Would You Believe It?

The devil, they say, is always in the detail.

Even though the UK is in dire economic straights, of our own making, it appears a little-known clause in the European Union treaty may force Britain to chip in billions of pounds to rescue countries in economic crisis because of their membership of the Euro.

This clause gives the Commission in Brussels the power to propose bailing out a state in 'severe difficulties'. Such help could be agreed by a majority vote of states and Britain would NOT have a veto.

With countries such as Ireland, Spain and Greece plunged into economic crisis, largely as a result of being unable to devalue their currencies, there is the prospect of British taxpayers having to help fund expensive rescue packages - despite the UK never having joined monetary union.

An EC report last week highlighted the major problems facing some eurozone members, and ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Spain's credit rating. The Commission report said of Spain: 'Deteriorating labour market prospects, further tightening of credit conditions and adverse wealth effects are set to lead to a significant contraction in private consumption.'

It added that Ireland was 'particularly exposed' to the international economic crisis and that Greece is expected to be 'significantly affected'.

Under the Nice Treaty, signed in February 2001 and incorporated into the combined EU treaty, huge rescue packages can be approved on a majority vote. Britain disliked the proposal when it came up for negotiation and the Conservatives opposed it, but the Government gave way and agreed.

And the moral of the story? You can't trust Labour to get it right at home or abroad.

Football, Football, Football

It seems that no matter where you turn the European Football Championships take central stage despite none of the home nations having qualified to grace its fields.

While Elaine and I are great football fanatics I can fully understand the frustration of all those who are not connoisseurs of the beautiful game and yet their favourite TV programme, very often a soap opera, is moved to a lesser channel, put back to a later time or even postponed altogether.

With the evolution of TV and the switch from analogue to digital TV signal imminent, I wonder whether all football fans wanting to watch a live football match at a major championship on the BBC will one day simply press the 'red' button to watch the match of their choice. This would ensure that regular programme schedules do not need to be changed for those wanting to keep to regular routines!

Well perhaps one day, but until then at least Elaine and I are spoilt for choice when it comes to our football coverage at Euro 2008!

Ireland Lead The Way In European Democracy

Well, I never would have imagined I would say this but, thank you Republic of Ireland for saving Great Britain from effective extinction!

Ireland's rejection of the EU Lisbon Treaty is quite simply a triumph for hundreds of millions of ordinary people across the rest of the European Union who have been denied a say on whether the European project is heading in the right direction by a bunch of arrogant, self-satisfying politicians - politicians who are so out of touch with public opinion that they simply don't understand we have had enough.

Earlier this year I organised the 'East Ren EU Choice' referendum in East Renfrewshire allowing the constituents of the Europe Minister, Jim Murphy MP, to voice their opinion of the EU Lisbon Treaty. They voted by 85% to 15% in favour of a binding UK-wide EU Lisbon Treaty Referendum, with a staggering 90% registering their intention to vote against ratification if they were allowed a vote.

I have no doubt that Jim will now tell the people of the UK that the Irish people have got it all wrong and that it is above ordinary people to understand the importance of ratifying this Treaty. I say that ordinary people across the whole of Europe are completely capable of making an educated decision on the merits of this Treaty and would overwhelmingly agree with the Irish people and say "NO", if only we were all allowed a vote.

Because, this Treaty is the EU Constitution that was overwhelmingly rejected by the French and Dutch people in 2005 by another name. It confers too many rights to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels and ends, once and for all, our nation states right to sovereign decision making through our domestic parliaments, ceding this right to Europe forever. 28 million British people of voting age have never been afforded an opportunity to vote on the type of Europe we want our country to be a part of and we deserve the right to record our opinion on this Treaty, (the EU Constitution by another name), as we were promised by our Labour government in the election manifesto they were elected on.

So thank you Ireland, you struck a blow today for ordinary people across the whole of Europe. We, like you, will hold our government to account for trying to enforce an EU Constitution on our country as soon as we get the chance - most probably at a General Election!

Get Us Our Money Back Mr Murphy!

It has emerged over recent days that more than £33 million a year in British child benefit is being paid to foreign children living abroad, an astonishing 72% increase over the past nine months. With most of this money going to around 36,000 children living in Poland, whose parents are cashing in on European rules that let them claim benefits in the UK after working and paying taxes here for a year, it is clear to me that the UK taxpayer is being taken for a ride and losing out once again as we abide by the rules while others EU nations prefer to ignore the rules they would prefer not to enforce.

I read with interest one report that Ministers have been "plunged into a new immigration row" by these figures. Is it any wonder when it emerges our government is frittering away our money to support families abroad only a matter of weeks after they tried to enforce a tax rises for low-income British families with their proposal to scrap the 10 pence income tax rate?

As he serves the UK government as Europe Minister, one can only presume Jim Murphy is one of the Ministers referred to by newspaper reports. He is surely the person we should hold responsible for negotiating with EU Countries for the return of British taxpayers money and for ensuring the European Union rules that allow this travesty to continue are closed off with immediate effect.

The British taxpayer started to pay for foreign children living abroad after EU enlargement in 2004, when 800,000 workers from the new member countries flooded to the UK as economic migrants. If media reports are to be believed, benefit claims escalated dramatically as word spread among Polish communities in Britain and Polish-language newspapers published guides on how to claim child benefit.

Our child benefit is so attractive because parents receive £977 a year for their first child and £652 per year for younger siblings. When compared to the £160 per year paid for each child in Poland it is easy to see why Polish immigrants to Britain find it so attractive to claim child benefit from the British taxpayer for children they have left at home.

Some may argue that EU rules on benefits are fair and balanced. I think EU rules that mean Britons working in Poland can only claim £160 from the Warsaw government are hardly fair and would like to see the net position in terms of the cost of Polish citizens to the British Exchequers compared to that of Britons living in Poland to the Polish equivalent to prove it is the UK who are shortchanged by the rules - once again!

Inevitably the story of abuse does not stop with child benefit. Even larger amounts are paid out to East European workers in child tax credits, but the Government is refusing to put a figure on what the cost of this additional burden is to the British taxpayer.

The communities of Eastern European origin that have grown across the UK since EU enlargement continue to play a vital role in filling skills shortages in the UK economy and add an exciting and vibrant element to our society. Those who move here with a sense of fairness and who are prepared to do what is right are very welcome, but those playing the system and taking benefit money for people residing outwith the UK are out of order and would do well to remember they are guest of the British people.

So come on Jim, actually do something for the people of your constituency and get the UK a fair set of rules to abide by in Europe as well as our money back. Just think what £33 million, plus the money being taken in child tax credits, could do towards eradicating child poverty in Britain today. I believe it is time we addressed fairness at home and abroad - I wonder whether Jim will agree!