Labour Party European Election manifesto 2009

Will be rather similar to this document I am currently reading. It's the PES (Socialist group in the European Parliament) pan EU manifesto which is, of course, where the Labour Party sit. All countries represented in the PES (27 as it happens) have signed up to it.

Now, given that the Labour Party have a problem with telling the truth, I don't expect them to be entirely honest in their pledges and promises to the people of this country when they ask us to vote for them. After all, they have admitted in court that we can't believe a word they say in their manifestos.

But this is a document to which their MEPs have signed up to, according to a friend of mine who was at their conference late last year, and such what they will really be doing in the European Parliament when your back is turned.

Because I'm lovely, I shall summarise it for you, for unless you have a severe case of insomnia it's not a good document to drag yourself through.

1. _{Relaunching the economy and preventing new financial crises}


2. _{New Social Europe - giving people a fairer deal}


3. _{Transforming Europe into the leading global force against climate change}


4. _{Championing gender equality in Europe}


5. _{Developing and effective European migration policy}


6. _{Enhancing Europe's role as a partner for peace, security and development}

At the basis of all of this is the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

1. Relaunching the economy and preventing new financial crises
The socialists appear to be labouring under the misapprehension that the 'response' to the 'global financial crisis' had anything to do with the European Union. Reading this section is rather like listening to someone play a piece and knowing they're doing so in the wrong key. And on the wrong instrument.

I quote:

The euro has played a very effective role in protecting European economies [I know, and we're only just at the beginning] in the context of the global financial crisis. More must be done now simultaneously to reform the financial markets, counteract the recession and relaunch the economy to create new growth and jobs.

The threat of catastrophic climate change is also growing: if we do not act now, it will further damage the planet and directly affect our lives. We are convinced that fighting climate change can transform the European economy and create new smart green growth, jobs and prosperity for everyone in Europe...

The European budget should be refocused on smart green growth [an oxymoron, surely?] and meeting future challenges. Because it is a budget of solidarity, it should serve to improve living standards and foster social cohesion and growth through Europe as well as supporting convergence of the least-developed EU regions, not least in the new member states.

Right, so less of your own money after the government has taxed you to buggery, more tax on cars, going on holiday, more power to the trade unions and millions of windmills all connected up to a new EU grid so we won't have control of our own energy supply.

I'm still saying no at the moment.

2. New social Europe - giving people a fairer deal
Now, I wouldn't want you to think that in this statement, giving people a fairer deal means they should be allowed access to democracy. Oh no. The PES are still very much against referendums and listening to the outcomes of the ones they can't stop if they don't like the answer.

...We want to build a new social Europe together with the social partners, working particularly closely with the trade unions, who share our commitment to putting people first. [Unless they own a company or aren't a net beneficiary of the welfare state - Trixy]

...
13. We propose to seek agreement on a European Social Progress Pact, proposing goals and standards for national social, health and education policy...We demand needs based social welfare benefits for all those who are retired, unemployed or unable to work in all European countries...
15. We propose to establish a European framework for public services, guaranteeing universal and equal access for citizens, quality, local autonomy and transparency in public services...
16...A European pact on wages...minimum wage in all EU member states...
[this sounds particularly worrying]17. We will address the problems related to brain drain created by the migration of highly qualified professionals and skilled workers within Europe...
18.We will act in all EU member states to promise fair tax policies which will guarantee the financing of Europe's welfare states.

And it goes on with an awful lot of shite about collective bargaining, strengthening workers' rights, European Works Councils and ECJ judgements.

But what we can really tell from that is that the Labour Party will be part of a group who want to increase your tax, pay people for not working, remove powers away from democratically elected national governments and bring the day to day minutiae of people's under the control of the EU, including letting people from the EU claim benefits in the UK without paying and using our already crappy public services. Oh, and they might stop you emigrating if they think they can use you in one of their projects. Maybe their space programme?

3. Transforming Europe into the leading global force against climate change

Be in no doubt: As far as the socialists are concerned climate change is all the fault of human beings, particularly ones who drive, and it's just convenient for them that it gives them an argument for more state control over, well, everything.

29. The EU should take the lead in international negotiations to get agreement on a 30% global target for emission reductions by 2020 at the UN summit at the end of 2009. It is our common goal to ensure that all developed and emerging economies, including the US, China and India, should sign up to this...30. We propose to increase EU support for developing countries to fight as well as adapt to climate change...
32. We propose to introduce a comprehensive EU climate directive that would ensure that targets and actions in all those sectors not already covered by existing law - energy, agriculture, food, building and transport - are combined to enable the Union to reach its overall emission target...
33. We propose to develop a European Common Energy Policy...
35....the monitoring of existing and new nuclear power plants should be coordinated at the European level.

