in the North West the eighth seat will go to one of the smaller parties and then stated: “UKIP has largely collapsed” – how does he know any of this as it is a different message to those of us within UKIP? He then goes on to promote the wishy-washy pointless Green Party as the way to stop BNP. No, the way to stop the BNP, the way to stop any further erosion of our sovereignty and Parliamentary democracy is to vote for Britain’s third largest political party in these elections, which is UKIP. What twerps such as this are doing by repeating this negative mantra is actually helping to promote the BNP - which will not do well anyway.

Lets look at the facts, UKIP put out its first election broadcast last night which has gone down extremely well. Nigel Farage,

the UKIP leader, is appearing on the TV and doing interviews on the radio and, as always, is making his point clearly – that man has a lot of support in the country as his no-nonsense direct and common sense approach hits home with the voters. There is one more simple fact, if you are one of the majority in this country that want Britain to leave the EU, then only a vote for UKIP can do it. If you listen to the press and media which has its own interests, which are not in your best interests, then you are playing into their hands.

On June 4th just go out and vote UKIP wherever you are in the country and put paid, once and for all, to the nonsense – and the EU.

IDENTIFYING A MAJOR PROBLEM

I.D cards were being pushed by the Blair Government.

During World War Two the people of Britain were forced to carry identity cards due to the national emergency of being at war. The reason being was that it was presumed only those who had a right to be here in the UK would be issued with an I.D. card, whilst ‘fifth columnist’ and Nazi stormtroopers who may happen to drop in by parachute would not have such a document. I suppose there was a simple logic in that argument, also that any forgeries would be easily spotted, which considering the complexity of some of the documents successfully forged in prison camps across Europe by our own POW’s soon puts paid to that argument.

Although the authorities seemed to be keen on the keeping of compulsory I.D. cards after the war, they were not really popular and eventually the ruling was challenged in the courts and the old paper I.D. cards, which by then contained a great deal more information than when they were first introduced, died a death and no free British subject mourned their passing. In fact the removal of I.D. cards and rationing meant a return to normality for most and the war years were put behind us as the country in those days had a future to build.

Now, sixty or so years later, I.D. cards are back, or our control freak Government would like them to be back. The difference with now and then is that modern I.D. cards will be far more sinister and will allow the state to pry, monitor and even control our lives. What will be seen as a simply little bit of plastic with a chip, will be able to store masses of data upon each and everyone of us, data I add that will be available to private companies for a price, and to many others too. This will be data that given the track record of our Government offices will be far from secure and certain people will be able to obtain without our consent or knowledge – it will be data that many of us would not want in the public domain.

Although a certain number of gullible people think that I.D. cards will be a panacea against crime, fraud, terrorism and a hundred and one other problems, in fact I.D. cards will not tackle or stop anyone of those problems. In some cases they will create problems.

Those who lose their I.D. cards will be in for such a nightmare time that neither Kafka or Orwell would have been able to imagine – and the fiscal cost will be painful too. Then there will be people who will find that their I.D. card will not allow them to have a book from the library if the state suddenly deems them a risk. What too to those who will, without a shadow of a doubt, have their I.D’s stolen? Impossible? No, look at credit cards when the chip and pin first came out, there was never going to be any more credit card fraud – fat chance, credit card fraud thanks to chip and pin is doing very nicely thank you.

So, some poor sap will have their I.D. stolen and the next thing they know they will be arrested and asked to explain themselves, and whatever they say the authorities will probably not believe them as their stolen I.D’s will be saying something else. Innocence until proven guilty will be well and truly dead to be replaced guilty by I.D. card irrespective of the fact it has been cloned. In fact the only people who are going to do well out of I.D. cards will be the state as it will be another tax income, the multinationals who will be awarded the highly lucrative contracts to administer them, and of course, a vast army of criminals who will find their forged, cloned and stolen I.D. cards will give them the credibility they currently do not have.

The only thing one can identify from the introduction of I.D. cards is a major problem for each and everyone of us – when introduced we will kiss our once cherished freedom goodbye.

To support the campaign against I.D. cards, visit the No2ID web-site.

HEAVEN HELP US

On Friday 1st May the Telegraph reported the comments of the European Union's enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, who accused the British people of having an irrational and backward looking view of the EU's eastwards expansion and foreign workers, then on Monday 4th May we get the news that the EU is pumping billions of pounds of our money on all sorts of absurd and strange projects such as trying to 'define God'.  And Olli Rehn is wondering why the British people are so sceptical?

The Taxpayers Alliance, that bastion of common sense which seems to be one of the few organisations standing up for the hard hit and put-upon British taxpapyers, has reported just how much of our money the EU squanders and some of the most useless and pointless projects.  It seems we, through the EU money siphoning system, have given £137,000 to fund a carnival which obviously tickled the EU's fancy, an actors union got 103,000 to keep the luvvies happy, there was £1.4 million spent on an 'Explaining Religion' programme and not to forget the £96,000 so that fifteen artists from nine European countries could have a nice little jolly in Liverpool.  

This is just some of the ways in which the EU is lavish with our diminishing earnings.  If it does find God then maybe we can ask for Heaven to help us against this madness.

THE UKIP CAMPAIGN GETS WELL AND TRULY UNDERWAY

UKIP campaigners in Sutton Coldfield.

One of the reasons there has not been a lot of activity on this blog is due to elections, both Euro and county council elections as there is a lot of work and time to be given to getting nominations sorted.  One of the other reasons is despite this rushing around, since my accident with my ankle last week - which still hurts, I have also come down with the dreaded lurgy and generally feel like death warmed up - hence early to bed and not late night blogging which some days is the only time I have left.

However, on Saturday 2nd May UKIP members showed up in Sutton Coldfield to show that the campaign is well and truly underway, we even had our West Midlands UKIP bus along too for its first public outing.  

What a good day it was too, the sun was shining and our leaflets flew out, despite my limp.  Labour are in a state of meltdown, the Liberal Democrats have vanished altogether and the Tories don't want to talk about anything - especially our enslavement to the EU in case it costs them votes.  No problems like that in UKIP, our campaign is well and truly underway.