Westminster North Candidate gets on with people – shock!

Posted on February 9, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

I see that the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Westminster North Joanne Cash has resigned as candidate.

It is not for me to speculate as the Daily Mail and Conservative Home have done as to why Joanne is no longer a candidate.

My London office is in the same building as the constituency office of pictured Karen Buck Labour MP for Regents Park and Kensington North (there are boundary changes and a new name for the seat). I can exclusively reveal that Karen gets on famously with her party workers, indeed it is not going too far to say that many of them love her (politically of course). Karen has an excellent close working relationship with her constituency Chair Nilavra Mukerji. I confess I do not know which school her husband Barrie went to, but I am pretty sure it wasn’t Eton.

Karen unites all strands of views in her local Labour Party and has all her Parliamentary staff working in her constituency office not the House of Commons.

Having campaigned on many occasions in her seat both with and without Karen I know that her constituents appreciate all her work and that they can bump into her on the bus or tube.

I will be supporting Karen’s next fundraiser on 24th February. Contact me if you would like details of how to support one of the hardest working MPs, and ensure she returns to Westminster at the General Election.

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Post Lisbon Blues

Posted on February 9, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

Reading the Guardian today you may be forgiven for thinking we are all suffering from a massive dose of gloom at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week.  To say nothing could be further from the truth would be an exaggeration; it’s more like business as usual with a bit extra doom thrown in for good measure.

Things are quite obviously not going to well on the big issues.  The economy across Europe is  in the doldrums with the current crisis in Greece making everyone very jittery.

To add insult to injury, the much vaunted Copenhagen summit on climate change held in December was little short of a farce.  Badly organised and lacking any sort of focus, it failed to produce any binding agreement.  Since the environment in general and climate issues in particular do not respect national borders and therefore require international action, this whole policy area is almost universally seen as Europe’s strongest card.  To come so unstuck at Copenhagen was therefore extremely bad news.

What is more, Europe’s internal, what EU jargon call “inter-institutional”, organisation is in a state of flux following the Lisbon Treaty.  There are now no less than four presidents:  Jose-Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, current holder of the six month rotating presidency.

You may recall that one of my reasons for supporting Tony Blair for as President of the European Council was to have one strong leader who would be above all the inter-institutional rivalry and cut down on the chaos.  Alas this wasn’t to be, to Europe’s immediate and, I believe, long term detriment.

President Obama recently cancelled his attendance at an EU summit due to be held in Madrid in May, allegedly because he doesn’t know who is in charge in the EU.  It looks suspiciously as if Obama is  following in the apocryphal footsteps of Henry Kissinger who apparently felt the same way.  Since this snub follows hard on the heels of the United States President’s failure to take much account of the EU at Copenhagen, Europe has much to think about.

The underlying and very real danger is that the world revolves once again around two super powers – this time the Unites States and China.  Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall we may be back to the same old alignment, capitalist and communist, west and east with the same potential for an aggressive arms build up.

The EU was perhaps never going to be strong enough to be the force countering these two massive countries with their huge landmass, natural resources and, perhaps more important, their overwhelming sense of national identity.  Yet we in Europe are in real danger of missing out on any meaningful influence.  While the EU remains riven with internal jealousies, unable to move forward, the chance of acting as a player on the world stage and being the counterweight to the USA and China lessens by the day.  Strength lies in unity not fragmentation.

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Raising Awareness of Osteoporosis

Posted on February 8, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

I am pleased to be confirmed again as Joint-Chair of the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group.  I will continue to work with the International Osteoporosis Foundation to raise awareness of the disease and campaign for funding to improve and extend treatment, as well as for public education about ways in which osteoporosis can be prevented, or at least reduced.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone is reduced. As the bones become progressively more porous and fragile, there is an increased risk of fracture, even after a minor bump or fall. Osteoporosis is often called the ‘silent disease’ as there are usually no signs or symptoms until a fracture has occurred. The risk of fractures due to osteoporosis rises progressively with age in men and particularly in women after the age of menopause. In women, the risk is comparable to that of cardiovascular disease and considerably higher than that of breast cancer. Currently, one osteoporotic fracture occurs every 30 seconds in the EU, and the ageing of the population will double the number of osteoporotic fractures over the next 50 years if changes are not made in present practice. Osteoporosis and resulting fractures can often be prevented, they are not “just a part of old age”, as many people wrongly believe.

Osteoporosis has a devastating effect on the individual and society as a whole. Fractures result in pain, disfigurement, and loss of independence. After a hip fracture, approximately 50% of patients can no longer live independently and 20% die within 12 months. If left untreated, the patient who sustains a first fracture has a greater than two-fold increase in the risk of a subsequent fracture. The risk of a third and additional fracture increases exponentially with each new fracture – known as the cascade effect.

