Grayling Shames Britain -

Every person has the right to life, liberty and security; their private and family life should be respected, and they have the right to get married. No-one should be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and has the right to a fair trial.

No-one can be enslaved; or suffer discrimination due to sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.

People should have the freedom of thought and religion; and in accordance with law freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Why are the Tories afraid of allowing international scrutiny of our nation against these standards? Are we join to Belarus in being the only European countries to stand outside of the European Court of Human Rights? 

-----------

The EHCR has nothing to do with the EU. It was established by victorious allies after WW2 to protect the individual from oppression by the state. The Council of European which hosts the ECHR, was set up to promote Parliamentary Democracy, as well as personal freedom. Initially it had only 10 members Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. With the defeat of Fascism and Communism it has grown to 47, with many non European States having observer status.
Incidentally figures for 2013 up to September are available. Only 3 cases against the UK made it to Court (as the overwhelming majority are rejected) - the UK won all 3. They were 1) Wearing Religious Symbols at Work (employers are allowed to ban them) 2) Treatment of Prisoners in Thailand ruled out of jurisdiction 3) Banning animal welfare adverts on TV as they are political (adverts can be banned)

EU Parliamentary Elections are an Effective Referendum

I am grateful to the contributions from supporters of UKIP and others who seek to isolate the UK from the world's largest market, as well as placing us outside of the imminent EU/USA Free Trade Area. I see little point in addressing their ever lengthening list of bizarre claims, mis-information and scare-mongering; I leave it to the good sense of your readers to sift fact from fiction. In so doing I stand with the clear majority of working age UK citizens (Ipsos-Mori poll 29th Dec) who welcome the arrival of hard working migrants. A significant finding, supported by the Institute of Directors, The Adam Smith Institute Institute, The Institute of Economic Affairs, The Centre for Policy Studies, and the The Entrepreneurs Network (public statement 27th December) – who clearly cannot be dismissed as “left-wingers”. UK Business leaders, including the CBI and the EEF, have repeatedly expressed concern at the damage that would be done to our prosperity should we leave the EU, not least because of the estimated 3.5 million jobs that arise from UK entrepreneurs exploiting the single market, and the simplified regulatory framework that is thanks to the EU's bonfire of regulations. Hardly surprising then that economists estimate that the Single Market boosts UK GDP by around £35 Billion per annum, and the Office for Budget Responsibility has said that immigration is helping to reduce the UK's long term deficit; meanwhile in excess of 1 Million Brits have used their personal right to travel to live, work and retire in other EU countries. Whenever I ask the question 'what EU directive affected you today' I rarely get an answer, but at Xmas I am grateful for the EU Toy Safety Directive which includes a ban on the use of lead paint in children's toys. We are a democracy and the choice is yours. This June we have the EU Parliamentary elections, an opportunity for us all to be heard in an effective National Referendum on EU membership. In 2010 UKIP secured a derisory 16%, and they came a poor third in last year's County Council elections despite their clear expectations of glory. It will be interesting to see if they can improve that position in 2014. Meanwhile I and the clear majority of the British voters will continue to trust our personal freedom, prosperity and security to the 3 pillars of European co-operation, The Council of Europe, the EU and NATO.

Guest Contribution - Sir Alan Beith & Green Energy Levies

Dear Mr Beith

Thank you very much for your extensive letter on green energy issues, in response to my email concerning Lord Teverson's amendment to the Energy Bill.
You have provided a very extensive list of Liberal Democrat activity in relation to green issues and Liberal Democrat policy in general. Thank you. I could argue with some of the items on the list e.g. protection of the green belt  (where I note that you have failed to oppose changes to the rules which have made it easier to develop on green belt land, extend sites without consent, and to implement environmentally damaging changes of use), but that gets away from the key issue here of renewable energy.

Focussing on renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions, the facts are that, at your Party Conference in Glasgow the Lib Dems voted to support Nuclear Energy after Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said that not backing nuclear would be "reckless". Nick Clegg has gone on record to support fracking. You have consistently opposed wind turbines in our constituency, and thus the creation of skilled jobs which we badly need.

More recently you have supported the cutting of 'green levies' on energy bills . These funds are used primarily to pay for home insulation for those who do not have the means to pay for it themselves. The government was quick to announce a vote grabbing “cut in heating bills” at the expense of the poor, but have yet to announce any details of the replacement 'Warm Homes Discount'.

As I said in my original email, what is needed is a clear and consistent voice for renewable energy and for measures that will significantly reduce our energy use. This 'greenest government ever' of which you are a part, comes nowhere close. In fact, greed over fracking opportunities seems to be the key motivator at the moment. And in the meantime, opportunities for truly renewable energy and for proper home insulation are lost. A cynic would say that shoring up electoral fortunes are now more important than implementing  Liberal Democrat policies to support retrofit for home insulation. Retrofit could save households up to 25% of their energy bills - a lasting saving for them and real achievement for government.  In contrast what was voted for was a cheap headline of £50 off your bill - which was in fact £50 off the increase in your bill, enabling the energy companies to reduce their obligation for home insulation. Not a clear and consistent voice for renewable energy and reducing energy use at all.

Thanks again for your letter.

Roger Helmer on EU expansion eastwards

"an extra hundred million people in our single market may be a short-term liability, but long term will contribute to growth and prosperity."
It is not often that I find myself in agreement with UKIP MEP Roger Helmer, but his policy statement republished in this weekend's Observer, when he welcomed the prospect of EU enlargement Eastwards, is now delivering great returns. The economic growth in much of Eastern Europe is outstripping the UK (Poland 1.9%, Lithuania 2.3%, Latvia 4.5%, Hungary 1.8%, even  Romania at 4.1%). Roger you were right, enlarging the EU to include the former Communist States of Eastern Europe has helped underpin their freedom, their fledgling democratic institutions, and build their economies creating new markets for British exports.

here is the full paragraph taken from http://www.brugesgroup.com/any_article.live?framed=1&article=83

Tory policy on enlargement is clear. We are in favour of it, for three reasons. First, we owe a moral debt to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which were allowed to fall under the pall of Communism after the Second World War. Second, by entrenching democracy and the rule of law in Eastern Europe, we ensure stability and security for the future. Thirdly, an extra hundred million people in our Single Market may be a short-term liability, but long-term will contribute to growth and prosperity.

