Honeyball’s Weekly Round-Up

Labour Party

A paper by Labour in London this week drew attention to the capital’s childcare crisis. The document revealed that there were 35,000 fewer nursery places since the Conservatives took office, and that childcare costs have increased by 30%. Labour have announced they will increase childcare for 3-4 year-olds from 15 to 25 hours per week, and will increase funding through a levy on banks. This would create an extra 72,000 places in London alone, where the struggle to keep up with costs is beginning to spiral out of control for many parents.

A report last month by the think tank IPPR drew attention to the present childcare crisis. The study showed the inextricable link between maternal employment levels – on which the UK performs worse than many OECD countries – and the poor childcare provisions Britain has to offer. IPPR said childcare of under-fives was essential to bring about better rates of work and pay for women, and that the ideal proportion of a family’s disposable income spent on childcare should be no more than 10%.

With Sure Start nurseries coming under threat from the government during this parliament – not to mention the TUC’s revelation last year that Britain has Europe’s worst maternity provisions – much more needs to be done. The alternative will be another generation of 50-65 year old women stuck in long-term unemployment or forced to deskill to find work.

I’m therefore delighted to see Labour in London spelling out such a clear direction of travel on this issue. The Tories produce a lot of hot air when it comes to getting women in the boardroom or the debating chamber, but to find sustainable solutions to these problems we need to address the systemic factors that drive women out of the workplace during their early thirties.

Also this week, Tory backbencher Robert Halfon made headlines when he referred to some UKIP members as “literally akin to the Nazis”. Halfon, a comparatively moderate Conservative, said Nigel Farage’s party could be split into two tribes: Godfrey Bloom-style buffoons and more “sinister” nationalists in the mould of Gerard Battern. He ironically thanked UKIP for “cleansing” his party of its lunatic fringe.

Halfon’s words draw attention to a sharp conflict within the Conservative Party, between those who want to remain borderline sane, and a larger faction who see the current state of British politics as an opportunity to drag the centre ground ever further to the right. For the latter group the existence of UKIP provides a convenient excuse; a political imperative to propel their party towards bigotry and knee-jerk populism. As I wrote in my round up last week, the end point in this journey is a type of Tea Party fanaticism which blocks all forms of progress.

So far David Cameron has made a host of concessions, essentially allowing the ultras within his party to dictate policy. One can only hope, for the sake both of British national interests and of democracy per se, that senior Conservative figures start to look beyond the ‘path of least resistance’ solutions they currently seem so keen on.

We must fight hard to contest myths about the EU

Labour Party

The Daily Express provoked anger at the start of this week by wrongly claiming that the EU are attempting to bring in compulsory quotas for female Roma MPs at Westminster. The article quoted Ukip’s London MEP Gerard Batten, who called the supposed plans “politically incorrect nonsense”.

Batten is right – at least in his description of the story as ‘nonsense’. There is no truth whatsoever in the claims. I wrote a letter to the paper explaining this, and suggesting that the story was poorly researched and ideologically motivated.

The paper replied with their ‘evidence’ for the article. This turned out to consist of a single recommendation in a 98 page study by an academic. To portray a bullet-point in an academic piece as an impending edict from Brussels is misleading at best. A disclaimer in the report made it clear that the opinions it expressed did not “represent the official position of the European Parliament”, but this was overlooked.

Moreover, as the European Commission’s Mark English pointed out, the EU’s remit “does not include the power to intervene in how candidates for national elections are nominated.” So even if the EU had wanted traveller quotas for domestic governments, it has absolutely no power to legally enforce them.

In a week which has seen Ed Miliband and his father subjected to savage attacks by The Daily Mail, it was sad to see first hand the way the right-wing and Euro-sceptic press are able to bolster myths about the EU. It makes it all the more important, in the run up to the European Elections in May, that we contest these falsehoods and make a clear, positive argument for Europe.