Prevention of osteoporotic fractures is key to healthy ageing

Osteoporosis can be diagnosed by measurement of bone mineral density. Effective treatments are widely available in Europe for the management of osteoporosis, but, despite this, the great majority of individuals at high risk (up to 80%) who have already sustained at least one osteoporotic fracture are neither diagnosed nor treated to prevent further fractures. Equity is at stake, as a large gap exists between those who receive treatment and those that would benefit from treatment.

Aside from the personal and social costs, osteoporosis remains a major public health burden with enormous economic impact worldwide. The economic burden of osteoporosis in the EU is estimated at €43 billion annually (for 2010), in direct costs alone and to rise to €58 billion over the next 20 years. The burden on healthcare budgets is currently greater than breast and prostate cancer, myocardial infarction, and diabetes, and very close to stroke.

There have been achievements in the past 10 years: the number of fractures per year is beginning to stabilise, and there are now more evidence-based treatment options available. However, we still have a long way to go:

  • 21 out of 27 EU countries do not recognise osteoporosis as a national health priority (this is critical is terms of galvanising public and medical action towards fracture prevention)
  • Hip fracture costs have doubled or tripled in some countries
  • In many countries, full access to and reimbursement of bone mineral density scans and treatments are not available to high risk individuals (and even to many to have already sustained an osteoporotic fracture)

Building better bone health

The prevention of osteoporosis and fractures should be considered under a lifetime strategy. One of the best preventive measures to avoid fractures in later life is to build a strong bone foundation in youth. Healthy adults generally reach their peak bone mass by the age of 20 years. It is estimated that a 10% increase of peak bone mass would reduce the risk of an osteoporotic fracture during adult life by more than 50%.

The key elements of any chronic disease prevention strategy are diet, exercise, early diagnosis and effective treatment:

  1. Build strong bones in youth
  2. Maintain bone strength in the mid-years
  3. Target high risk individuals over 50 years
  4. Diagnose and treat ALL individuals who have sustained their first osteoporotic fracture
  5. Focus on muscle strength and falls prevention in the older years

We need to raise the profile of osteoporosis so that people suffering from the disease are aware of the risk factors and have equitable access to appropriate medical treatment. I have been chair of the Osteoporosis Interest Group in the European Parliament for a number of years and will continue to support initiatives to raise awareness on osteoporosis among politicians and EU institutions. 

Are you at risk?

Take the online IOF one-minute risk test and understand better how osteoporosis could be a risk to your quality of life: http://www.iofbonehealth.org/patients-public/risk-test.html

Health care professionals can freely use the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX® tool, http://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX) to assess their patients’ risk of fracture at ten years.

For more information, consult the IOF website (www.iofbonehealth.org). The European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group supports the IOF EU initiatives for better bone health.

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Islington Liberal Democrat cuts to target children

Posted on February 7, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

Almost 12 months ago I wrote about the importance of school meals for all children, and called upon Islington Liberal Democrats to scrap their plans to cut back on their provision. Congratulations to the Labour team in Islington for winning their campaign to ensure that every child at Islington Council’s primary schools and nurseries will be entitled to a free school meal from March 8th.

Amazingly Islington Liberal Democrats have warned that if they win the Council elections in May, they will scrap the universal free school meals initiative for ever.  I am not an expert on local government finance but I find it hard to believe there are not other areas of expenditure that cannot  be looked at. I think as we approach a General Election and London Council elections it says much about the Liberal Democrat’s priorities.

The picture shows Islington South MP Emily Thornberry. Islington Labour Group Leader Catherine West and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn with a young supporter. They have launched a petition which you can sign here.

Independent experts know that a nutritious meal is best for our children’s health and education. I agree and thank my colleagues in Islington for all their hard work on this campaign.

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Lammas School and Sports College

Posted on February 6, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

As you can see yesterday I received an enthusiastic welcome from Lammas School and Sports College pupils in Waltham Forest. I was due to be debating climate change with my fellow London MEP Conservative Marina Yannakoudakis. Marina unfortunately had to pull out at late notice. She missed a lively and interesting cross examination by the students.

The event had been put together by Ruxandra Ratiu, International Project Officer of the Citizenship Foundation; and I want to thank her for all her work.  Thanks too, to class teacher Mr. Daintry for facilitating everything at school. He arranged for the meeting to be in this brilliant new library.