Published by Roger in Freedom Today in 2002

Wenslydale Cheese Gets EU 'Regional Origin' Approval

I await UKIP's announcement of a National Boycott of Wenslydale Cheese as it was invented by French immigrants and has now been approved by the EU

Plain Speaking from UKIP, undermining your house

The Government has now identified the East Midlands, including most of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire as suitable for shale gas extraction, using the highly controversial process that requires rock strata to be fractured to release the gas ('fracking'). UKIP's 'Energy Spokesman' Roger Helmer has welcomed the prospect of fracking on behalf of his party. There is nothing wrong with honesty and as Roger puts it so well 'plain speaking'. Let it therefore be plain, a vote for Roger Helmer and UKIP is a vote for unleashing major environmental damage on the voters of the East Midlands constituency who's interest he is supposed to look after. So vote KUIP, for Roger Helmer, earth tremors (as have already happened in the North West), drilling under your home, noise and air quality degradation from lorries, pollution of the water table, and of course a fall in the value of your house.

Independent Poll Majority of Young People Support EU Membership

A pleasant but unsurprising result. Young people today enjoy freedoms that we could only have dreamt of - freedoms that UKIP threaten along with our prosperity. I still remember as a young engineer going to work in Belgium and having to 'export' and 're-import' my tools at Dover - what nonsense and what an awful cost and bureaucratic burden. If we are foolish to leave the EU many small UK businesses will fold, and many 1000's of jobs will be lost. That is why not a single UK Business organisation wants to leave the EU.

UKIP would isolate us from our allies, the biggest trading block in the world, leave us outside the EU/USA free trade area. They care nothing for this country, its economy, our prosperity or our security. They are a party of mainly old, tired men, with little imagination or care for our country.

At least we can look forward to our young people voting for freedom, and the right for free movement on travel - to work, live and retire anywhere in the EU.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-young-people-want-uk-to-stay-in-europe-four-in-10-adults-aged-18-to-24-are-firmly-in-favour-of-membership-poll-shows-9006438.html

Time to send UKIP back home

I wonder which immigrants would be the first to be 'sent back' by UKIP councillor Victoria Ayling, who has been supported by Nigel Farage. Let's start at the top with the Duke of Edinburgh (Greek), Mo Farah (Somalia), Sigmund Freud (Austria), Henry James (American), Ulrika Jonsson (Sweden), Handel (our great national German composer), T S Eliot (another American), Michael Marks (Polish co-founder of British shopping icon Marks + Spencer), Lady Randolph Churchill (American mother of Winston), Charles Saatchi (Iraqi), the Reverend John Sentamu (Uganda), Helen Mirren (Russian parents), Joe Bugner (Hungary), ... sorry running out of space

Wind Turbine Power to Gas (P2G) - A Way Forward

Power to Gas (P2G) could offer a superb solution to the problem of balancing out wind turbine generation fluctuations. Two pilot plants are now operational in Germany, one operated by EON and the other by RWE Power. Both use similar principles of applying the surplus electricity to generate hydrogen from water, either by electrolysis or via a particle exchange membrane (PEM). Once produced the hydrogen can be stored, and used for a variety of purpose, including additions to the gas main, methane generation from flue gas emissions, CHP and fuel cells for hydrogen cars. The trial EON Wind Turbine plant at Kelmarsh could be a valuable source of new, clean and low cost fuel and employment for the East Midlands; which is now linked the the European Hydrogen Highway. Reducing our reliance on imported Russian gas has to be good for our economy.This technology cold also be used to create quality job opportunities and economic growth for the North East of England, where just over the Border Scotland is now able export clean electricity to England.

Guest contribution - A letter to Sir Alan Beith on his failure to support measures to clean up coal

Thank you for your duplicated letter about your recent vote in the House of Commons. 

I am afraid that I am not 'reassured to know' that coal plants will not make much economic sense in 10 or so years time. The issue is about what we do now. 

We have a real opportunity to use new green technologies to meet our energy needs. We have a real opportunity to use our knowledge to cut our energy needs significantly through home and business insulation. And this government, of which you and fellow Liberal Democrats are members, is squandering those opportunities. Green levies, pitiful as they are, have somehow become the issue for this government - not the unbridled greed of the energy companies selling energy to themselves to manipulate profit and loss figures. The latest deal means that home insulation for the poorest, meagre as it was, is less available - all so that the government can headline a pathetic £50 cut in the increases that energy companies will charge. How are companies, trust funds and the like supposed to invest in green energy when the government, of which you are a part, wobbles, switches and consistently downplays the potential of green technologies? Orkney will soon be self sufficient in energy through harnessing wind and wave power. Scotland is moving that way and exports electricity to England. Northumberland could be there too with no need to pollute the environment and jeopardise the future for our children. And the jobs it would create would make a huge difference for the local economy. 

What we need is a clear and consistent voice on these issues - a government that invests in the future. You are clearly not going to provide it. Frankly I can't see why anyone should vote LIberal Democrat - vote Lib Dem, get the Conservatives.

---

In response to Alan Beith's failure to join other Lib Dems who voted for Lord Leverson's amendment that would close the loop hole that allows old coal fired power stations to ignore new rules on pollution.