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.

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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.