We were joined by Vice-Chair of governors Ted Cooke who told me the history of how the former South Leyton School had been transformed over the last decade. Ted has been involved from the start and I enjoyed his candid history of the school’s transformation. As a former school governor myself I pay tribute to Ted and his fellow school governors, community champions who selflessly serve society.

I wish good news stories such as building Lammas School on the site of two former factories and its progression into a modern thriving centre of 800 pupils received more publicity. The school’s successes strike you as soon as you enter reception with a heavily laden trophy cabinet.

I am proud to be a Labour representative when I see the changes a dozen years of Labour government has made with new buildings and investment like this.

This is not just the right thing to do; it is an investment in our future for these students are the wealth creators and taxpayers of tomorrow. The more we invest in our children the more successful Britain will be.

My talk to the students was mainly about the environment, but they also wanted to know about my job and how I got into politics. I hope that some of these pupils may go on to have a role in public life.

 We then went into a detailed examination of Copenhagen and how it had not been as successful as it could have been. The students were particularly concerned about the rain forest and other citizens of the world. We then looked at car emissions and how regulation can provide information on how green a vehicle is before purchasing it. The pupils were keen on electric cars such as the Toyota Prius, but perhaps a little less so after the news on their accelerators.

We moved on to discuss a priority of the European Union – the promotion of renewable and alternative sources of energy. The students were pleased to hear I regularly use Eurostar rather than flying.

A lot of thought and research had gone into the questions, and the students broke into two groups to work up some further discussion points before quizzing me again.

I left refreshed and energised by the enthusiasm of these Lammas school pupils. Many thanks to

Meena Hadiy

Farheen Ramjan

Maria Andrews

Mohammed Ahad

Sophia Essiet

Victor Alli

Reanah Noel-James

Claire Ayres

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Women in Power: Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)

Posted on February 5, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

To follow up my launch of the female members of the Socialists and Democrats and European United Left – Nordic Green Left groups in the European Parliament as part of my Women in Power project, I am presenting today a set of profiles from the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA). This group, which compromises a large number of French and German MEPs from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens) and Europe Écologie respectively, also includes three women from the United Kingdom.

At 30, Franziska Katharina Brantner from Germany is one of the youngest female members of the European Parliament. Despite her age, however, she already has an extremely impressive CV. Before becoming an MEP in 2009, she was a consultant for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), where she helped to design a European action plan for UN Security Resolution 1325. After this she worked for the Bertelsmann Foundation consulting on EU foreign policy issues. Franziska was for a short time a research fellow at my own university, Oxford, in the European Studies Centre at St. Antony’s College, having graduated in 2004 with a double diploma in Political Science.

Another young and highly impressive woman MEP is Marije Cornelissen from the Netherlands, who sits alongside me in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. She has been a forceful anti-discrimination campaigner, and was even Director of North Holland’s Anti-Discrimination Bureau. Like me, she has a strong background in women’s rights, having been Chair of the Feminist Network of the GreenLeft between 1996 and 2001 and a parliamentary assistant in Brussels from 1996 to 1997 where she followed the Committee on Women’s Rights.

Swedish MEP Isabella Lövin has rather a different background, having spent most of her career in the media industry. She received a diploma in Radio Production from the Dramatic Arts Institute in Sweden in 1994, and went on to work as a radio producer and a reporter of debate programmes on the Swedish channel P1. She has also edited several high-profile magazines. Her strong writing and researching skills have brought her numerous successes, including 14 different prizes in Sweden for her book Tyst hav (Silent Seas) on the European Common Fisheries Policy.

As ever, you will see in these profiles a group MEPs embodying a wide range of talents, which have been manifest both in and outside the world of politics. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading their profiles, and that they provide a useful reference point for learning more about women in the European Parliament.

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Warning about adopting children from Haiti

Posted on February 4, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

I have recently received the statement set out below regarding inter-country adoption from Haiti.  Sent from Andy Elvin, Chief Executive of CFAB (Children and families Across Borders), the UK branch of the international social service network, the statement is in line with guidance drawn up by UNICEF in association with other international child welfare organisations in the wake of the 2004 tsunami.

CFAB is asking MEPs to vote against any resolutions before the European Parliament that support removing children from Haiti’s jurisdiction whilst the humanitarian effort is still being undertaken, except in circumstances where emergency medical treatment is needed.  I urge MEPs and others in positions where they may have an influence to take this statement on board.

 Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, we call upon the European Parliament to support a moratorium on international adoptions from the country. The disaster not only caused catastrophic destruction and death, it has also produced further trauma by splitting up families, leaving many children alone. “We are worried about people who come to pick up our children, it has happened here,” stated a mother to an aid worker this week. A distraught father looking for his child said: “I tried to look for her, but I couldn’t find any information. It’s like my soul has disappeared with my daughter.” These are just a few of the extremely worried family members who are seeking their lost children. 

