Last week I spoke to the London Branch of the European Movement about my work as a London MEP. Many thanks to Petros Fassoulas pictured standing. Petros is a passionate advocate of the European cause. I am grateful to him and John Preston (far right in picture below) for organising the meeting. Petros has arranged a schedule of meetings with several of my fellow London MEPs speaking. I would recommend joining these events for anybody interested in European politics, you will be sure of a warm welcome from my experience.
I spoke about my work on women and culture – familar subjects for readers of this blog. However, the European budget was the subject which attracted most interest. I was pleased to meet Liberal Democrat Dinti Batstone who talked about the need to increase women’s representation. Pictured in orange is Eva Eberhardt an EU gender expert who was keen for a more positive campaigning role on European issues.
Many of those present were keen to see a referendum on Europe as they were confident that any referendum could be won. They also considered this would once and for all close down debate on Britain’s role in Europe. It was very enjoyable to be cross examined on European politics by such a well informed audience, my thanks for the invitation.
This is an appropriate post to mention in passing that the Labour Movement for Europe will be having their AGM on Monday 13th December at 6pm in Committee Room 5 of the House of Lords.
“Many of those present were keen to see a referendum on Europe as they were confident that any referendum could be won.”
a referendum on Europe or a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty?
Martin, I also wondered if the referendum was about EU membership or the Lisbon Treaty/EU Constitution.
The reason for their confidence that a referendum will have the outcome they want is based on their simple strategy for ensuring agreement. They keep on asking the same question again and again until they get the answer they want and while the process grinds on and on, they make more and more outrageous promises and tel lie after lie after lie.
I am considering Mary’s recommendation to attend these meetings but I have a slight suspicion that my welcome might be just a little less warm than the one she received.
Mary,
“An EU gender expert”? – is what exactly? A chicken sexer?
You are back to mixing Europe & the EU again – but don’t you think if Brown thought he had a reasonable chance of winning a referendum on the Lisbon Constitution he would have gone for it? He didn’t because he knew he’d lose – spectacularly. Nothing on that front has changed – if your chums in the room with the strange wallpaper think differently they are deluded.
regards
geoff