+600 Members Worldwide Branches in 40 Countries

Strasbourg Round-Up Sep 06 (2)

"Back off" Blair

The first Strasbourg session of the new parliamentary year saw MEPs return fresh from their summer holidays to a packed agenda. Before the serious work got under way, Labour’s Leader in Europe, Gary Titley issued a warning to his MP colleagues in Westminster to put an end to the “paralysing pressure” on the Prime Minister to quit.

Gary, a member of the Labour Party's governing National Executive Committee, said: "It is clear that the Prime Minister intends to leave office by the end of next year. He promised an orderly and timely transition and the Labour Party should let him do this.

"Tony Blair was elected as Prime Minister and Labour as the British government only 18 months ago. It is ridiculous for a small number of MPs in Westminster to risk throwing our government and party into paralysis. They should back off. Tony Blair has spent nine years delivering Labour priorities for the good of the country. The party and its elected members should allow him to continue to focus on our policy and manifesto priorities."

Call for Peace

Topping the Parliament’s agenda this month was the situation in Lebanon, lsrael and the Middle East in general. MEPs passed a resolution, calling for clear rules of engagement to enable the EU force in the region to get on and do its job of helping those in need. The resolution reaffirmed that “there is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East.” It also called for prisoner and hostage releases on both sides and stressed the importance of kick-starting peace talks.

Gary said: “It is easy to be pessimistic about the Middle East conflict, but sometimes in moments like this, there is always the potential for making an unexpected breakthrough. We have to end the cycle of violence in the Palestinian Territories as much as in southern Lebanon. The only way to do this is to focus political attention on the relationship between Israel and Palestine, which lies at the heart of the problem.”

More humanitarian assistance for Palestinians

Amid the current tension in the Middle East, the European Commission this month allocated a further €34 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon. The aid package will include the delivery of food, health, water and sanitation services and shelter through UN agencies, NGOs and the Red Cross. This is on top of €259 million in EU aid already being made available for the Palestinians this year. During a debate on the current situation, MEPs called for the distribution of this money to be made as transparent as possible to avoid fraud. They also called for the reinvigoration of the institution building process in Palestine to bring about greater stability in the region in the future.

Turkey

This month the Parliament sent a clear warning signal to Turkey to pick up the pace of reform, if it still hopes to join the EU within the next decade. Despite the recent slow down in Turkey’s reform process and the many difficulties ahead, though, MEPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee did not recommend a suspension of the accession negotiations which began last year under the UK’s EU Presidency. Gary, a former member of that Committee and a widely acknowledged expert on EU enlargement, said: “It is worrying that Turkey has still not taken the necessary steps to recognise Cyprus as a full member of the EU. Over the course of the next few months, this could turn into a mini-crisis with Turkey. This is something we all want to avoid.”

Tories kick out anti-violence plan

MEPs approved an EU-wide programme to give financial support to organisations that prevent violence against women, children and young people. Labour MEPs were amongst those who called on the Commission to boost the EU budget to €120 million for various projects to tackle domestic violence, including setting up a Europe-wide free phone Child Helpline. The measures received overwhelming support, but amongst those who voted against were Britain’s 27 Tory MEPs.

According to Gary this showed the Tories in their true light and was just the latest in a series of votes by Tory MEPs that showed a blatant disregard for women's issues. He said: “They may present themselves as 'compassionate Conservatives' back home but actions like this prove that the Cameron ‘Women to win initiative' is nothing more than a sham." Currently the group of 27 Tory MEPs consists of only one woman. Even Algeria, Ethiopia and Georgia all have better female representation in their respective parliaments, than the Tories.

Finding a way forward on trade

The European Commissioner for trade, Peter Mandelson, was in Strasbourg this month to discuss with MEPs a way forward following the suspension of the Doha round of world trade talks in July. The EU and the United States currently spend huge sums every year subsidising farmers who grow crops like cotton, grains and sugar products for which there is no real demand. When this surplus production reaches the world market, it deals a knock-out blow to the farmers of poorer countries, producing the same products, but without subsidies.
The Doha round is designed to achieve a world trade arrangement, which is beneficial for both sides, by levelling the playing field on which goods are sold. Commenting on the current situation, Gary said: "If we do not strike a deal on this, it could be catastrophic for millions farmers in the developing world. It is only through fair trade that the EU can deliver on its promises to lift millions of people out of poverty."

And Finally....

Over the summer David Cameron belatedly announced that Tory MEPs would not leave the centre-right European's People Party until at least 2009. Following this, the LibDem leader in Europe, Diana Wallis, issued a press release welcoming any Tory MEPs who want to jump ship. Wallis said: "Cameron’s supposed compromise will probably please neither side. Any progressive, pro-European Conservative will always be welcome in the Liberal Democrats."
Indeed they are: Of the current group of 12 Lib Dems two are former Tories. That represents 20% of the LibDem Parliamentary Group. It would seem that in the European elections, it really is a case of vote Lib Dem - get a Tory.
Gary Titley MEP
September 2006