Given the tragedy that has unfolded, many people react instinctively and want to give injured and defenceless children what they seem to have lost, a caring family. It is vital for MEPs and other key EU decision makers to realise that it should not be assumed that children in an emergency situation are orphans, and are available for adoption.

As long as the fate of a child’s parents and/or other close relatives cannot be verified, each separated child must be considered as still having close relatives who are alive.

The EU should support measures that

-         prevent separation of children from parents and their family either inadvertently at aid distribution sites, or through adoptions,

-         insure a register of unaccompanied and separated children, tracing and reunification,

-         place vulnerable children in safe and appropriate care arrangements within Haiti while the child’s family is traced,

Taking children out of a country in the midst of chaos, can also compound the acute trauma that they already suffered and can inflict long-term damage on their chances of recovery. As well as creating devastating loss for their parents and family members. 

MEPs should note that immediate action to help children is already accepted by the European Council, in its Conclusions on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child in the European Union’s external action. The Council highlighted the need for effective and quick interventions during crises and emergencies situations, including measures to both prevent the separation of children and to re-establish links with their families. This is in line with the “Guidelines for the alternative care of children”, a United Nations framework for non emergency and emergency situations.

Despite these international instruments, in the aftermath of the earthquake, the international community is struggling to provide appropriate care and protection for children and families.  We are particularly concerned about the push to fast-track inter-country adoptions. The international community should stand firm on its fundamental principles and take all necessary measures to ensure the implementation of the existing international instruments.

If appropriate measures are not introduced immediately, there is a genuine fear that inept and potentially harmful evacuation efforts can lead to the trafficking of children through inappropriate or unlawful inter-country adoptions in emergency situations.

We therefore urge the European Parliament to call for a moratorium of international adoptions from Haiti and to support measures to prevent unnecessary separation of families.

We also urge the European Parliament to call for coordinated efforts with the Government of Haiti as well as all local, national and international governmental and non-governmental agencies to take all necessary measures to mainstream the protection of child rights in all their actions following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

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On the Road to Fair Votes

Posted on February 3, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

Last year at Labour Party Conference, when Gordon Brown promised a referendum on changing the voting system, specifically holding a referendum on the Alternative Vote system (AV), I was absolutely delighted.  Today the Guardian provided this very helpful demonstration of how AV would work.

My twenty- five years of struggling to get even the very idea of fair votes for the House of Commons recognised seemed at last to be getting somewhere.  When you’re involved in what is often seen as a minority, not to say geeky, campaign it’s sometimes hard to keep your sprits up.  But we have, and we’re finally winning through.

Going that crucial step further, Gordon’s announcement in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) yesterday that the referendum will be held in October 2011, was the next thing electoral reformers wanted to hear.  The Prime Minister has now said he will have a referendum, a pledge he will, I believe, do everything he can to honour.  It is now up to Gordon to find the parliamentary time before the expected Easter dissolution.

I understand that some Conservative co-operation may be required to make such time available.  However, Gordon has to come out on top on this one.  Having made such a public commitment, he really must see it through and get the law setting the date for a referendum passed before the general election in order that his target date for the referendum of October 2011 may be met.

Gordon has made it clear that the referendum would be restricted to whether to stick with first past the post or to move to the alternative vote.  There are, I know, those among electoral reform campaigners who think AV is not proportional enough.  I think we must embrace Gordon Brown’s initiative as the only change we are likely to get in the foreseeable future.  It may not go as far as we would like, but it’s much better than first past the post.

We must also all be aware that our opponents do not like PR.  Since there is little that is fair in Tory social policy, it is hardly surprising they don’t want fair votes.  Quoted in yesterday’s Guardian, William Hague showed his usual lack of imagination: “It’s not the voting system that needs changing, it’s this weak and discredited prime minister. New politics needs a new government.”

Things are very different in the Labour Cabinet.  Ed Balls, the schools secretary, is a supporter of AV, as is Home Secretary Alan Johnson, John Denham, the communities secretary, Peter Hain, Welsh secretary, Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell, and, last but not least, Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary.

Though the introduction of AV is the most important policy demanding immediate action, Gordon’s speech yesterday did not stop there.  He also announced that he wants a written constitution by 2015, the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta; a right for constituents to recall MPs if found guilty of corruption: a draft bill introducing a mainly elected Lords; and approval for local government reforms, entitled Total Place, that he said could produce £15bn of savings. He also said he supported votes at 16, but gave no commitment to put the proposal in the Labour manifesto.

