POPE ON THE ROPES

Benedict XVI won’t address the European parliament because of our ‘militant secularism’. What a foolish and self-defeating stance. Take a look at my article on the Guardian’s Comment is Free site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/25/catholicism.eu

RESEARCH FUNDING

The European Union funds various programmes to stimulate European research and development. But what level of democratic scrutiny should there be over this funding? How much control should politicians exert over how this money is spent? You might be interested in this article I wrote for this week’s European Voice. http://www.maryhoneyball.net/EV%20Research.pdf

MEDIA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Last year a Conservative MEP organised a screening in the European Parliament of the discredited Channel 4 documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle”. The documentary caused a huge controversy when it was broadcast on TV and it caused a similar stir when it was shown in Parliament. Following Channel 4′s broadcast of the programme last [...]

BROKEN BELGIUM

The long running saga of who governs Belgium is continuing. A couple of days ago the Belgian Prime Minister, Yves Leterme, tendered his resignation to the King after failing to reconcile differences between Belgium’s French and Flemish speaking communities. Belgium’s Federal elections in June last year plunged the country into crisis when none of the [...]

BETTER BROADBAND

I’ve blogged many times about the importance of broadband connections for Britain’s economy. It’s good news then that BT have announced increased investment in fibre optic broadband. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7506742.stm

POLITICS OF FEAR

Last week I blogged about the Italian Government’s plan to fingerprint the Roma population, including children. You can read my blog about our protest by clicking here: http://maryhoneyballmep.blogspot.com/2008/07/ethnic-cataloguing-politics-of-fear.html Or watch the short video below:

RELIGION IN EUROPE

This article appeared in the most recent edition of the monthly publication, The German Times. http://www.german-times.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6329&Itemid=28

HOME ALONE

In June, the Liberal Democrats and Tories joined forces in support of an unbelievably unjust report “on common standards and procedures for the return of third country nationals residing illegally”. European Labour MEPs, tried to amend the report to prevent unaccompanied children from being deported, unless their family or guardian was able to look after [...]

WOMEN IN POWER

Forty percent of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament are women. Eight out of 19 Labour MEPs are women – a slightly higher percentage. Gender equality is more advanced in the EPLP and the Socialist Group in the European Parliament than the House of Commons where Labour has 256 MPs, 94 of whom are [...]

ETHNIC CATALOGUING: THE POLITICS OF FEAR

On the 13th of May a woman in a suburb of Naples in Italy alleged that a young Roma girl had broken into her apartment and tried to kidnap her baby. Within hours of the accusation a local mob of several hundred Italians attacked the Roma camp throwing Molatov cocktails, scattering the inhabitants and burning [...]