Delusions of adequacy, anyone?

Still, no real surprise that the Socialists are resorting to Import Substituting Industrialisation as their trade policies have made it nigh on impossible for developing countries to trade their way out of subsistence farming. Which is presumably what they wanted as they are hardly fans of competition now, the socialists. Where would their beloved trade unions be then?

Our old friend the Common Energy Policy is back: a more stupid idea one can hardly imagine aside from swapping 'being reliant on Russia' for 'Being reliant on Iran' or 'Being reliant on moon cheese' for the bulk of our energy inputs.

The last one should not come as any surprise since there already exists laws on critical infrastructure in the EU which, because of the MoD mainly moaning, removed nuclear power.

Can you imagine what sort of twat thinks that to make infrastructure more secure you need to share the details with 26 other countries, including a couple riddled with the mafia. Socialist MEPs seem to think it's a jolly good idea, but then it's probably a good idea to run away very fast if you ever see a socialist MEP in charge of anything technical, let alone a nuclear power plant.

4. Championing gender equality in Europe

I had to have a few calming breaths on reading these preposterous plans. Harriet Harperson is alive and well in the European Parliament. No woman must be considered competent enough to get on in life without the help of men. Oh no.

(Ladies: here is a photo of the man in charge of leading this campaign for your future equality

Best not to ask what he was doing when that photo was taken. I have it on good authority it was revolting.

Back to the plans:

Women still earn 15% less than men, more likely to be unemployed and they are discouraged from entering the Labour market. Millions of women around the world still face exploitation and rights violations, in the form of human trafficking, domestic violence and other abuses [which would be helped by border checks but they don't like those - Trixy]

There are too few women in politics over half a century after gaining the right to vote and stand for election across Europe...

36. We propose to create a European Women's Rights Charter to improve women's rights and opportunities and to promote mechanisms to achieve gender equality
37. We propose to introduce improved parental leave rights for men and women across European up to the highest standards in Europe.
38.We will campaign for equal political representation of women and men in all devision making bodies at European level. We will campaign for a gender-equal European Commission and a gender-equal European Parliament and will call for the creation of a European Commissioner for Gender Equality...

The insult that this document is for women is staggering but these are people who must think that women are stupid.

Demanding a gender equal parliament shows their attitude towards democracy, though. People shouldn't be allowed to vote for the people they think are the best, they should vote for the people who will tick the right boxes.

Although when the chief accountant of the European Commission was a woman I can't remember the socialist group giving her much support. Indeed, it was the husband of a high profile Labour MEP who sacked her. And he, a socialist himself. Tut, tut, tut.

Apart from that, it's much of the same, really. The eradication of all small businesses to everyone is either employed by the state or by big business which can be controlled by the state and held to ransom by the trade unions.

5. Developing an effective European Migration Policy

45. We propose to establish common standards for legal migration into the European Union...
46. We propose to establish a European Charter for the Integration of Migrants...
47. We propose to step up European efforts to combat illegal migration through a Common External Border Control Policy
48. We are committed to strengthening cooperation with third countries...49. We support the further development of the Common European Asylum System...

Well, we can finally scrub out immigration as a national competence if this lot get their way. Not that there is much left.

6. Enhancing Europe's tole as a partner for peace, security and development

(read: We want an EU common foreign, security and defence policy)

...we believe that Europe needs a stronger common voice in the world to shape a better future for our citizens and the planet. We must work together for peace and partnership, and to eradicate poverty...Strengthening the role of the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security policy will be an important step forward in this respect...
The EU must step up its conflict resolution, peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts in crisis zones...
58. We believe the future of the Western Balkans lies within the EU...we support an open ended-process of negotiations with Turkey towards EU accession...

I spent enough years in the European Parliament to know that these goals are not just desired by the PES. They are the general desires of the federalists.

But this is the group in which the MEPs whose party is currently in government in this country sit. I'll admit that Labour have done an appalling job of governing this country and have only succeeded in running it into the ground. But still, for your own colleagues to think that of you and want to take power away is something else.

There are a huge number of Labour voters out there who are anti the EU. The anti-EU vote is strongest in the Labour heartlands amongst people who don't really pay attention to politics and think that they are still voting for a Labour party of the 1970s. In many ways, they are, but not when it comes to the EU where, let's not forget, the vast majority of our laws stem from.

This, what I have summarised above, is what they really stand for. Further integration and a further step away from a democratically elected parliament.

Chances are, you won't get a chance to vote in a general election in 2010 but you will get a chance not to vote for Labour in the European Elections. They're currently the second largest UK party in the European Parliament, but I bet if more people knew what they actually did over there, they wouldn't be nearly so big.

I'd rather chop of my head than put a cross in their box.