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The Bruges Group spearheads the intellectual battle against the notion of "ever–closer Union" in Europe and, above all, against British involvement in a single European state. Honorary President: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, LG, OM, FRS Vice-President: The Rt Hon. the Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Co-Chairmen: Dr Brian Hindley & Barry Legg Director: Robert Oulds MA, Head of Research: Dr Helen Szamuely Washington D.C. Representative: John O'Sullivan, CBE Founder Chairman: Lord Harris of High Cross, Former Chairmen: Dr Martin Holmes & Professor Kenneth Minogue If you do not wish to receive these news-bulletins please send an e-mail to: unsubscribe@brugesgroup.com Please write unsubscribe in the subject heading THE EU AND TAXATION COSTLY, COMPLEX AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE The Case Against a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base DINNER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE RT. HON BARONESS THATCHER Monday, 27th October 2008 ANGLO-AMERICAN STRATEGY Monday, 20th October 2008 BRUGES GROUP ANNUAL CONFERENCE How EU and Government Waste is Costing You Money Saturday, 22nd November 2008 WEBCAST OF THE MEETING AT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE Will a Conservative Government Deliver on Europe? BRUGES GROUP BLOG Visit the Bruges Group's interactive blog for critical and controversial comment on EU affairs THE EU AND TAXATION COSTLY, COMPLEX AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE The Case Against a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base The Bruges Group has produced a groundbreaking study analysing the EU's attempt to control the taxation of businesses through a policy known as the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). It is a classic EU policy, which the European Commission hopes will create a pan-European tax authority, a one-size-fits-none approach that benefits the bureaucrats at the cost of the ordinary taxpayer. The EU’s latest tax power grab will reduce the GDP of the fragile UK economy by £73 billion over the next 10 years, equal to each UK inhabitant paying £1,200 each or the equivalent of British taxpayers having to pay an extra 1.5p in the basic rate of income tax for each of those years. Brussels plan to control corporation tax would also harm the business environment in Britain. It will force up corporate tax bills, greatly add to tax complexity and massively increase the administrative burden that British businesses are forced to deal with. Forcing UK industries to join the 'Taxodus' and leave Britain. Furthermore, the CCCTB will mean that Britain shall lose a total of £58.4 billion of investment over 10 years. Click here to read the full analysis online DINNER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE RT. HON BARONESS THATCHER Bruges Speech 20th Anniversary Dinner Monday, 27th October 2008 - From 6.30pm A unique opportunity to celebrate with Lady Thatcher her seminal speech. With; LORD TEBBIT Former Chairman of the Conservative Party. & PRESIDENT VÁCLAV KLAUS President of the Czech Republic speaking via a video address. In 1988 Lady Thatcher, as Prime Minister, famously said to the College of Europe in Bruges; “We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at a European level, with a European super state exercising a new dominance from Brussels.” Shortly afterwards the Bruges Group was set up to campaign vigorously for the goals outlined in the Bruges Speech. It is time for the principles so eloquently set out by Lady Thatcher 20 years ago to be embraced. THE SPEAKERS THE RT HON. LORD TEBBIT OF CHINGFORD Lord Tebbit was the Member of Parliament for Chingford and a vital part of the reform process carried out by the Thatcher governments. Lord Tebbit was a key fi gure in the battle against the Maastricht Treaty, and is an active opponent of EU federalism. He remains to this day an enduring stand bearer of democracy and the nation-state. PRESIDENT VÁCLAV KLAUS Václav Klaus is the President of Czech Republic. Shortly after Czechoslovakia became free from communism he became Prime Minister and instituted Thatcherite economic reforms. And is widely regarded as being the key behind the Czech Republic’s economic transformation. Václav Klaus is Europe’s leading statesman opposing further European centralisation and the Lisbon Treaty. In 2005 President Klaus called for the EU to be replaced by a free-trade area. He has said of the Lisbon Treaty that the Irish referendum vote was a “victory of freedom and reason” and said “ratification cannot continue”. For further information, including how to purchase tickets, please contact: Robert Oulds, The Bruges Group, 227 Linen Hall, 162- 168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB Tel: 020 7287 4414 or reply to this e-mail E-mail: info@brugesgroup.com Click here for a form to book your place AGENDA Sparkling Reception: 6.30pm – 7.30pm Three Course Dinner (including wine, coffee, refreshments and petit fours): 7.45pm - 9.15pm Speeches: From 9.15pm Followed by Auction DRESS CODE: Lounge Suit LOCATION To be held at a very prestigious venue in Central London. For security reasons guests shall be notified of the location when the tickets are issued. ANGLO-AMERICAN STRATEGY Monday, 20th October - 6.45pm for 7.00pm THE SPEAKERS ANDREW ROBERTS THE CREATION OF ANGLO-AMERICAN ALLIED GRAND STRATEGY 1941 - 45 Andrew Roberts is a historian and broadcaster. & Dr IRWIN STELZER THE UNITED STATES, A UNITED EUROPE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM Irwin Stelzer is an economic and political commentator for The Daily Telegraph. ANDREW ROBERTS Andrew Roberts is a