Why are they unsuitable for office if they have been educated at Eton and Oxford? I am pretty sure the teaching standard is rather good and they were obviously intelligent enough to attend both..?
Yes. Money had nothing to do with it.
Why are they unsuitable for office if they have been educated at Eton and Oxford? I am pretty sure the teaching standard is rather good and they were obviously intelligent enough to attend both..?
I've said before, we are so far behind the rest of Europe in so many areas we will be better off joining them as opposed to distancing ourselves (and I do not mean befriending those far-right kranks Cameron has invited to his conference).
*Sigh* Don't be so obtuse, you know what my point is, but I'll spell it out again. In a sovereign parliamentary democracy a party can have a manifesto that says they intend to impose a tax on dog food and make the eating of whale blubber compulsory. You think 'yes, that sounds good' so you vote for them. They are duly elected and start to implement their manifesto pledges by introducing legislation that will be voted on by the House of Commons. In five years time you're thinking "Bloody hell I'm sick of this whale blubber, I'm going to vote for the other lot", the other lot duly get in and repeal the unpopular legislation.You mean each democratically elected government appoints a commissioner, in the same way that our democratically elected goverment appoints the prime minister.
What was your point again?
Well I can't see it myself, and I wrote it! If you're referring to the 1975 referendum (the only time we've voted on 'Europe' as a single issue as opposed to as part of a bundle of other party election pledges) that was a referendum on the European Econonomic Community (E.E.C.). The modern EU has been assembled without any further reference to the British people and bears absolutely NO resemblence to the old E.E.C. I said on page one that full of youthful idealism back in 1975 I'd campaigned for a 'Yes' vote; actively campaigned not just said I was in favour. If I'd known then that the E.E.C. was going to turn into the EU I'd have joined the Bennites there and then.Anyone else see the contradiction here?
Well I can't see it myself, and I wrote it! If you're referring to the 1975 referendum (the only time we've voted on 'Europe' as a single issue as opposed to as part of a bundle of other party election pledges) that was a referendum on the European Econonomic Community (E.E.C.). The modern EU has been assembled without any further reference to the British people and bears absolutely NO resemblence to the old E.E.C. I said on page one that full of youthful idealism back in 1975 I'd campaigned for a 'Yes' vote; actively campaigned not just said I was in favour. If I'd known then that the E.E.C. was going to turn into the EU I'd have joined the Bennites there and then.
I remember that! We weren't trying to stop it as such. merely point out that the 'No' lobby was an unholy alliance of Empire Loyalists and antediluvian socialists. I think I was more upset that Michael Foot (one of my heroes at the time) was opposed to internationalism.I was at the Get Britain Out rally at the Corn Exchange in 1975addressed by Enoch Powell, Michael Foot and others. There wasn't a "No Platform" policy by the fascists (sorry New left) then, although there were about 1,000 screaming class war rebels from Sussex University and various Brighton communes outside trying to stop democracy.
They've probably mostly made a fortune in the professions or the city and ended up in New Labour.
I remember that! We weren't trying to stop it as such. merely point out that the 'No' lobby was an unholy alliance of Empire Loyalists and antediluvian socialists. I think I was more upset that Michael Foot (one of my heroes at the time) was opposed to internationalism.
Indeed, in fact I'm indebted to the person who pointed out to me yesterday that opposition to the E.U. project STILL only comes from an unholy alliance of Empire Loyalists and antediluvian socialists - it's just that I've changed sides!. Ayway, I'm currently wearing my Morning Star 'Say No to the Euro!' badge, which I got from their stand at a Communist Party 'gathering' in Germany.I remember thinking at the time there was no way the "No" vote could win.
Apart from let us say the diverse views on the platform, the whole presentation was years out of date compared to the "Yes" campaign, which was slick, professional, up to date and tellingly had loads of money. The pro-EEC press made a great deal of the fact that the Communist Party and the National Front both wanted to get Britain out.
They never mentioned that Sir Oswald Mosley, Britain's most famous fascist was in favour of a United States of Europe!
Yep, that old chestnut about old, eurosceptic, little Englanders, borderline BNP right wing jackboot wearing nut jobs, and if proof were needed just take a look at this lot of UKIP supporting scumbags.
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Its hard to find where the EU is ahead? Maybe Beuraucracy, corruption and lack of democracy.
So you're arguing that China is more democratic, less bureaucratic and less corrupt than the EU?
Anybody who thinks the PRC is more democratic, less bureaucratic and less corrupt than the EU is absolutely barking mad. China only allows elections on a very, very limited basis and only ever at the local level. And, even then, it's a one-party state with a paucity of civil rights and uncertainty of rule of law. It's got an incredibly thick bureaucracy and is regularly embarrassed (usually by media operating out of HK) about corruption scandals.
However, whilst trumping China on these terms is not really much of an achievement for the EU. We should be rating the EU against our own measuring sticks, not China! It's reasonable for us to to demand openness, fairness, consistency and responsiveness from the EU - which is why I encourage people to visit and sign the petition at Home / right2bet / Fighting for an EU citizen's right to choose now.
What did you think of the game on Saturday, Jon? Did you go? Did you know who we were playing (without checking in the paper or online)?