From the Archive: UKIP’s proposal to cut back public spending – kill prisoners

Labour Party

The theme of these archive blogs seems to be that UKIP are far more right-wing than Nigel Farage would have us believe. This blog was originally 19th March 2010 and details some of the more extreme views held by fellow London MEP Gerard Batten. My only hope is that, with the increased exposure from the recent successes in local elections and their climb in the polls, we will see UKIP challenged more for their extreme elements.

UKIP’s proposal to cut back public spending – kill prisoners

I do not like my fellow London MEP Gerard Batten very much. Let me explain why. He claims as a UKIP member to be a patriot but does not pay his taxes. Perhaps he would feel more at home in Belize with Michael Ashcroft? In 2008 I exposed that he was covering up his financial records . (He does seem to have a bit in common with Lord Ashcroft – perhaps he is a non-dom too?) He voted against extending education in Europe with a minority of hard right oppositionists (the vote was 623 for, 56 against). He does such a poor job of representing London that his UKIP colleague Godfrey Bloom MEP from Yorkshire has to come in and help him. On immigration his view is “Enough is enough.”

Gerard is not keen on people of different races mixing writing:

“THE MYTH of multiculturalism depends on the belief that completely different cultures, and indeed contradictory world views, can peacefully co-exist within the same geographic and political space.”

I wonder what new UKIP MEP Marta Andresan who is an Argentine by birth makes of this weltanschauung?

Gerard has a high regard for Dutch extreme right politician Geert Wilders who you can see him pictured with.

Now Gerard has turned his mind to economic policy. Last week speaking in Strasbourg during a debate on the death penalty in South Korea he said:

” This (the death penalty) would also save millions of pounds every year currently wasted on keeping such criminals in prison for life that could be better spent on the old and the sick. So well done South Korea: go on executing your worst criminals.”

Forget justice the key issue is saving money. Look on the bright side, if there are any miscarriages of justice in Gerard’s world at least thousands of pounds has been saved with this eugenic economic policy. Of course the wonderful thing is that any country which is a member of the European Union must renounce the death penalty. To me it demonstrates what a civilized institution it is. How frustrating for Gerard.

Even by Gerard’s previous policies his new Vote UKIP – Kill Prisoners – Save Millions campaign must be a new odious low.

From the Archive: Gerard Batten is Best, Forget the Rest

Labour Party

To continue with more of my previous blogs on UKIP. This one is from November 6th 2009, a time when the UKIP leadership elections were taking place and Gerard Batten was hoping to succeed Nigel Farage.

Gerard Batten is Best, Forget the Rest

Fellow London MEP Gerard Batten is apparently campaigning to succeed Nigel Farage as leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). The site set up to support him is interesting to say the least.Yesterday there was a post arguing that Gerard Batten’s attempts to cover up fraudulent spending of European Union monies did not matter, and there was no need for an investigation. An unusual position for a party which claims to be against the misuse of EU monies.However, like Ashley Mote and now Tom Wise, Gerard does not consider that laws apply to him. Gerard is a man who does not believe it is in the British character to play by the rules, and pay your taxes. He is refusing to pay his television licence.

Let’s return to his campaign website which reads a bit like the diary of Adrain Mole aged 55 and 3/4. Schoolboy politics might provide a slogan like “Forget the rest and vote for the best.” In the unlikely event of a Batten victory how will Gerard create a leadership team of all the talents other UKIP MEPs?

Gerard’s leadership blog certainly likes a bit of Viz style humour, commenting on the recent Exeter UKIP leadership hustings, the verdict is juvenile: “Pants to the rest, Gerard is the best!“

Let’s hope this blog is written by an over enthusiastic supporter of Gerard’s.

Looking at his official website there is no mention of his campaign for Leader. Google “Gerard Batten” and Leader in news, and you find that the BNP have been writing to Gerard as the kind of person they think would like to donate to them. Why would this be?

Look at Gerard’s website, it is a place where a BNP supporter would feel at home. Let’s start with his article “The Myth of Multiculturalism” which starts

Gerard represents London, he doesn’t seem to have noticed there are people with lots of differents beliefs in London. We all manage to rub along together. Londoners are pretty tolerant people, we even manage to put up with UKIP MEPs.