historian and broadcaster. As well as appearing regularly on British television and radio, Roberts writes for The Sunday Telegraph as well as The Spectator, Literary Review, Mail on Sunday and The Daily Telegraph. He is the author of a number of definitive histories including A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900 which was presented and discussed at a Bruges Group meeting. Roberts’ latest book examines the Creation of Anglo-American Grand Strategy 1941-45. Copies will be available at the meeting. Andrew Roberts is also a member of the Bruges Group’s Academic Advisory Council. Dr IRWIN STELZER Irwin Stelzer is a Senior Fellow and Director of the influential American think tank the Hudson Institute. He is also an economic and political commentator for The Daily Telegraph. He is also a columnist for the New York Post. Irwin Stelzer has written and lectured on economic and policy developments in the United States and Britain. He has written extensively on policy issues such as America’s competitive position in the world economy, optimum regulatory policies, the consequences of European integration, and factors affecting and impeding economic growth. He is the author of The United States, a United Europe and the United Kingdom: Three Characters in Search of a Policy. ADMISSION: £10 payable on the door or in advance Including wine, orange juice, mineral water and nibbles Click here for a form to book your place LOCATION: Foreign Press Association 11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ AGENDA: Lectures: 7.00pm – 8.00pm Discussion: 8.00pm – 8.30pm Wine and refreshments: 8.30pm – 10.00pm BRUGES GROUP ANNUAL CONFERENCE How EU and Government Waste is Costing You Money Saturday, 22nd November 2008 - 10.30am - 6.15pm Well meaning, but misplaced, environmental policies, corruption and waste by the European Union and the British government is costing you money and threatening jobs. The Bruges Group conference will focus on those issues and discuss the solutions to the problems that the European Union is forcing upon us. ADMISSION: £20 payable on the door or in advance Including lunch, coffee, wine, orange juice, mineral water, tea and cheese and biscuits Click here for a form to book your place THE SPEAKERS CHRISTOPHER BOOKER is a columnist for The Sunday Telegraph. He is the author of the Bruges Group paper Britain and Europe: The Culture of Deceit. And also co-wrote Scared To Death: From BSE To Global Warming, Why Scares Are Costing Us The Earth. Christopher will discuss the wrongheaded policies which are forcing up our energy bills. ROGER HELMER MEP is a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands. Prior to entering the European Parliament Roger was a businessman. Roger is the author of two books on European issues, Straight Talking on Europe and A Declaration of Independence. Roger will talk on how the EU is using climate change as an excuse to expand its power. IAIN MURRAY is a Director of Projects and Analysis and Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, an influential American think tank. Iain will talk on the EU’s threat to the global economy and the damage caused by misplaced 'environmental' policies. MARTA ANDREASEN was the Chief Accountant to the European Commission. There she raised concerns about fraud within the EU. The European Commission considered this an act of disloyalty and sacked her. She is now the Treasurer of UKIP. Marta will talk on fraud and corruption in the European Union. GERARD BATTEN MEP, UKIP MEP for London, is an expert on the costs of EU membership. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Security & Defence Committee, and is the UKIP spokesman on defence. Gerard Batten will be launching at the conference the 2008 edition of the groundbreaking annual report exposing the costs of EU membership. DAMON LAMBERT is the UK Corporate Tax Director of a major European Bank. Previously, he worked for 11 years in KPMG’s financial sector practice providing advice on the impact of the EU on UK tax law. He regularly writes on European tax matters and was a member of the Conservative Party Tax Reform Commission. Damon will discuss how the EU is costing the taxpayer billions and holding up economic recovery. TIM AKER is the Grassroots Coordinator of the Taxpayers’ Alliance. He contributed to the Bumper Book of Government Waste 2008, writing about how readers can and must spread the low tax message. He has written for several journals including Freedom Today and The European Journal. He also writes for conservativehome.com and regularly appeared on the internet political TV station 18 Doughty Street. Tim will talk on government and EU waste; arguing that Big Government is Bad Government. LOCATION: The Great Hall King's College London The Strand London WC2R 2LS AGENDA: Registration and Coffee: 10.30am Morning Session: 11am – 1pm Lunch: 1pm – 2pm Afternoon Session: 2pm – 4pm Refreshments: 4pm - 4.15pm Evening Session: 4.15pm – 6.15pm WEBCAST OF THE MEETING AT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE Will a Conservative Government Deliver on Europe? At the 2008 Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham the Bruges Group asked the key question of whether or not a future Conservative Government will be able and will have the will to roll-back the decades of surrendering our sovereignty to Brussels; or will it settle to be just in office but not in power? Click here to watch the highlights of the meeting online -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For further information contact: Robert Oulds Director The Bruges Group 227 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB UK Tel: +44(0) 20 7287 4414 Mobile: 07740 029787 E-mail: info@brugesgroup.com