Saturday, 6 June 2009

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Sixty-five years on


In a demonstration of raw courage, ingenuity, determination and sheer power, on 6 June 1944 the combined Allied Armies launched the greatest invasion fleet in the history of man onto the shores of Normandy – a feat never since equalled and never likely to be repeated.

Many arrived – many fewer left. We owe them a great deal.

COMMENT THREAD

The Commission is not happy

The Commission, in the shape of its spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj, is not happy with the Dutch government. How could they act in such an non-communautaire fashion by releasing the results of the exit polls, which, everyone assumes, are probably accurate?

It is no good saying, as the Dutch government does, that they have "national legislation which requires authorities to release partial results as soon as they are available", stamped his foot, Mr Altafaj. They should have overruled that legislation.

The events that took place in the Netherlands yesterday seem not to comply with the spirit of the European elections. They're supposed to go beyond the purely national aspects. If we want citizens to understand the European nature of these elections, we think it's absolutely essential that we release the results in all countries at the same time, also in order not to influence the vote in the countries which have not voted yet – and that at the moment is 25 out of the 27 member states," Mr Altafaj added.
It is actually 23 now, as Ireland and the Czech Republic voted today, but you get the point. The spirit of the European elections is not to be tampered with. Really, the man should join Libertas.eu.

COMMENT THREAD

Just as you thought ...

... it could not get any funnier we get the newsthat Glenys Kinnock is to become a peer of the realm, joining her husband this time on the red benches (how long before we get the Kinnock offspings in that House?) and a Minister for Europe?

She will have to take a bit of a cut in her income as the House of Lords is less amenable to endless jaunts and expenses but she will have her pension from the Toy Parliament to help her along. A pension, let me remind our readers, probably unnecessarily, that she will not have to declare when she speaks on her remit.

A recent Taxpayers' Alliance report had put Our Glenys very low down on the list of MEPs according to their performance. Out of the 78 she was 71st. Mind you, any report that is predicated on the notion that "across all parties there are a range of MEPs who have worked hard, been transparent and stood up for taxpayers’ interests" has to be taken with a very large dose of salt.

Now, if you will excuse me, I shall go away and continue laughing my head off. A bold decision, Prime Minister.

COMMENT THREAD