How about Gerard’s views on immigration? He’s written a 4 page pamphlet on the subject with the title “Enough is Enough“?

Then there’s his article in Freedom Today The Islamist threat to freedom where he talks about his regard for far right Dutch politician Geert Wilders (who Gerard is pictured with above).

You can begin to see why the BNP might consider Gerard Batten would want to support them. Let’s turn back to the intellectual masterpiece that is the “myth of multicultalism” article. This says in language strikingly like something Nick Griffin might say: “The British political and intellectual elite have not only thought that multiculturalism is highly desirable but they have spent the last fifty years actively bringing it about.”

Who could Gerard mean? How about current UKIP leader Nigel Farage? He’s married to a German. Yorkshire UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom? He’s married to a Pole. Even the Queen married a Greek. That’s right Gerard lots of British people are marrying foreign people, and I think love is wonderful, but you want to stop it?

Often when I write about UKIP members misbehaviour I receive notes from UKIP members complaining that they are decent people, and are unlucky to have so many people of bad character in UKIP. The other possibility is UKIP attracts people of bad character, discuss.

Looking at Gerard Batten’s record shouldn’t UKIP be investigating him rather than considering having him as a party leader?

Now that Tom Wise has admitted his guilt to expenses fraud, shouldn’t questions be asked as to why Gerard Batten defended him and tried to excuse Tom Wise’s fraudulent misdemeanours?

Surely any mainstream political party expects their representatives/leaders to pay taxes like the television licence fee?

UKIP Principles

Labour Party

Thank you for all the very kind messages whilst I have been suffering from shingles.

My laptop and ipad have meant I’ve been able to catch up on emails and paperwork, even when, as prescribed by my doctor I have been “resting”. Cue Daily Express headlines “MEP asleep on the job” – no doubt! The largest amount of casework I’ve received this year has been to sign European Written Declaration 81, which urges the European Parliament to pass legislation making it mandatory for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to be fitted with technology that eliminates the driver’s “blind spot”.

I signed it several weeks ago and I’m pleased several hundred people have written to me on this subject, and appreciate the friendly correspondence from many Londoners. This should be a cross party issue where health and safety is put first. My Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green colleagues have all joined with me. However, UKIP MEP Gerard Batten has “principles”. He has refused to join with this initiative to reduce cycling fatalities. His “principles” mean he does not want to support this measure to reduce the number of cyclists dying in London.

Cycling blogger “That Guy Hex” (pictured) questions whether they are appropriate here. He summarises:

“The UKIP. Always ready to do nothing in the name of “principle”. Even if doing something could contribute to preventing people from having entirely preventable and worthless deaths.”

The Wiffen of Racism from UKIP in London

Labour Party

The Chair of UKIP in London Paul Wiffen has expressed these views on multicultural London:

“You Left-wing scum are all the same, wanting to hand our birthright to Romanian gypsies who beat their wives and children into begging and stealing money they can gamble with, Muslim nutters who want to kill us and put us all under medieval Sharia law, the same Africans who sold their Afro-Caribbean brothers into a slavery that Britain was the first to abolish.”

UKIP’s usual different standards of conduct have been applied. Paul Wiffen has been temporarily suspended as Chair of London, but remains their Parliamentary candidate in Ilford South and also a candidate for Redbridge Council. One can only imagine what he says in private. I love UKIP’s logic here, he is suspended from expressing his views to fellow UKIP members, but they are quite happy for him to talk to ordinary voters.

Paul Wiffen is not the brightest tool in the shop. The 2001 census showed that 55% of the Ilford South electorate was non-white. Paul Wiffen has “worked closely” for UKIP London MEP Gerard Batten making videos for him. (He is pictured with Gerard Batten, Paul is on the left with Gerard Batten third from left). Gerard has made no comment so far. Would that be because Paul posts adoring twitters about Gerard?

On 3rd March he wrote “Express reports immigrants will do anything 2 get 2 UK http://bit.ly/cNisCn but #UKIP MEP Gerard Batten has the answer.”

