Interesting piece this week  from Charlemagne in the Economist. Just shows how difficult it is to get a reasoned discussion on these issues, when basic facts (like, the British people have a direct stake in EU institutions) are ignored.

Relight my fire

If you hear/read somewhere that the EU is contemplating a ban on barbecues, please don’t believe it. The Commission is not planning a ban on barbecues, we’re not going to propose bringing them within carbon emissions trading, and we’re not suggesting Member States instigate a barbecue tax. If an individual member state wanted to, that [...]

Could it be Magic

This is a bit after the event but whatever…
Over the Bank Holiday weekend I attended the Rugby League Magic Weekend. Marvellous time had by all etc etc and the longest I’ve spent in Edinburgh for years, thereby remind myself that it is a great city. In the programme for the 7 games of Rugby League [...]

Just got round to reading the Mostra Opinion Corner on media coverage of the European parliament elections. It rings my bell on several levels.
Firstly, it’s about the European elections, something which obviously matters a lot to me. At a quite “macro” level, I believe that these are important elections and would hope that as many [...]

Bird song

RSPB Northern Ireland today published a piece urging people to vote in the EP elections. They’ve asked all local candidates their views on a number of environmental issues. An interesting piece of advocacy, I think, and one likely to resonate in the current climate – focussing on the “why” not the “who”.

Flying without wings

Or at least without misleading information on the website where you book…
Commissioner Kuneva did a press conference today, where she announced the names of the airline companies whose websites comply with all the points of the European legislation that is designed to stop unfair commercial practices in prices, insurance selling and so on. Virgin Atlantic, [...]