Re: Bliars Eastern friends didn't last long did they

In message <fldcp19atkndljo1dtjqngoouistb57pp9@xxxxxxx>, dave <dave@xxxxxxxxx> writes
Bet the new Eastern EC'ers are laughing themselves silly. Tone helps to get them
into the club, and now has to offer them 10-15% of the EC British budget rebate
just to stay friends with him! And guess what - they say sod-off Tone - that's
not enough. Bloody hilarious isn't it. btw Tone reckons the great plan he has is
that all those Eastern job-magnet countries will be "contributors" to a more
prosperous EC. Ok, then, Just two questions: 1) How long may that take (plus or
minus 10 years will do)? 2) These jobs and industries they are sucking out of
Britain (as well as taking by immigration), how do we replace them? 

Fight Blair


cid:016401c5faa3$a06a9540$6600a8c0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Democracy Movement e-Bulletin
December 2005

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+ DM to hold 'virtual march' on 10 Downing Street over EU rebate sell-out
+ New book sets out 'Alternative Futures' to the EU
+ Blair challenged to resist EU criminal law power grab
+ EU leaders miss the 'elephant in the room' at Hampton Court
+ Latest These Tides magazine guns for euro-dreams
+ SALE! Big price cuts on our Keep the Pound merchandise


In the Media

- Blair offers £5.6bn more from rebate to clinch EU budget
The Times, 6 December 2005
 
- Blair accused of sellout over EU rebate deal
The Guardian, 2 December 2005
- Belgian leader proposes 'United States of Europe'
EUobserver, 1 December 2005
 
Look back over a whole year of the EU in the news! To read these stories and more, visit our 2005 news archive - click here:
www.democracymovement.org.uk/news


Campaign News


+ DM calls 'virtual march' on 10 Downing Street over EU rebate sell-out


The DM is organising a 'virtual march' on 10 Downing Street this Saturday in advance of next week's EU summit, to protest against Tony Blair's offer to massively increase Britain's contribution to the EU budget.


The government has proposed that Britain pays over £5bn extra to the EU between 2007 & 2013, to bring our total net contribution in that period to an incredible £40bn. This would be a 48% increase on the £27bn Britain will have contributed in the current budget period. Yet the government has failed to secure any reform of the EU's wasteful Common Agricultural Policy, which was previously said to be essential before changing the rebate would be considered.


Blair's huge generosity with public money also comes just days after EU auditors refused to approved EU accounts for the 11th year running.


The Democracy Movement is calling on Tony Blair to not only refuse any extra money to the EU during final negotiations on the EU budget next week, but to immediately halt all payments to the EU until he can at least be sure public money is safeguarded through the proper auditing of EU accounts.


Blair's concession will hit us all in the pocket and will mean less money available for public services on which we all depend. This issue affects everyone directly. Please forward this message to as many people as possible and encourage them to join in the protest, or send your own message to your address book referring people to our Virtual March webpage at:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/march


Virtual March: here's what to do on Saturday 10th December 2005, anytime after 12noon:


1. Visit the 'E-mail the Prime Minister' page on the Number 10 website by clicking this link:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/page821.asp


2. At the bottom of the page, choose 'International Affairs' in the category box and click the 'Go' button;


3. On the following page, enter your contact details and protest message to Tony Blair;   


4. Then click 'Submit', and you're done! Thank you for joining in.


Please let us know if you have any problems using the Number 10 website or leaving your message. If you have a problem using the link we have provided above, try clicking here (http://www.number10.gov.uk) or typing this address directly into your web browser. Then click the 'Email the Prime Minister' icon on the right of the screen and follow the instructions above.


+ New book sets out 'Alternative Futures' to the EU


A new book has been published as a timely contribution to the growing debate in Britain and across Europe on the need for fundamental change in how European countries work together in the 21st century.


'Britain & the European Union: Alternative Futures' provides a groundbreaking analysis of the economic and democratic effect that EU membership has had on Britain. Published by the Campaign for an Independent Britain, this important new book offers not only a concise examination of the costs of EU membership, but also a well-reasoned study of alternative relationships Britain, perhaps together with other European countries, could more beneficially forge in the future. Options scrutinised include a defence of the status quo through to various renegotiations of membership and options for withdrawal.