Not keen on multicultural women too on December 13th 2009….”What exactly r Paula Buonadonna’s qualifications 2 b on The Politics Show? Not her dancing! Multi-cultural female-only shortlists @ BBC now?”

On November 18th 2009 he expressed the wish “2moro have 2 decide if I will still stand in Ilford Sth @ GE or switch 2 Barking & Dagenham (500yds down road) 2 give Griffin a bloody nose.”

I can see why Paul thought he was best placed to take the racist vote away from the BNP’s Nick Griffin!

I predict he will lose his deposit, but UKIP should immediately remove him as a Parliamentary and Council candidate and kick him out of the Party.

Godfrey Bloom is at it again

Labour Party

Now that the Commissioner-Designate Hearings are over, we can look back on the choicest moments. Not that there are very many as MEPs, on the whole, take their duties at these Hearings very seriously.

None more so perhaps than the appalling Godfrey Bloom (UKIP Yorkshire and Humberside).

While attending the hearing of Michel Barnier, French EPP Commissioner-Designate for the Internal Market, Mr Bloom claimed that he represented the City of London. As London MEP I take great exception to Mr Bloom’s claim. I’m sure the same goes for the rest of my London colleagues, including presumably UKIP’s very own Gerard Batten.

However, good triumphed in the end.

Mr Barnier, an experienced politician who doesn’t miss a trick, replied to Mr Bloom with the immortal words: “I (Barnier) thought you represented your constituents.”

Michel Barnier maximum points, Godfrey Bloom absolutely none and a well deserved kick in the teeth.

Daniel Hannan MEP decides to break the law

Labour Party

Last year I highlighted London UKIP MEP Gerard Batten was not paying his television licence. In UKIP, obeying the law is selective, and I will not repeat the list again. The Conservative Party now seems to be moving ever closer to UKIP’s morality with the news that Daniel Hannan MEP has also decided to not pay for his television licence. Here’s his position on BBC radio’s Any Questions:

“Asked by host Jonathan Dimbleby whether he hoped to threaten the survival of the state broadcaster, he added:

“I think it is anomolous in this day and age to have a state broadcaster, funded out of general taxation.”

As the studio audience responded with heckles and boos, Mr Hannan was quick to emphasise that his personal views did not reflect the policies of the Conservative party.

A spokesperson for the TV Licensing Authority said: “Television licensing law still applies to you no matter what you use to watch TV.

“Whether it’s a laptop, PC or any other device that receives television, you need to be covered by a TV Licence. It’s the law.

If a Labour representative decided they were only going to obey the laws that suited them I think there would be media coverage, but there seems to have been very little notice taken of Daniel Hannan’s law breaking. Conservative Leader in Europe Timothy Kirkhope has taken no action, prefering to take disciplinary action against Edward McMillan-Scott for objecting to the Conservative’s European group leader Michael Kaminski’s extremist views. David Cameron seems quite happy with this state of affairs too. Shouldn’t they be asking Daniel Hannan to do what every Labour representative does and pay their taxes? The television licence is in effect a tax. Perhaps there are other Conservative representatives who take the same view? Conservative supporter Charles Moore has also decided not to pay his licence too.

The BBC has taken no action, which seems to show partisan bias. There’s an election coming and if Conservatives are going to ignore the law, and UKIP too, then the BBC should be enforcing the law and not turning a blind eye. It’s inaction is starting to bring into question its impartiality, which is especially important in a pre-election period. Let’s not forget that Daniel Hannan is one of the most popular Conservative representatives amongst ordinary Conservative members and activists.

As someone who makes laws how can Daniel Hannan expect anybody to obey any law that he votes for when he has no respect for the law? An honourable representative would either pay up and apologise or resign. Remember Daniel Hannan’s pompous youtube video hit? Look at this interview where he says he was doing what his constituents want. Daniel Hannan has millions of decent constituents who pay for their television licence. They expect him to pay his share and not to take a free ride on their backs.

Gerard Batten is Best, Forget the Rest

Labour Party