I believe constitutional reform is important for its own sake.  Britain is the only country in Europe which does not have a proportional electoral system for its upper house.  On the other hand, I remain to be convinced that a package of changes to the way parliament and other representative institutions are elected will achieve very much in restoring people’s trust in politics, except perhaps for the measure to recall corrupt MPs.  Gordon Brown is setting out a vision for a modern democracy.  As the only real modern, progressive Party in Britain, Labour members have, I believe, a profound duty to support our Prime Minister in this crucially important task.

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Meeting with UNISON and other unions representing University Support Staff

Posted on February 2, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

There are times in my job as an MEP when I get to do something very different from the normal run of European Parliament Committees, Socialist and Democrat Group meetings and voting in plenary sessions.

Today was one of these times.  I was pleased to attend a joint trade union meeting this afternoon to discuss representation of university support staff.  In most universities there are as many employees who carry administrative duties, work in libraries and as laboratory and other kinds of technicians, provide information and computer support and do all the essential jobs in catering, building management and security and cleaning as there are academic staff.

Unfortunately these support staff do not always get the recognition they deserve.  The joint trade union meeting today, attended by UNISON, the SIPTU from Ireland and the Danish organisation HK/Stat looked at the main issues of concern.

Chaired by Danish socialist MEP Britta Thomsen, the meeting proved wide ranging in both content and geographical scope.  The other two MEPs who attended, in addition to myself, were fellow EPLP member Derek Vaughan from Wales and  Irish Labour Party stalwart Proinsias De Rossa.         

The unions present were:

UNISON, England – Derek Earnshaw, Leeds University and Jon Richards, UNISON

SIPTU, Ireland – Jack McGinley, Trinity College Dublin and Christine Rowland, SIPTU

HK/Stat, Denmark – Aase Pedersen Rakkolainen, University of Aarhus, Joan Lykkeaa, University of Copenhagen and Hans-Henrik Nielsen, HK/Stat

Also from Denmark were representatives from the AC-group, (Academic-group) – John S. Westensee, University of Aarhus, Signe Osbahr, University of Aarhus, Arne Bækdal Hansen, University of Southern Denmark, Harry Havskum, University of Copenhagen, Poul Petersen, University of Copenhagen and Lone Falsig Hansen,  Danish Technical University

One of the unions’ aims is to establish a European network and they are seeking funding for this initiative.  They also want support staff included in bids to the EU Research Framework Programme as well as mobility for support staff in addition to academics and students under the Bologna Process.

It was agreed that the union would contact the two relevant Commissioners-Designate, Marie Geoghegan-Quinn from Ireland who will be responsible for Research and Innovation and Hungarian Lazlo Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), as soon as possible after the confirmation vote on 9 February. 

 It goes without saying that I, and my ME¨P colleagues, will do all we can to be of assistance.

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Gender equality: Is it achievable?

Posted on February 1, 2010 by maryhoneyballmep

Gender inequality can manifest itself in many ways, be it through gender-based violence, unequal pay between men and women, or the application of gender stereotypes. Needless to say the achievement of full gender equality is still a long way off. Last Thursday a hearing was held in the European Parliament, entitled ‘Towards a new strategy for gender equality’, in which experts and MEPs were invited to debate the merits of the current roadmap towards equality between men and women (2006 – 2010), and put forward some new ideas for the next one.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise that most of the speakers who filled the room were women. This alone is a strong indicator of just how much more work there is still to do. I believe that there is a real need to involve men in the debate about women’s rights and gender equality. The stereotypes that trap women also trap men, and there can be no doubt that men need to be allies in the fight against gender inequality. I was very pleased that my fellow S&D Women’s Rights Committee member, Marc Tarabella, attended the event. Tarabella recently put together a report in the Parliament on equality between men and women in the European Union, and his contributions in the Women’s Committee are always thoughtful and constructive.

As we move into a new decade, and make our way onto a new roadmap towards gender equality, I believe that a dual approach towards gender equality is needed, involving collaboration and action by both the EU and national governments. It is not enough to simply focus on policy directly linked to gender inequality, such as violence and unequal pay; the gender aspect must also be considered in policy areas that at first glance are not necessarily linked to gender equality, including migration and asylum. As part of my role in the Committee on Culture Education this parliamentary term, I will be in charge of gender mainstreaming, ensuring that the ‘gender perspective’ is acknowledged in all policy and legislation dealt with by the Committee. The problem of gender inequality will only be solved if gender is considered at all levels and in all policy areas.

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