This rhetoric-free study should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in Britain's political and economic future.


Britain & the European Union: Alternative Futures
by Mark Baimbridge, Brian Burkitt & Philip Whyman (2005)
with foreword by Frederick Forsyth


Special discount for DM supporters: only £5 +p&p (RRP £7.50)
To buy your copy securely online, or to order by post, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/merchandise



+ Blair challenged to resist EU criminal law power grab 

In response to news that the EU has gifted itself sweeping powers to demand member countries impose criminal sanctions for breaking EU rules, DM campaign director Marc Glendening has written to Tony Blair asking for an undertaking that the government will refuse to impose any criminal sanctions the EU orders, given that they opposed the EU being given this power.
 
To read the full exchange, including the astonishing response to the DM's letter from the Foreign Office, which manages to contradict itself in one paragraph alone, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/challenge
 

+ EU leaders miss the 'elephant in the room' at Hampton Court
 
Democracy campaigners staged an eye-catching stunt at the Hampton Court EU summit to highlight the failure of EU leaders to recognise and respond to the EU's fundamental flaws. A pantomime elephant-in-the-room tried in vain to get the attention of 'Tony Blair' (a protestor in a Blair mask).

Today's EU is over-centralised and out of date - a product of 'big is best', top-down, elitist thinking stuck in the 1950s. Yet EU leaders plan to fiddle at the margins of the EU's problems with vastly expensive schemes like a 'globalisation fund', while overlooking the fact that the basic idea of the EU is fatally flawed. Rigid, centralised decision-making can neither suit the different needs and wants of Europe's diverse countries nor respond quickly and flexibly enough to rapid global change.


Marc Glendening, DM campaign director, commented:


"The elephant in the room at Hampton Court is that Europe doesn't need today's EU in order to
co-operate and prosper.


"Europeans need a more dynamic, flexible form of co-operation to replace the EU - one that respects democracy and Europe's diversity. That's what EU leaders should be discussing."

For links to pictures of the stunt, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/elephant
 
To read more about our campaign for a constructive alternative to today's EU - Vision Europe - that will enable co-operation but will instead respect democracy and Europe's diversity, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/ve
 
 

+ Latest These Tides guns for euro-dreams


These Tides is a lively and colourful international eurosceptic magazine bringing you news, photos, interviews and special reports from EU-critical campaigns across Europe. It is the trade journal for all Europe's campaigners for diversity and democracy - the true pro-Europeans.


The latest issue, out now, looks at the state of the EU debate after those referendum 'No' votes in France & Holland; asks what happened to the British EU presidency; interviews DM campaign director Marc Glendening about our new Vision Europe campaign; examines the implications of the Estonian-Russian border dispute for the EU's Common Foreign & Security Policy and Sara Rainwater of the European Foundation introduces the new European Reform Forum. And much more...


These Tides is available from the DM for just £2.50. To buy your copy, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/tides


 

+ SALE! Prices cut on Keep the Pound merchandise


We have very limited stocks remaining of several items of Keep the Pound campaign merchandise. To make space for new materials in our store-room we've cut prices, some by more than half! So be quick to secure your piece of Keep the Pound campaign memorabilia. We don't expect these to be around long.


Classic 'Keep the Pound' red & white mug: only £2.50 each / two for £4 (WAS: £4 each or two for £7)
Lapel stickers: £2 for 240 (WAS: £3 for 120)
Calling Cards: £1.50 for 20 cards / £3 for 50 (WAS: £2.50 for 20 cards or £4.50 for 50)
Golf umbrella: £4.50 each / two for £7.00 (WAS: £9.99 each or £15 for two)


To see pictures of these items, to order online via our secure merchandise shop, or to print and post an order form, click here:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/merchandise

 

Quicklinks

+ read our Statement of Principles:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/principles

+ register support - it's free!
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/support

+ distribute leaflets in your area:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/leaflets

+ help us print more leaflets by making a donation:
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk/donate

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DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
Kershaw House, 449 Great West Road, Hounslow TW5 0BU
T: 020 8570 5681 F: 020 8570 5213
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www.democracymovement.org.uk


 

--
Peter Watson
.