Bye Bye BNP

Across the whole EU those MEP's who are of similar persuasion to the BNP increased by 8. The Front National (France) lost 4 MEPs & is virtually bankrupt. Vlaams Belang (Belgium) went down from 3 to 2. Nick Griffin is described by one potential collaborator as “not very smart”. To qualify for Group funding under EU rules they need to form a collaborating group of 25 or more from a minimum of seven different Member States. Because they can't agree on much except general hatred it looks like the best the far right group will do is 14 MEPs. [the PW of Geert Wilders (Holland) has decided it will not join any group]. In truth the BNP has been given far too much attention. The way to stuff them back in their box is to attack their policies as necessary, not give them massive publicity by throwing eggs at them. Their influence in the European Parliament is effectively nil.

Invisible Europe

My EU blog of 18th May was sent to the local papers on 26th May and finally published on 6th June!! Our 'Party Manifesto' for the EU emerged about 4days before the election. Our first EU Election broadcast never mentioned Europe. Fat lot of good all that was. In the NW,apart from Chris Davies, our local and National EU election effort was invisible.'Don't mention the EU' was like the Fawlty Towers 'Don't mention the War' sketch. If we really are the pro-Europe party then our leaders have got to stop pussyfooting round it and meet UKIP, the BNP & Eurosceptic Tories head on on every possible occasion.If we think that relentlessly putting the case for Europe is a vote loser will the leadership please say so then I can resign from the Party & save myself a stack of money and a lot of hard work.